Part 2
Ghouls, ghouls, living dead, werewolves, soul thieves
Despite the fact that the 21st century is already in full swing, and any evil spirits, such as vampires, zombies, werewolves and other equally bright and picturesque representatives of the other world, should have remained in the distant past (say, somewhere in the 15th century), hardly is there a person in the modern world who has no idea who they are. Many science fiction novels, dozens of high-quality and hundreds of mediocre horror films, computer games for all tastes are the main sources of information about these individuals. In reality, they are not met so often, but those who happened to meet never forget it … Although they would like to.
Since, despite the fact that, as we said above, the 21st century is in the yard, and our readers' interest in ghouls and bloodsuckers does not decrease, we decided to devote another material entirely to these mysterious creatures, regardless of whether they exist in nature or no.
In addition to Dracula and his heirs - "classic" lovers of drinking the blood of living people - we will tell you about energy vampires and ghouls. And then there are such strange creatures that are able to feed on our fears. And we will introduce you to them too. In this large selection, you will find stories about the kidnappers of human souls and other evil spirits that live in our world.
"Twilight": a dream embodied in reality
Promotional video:
Four years ago, the first feature in the Twilight saga was released. The film was an instant hit. There hasn't been such a stir around vampires in the world, probably since the end of the 19th century, when the Irish writer Bram Stoker created his "Dracula". Fans were looking forward to the sequel and received one new episode of the mystical cycle every year. And now, finally, they waited for the denouement - the final film “Twilight. Saga. Breaking Dawn: Part 2. " However, we decided to talk not about the most sensational film, but about what impact the fictional story had on its creators.
A novel from a dream
Did you know that "Twilight" became popular long before the vampire saga hit the screens? Back in 2005, three years before the premiere of the first part of the film, American writer Stephenie Meyer published a novel of the same name. The book about the girl Bella, who fell in love with a vampire, instantly became a bestseller - the first edition sold 100 thousand copies in the USA alone.
Stephenie Meyer went from being a housewife to becoming one of America's most famous writers
It is noteworthy that before that, Stephenie Meyer was a simple housewife with an ordinary biography. In 1994, she married a friend of her youth, Christian. Despite the fact that in 1995 Stephanie graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in English, she did not dream of any career. Until 2003, the woman was exclusively engaged in housekeeping and raising her three children.
And suddenly, in early June, Stephanie had a strange dream. She saw an ordinary girl and a guy of unearthly beauty sitting in the meadow. The young people talked, and from their conversation it became clear to Stephanie that they were in love with each other. She also realized that the vampire guy was attracted to the girl like a magnet. Moreover, he longs for her blood, but fights with himself, fearing that his bite will kill his beloved. When Stephanie woke up, she could not understand the meaning of this dream, and yet she wrote it down just in case. And after some time, she was suddenly struck by the idea of writing a novel, the main characters of which would be a girl and a vampire from a dream.
Such a scene appeared in Stephanie's dream, after which she decided to write a novel
Stephanie took to work and, carving time between household chores, in record time - in just three months - created a story that subsequently shocked the world. Of course, at first, Mayer had difficulties: she did not know where to attach her work. Publishers did not want to take the creation of an unknown, aspiring writer. However, when in 2005 the manuscript fell into the hands of Megan Tingley, vice president of one of the largest US publishing houses, Little, Brown and Co, she instantly appreciated the commercial prospects of Twilight. Tingley immediately offered Stephanie to sign a contract for the publication of three books of the vampire saga at once, the fee for which was 750 thousand dollars. And in the same year, the housewife became one of the most widely read American writers.
Fabulous reincarnations
The Twilight saga is full of reincarnations. People turn into vampires who, in Stephenie Meyer's version, look more like supermen than the blood-sucking monsters from "Dracula" afraid of daylight. Werewolves, as expected, turn into giant wolves. Reality, of course, is far from mystical fiction, but in its own way, thanks to the movie "Twilight" still happened several miraculous transformations. Take, for example, the actors who played the main characters in the film. Kristen Stewart (schoolgirl Bella), Robert Pattinson (vampire Edward) and Taylor Lautner (werewolf Jacob) - before Twilight they acted in films, but it was the vampire saga that made them world stars.
