The appearance
of the European folkloric vampire contained
mostly features by which one was supposed
to tell a vampiric corpse from a normal
one, when the grave of a suspected vampire
was opened. The vampire has a "healthy"
appearance and ruddy skin, he is often
plump, his nails and hair have grown
and, above all, he/she is not in the
least decomposed.
The most common ways to destroy the
vampire are driving a wooden stake through
the heart, decapitation, and incinerating
the body completely. Ways to prevent
a suspected vampire from rising from
the grave in the first place include
burying it upside-down, severing the
tendons at the knees, or placing poppy
seeds on the ground at the gravesite
of a presumed vampire in order to keep
the vampire occupied all night counting.
Chinese narratives about vampires also
state that if a vampire comes across
a sack of rice, s/he will have to count
all of the grains. There are similar
myths recorded on the Indian Subcontinent.
South American tales of witches and
other sorts of evil or mischievous spirits
or beings have a similar aspect to it.
How
to Become a Vampire
Vampirism, or the practice of drinking
human blood, dates all the way back
to ancient Greece (even earlier, by
some accounts). If you wish to become
a bloodsucker, here's some advice
you can sink your teeth into. www.ehow.com/how_7704_become-vampire.html
There
are many possible routes of becoming
a vampire. Some of the more prevalent
mythological routes are:
Suicidals,
eretics, schismatics and excommunicants
The Church has long considered suicide
one of the unforgivable sins. It was
commonly believed in Christian Europe
that such souls were unable to rest
in the grave, especially in hallowed
ground. Their bodies could not decay
and return to their original dust
(the most commonly accepted proof
of vampiric infection) and they left
their graves at night to prey upon
the living who were granted the chance
of salvation that they were denied.
The act of excommunication prohibited
one from receiving the sacraments
of the church. This case is similar
to that of the suicide. He who died
excommunicant was believed to be unable
to return to dust or to find release
from the body.
Sinners
Those who were particularly cruel
or violent in life were believed to
be prime candidates to return from
the grave as vampires. Those who led
dissolute or debauched lives were
also likely to return as vampires.
This, of course, was only the case
for those individuals who did not
repent and receive absolution before
death. Again, the soul was believed
to be bound to the body, preventing
the natural decomposition of the body.
And while the soul was bound to the
body it was also bound in servitude
to Satan.
Witches
and wizards
Those who practiced black magic or
summoned spirits were believed to
servants the devil and particularly
subject to vampirism. If a witch or
a black sorcerer died unrepentant
he, like the suicide or the excommunicant,
was bound to earth and unable to pass
into the next world. Also, the witch
or sorcerer was more subjected to
demonic infestation. The offspring
of a witch or a sorcerer were also
subjected to becoming a vampire after
death. This was especially true if
there was reason to suspect that the
child might be the result of a union
between a witch and an incubus or
a sorcerer and a succubus.
Werewolves
There was a strong link between the
werewolf and the vampire. Unlike the
vampire, the werewolf was not generally
believed to be immortal. It was commonly
held that when a werewolf died he
was most likely to return as a vampire.
Also, those who were killed by a werewolf
were thought to be prime candidates
for resurrection as a vampire. Often
the two curses were to be found in
the same geographic regions.
Natural-born
vampires
There were a number of signs that
people watched for at birth in order
to detect children who might be potential
vampires: illegitimate children of
illegitimate parents, those with birthmarks
or born with teeth, children with
red hairs, seventh sons or daughters,
children born with a membrane covering
their heads (cauls). In slovic countries
where most had dark hair and eyes,
any child who was blue-eyed and redheaded
would become vampires after death.
Other
beliefs include having a cat or other
animal jump over the corpse before
it gets properly buried, or being
murdered and not attaining revenge
for the murder, drinking the blood
of a vampire.
How
to prevent somebody from becoming
a vampire ?
There
are many recipes to preserve the dead
from being infested by the vampire.
The
Burial
In many Eastern European countries,
it was thought that if a cat by chance
had jumped over a corpse prior to
burial, the dead would return as a
vampire. According to some beliefs,
in order to prevent a vampire from
chewing its way out of the grave,
people would stuff the mouth with
certain coins or dirt, or prop the
mouth shut. In Romania, people buried
a candle, a coin, and a towel with
the corpse to prevent vampirism. Garlic
or millet could be stuffed into the
nostrils, eyes, and ears of a corpse
to prevent vampirism. Apparently,
vampires are obsessed with tying knots,
and can become so engaged in the task
that they neglect to rise from their
graves and kill. In Northern Germany,
corpses are buried enlaced into nets,
so they cannot leave their graves
until they have untied all the knots.
Greeks will cast fishing nets over
their doorways to keep vampires out;
this same obsession will force the
vampire to count every knot before
he can enter.
NOSFERATU
TO YOU!
VAMPIRE
AND WEREWOLF NAMES FROM AROUND THE
WORLD - Learn More Here Now!
