The legend of the vampire has been around for ages.
But why did people once believe in such a ghastly creature?
And what were some of the beliefs associated with it?
Myths about blood-sucking monsters have existed throughout recorded history, but the term
vampire was not used until the 1700s.
In 1734, a book was written in which the German term "vampir" was used for the first time
(pronounced wam-peer).
Even though the term is German, most of the current vampire legend originates from the
Carpathian and Balkan Mountain regions of Eastern Europe.
This would include countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Beliefs about vampires have changed considerably over the years.
The earliest tales of vampires depicted the creature as a fat, purple corpse (bloated
and purple from drinking too much blood).
A village or town would typically suspect there was a vampire if too many mysterious
things began happening.
For example, if cattle were suddenly being attacked by a mysterious animal, or a local
person had gone missing, these might have been viewed as signs that a vampire was present.
Of course, the greatest fear in having a suspected vampire in the area was the potential that
he might attack other humans, causing the victim to become a vampire as well.
In most cultures, it was thought that young women were the prime targets that vampires
preyed upon.
Several types of deterrents were used to try and keep the vampire away.
Garlic was by far the most common deterrent, but not the only one.
Crucifixes were hung on doors or walls, and rosary beads were used as well.
In some regions, mustard seeds were sprinkled on rooftops, or scattered on the ground.
The belief was that a vampire could not cross the mustard seeds without attempting to count
them all.
It was also believed that vampires could not cross onto consecrated ground (such as a church),
nor could they cross a body of water.
Local villagers who commonly held these beliefs found it difficult to determine who the suspected
vampire was.
This is because, in the case of a vampire, the suspect would be someone who was already
dead.
Therefore, to find the culprit, graves had to be exhumed.
If a body was found that had not decayed as much as it should have, this was presumed
to be a vampire.
Several different methods existed for defeating a vampire, but the most common was a wooden
stake through the heart.
This method is still seen and used today in almost all popular fiction related to vampires.
In Germany, the method used to stop a vampire involved removing a corpse's head and placing
it between the suspected vampire's feet.
The gypsies preferred a steel spike over a wooden one, while other cultures claimed that
simply repeating the funeral service would end the vampire's suffering.
The legend of the vampire truly solidified itself in the late 1800s, when an Irish author
named Bram Stoker published a book titled Dracula.
The character of Dracula completely altered the public's view on vampires and created
much of the modern myth associated with the character.
Dracula was handsome and charming; he had the strength of ten men, and could turn himself
into a bat.
The success of Dracula spawned an entire genre of books and movies featuring vampires as
the central characters.
Today, the vampire myth is so permanently lodged into our society's psyche that it will
likely never go away.