Dracula: History and Myth

Posts Tagged: superstition

First Bite by Drew Christie

I absolutely loved this 4-minute animation called First Bite, by Drew Christie. It combines exactly the things I love in vampire history/folklore; it’s a true historical account from 1725 by an Austrian official about a case of alleged vampirism in Serbia, with terrified villagers, a disinterment of a mysteriously fresh corpse, and of course, a good old-fashioned staking. In the accompanying article Mr. Christie mentions the excellent book “Vampires, Burial and Death,” which I found…Continue Reading →

The Vampire of Venice

From Frightening Archaeological Finds: 15 Odd Human Remains: Among the corpses of medieval plague victims was one very curious find: a skull with a brick shoved so forcefully between its jaws, they were broken. The technique was used on suspected vampires in Europe during this time, especially when natural biological processes after death resulted in dark blood-like liquid streaming from the mouth. Researchers have determined that not only was this elderly woman feared a vampire…Continue Reading →

Vampire Hunting Kit

A friend of mine sent me this great picture of an alleged 200-year-old vampire hunting kit, with the message, “You know my birthday is just around the corner…” It was apparently auctioned in Missisippi recently with a winning bid of $14,850 (link). I don’t believe for a second that the kit itself is 200 years old — no way someone would assemble these items before Dracula was published and before vampire fandom took root in…Continue Reading →