Vampires
Page 18
Apotropaic – a method of warding off a vampire, such as hanging up garlic, sprinkling holy water over a grave, etc. Such rituals and objects, believed to have magical properties, were common in the Middle Ages.
Aristocratic vampire – the idea of the vampire as refined aristocrat derives from early nineteenth-century gothic literature. It was first introduced in John Polidori’s The Vampyre (1813). Prior to this time, vampires were thought of as monstrously ugly.
Aswang – a creature from Filipino folklore who is said to turn from a pretty girl by day into an evil, bloodsucking old crone at night, growing bat-like wings and a long tongue.
Baptism – Christian baptism was thought to help prevent a baby from becoming a vampire in later life, and was thus seen as an immediate necessity for protecting newborns.
Burial rites – observing the proper Christian rituals for burial was considered crucial in ensuring that corpses did not become vampires after being interred. People who met with accidents, whose bodies were not buried, were thought to be at risk of becoming vampires.
Caul – a child born in a membrane from the amniotic sac was sometimes thought, in early times, to be a vampire. Alternatively, the child might be seen as protected from harm, especially from drowning.
Chupacabra – the ‘goat sucker’ is a creature still feared in Mexico and Puerto Rico, who is said to attack live cattle. Recent sightings were reported in the 1990s, leading to mass hysteria.
Cihuateteo – in Aztec mythology, the evil spirit of a woman who has died in childbirth, and haunts crossroads, waiting to steal children and seduce men.
Consumption – otherwise known as tuberculosis, the symptoms of this contagious disease (coughing up blood, becoming thin, pale, weak, etc.) were attributed to vampirism in early times.
Crucifix – traditionally, the crucifix, or even a simple cross, was thought to function as a powerful deterrent, or apotropaic to vampires, causing them to weaken and run away.
Decapitation – the severing of the head from the body. In medieval times, corpses were sometimes decapitated in the belief that this would prevent the dead person from becoming a vampire.
Decomposition – misinterpretation of the natural process of a corpse’s decomposition (bloating, blood running from orifices, etc.) was a powerful factor in the creation of the vampire myth in the medieval era.
‘Double faith’ – the holding of pagan as well as Christian beliefs, often in a contradictory way, as happened in medieval Slavic countries, where the vampire myth first arose.
Draculin – a substance in bat saliva that acts as an anti-coagulant, stopping the blood of a victim clotting so that the bat can drink it. Named after Count Dracula.
Exhumation – the practice of digging up dead bodies, in this case to see if they had transformed into vampires.
Exorcism – various methods used to drive out evil spirits, ghosts, vampires, and other revenants, often through using Christian prayer, imagery, symbols, etc.
Fangs – in medieval times, people with long incisors were feared as vampires, and this feature went on to become a central part of vampire lore, especially celebrated in film.
Garlic – since vampires are said to have a strong sense of smell, hanging garlic over a doorway or fireplace was thought to deter them.
Gothic – in literature, a style of writing focussing on the supernatural, grotesque, and gloomy, dating from the eighteenth century.
Hammer horror – the Hammer Horrors were a series of low-budget British movies, names after their studio Hammer Film Productions. The first of which was released in 1958 and starred Christopher Lee as Dracula.
Hawthorn – commonly known as May, or mayblossom, the hawthorn is believed in Slavic folklore to be fatal to vampires. Corpses were often buried with a sprig of hawthorn in the coffin.
Heat sensors – vampire bats have heat sensors that allow them to sense blood near the surface of the victim’s skin, for example, in the neck.
Haematophagy – the state of deriving nourishment solely from a diet of blood. Examples of animals who feed in this way include vampire bats, worms, nematodes, leeches, and lampreys.
Holy water – sprinkling consecrated water over a grave or doorway was said to deter vampires from exiting or entering.
Hydrophobia – fear of water. The vampire’s alleged fear of water may be related to the behaviour of people suffering from rabies, who often experience intense terror of water as part of their madness.
Impalement – the practise of piercing bodies, dead or alive, with a large stake. Vlad Dracul, the medieval Romanian prince on whom the legend of Dracula was partly based, is thought to have murdered thousands of victims in this way.
