Vampire/Vampyr/Nosferatu
Vampire/Vampyr/Nosferatu
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 r
omances 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.