Schoolgirl Bella had to choose between a werewolf and a vampire
Kristen Stewart, although she was born into a Hollywood family (her mother is a screenwriter, her father is an assistant director and producer of a TV show) and began acting in films from the age of nine, but she only received minor roles. Now she is one of the most sought-after and highest paid film actresses in the world.
The vampire saga helped Robert Pattinson not only become a movie star, but also realize an old dream. Since childhood he has been fond of music, plays the guitar and piano perfectly. At one time, the young man performed as part of a rock band, but that one remained unknown. However, thanks to his passion for music, Robert managed to become famous in "Twilight" not only as an actor playing a vampire, but also as the author and performer of some of the musical compositions in the film. The disc with his songs, among other "Twilight" soundtracks, has sold over two million copies, becoming double platinum.
Filming in "Twilight" turned the werewolf Taylor Lautner into a bodybuilder
Taylor Lautner, who played the werewolf, was engaged in karate in his free time from filming; he even won the junior world championship at the age of twelve. Filming in "Twilight" also turned him into a bodybuilder. For the role of a werewolf, he had to significantly increase his muscle mass.
Scripted life
According to the plot of the vampire saga, the girl Bella and the vampire Edward fall in love with each other. True, their romance is almost interrupted by the appearance of the cute werewolf Jacob. Bella's heart breaks - which one to give preference: a vampire or a werewolf? But in the end she stays with Edward, they get married. The couple has a child. By some mystical coincidence, the story of Bella and Edward precisely predetermined the fate of the actors who played them in the movie.
Robert Pattinson was one of five thousand who auditioned for the role of Edward. He flew in specially from the UK for the casting and met Kristen Stewart at the house of Catherine Hardwicke, the director of Twilight. She has already been approved for the role of Bella. The director suggested that the actors play one of the scenes of the future film as a test - a love scene in the meadow (Hardwicke's own bed played the role of the meadow). Robert played brilliantly and was approved for the role of a vampire. It is noteworthy that the story of "Twilight" began with the lovers in the meadow, seen in a dream by the writer Stephenie Meyer.
Shooting began, and at the same time between Richard and Kristen, a real romance broke out between Richard and Kristen. However, as in the case of Bella, there was a rift in their relationship: the "werewolf" in a real love story was Rupert Sanders, the director of the film "Snow White and the Huntsman," in which Stewart played the main role. Kristen's fleeting romance with Sanders led to a split with Pattinson. Robert even sold the house in which he planned to live with his beloved. However, in September last year, the stars of "Twilight" still made it up and even announced their engagement. Moreover, a rumor leaked to the media that Kristen Stewart was pregnant.
So the actors have every chance to exactly repeat the fate of their heroes.
By the way
According to American parents, "Twilight" is beneficial for young people. Vampire Edward and schoolgirl Bella are quite reserved in their sexual relationships, and due to the popularity of the book and film, they set an excellent example for thousands of teenagers.
Doctors also saw a benefit in the saga. The marbled-pale appearance of handsome vampires gave birth to a new fashion, and many young people began to refuse to visit tanning salons. Thanks to this, according to experts, the number of cancers among young people is significantly reduced.
Igor Krasnovsky
Dracula: dead and content?
Dracula is the hero of many chilling books and movies. The tourism industry of Romania was built on the name of the legendary prince. In any village in Transylvania (northwestern part of modern Romania), you will be offered a blood-red wine called "Dracula". Four castles claim to be the birthplace of the famous prince.
Lucifer's International
Blood has always had tremendous magical power. It was used to take terrible vows, and also to try to resurrect the dead or rejuvenate. Vampires, or "red brothers" as they call themselves (it turns out, such exist today), drink someone else's blood to prolong their years.
In Los Angeles, the Gypsy Fools sect was active just recently. Its members stabbed the victim, drank its blood and ate meat, and all traces of the brutal ritual were destroyed in a portable cremation oven. There is the Lucifer International, which includes bloody sects all over the world! So who is their ideological inspirer, Vlad Dracula?
Creation of a myth
The myth of Vlad Tepes, the most famous vampire of all times and peoples, began in 1463 by the Hungarian king Matthias I. By his order, an anonymous denunciation was fabricated about the terrible atrocities allegedly committed by Vlad: about tens of thousands of tortured civilians, beggars burned alive, about hats, nailed to the heads of impolite ambassadors.
