| 'Vampires' from history - Vlad the Impaler | |||||||||||||||||
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For part of the 15th century Prince Vlad Dracuala rules a small country called Wallachia. it is now part of the region of Transylvania iN Romania. Bram Stoker probably based his ficitional vampire count on Vlad Dracula, who was feared throughout Europe for his bloodthirsty deeds. We know a great deal about Vlad Dracula's life and adventures as they were widely reported at the time and many of these records still survive. He was actaully know as 'Vlad the Impaler', a nickname he earned by impaling thousands or people on wooden stakes. Thiis is particularly nasty were oiled and rounded at the ends. This way they did no cause gaping wounds and so death was slow and very painful. He was also accused of skinning, roasting, boiling and chopping upmpeople s if they were ingredients for a stew, and even of feeding the remains to the vicitim's families. It is said that he nailed hats to the heads of nobles who refused to removed them in respect for his rank. In spite of his evil behaviour Dracula was sometimes described in Wallachia as a 'cruel but just ruler'. He was even seen as a hero because he drove out the Turkish armies that invaded Europe during the 15th Century. After one battle against Turkish invaders, Prince dracula impaled an entire detachment of prisoners. On another occasion, he had 300 prisoners burned alive. In 1476, at the age of 46, Vlad was beheaded and buried in a monastery. The following sentence may contradic what I have just said. However unknown to popular believr Vlad was actually a chief soldier under the Pope until he came back from turkey with a mountain of gold. Because of this, the over jealous Pope at the time, ordered him to hand it all over, every piece of it. Vlad declined this offer and started to run his country by him self with out the church. To retaluate against this the Pope made writers create a faulse story, making him sound evil when infact he was a good man. All the impaling Dracula did was for the Pope in Turkey and Vlad himself didn't do any of that with out his permission. | ||||||||||||||||
| 'Vampires' from history - Elizabeth of Bathory | |||||||||||||||||
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In 1611 the Hungarian coutess Elizabeth of Bathory was bricked into one room of her castle as a punishment for killing over 650 young girls. She had murdered them for their blood which she bathed in, believing it would restore youth and beauty. The countess was very rain and feared growing old and losing the beauty for which she was famed throughout Europe. She discovered the magic blood cure when she hit a maid so hard that blood gushed from her nose all over Elizabeth's face and hands. She was convinced the blood has made her skin more lovely and decided to bath her whole body in it. The unfortunate maid was killed and hr blood drained into a tub and gently warmed. This was the start of ten years of cruek murders for hundred of girls lured to the castle by promise of money and jobs. Instead, they were locked up and tortured, kept alive for as long as possible to be milked of their blood at dawn for the coutess's beauty baths. | ||||||||||||||||
| A French wolf-boy | |||||||||||||||||
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In 1604 jean Grenier, a 13 year-old french boy, was accused of being a werewolf. He claimed a mysterious man, the Lord of the Forest, had given him a magic wolf skin and ointment that turned him into a wolf. For three years he ran about the forest as a man-eating werewolf. Jean Grenier admittedeating more than 50 children. He had a craving for raw human flesh and found little girls most deliciousparthenophagy. When very hungry he would even attack a crowd of people. Passing through a village one day he found a baby sleeping in an empty house. Jean could not resist such a tasty meal and as no-one was in sight dragged the child from its cradel.He carried it off to the woods and shared the bloody remains with a real wolf that joined him later. Another child had more luck. He was playing at the edge of the wood when Jean attacked suddenly. The werewolf leaped out of a dense thicket at the boy knocking him to the ground and snapping at his throat. The boy would have been torn apart if his cries had not been heard by his uncle, who was nearby. The boy's uncle rushed up shouting at Jean 'I'll get you now'. Enventually he managed to beat off the werewolf with his heavy stick. One afternoon three girls out tending thier sheep found Jean lurking in some sand dunes. His strange appearance frightened them very much. He was thin and dirty, dressed only in rags. His thick hair was matted, his teeth and nails like those of an animal rather than a boy and his eyes were wild and ferocious. The oldest girl asked why his skin was so dark. Jean replied it was because he was a werewolf and if the sun were to set he woudl eat them. The three girls immediatelyran away in terror. Jean Grenier was pround of his adventures as a werewolf and bragged about them to a girl named Marguerite Poirier. She told her parents that Jean scared her but they thought little of her stories until she was attacked herself. Marguerite said that a wild beats, like a wolf but with red fur and stumpy tail, had leaped upon her. It ripped her clothes with its fangs, but she beat it off with her staff. the Marguerite ran home fast as possible. The attack on Marguerite led to Jean Grenier's arrest and trial before the parliament of Bordeaux. Jean claimed that he was a werewolf and confessed that he had murdered and eaten people. his accounts of the attacks were the smae as those of the witnesses and victims. Marguerite was the only one who thought he had been in the form of a wolf but there was no doubt that he was a murderous cannibal. two doctors were called in and said Jean was sufffering from lycanthropy. The judge thought Jean was so dull and idiotic that any child half his age had more sense. He discounted rumours of witchcraft and shape-changing and sentenced Jean to spend the rest of his life in a monastery at Bordeaux. After being takes there Jean still behaved like an animal running on all fours and eating any raw meat he could find. the judge visited Jean seven years later and found him less wild but still claiming to have been a werewolf. Back to the Beginning What is a vampire? The Undead & The Ways of the Vampire Preventing Vampires, Gaurding the house/coffin from Vampires & 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 | ||||||||||||||||
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