Travellers who visited remote parts of Transylvania in the 16th century returned with strange and horrifying tales of creatures that were neither living nor dead...creatures that left their haunts at night and feasted on human blood. These monsters went by various names: Vursula, Vampyr...and Vampire. Although similar creatures are recorded in Greek, Roman and Hebrew mythology, the story of the vampire stems almost entirely from Eastern Europe: from the Carpathian mountains, Transylvania and Wallachia, and from neighbouring areas in the Balkans.
At the root of the Vampire myth lie two concepts. First, that an evil spirit can take over a corpse and use it for its own malevolent purposes. Second, that the soul of a person considered too wicked to be allowed into the realm of the dead can continue to inhabit his own body- in the guise of a Vampire. The mythology of the Vampire is remarkably detailed- and specific. The Transylvanian species, for instance, is said to be easily recognisable by its gaunt appearance and deathly pale complexion. It is said to have full, red lips and pointed canine teeth; gleaming eyes with an hypnotic gaze; long sharp fingernails; eyebrows that meet; hair on the palms of its hands. Its breath is said to be foul and its diet of blood- so it is claimed- endows it with superhuman strength, despite its cadaverous, emaciated appearance. In addition to these characteristics, some European Vampires are said to have red hair and a harelip. The Russian Vampire- according to ledged- has a purple face and is believed to have been, in human form, one who rebelled against the church, or was perhaps a witch. The Vampire stories abound with a wealth of detail. Those found in Bulgaria had only one nostril...the Bavarian variety slept with its left eye open and thumbs linked- and was held responsible for cattle plague. The Moravian Vampire was addicted to throwing off its shroud- and attacking its victims in the nude. Albanian Vampires wore high heeled shoes, and the Brazilian type had feet that were plush covered, which presumably indicated a velvet thread. The Chinese Vampire, according to its chroniclers, drew its strength from the light of the moon; the American species- from the rocky mountains- was said to suck the blood from its victims' ears through its nose; and the Mexican Vampire was recognisable by its fleshless skull. Accounts of the Vampire's powers vary from country to country. But the monster has been credited with the ability to assume a variety of animal shapes- such as those of a bat and wolves- and with the power to control all the creatures of the night. Methods of combining vampires seem to be as numerous as the species themselves. Some Russians believe that the best day to tackle a Vampire is Saturday- the one day when it is powerless to leave its grave. The method of disposal? Pour a basin of boiling water into a hole near the grave. Such a hole, Romanians believe, is a sure sign that the occupant of the grave is a Vampire.
Chalk and Holy Water
Others claim that Vampires can be discouraged by sprinkling chalk and holy water, but those in favour of more direct methods prefer to drive a wooden or iron stake through the creature's heart as it rests by day in its grave. To make absolutely sure, cut off the Vampire's head with a sexton's spade and fill the mouth with garlic. The rays of the sun are said top be fatal to a Vampire, and a crucifix is also said to be a powerful deterrent. In Eastern Europe, the search for a Vampire's grave involved a ritual in which a virgin boy, riding a black virgin stallion, was led through a churchyard. The tomb where the stallion first halted was presumed to be that of the Vampire. The Vampire's origins varied considerably from country to country. In Rumanian tradition, if a Vampire stares at a pregnant woman, there is a strong chance that her child will become a Vampire- one of the so-allied undead. So will a corpse over which a cat has jumped- or a dead person with a wound that has not been scalded with hot water. But by far the most common of joining the clan is to become a Vampire's victim. Once the nocturnal visitor has drained the blood of its human pray, the victim dies and turn, is condemned to walk the night as one of the undead. In Serbia, in 1727, it was reported that a peasant, Arnold Paole, had fallen from a cart and broken his neck. From then on, his neighbours declared that Paole entered houses in the village at night- and that those people he visited always died. Paole's body was exhumed and his shroud was found to be saturated with blood. The corpse was burnt by the villagers and Paole's ashes were scattered. By the late 18th century, when Gothic romances become popular, the Vampire was an ideal character for stories set in mist-shrouded castles. In the early 1800s, the Vampire made its first appearance on the stage. Writers such as Alexandre Dumas churned out blood-curdling plays about the exploits of these creatures.
Bram Stoker's Classic
In 1847 a spine-chilling novel- Varney The Vampire Or The Feast Of Blood- helped to propagate the cult in Britain. But it was not until 50 years later that Bram Stoker, a relatively unknown Irish writer, a former civil servant and business manager of the actor Sir Henry Irving, launched his classic story, Dracula, upon the world. Stoker apparently based his character on Vlad The Impaler, a medieval tyrant of Wallachia, who had a penchant for impaling his enemies alive. Vlad was known as Dracula, son of the devil. Since then, in plays, in novels- and in films frequently repeated on television- the blood-drinking Transylvanian count has assured the Vampire its immorality- at least in the world of popular entertainment.
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