Mass execution - prisoners and criminals are impaled
Books about ghouls and ghouls played a huge role in the emergence of interest in the topic of vampirism. Byron's friend, the physician Polidori, wrote The Vampire in 1819, which became a role model. Bram Stoker, who glorified the "red brothers" (being, by the way, a black magician and a member of the magical order "Golden Dawn"), just completed the creation of the myth, publishing in 1897 his famous novel "Dracula". His character became a very real role model for bloodsuckers. The cult of vampirism began to be associated with "initiation" into the ancient knowledge of the Dacians, the ancestors of the Romanians, and impalement. The vampires were symbolized by two crossed pointed stakes. It is believed that Dracula revived the magic rite of his distant ancestors. And what do historical documents say about his personality?
The truth about the "great fiend"
The future ruler Vlad III Dracula ("son of the dragon") was born in 1431 and spent the first years of his life in the city of Sighisoara in Transylvania. On his family coat of arms a dragon was depicted - in Romanian "dracul", hence the nickname. Vlad's only lifetime portrait does not at all correspond to the image of a fierce and ruthless villain. A beautiful face: black eyebrows, wide open green eyes framed by long eyelashes, aquiline nose, thick mustache, shaved chin. Large, suffering eyes, without a shadow of cruelty and anger, unnatural thinness and yellow, painful complexion speak of trials and hardships. Black wavy hair falls over her broad shoulders. A noble, dignified appearance.
Vlad III Basarab, also known as Vlad Dracula and Vlad the Impaler
He became Lord of Wallachia (a historical region on the territory of Romania) in 1456, in difficult times.
Bran Castle in Romania
The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Mehmed II Fatih (Conqueror) had already taken Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, by storm, and moved to Europe. The Turks occupied Bulgaria and Serbia. And the ruler of little Wallachia not only repelled their onslaught, but also attacked them himself. In 1458, he made a campaign in Bulgaria, freed and resettled in his principality the Bulgarian peasants professing Orthodoxy. Mehmed II decided to overthrow the rebellious prince of Wallachia and put his younger brother Radu the Beautiful, who converted to Islam, on the throne.
Famous vampire bed
Vlad understood that he could not stand alone, and turned to his neighbors for help. Matthias I Corvinus, Moldavian prince Stefan (Vlad's cousin and friend) and other rulers promised to provide help. But when the Turks attacked Wallachia in the summer of 1462, no one came to the rescue. The forces were unequal, although Vlad drafted the entire male population of Wallachia from the age of 12 into the army, waged a partisan war and used the scorched earth tactics. The sultan approached the capital of the principality of Targovishte. In a swift night attack, Vlad's 7-thousandth detachment destroyed about 15 thousand Turks and caused panic in their camp. But the main goal - to kill the Sultan in order to prevent further aggression, was not achieved. After that bloody night, Mehmed II, leaving part of his troops to Radu the Beautiful, left Wallachia. Defending your landVlad mercilessly exterminated her enemies and really impaled them. But such an execution was then used in many countries.
Black treason
Dracula defeated his enemies, but Stefan betrayed him and went over to the side of Radu. The prince retreated to Transylvania, where the Hungarian troops were stationed. Corwin, whom he once helped to take the throne of Hungary, called Vlad "his beloved and faithful friend." Matthias organized a denunciation of Dracula, and during the negotiations arrested and chained Vlad in chains, accusing him of having ties with the Sultan, and kept him in prison without trial for 12 years! The fact is that Corwin squandered 40 thousand guilders received from Pope Pius II to organize a crusade against the Turks, and decided to blame Vlad for his failure. Such an accusation against a man known for his irreconcilable struggle with the Turks and actually put Mehmed II to flight sounds absurd. The prince, despite the torture, did not confess to anything, and then Corwin, in order to hide his crimes,decided to present him as a monster in the eyes of people.
