Fun facts and information about vampires and related topics:
The word "vampire" derives from the Hungarian word "vampir," which itself comes from an earlier Turkish word "uber" which means "witch." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, on the other hand, states that the word "vampir" is of Serbian origin. Another source suggests that "vampire" entered the English language in the 1600s via German from the Tartar word "ubyr" which, again, means "witch." Take your pick.
Vampires cast no reflection in a mirror because of the ancient religious belief that mirrors reflect the soul of an individual. Vampires have no soul, so cast no reflection. Thus, the superstition that breaking a mirror can bring bad luck because you have harmed your soul.
Vampires are "shape shifters" and could, among other things, appear and travel as mist. Thus, the grave of a vampire could be detected by the presence of holes in the ground around the burial site. The vampire, it was believed, could exit and enter its grave via these holes in the form of mist. To prevent this, water was poured in the holes to prevent the vampire from escaping.
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| Greek winged goddess Nike |
The original vampire was, perhaps, a woman named "Lilith" who, according to Hebrew, Babylonian and Mesopotamian mythology, was the first wife of Adam. These stories tell of Adam and Lilith being created by God at the same time, as equals, in the Garden of Eden. When Adam tried to exert control over her and dominate her, she voluntarily (angrily?) left the Garden and joined the evil forces of darkness. Other stories associate her with winged goddess figures that protected children. She is an earlier form of a later strong Greek female goddess figure, Nike, who was the Greek goddess of victory. That is why the athletic shoe is called Nike. The Nike "swoosh" logo represents the wings of the goddess Nike. And why do you think the strong female figure on the TV show "Cheers" (and "Frasier") was called Lilith? And the now extinct women's yearly gathering/celebration called the "Lilith Festival"?
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| Lilith, Adam's first wife. |
Being a "vampire hunter" was an accepted, legitimate occupation in the 18th and 19th centuries. Professor Von Helsing in Bram Stoker's 1897 classic Dracula is one of these. They travelled throughout Europe, especially in Romania and Hungary, practicing their trade.
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| A vampire hunter's tools, including holy water. |
How do you properly kill a vampire? Yes, a stake must be driven into the heart of the creature, but it must continue through the body and into the earth underneath the corpse in order to permanently pin it to the ground. Then its head must be cut off. Then is the job truly finished. Other methods include exposing it to sunlight or shooting it using a silver bullet. In some areas of eastern Europe people were buried with a stake already driven through their hearts, through their coffins and into the ground below them to prevent them from becoming a vampire. They killed off the (potential) vampire before they could rise from their grave.
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| Vampire hunter's crucifix. |
Using a crucifix as a tool to combat vampires is only first mentioned in Bram Stoker's book Dracula from 1897. When the book went on sale it was considered so controversial (this was still the Victorian Era) that it was sold with a plain paper cover. Later editions, like the one shown below, had the title and author printed on an otherwise plain cover. No provocative art was allowed to advertise its supernatural love story.
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| At least this edition had the title and author on the cover. |
The idea of vampires "sleeping" in coffins only began in the 19th century when coffins came into general use. Interestingly, coffins were originally used to keep a body in the ground and prevent it from returning to haunt the living. Coffins were also nailed shut. But why? Was the deceased going anywhere? It was to make sure the body stayed inside. Also, stones were usually piled upon the coffin before the hole was filled in. Then, another pile of stones were stacked on top of the grave after it was filled in to further prevent a corpse (or vampire) from rising and haunting the living. In some places, a large stone was placed over the head of the recently deceased person so that if they were possessed by a spirit they could not sit upright and escape their grave. This is no longer done for those reasons, but it is the origin of what we refer to as "tombstones."
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| Keeping the "dead" in their graves. |
Who would be likely to become a vampire? If a baby was born with teeth it was suspect. If you were the 7th son of a 7th son people were wary of you. Illegitimate children were thought to be prime candidates to become vampires. Birth defects of any kind also made for suspicion. Murderers, suicides and alcoholics were also thought to be destined for vampirism. It was thought dangerous to leave a corpse unattended for it could then be inhabited by an evil spirit and come back later as a vampire. Lack of proper funeral rites by a minister or priest was an open invitation to vampirism. And if a bat flies over a dead body before it is buried there is no escape from the vampire's fate. Witches and the excommunicated were also considered certain to become one of the undead.
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| Bela Lugosi as Dracula. |
Followers of the occult have explained vampirism by saying that it is a condition in which the "twin" astral body of a human being (the spirit), which should leave the physical body upon death, becomes trapped inside its physical remains. To maintain itself in this unnatural state, it seeks blood (the fluid of life) to maintain its existence.
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Edward Cullen of "Twilight" has overcome his desire for human blood. |
There is a modern medical/psychological condition in which an individual develops a taste for, first, the blood of small animals and, if it goes unchecked, it progresses into a hunger for human blood. It is called "Renfield's Syndrome" after the character of that name in Bram Stoker's 1897 book Dracula.
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| Renfield as portrayed in the film "Bram Stoker's Dracula." |
Hope you visit my blog again. "Superstitions: Part Four" will deal with witches, Wicca, the witch's broomstick and magic staff, ... and various unexpectedly related topics.
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| "The next one is about me!" |
FINIS