Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Vampires, Imagined and Historical

Much of the modern lore of vampires originates from a place called Transylvania, in part, due to the literary influence of Bram Stoker's original masterpiece, Dracula.  While many people know that, fewer know exactly where this is, and the history surrounding it.

Transylvania is located in what is now Romania, just to the west of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe.  The earliest mention of it as a political entity was in the 11th century, when it was a province under the Kingdom of Hungary.  It has also been a part of the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the Kingdom of Romania.

The region of Transylvania is a temperate plateau, bordered on several sides by the Carpathian Mountains, and most well known for farmlands and castles, many of which have been the inspiration for literary works such as Dracula.  In German and a number of Eastern European languages, the region's name translates to English as "seven cities" or "seven fortresses," a tribute to the colonization of the area by Saxons in the 12th century.

The Hunyad Castle, Transylvania, Romania, © Wikipedia user Koponya25

While Bram Stoker's novel has influenced much of the English-speaking world's view of Transylvania, stories from the region itself influenced Stoker to write it in the first place.  A Hungarian writer friend of Stoker's, Arminius Vámbéry, is said to have shared with him much of the Eastern European folklore, legends, and mythology that formed the basis for the original manuscript of Dracula.

The name Dracula comes from the historical figure Vlad III, Voivode of Wallachia.  His actual name was Wladislaus Dragwlya, of the House of "Drăculești," or translated, Vlad III Dracula.  He was the son of Vlad II Dracul, the patronymic whence the name Dracula originated.

Dubbed "Vlad the Impaler" after his death in late 1476 or early 1477, he was both hero and villain, depending on source of the tales about him.  In Romania, he was revered for his protection and defense of the country; to his enemies, he was a terrifying conqueror known for torturing and executing those he defeated in the cruelest of ways.

Vlad Ţepeş, the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia, anonymous, 16th Century, Public Domain

Folklore involving the dead is quite common, and is the source of much of the vampire lore of today.  One tale that may have been related to Stoker by his friend Arminius Vámbéry is the tale of Petar Blagojević, an 18th century peasant from the town of Kisilova (now Kiseljevo), in northeastern Serbia.  Petar died in 1725.  His death was followed shortly by the deaths of a number of other villagers, each who died rather quickly after short, mysterious illnesses.  A large number of people died in the village the year Petar died, including over thirty children.  The survivors traced these deaths directly back to Petar as those who died claimed on their deathbeds to have been visited by him.

Most of the residents in the tiny village don't care to relate the tale.  To them, it's a stigma on the town that drives others away.  But some talk, if asked nicely enough.  As the story goes, the night it all started was dark and ominous, heavy with fog.  Nine people died in a span of just eight days, each claiming on his deathbed to have been visited by Petar, who had been the first to die.  Before they died, each victim said that Petar had come to their beds and had choked them during the night.  Petar's wife also claimed he had visited her in a dream, asking for shoes.  Other accounts say that Petar's son was brutally murdered after refusing to give him food when he came back to visit.  The mysterious deaths continued.

Village authorities finally ordered Petar exhumed, a full two months after his death.  He was allegedly found in the opened grave, still partially alive.  He had not rotted as a corpse should have; he was still lifelike, his lips still with fresh blood in them.  The villagers were so frightened by this that they demanded action be taken, even against the wishes of the local Austrian official.  They pulled Petar from the grave, stabbed his heart with a sharpened stick, and then for good measure, burned his body at the stake.

After Petar's death and the successive deaths of many more in the village, rumors of what was happening there spread to officials in the local Austrian government in Beograd.  Frombald, the Imperial Austrian head of the locality released a report to the Viennese newspaper, documenting the first recorded instance of vampires in Europe.  And at the request of Frombald, the Austrian military government dispatched a consignment of men to determine whether there were real vampires there, and if so, to determine if it signified the start of a vampire epidemic.

Ultimately, the Austrian commission could not make a determination, but that didn't stop the spread of rumors and tales of spreading, nor did it stop people from taking preventive measures against an outbreak of vampires, real or imagined.  Other such stories exist of vampires in the area at that time.  In each, the bodies of the dead were said to have looked alive, with fresh blood, and newly grown fingernails and hair.  A rash of such incidents of "vampire eradication" spread, where the newly dead were exhumed from their graves, staked in the heart, and burned.

Even today, the legend remains in the village.  Many of the younger generation are leaving, whether because of the tales or just to find work elsewhere, it's hard to say.  But the village is dying.  Few but the oldest denizens are left.  They remain, as does Petar Blagojević, who is still said to haunt the area.  A curse has even originated from the village: "Dabogda te Pera posetio!" - "May Peter visit you!"

The Premature Burial, by Antoine Wiertz, Public Domain

But is there scientific evidence vampires existed?  Maybe.  A while back in Poland, archaeologists found "vampire graves" on a construction site.  The remains buried there were decapitated, and their heads placed on their legs to ensure they stayed dead.  This finding is in line with the older, broader definition of vampires from the Middle Ages, but as with the story of Petar Blagojević, we find little in the way of empirical data.