Last takeoff
During the reign of Radu the Beautiful Wallachia became an area of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish threat to Europe was growing. The new Pope Sixtus IV, apparently, understood that it was Dracula, who had actually shown his abilities as a commander, could lead the Christian army against the Turks in a crusade. And the "great monster" was freed by fulfilling the conditions set for him: the transition from the Orthodox faith to the Catholic one and marriage to Corwin's cousin. In 1476, Vlad, as the commander of the Hungarian army, set out on a campaign to liberate Wallachia. Troops marched across Transylvania. There are documents about how joyfully his return was greeted by the townspeople of Brasov, where, according to the denunciation, he recently committed unheard-of atrocities. Having knocked out the Turks from the territory of the principality, Dracula on November 26, 1476 again became the ruler of Wallachia. But he was surrounded by overt and secret enemies. At the end of December, he was treacherously killed by traitors from his inner circle. His head was donated to the Turkish sultan, and it was exhibited in one of the squares of Constantinople, which Mehmed II made the capital of the Ottoman Empire. According to legend, the headless body of Vlad was found by the monks of the Snagov monastery located near Bucharest. They buried him in the chapel he had built earlier near the altar.
Truth in streams of lies
Evidence suggests that Dracula was severely slandered. He did not commit any heinous crimes, about which there is no evidence in historical documents. It is impossible that such facts are not reflected in the chronicles of those years. In the writings of the court chroniclers, the vile Corvinus is presented as just, and the traitor Stefan, who impaled two thousand Romanians, is represented as saints. Fortunately, among the streams of lies, the documents about Vlad's reign have reached us. During his short life full of troubles, he founded Bucharest as a fortress and built in it the Kurtea Veche palace, the future residence of the Wallachian princes, in front of the ruins of which his bust now stands. The letters in which he donated land to the peasants have been preserved. Vlad fought bravely against the Turks, defending his people and his land, built churches and monasteries. He is the national hero of Romania, a martyr betrayed by treacherous "friends"killed and slandered. An extraordinary personality, an intelligent and just ruler who instilled terror in his enemies, was turned for the whole world into a mythical bloodthirsty monster, which became an ideal for modern, quite real cannibals and bloodsuckers.
Valery Kukarenko
Highgate Mystic
Highgate is one of the mystical places in London. Incredible stories take place here.
This famous cemetery is home to royalty, bourgeois, scientists … Among the local "inhabitants" are the ideologist of communism Karl Marx with his family, the family of Charles Dickens (the ashes of the writer himself were buried in Westminster Abbey by the will of Queen Victoria) and even, according to rumors, a bloodthirsty killer Jack the Ripper … And, of course, there were some myths, sometimes absolutely incredible!
Did the ghost of Marx destroy communism?
No wonder they say that you must not disturb the peace of the dead! The bad story of the exhumation happened in 1907. The grave of a certain Thomas Drews, a trader from Baker Street, was opened. His family claimed that the Duke of Portland, an eccentric who lived a double life: a peer of England and a modest businessman, was buried under the name of Drews. The daughter-in-law and grandson of the deceased tried to prove their rights to the duke's inheritance. For 10 years they have been seeking a sanction for exhumation. When it was finally obtained, 8 an examination revealed that the remains had nothing to do with the family of the Dukes of Portland. For the participants in this story, everything ended in tears: some ended up in prison, others in an insane asylum, and still others were forced to flee the country.
The most famous burial in the eastern part of the cemetery is the tomb of Karl Marx
Another example of an unsuccessful exhumation … When, in 1954, the remains of the Marx family were decided to be transferred from one cemetery site to another, more prestigious, the communists began to experience one trouble after another: in the Soviet Union, the personality cult of Stalin was debunked, a rebellion took place in Hungary, a break in relations between USSR and China, and everything ended with the complete collapse of socialism …
Even during the day, the cemetery alleys are deserted and unnaturally quiet
Burials at Highgate ceased in the last century. Now the cemetery has run wild, its old part, where visitors are rare, is overgrown with grass, hedgehogs and even foxes, which are rarely found in the city limits … Boris Akunin writes in his book "Cemetery Stories": "Even in the daytime, an absolute, unnatural silence. Old trees have moved their crowns so closely that already a few steps from the alley the outlines of the gravestones are drowning in the twilight. You walk and physically feel the gaze of many eyes on you.
