| Preventing vampires and vampire attacks | |||||||||||||||||
|
People terrified of vampires found many ways of protecting themselves. Ointments and charms to ward off the undead were sometimes sold, but wild roses, garlic, fire and crosses were said to give the best protection. Although it was possible to kill vampires it was far more important to try and prevent a suspect corpse becoming one and leaving its grave in the first place. A vampire's bite turned its victims into new vampires when they died or the victims, even if only slightly bitten, could turn into a vampire after a few minutes. Before which they could do only one thing. Get a hot piece of iron and press it against the wound and then place holy water on to it. This in turn would stop the vampires pleague from taking over you. Vampires would also have hypnotized people while feeding on their blood so the victim remember nothing of an attack and a vampire could return several times to drink blood, undiscovered and unfeared. Victims of a vampire's bite were not the only corpses said to join the undead. Anyone who had a violent or mysterious death or had been very evil when alive, was thought likely to return as a bloodsucker. Anyone at all unusual in appearance or behaviour was supposed to become a vampire. In Greece, where red hair and blue eyes are uncommon, they were said to be a sign of the undead. great care was taken with such suspects when they died and corpses were always watched and never left in the dark. | ||||||||||||||||
| Gaurding the House or Coffin | |||||||||||||||||
|
|
The precautions taken against vampires said here were used in many parts of Europe in the 15th and 16th Century. Sun and moon light were once seen as strong sources of life-giving energy, which might be able to reactivate a corpse. Curtains are still shut today if a death occurs, perhaps because of this old belief or probably to stop people looking in at the unpleasant sight of a coffin. Being creatures of the night, the undead were terrified of lights and fires. Torches were lit outside the house and plenty of candels and a large roaring fire protected the people inside. Animals were a great danger to unburied corpse. If one jumped over the coffin, the body inside was sure to become one of the bloodsucking dead. Even the animal might turn into a vampire at death or even become a gaurdian of a vampires liar to stop unwanted trespassers from entering. Vampires hated garlic and anyone who did not like it was thought rather suspicious. It was hung around rooms, rubbed onto doors, window frames and even farm animals to ward off vampires. Mirrors were thought to reflect th soul and were taken down or turned to face the wall near a corpse. This was to prevent the soul becoming trapped in the mirror and returning later to aniamte the body. | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
Back to the Beginning What is a vampire? The Undead & The Ways of the Vampire Vlad The Impaler & Elizabeth of Bathory Introduction of the Werewolf, European Werewolves & A French wolf-boy Werewolf in Large Depth Werewolf in America, The Nootka wolf cults & The Navaho wolf-men Introducing Demons, Medieval Demons & Supernatural Guide | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
This page has been visited
|