Lamia – a female demon from Ancient Greek mythology, who preys on small children at night, especially newborns, carrying them off and devouring them in revenge for the murder of her own children.
Medieval vampire – in contrast to the suave aristocrat of gothic literature, the vampire of the medieval imagination was seen as a hideous, vile-smelling revenant. It was memorably described as ‘an enormous corpulence’ by one medieval commentator.
Mind control – the ability to assert control over others through psychological means rather than force. Vampires are sometimes said to have this ability.
Mirror image – vampires are believed to have no reflection when standing in front of a mirror.
Mutilation – dismemberment of a body. In medieval times, corpses were sometimes buried with head, hands, and feet cut off to prevent them rising from the grave.
Nail – a large iron nail driven into the head was thought to stop a corpse from becoming a vampire.
Nosferatu – meaning ‘the plague bringer’, this type of vampire dates from the medieval era, in which the vampire was seen as a hideous creature who would spread disease and pestilence among the community.
‘Old religion’ – a set of ancient pagan beliefs held by Slavic nations, and persisting after the introduction of Christianity. Amongst these beliefs is a fear of vampires.
Penny dreadful – serial stories of the Victorian era, appearing in cheap editions and appealing to teenagers and young adults. The popular story Varney the Vampire first appeared here.
Plague – any of a number of contagious diseases bringing death and destruction to whole communities. In early times, vampires were feared as causing plagues, hence the term ‘Nosferatu’ (see above).
Porphyria – a largely congenital disease which can cause reddening of the teeth and nails, as well as light sensitivity, giving rise to the suspicion that the sufferer is a vampire.
Revenant – a spirit returning from the grave in human form, such as a ghost, vampire, or other supernatural creature. Sometimes these spirits are viewed sympathetically, as sad, lonely beings condemned to ‘eternal death’, but more often they are feared as harmful, returning from the grave to wreak their revenge on the living.
Rosewood – a stake (see below) made of rosewood or ash was traditionally thought to be doubly effective in ensuring the permanent dispatch of a vampire.
Seventh son – according to ancient Slavic folklore, the seventh child in a family was often suspected of being a vampire. If the child’s older siblings were all the same sex, this was seen as more likely to be the case.
Silver – in some cultures, silver is believed to be lethal to vampires. A live vampire who is impervious to ordinary bullets may be shot by a silver one, and silver nails driven into a coffin may prevent a vampire’s escape.
Stake – running a stake through the heart of a corpse was thought, in medieval times, to ensure that it would not come to life as a vampire. This was also said to be an effective way of killing a live vampire.
Succubus – a vampire-like female creature of medieval folklore, the succubus seduces men, draining them of strength through vigorous sexual activity, and sometimes feeding on their blood.
Sunlight – early accounts of vampirism contain no allusion to the idea that vampires are afraid of
sunlight. This appears to be a late addition to vampire lore, especially popular in film.
Transubstantiation – in the Christian religion, the idea that the bread and wine in the celebration of Mass literally become the body and blood of Christ, which is then eaten and drunk by the celebrants.
Upir – the first written occurrence of the word ‘vampire’. The word appeared as a scribbled note in the manuscript of an eleventh-century Book of Psalms, translated by an unknown priest for a Novgorodian Prince.
Vampire – Today, the word ‘vampire’ is defined variously as ‘a corpse that rises nightly from its grave to drink the blood of the living’ and as ‘a mythical creature which overcomes death by sucking the blood from living humans’.
Vampire bat – the common vampire bat, which feeds mostly on animals, is found in Latin America. Its relatives include other bloodsucking bats, including the white-winged vampire bat, and the hairy legged vampire bat.
Varkolak – one of a number of undead revenant creatures occurring in Bulgarian folklore. These may include evil spirits, vampires and werewolves.
Werewolf – a close associate of the vampire, the werewolf also derives from medieval folklore. Werewolves are thought to be human beings who have changed their shape, either of their own volition or as a form of punishment for an earlier wrongdoing.
Wild rose – the wild rose is believed in many cultures to have magical properties, among them the ability to ward off vampires.
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