Folk Beliefs About Vampires

Do you believe in vampires? As a kid I always wanted to be one (weirdly I still wish for it). Let’s have a look at the Folk Beliefs about Vampires in this post.

The term vampire is used to describe an individual who arises from the dead and is intent upon drinking the blood of the living for the purpose of taking them to the afterlife and also turning these living into vampires like himself.

Through the written word, movies, and numerous forms of media, the vampire has evolved into a many sided corpse. So many stories and folklore exist regarding the vampire; it is a task to keep each straight.

The many beliefs about vampires are vastly different from the romanticized version we see on the silver screens today. Vampires are not always illustrated as the dashing charismatic hypnotizing lover, but in some cultures he is a bloated individual with blood streaks coming from the mouth, eyes and nose.

For some people, a vampire somehow resembles a tick after having gorged itself on blood. The cape and expertly coiffed hair of the vampire are also figments of the theater as some folklore believe quite the opposite. I don’t think there is the need to mention about the vampire teeth. It’s one of the obvious characteristic of vampires.

When determining who was a vampire, many practices or rituals were involved and each was distinct to the culture in which they existed. Many cultures focused upon the grave itself and whether there appeared to be a disturbance of the earth over the grave. These could be in the form of holes or mass movement of the earth itself from within. Horses were often used, as the belief was that the horse would not go near a grave in which rested a vampire.

Even more interesting is the concept of how ancient people could keep their deceased loved ones from becoming a vampire after death. These legends include the severing of tendons to prevent walking, burying the loved one upside down, and leaving a scattering of grains so as to keep the deceased so occupied they would not leave the grave. Funny isn’t it?

The vampires that we know today are of the more dramatic and romantic interpretation. Our view of vampires are mostly about the debonair, suave, charismatic gentlemen, or the stunningly beautiful, and sexy women cradling a victim in their arms by the light of the moon is that which many think of when the word vampire is said.

Throughout the world, folklore are different in how the vampire looked, acted, and came to be, yet one thing was common among all of them; the fear they evoked at the slightest mention of the name. The blood drinker!