In the field of medicine, there are a couple of interesting maladies that share symptoms with the more common legends of vampires.  Porphyria is one such malady, a genetic disorder that causes blisters, itching, and swelling of the skin when exposed to sunlight.  Other medical conditions which might lend themselves to such legends are catalepsy and catatonia, which cause states of unresponsiveness, something that without adequate medical training or facilities available could be mistaken for death.  Again, nothing that would indicate evidence of actual vampirism, but possible evidence explaining the root causes of such tales and superstitions.

The Vampire, by Philip Burne-Jones, 1897, Public Domain

So while there is no solid evidence supporting vampirism, the folklore remains.  The story of Peter Blagojević and others like it are quite common, and aren't confined to lore from Eastern Europe or the Balkans.  Vampire stories are rife throughout Western Europe, the Americas, and the rest of the world.  In fact, there are versions of the vampire found in almost every culture on Earth.

As with many such legends, most can be traced back to old wives' tales which attempt to put the inexplicable into terms which could be coped with, as strange as such terms may sound now.  Many of the signs of life as reported in these vampire tales can be explained by modern medicine as the signs of rigor mortis, or other common effects of death in a body.

But just as importantly, all such legends aren't likely to be completely disproved, leaving room for that one minute sliver of doubt in the mind, that one single thought in the back of the subconscious that allows us, every great once in a while, to believe they are true.

Quick note: several of the links in this post are in Serbian-Croatian, which is fine if you can understand them.  For those who can't, I suggest dropping the Internet addresses for them into Google and clicking on the "Translate this page" link.  It'll provide a rather shitty auto-translation that should get the job done for you.

27 comments:

  1. Este artigo do blog é bastante interessante e irá adicionar uma visão para os visitantes deste blog. Obrigado, este blog tem adicionado ao meu conhecimento.
    obat tradisional sakit maag lambung

    ReplyDelete
  2. really enjoy simply reading all of your weblogs
    gtavapk.monster

    ReplyDelete
  3. Really enjoy the article Hi, Love this post, I'm Manisha, I really want to say sincerely that this is amazing content that you have shared. thanks for this. it's really very helpful for me.

    Live Current Affairs
    Live Sarkari Naukri
    How to get a Government Job easily
    Facebook Video Download Online
    Sarkari Yojana - PM Modi Yojana

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like this a lot. Thank you for sharing. I'm always looking for upcycles like this. In the end, you don't know it was a shipping pallet to begin with!
    ATTITUDE QUOTES
    LEADERSHIP QUOTES
    MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES
    POSITIVE QUOTES

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really useful tips. It’s helps me to stay lean and healthy. Thanks for the tips. Waiting for next Article…..
    SimCity BuildIt Mod

    ReplyDelete
  6. You’re so interesting! I don’t believe I’ve truly read something like this before. So great to find someone with genuine thoughts on this issue. Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that’s needed on the internet, someone with some originality!

    CBSE Schools In Attapur
    CBSE Schools In Bachupally
    CBSE Schools In Banjara Hills
    CBSE Schools In Begumpet
    CBSE Schools In Bowenpally
    CBSE Schools In Budgam
    CBSE Schools In Hyderabad
    CBSE Schools In Chintal
    CBSE Schools In ECIL
    CBSE Schools In Gachibowli

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is the most impressive article, thanks for sharing this information with us. Awesome work, I appreciate your work.
    1 bhk flat for sale in chennai Great story….Keep on sharing… Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  8. MaxiMove LTD are a family run removal company offering home removals and same-day collection and delivery services at a competitive price. It's our goal to listen to our customers and put their requirements first and to provide you with an efficient, reliable and personalised service ensuring your moving day runs smoothly.
    Sofa disposal Liverpool



    ReplyDelete
  9. welland internet Gemstelecom provide the best quality internet service in Welland get you internet package according to your use.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is an excellent article, and we appreciate you sharing it with us. I really like what you've done and I think it's amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Find Best hashtags for Instagram. hashtagschecker.com is the best Hashtags Generator Website.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Excellent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely great. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it smart. I can’t wait to read much more from you. This is really a terrific website.

    Write for us Gambling

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just wanted to thank you for writing such a well written, informative, and entertaining article ,You are a very talented writer and I look forward to reading your future articles. we also here to help with bus rental dubai Bus rental Bus rental in dubai Dubai Sightseeing bus rental with Driver staff transportation bus rental abu dhabi airport transfer bus rental sharjah

    ReplyDelete
  14. Aw, this was a very nice post. In idea I wish to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and precise effort to make an excellent article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and under no circumstances seem to get one thing done.


    malayalam quotes
    love quotes malayalam
    sad quotes malayalam
    motivational quotes in malayalam
    friendship quotes malayalam

    ReplyDelete
  15. https://mstransportuae.com/luxury-bus-rental/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Want to know best adspy tool for dropshipping business? Look Ebutify! Best adspy tool.

    ReplyDelete
  17. We are a startup eCommerce Company in the United States, a bunch of talented professionals in the team. Merilmart company established in 2020 in the state of Washington.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is an excellent article, and we appreciate you sharing it with us. I really like what you've done and I think it's amazing. Singapore Citizenship

    ReplyDelete
  19. Such a beauty full post, I love this post thanks for sharing this wonderful post.
    best discount codes

    ReplyDelete
  20. Excellent and crucial post. Thank you for the lovely post. Come to our website for the greatest designs.Please go to our website.
    Iqbal Bhuiyan

    ReplyDelete