| Vampires Around the World |
| Vampire myths can be found all over the world. There are some things that remain the same in all these beliefes. There are some things that are different. Even in ancient cultures there have been these myths. The myths that most Americans are familiar with are modern myths. Stories of Lestate, the vampire Armand, and Duracula. It may seem strange, but one day our civilisation will be "antiquity" or even "ancient." These stories however, may survive. They will become a part of our folklore, moreso than they already are, and could be studied in earnest by people. The Americas Although when the European explorers discovered North and South America they did bring their beliefes with them (even those about vampires) there were also beliefes about vampires in the local lore. Many cultures, ecspecailly those in South America, hold a beliefe in vampires. The Asema is a South American legend. The asema is a sorcerer would could leave his/her body in some form at night and feed upon others. This could possibly be some form of psychic vampire. In Mexico, the Aztecs believed in Cihauateto. Cihuateteo are female vampires; they were created when a woman died in childbirth. These vampires were said to roam and attack children (similar to the Greek Lamiae). The Tlahuelpuchi is also found in Mexico. The tlahuelpuchi is a person can somehow transform him/herself and feed off others (possibly psychic vampirism). In the Souther United States there is folklore about the Haint. The haint attacks in the manner similar to that of a psychic vampire. One may be warned not to sleep on their back for fear the haint will get them. In Canada there is a belife in the Old Hag. This is similar to the haint. Africa There is also traditional folklore that speaks of vampric creatures found in Africa. Aside from vampire like creatures there are other bits of folklore with vampiric creatures. There are vampirelike witches in Africa. Many scholar speculate that these witches were actually people practicing a form of psychic vamprism. An example of these vampire like witches is the Obayifo. the obayifo is not dead (or undead as teh case may be) but a witch who could leave her body at night. During the night while out of her body she would feed off the blood of her sleeping victims. Another vampiric creature of Africa is the Asasabonsam. This is a monster who lives in trees. When attacking he attacks from above. The Yara-Ma-Yha-Who is simialr to this creature also. Australia The aborginies of Australia believed in vampires. In fact, they had two types of vampires. The Yara-Ma-Yha-Who was not dead. It has been described as a short creature who lives in fig trees. To attack, the yara-ma-yha-who would jump down and drain its victim of their blood with suction-cup fingers. The aborrignial burial practies are also slightly vampiric in nature. After a death, the people would sit by the body all night chanting. During this rite they kept a fire burning at all times. This was to keep the evil spirits out so that they would not entire the body and cause it to rise and harm the living. Asia In the East there are also vampire myths. In Japan the Kappa is slightly vampiric in ancient Japanese folklore. The kappa live in the water. To survive it pulls animals into the water to drink their blood. It does not appear that the Kappa is a human nor ever was. There is a strong Chinese beliefe in vamprici beings. The Chiang-Shih is created when a person dies in a violent manner. They believed that since the soul could not rest, it would return; this resulted in a nocturnal creature. The chiang-shih is very vicious, it would tear its victims apart to feed on them. Like the Western Vampire myth, the chiang-shih could be kept away with garlic and running water; to destroy it fire was used. However, this moster could not leave its grave but had to find a way to escape before it was buried. The Middle East One of the first civilsations in this area of the world was that of the Sumarians. The Sumarians believed in vamires; both psychic and immortal blood drinkers. To these people evil was a real and accessable force. They believed in dark gods and goddesses and demons also. As a result of this Priests and Priestesses were trained to protect those who wished protection from both types of creatures. One vampire-like creature from this civilisation is the Ekimmu. the ekimmu was created when someone dieda violent death or wasn't properly buried. They were demonic, phantom-like entites that roamed the earth in search of victims. Once they found someone who was helpless, they would seize the victim and torments him/her until a priest or priestess came to preform a ritual of exorcism. Another creature is the Uruku or Utukku. In one inscritption ithe utukku was called a "vampire which attacks man." However, this is about all that is known about this creature. The Seven Demons is a very powerful race of vampiric entities. The Seven Demons have been metnioned in many Mespotamian texts and incantations. It has been quoted tht they "sucked the veins" of victims and even feared the god of Sumer. This is similar to a moder beliefe taht vampires cannot enter a church. Lillith is commonly associated with vampires today. Lillith has been viewed as an evil demon who was cast out by the gods. In some myths she is a demon who kills male children, in others a strong sexual being who believes herself of equal value as the other gods and creatures. Her first appearances do not seem to be vampiric in nature. She is sometimes even a succubus; but not a vampire. India The people of the Indus River Valley are also an old civilisation. They too believed in vampires. It is said that they were the first to worship vampire gods. These gods were ruthless, demonic deities which the people appeased out of fear alone it seems. These gods are depicted as horrible creatures with green faces and fangs. This belife also spread to surrounding areas and over time specific gods with specific names and attributes appeared. One of the first was the Nepalese Lord of Death who's fangs were not the only vampiric feature he possessed. He was shown holding a skull full of blood and standing atop a pile of human skeletons. His sustance was from death and blood. The Tibetian Lord of Death was similar. He was considered to be a creature who lived off the blood of humans. Another diety who can be considered vampiric by some is that of Kali. This is because she was often depicted covered in blood, with fangs, and an outstrected tounge. Another vampiric connected to Kali is a myth in which she battled with the demon Raktavija, and every time a drop of his blood was shed a thousand new demons sprang up; to defeat him, Kali drank his blood. Along with these things, she is associted with skulls and other images found with the vampiric deities. Along with the vampiric dieties other myths about vampires grew around them. The Rakashas (male) or Rakashis (female) where one of these creatures. They are said to have five legs, bodies soaked in blood, and fangs. It is also believed that they live in graveyards and in many texts they are described as "blood drinkers." However, their very name means "destroyers." In Malaysia, there is a vampire called the Langsuir. The langsuir was made when a woman died upon giving birth and discovering her child was stillborn. She did not have fangs but sucked blood from their victims. These women could be brought back to human live however, this was done by cutting the vampire's hair and nails and stuffing them in the hole in the neck. The Penanggalan was also a woman vampire. This was believed to be a woman who was interupted in a penance ceremony. Her head had somehow become seperated from her body and flew off as an evil spirit. Later, this head was heard whining on the roofs of houses where children were being born. It was said she wanted to drink the blood of the newborn children. In Tiebet there are other vampire beliefes. There are vampire gods found here too and much of their vampire lore is found in the Tibetian Book of the Dead. Like many other peoples, Tiebtians believed the spirits of the dead could inhabit corpses causing them to rise and attack the living. Europe The most popularised version of the vampire today comes from Europe and it is Europe that has the largest body of vampire lore. The earliest European myths appear to be found in Greece. Along with the classical myths most of us know there are myth that feature vampres. One such myth is one connected with the Lamia; a mortal queen of Libya who was terribly beautiful and whom Zeus fell in love with. Zeus had many children with the Lamia but Hera (wife of Zeus) grew jealous and took them away. While Lamia could do nothing to get her revenge against Hera, she decided that if she must suffer this fate so too should all mothers of the world. It is said that she wandered the world from then on drinking the blood of infants and young children (similar to Herbrew myths of Lilith/Lithu). Due to the Laima's actions she was considered a demon and the race of lamiae was named after and they were female vampires with serpent-like bodies. One cannot be sure if like the Lilith myths these were seen as the offspring of the Lamia or simply named after her. Another vampiric creature in Greece is called a "vrykolakas" (also a werewolf in Slavic countries). A vrykoladas is created much the way many vampires are created; through improper burial or violent death. Also, in Greece and other Orthodox nations it is believed that an excommunicated person would not be able to find peace at death and would become a vampire. It appears that vrykolakas are more likely to attack those which they knew in life. Usually they are said to go to houses of friends and family and call them to come outside. If one opened the door for them this would prove to be a fatal mistake for they would attack those who answered. If one was so unfortunate to be attacked by a vrykolakas then it would cause them to become a vampire also. The methods to kill a vorkolakas are the classics: driving a wooden stake through the heart and the removal of the creature's head. The stake's purpose was to pin the creature to it's grave. Another practice was the burning of the body, usually practiced with th estake and decaptitation. Should this have been the result of an excommunication the ban would have to be lifted by a priest. Along with Greece many eastern european countries are famous for their vampire lore. In Bulgaria the belifes about vampires are similar to those of the Greeks. It was believed here that an improper burial could also cause a vampire to be created. A vampirdahija (Bulgarian vampire hunter) must dispose of a vampire which once created will feast on people in the area. While some vampirdaija dealt with these creatures with stakes thorugh the heart they also forced them into bottles with an icon. Once this deed was done the bottle were tossed into a fire. Romania and most notablely Transylvania is also assoctiated with vampires. Here vampires are called strigor/strigoaica (male/female). These are considered living witches who can leave their bodies to attack others (the Romanian word for witch being striga). The strigoi morti are the "traditional" vampires which leave their graves at night ot feed on the living and can be destroyed in legendary manners. Nosferatu also comes from Romania. The nosferatu is associated with a blood-drinking vampire but also has the ability to have sexual relations with living persons. If one is the illegitimate child of illegeitamate parents then one is doomed to become a nosferatu and the usual methods of disposing of vampires are used in ridding the village of one of these creatures also. In Russia and Poland vampires of a different sort are found. These vampires (upior or upyr) can only attack between the hours from noon to midnight. This is unique because at least half the time they may attack is during daylight hours. While there is no true folklore which states daylight is destructive to vampires, it is most unusual to find them hunting in the sunlight. However in most other respects they are like other vampires of eastern europe and disposed of in the same ways. However, Russians would also pour holy water on the upyr once they found it in it's coffin. Eastern Europe is not the only part of Europe to have vampire lore. The German nachtzehrer is nearly identical to the Greek vrykolakas except unlike the vrykolakasa the nachtzehrer feed on the bodies of the dead as well as the living. Italy have a belife in living vampires which is very similar to the Romainas belifes. However, it does not seem that England and France have their own unique vampire lore. In England we find some cases of vampirism, but they seem to be imitations of the vampire myths from other regions. |