Ghoul hunting
About 35 years ago, reports began to surface of strange incidents in the Highgate Cemetery area. Either vampires thirsting for blood seemed to attack the passers-by, then ethereal figures swam out in the darkness to meet them, disappearing into no one knows where …
Rumors of vampires in Highgate Cemetery were spread in the 70s of the last century by the London press. The first to write about this was a certain Sean Manchester, who claimed that he had managed to exterminate all the Highgate ghouls …
There were even ghoul hunters who opened the most suspicious tombs and stuck aspen stakes into the heart of the dead … After that the entrances to the crypts were walled up …
And yet they are
However, the belief in highgate vampires persists to this day. So, in the fall of 2005, a resident of Glasgow Jason O'Brien and his wife Sarah wanted to inspect the cemetery. The 12-year-old son of the owner of the hotel where they were staying told them that vampires live in the cemetery. The letter V is engraved on the tombstones where they are buried. If you call the inhabitant of the crypt by name, adding the word "vampire", the dead will surely rise from the grave. Moreover, outwardly revived vampires are no different from ordinary living people …
Abandoned headstone
Of course, the O'Briens took the boy's story for the usual bike, which is treated to tourists. The next day they went to Highgate. At the entrance to the office (in our opinion, at the checkpoint) they were met by an elderly lady in old-fashioned clothes and with curls. The couple thought that her two front teeth were too long and resemble fangs … The old lady pointed to a sign on the wall with a list of rules for visitors. They were surprised by one of the points - "Do not say the word" vampire "out loud." To a puzzled question, the usher replied that it was the builders who were repairing the premises joking, and the sign was about to be replaced …
Waiting for the guide to lead the tour, the husband and wife went for a walk along the paths. On one of the tombstones, they noticed the letter V. “Look! Here lies a vampire! Jason exclaimed. The slab indicated that some Ann, Catherine and Richard Jefferson were buried under it, who died for some reason on the same day, May 15, 1899.
Suddenly, not far from them, the couple saw a trinity - an old woman, a boy and a girl. A second ago, they were not here … All three were dressed in the fashion of the 19th century. As strangers passed the O'Briens, Jason called out, "Mrs. Jefferson!" "Excuse me … Do we know each other?" the old woman turned to him. Her reprimand was strange. “Oh, sorry, I seem to have misidentified,” the man said.
A receipt from the past
Jason tried to film the three strangers retreating with a video camera. When they returned to the main entrance, the guide was already waiting there - an elderly gentleman with gray sideburns, dressed in an oddly cut suit. Seeing the camera in Jason's hands, the old man said: "Sorry, sir, filming is prohibited here." "How? O'Brien was surprised. "After all, I paid two pounds for permission to photograph!"
In a rage, Jason rushed to the office. There he was met by an unknown girl. In response to the man's claims, she pointed to a sign with the rules, where it was written: "It is forbidden to photograph and shoot with a video camera." But the point about vampires disappeared …
Discouraged, O'Brien pulled from his wallet the receipt given to him by the old lady. The girl looked at her: “Yes, we had such forms before, when it was allowed to take pictures in the cemetery. But look, the date here is May 12, 1998. So you were with us seven years ago."
Jason began to explain that he had come to London for the first time in his life, and described the elderly usher who had met them last time.
The office worker was very surprised. She said that according to the description, the elderly lady looked like Miss Blanchett, who died two years ago because an old oak tree that grew on the main alley fell on her during a thunderstorm …
Strange guide
There was nothing to do. After handing over the camera, the O'Briens joined the group of sightseers. True, Jason secretly took a camera with him, hoping that he would still be able to capture at least something.
They passed the Egyptian alley, visited the Lebanese circus, the graves of the "father of electricity" Michael Faraday and other celebrities … Jason secretly filmed the famous graves with his Nikon. The guide was telling a fascinating story about the history of the Highgate Cemetery, about those who were buried here … Suddenly, a mobile phone rang at one of the tourists. For some reason, the guide was very surprised and asked the owner of the mobile phone what it was …
On the way, they came across another coffin with the letter V. It read: “Miss Louise Blanchett. January 15, 1926 - August 25, 2003 . An oak branch was carved below the inscription. Undoubtedly, this was the grave of the unfortunate usher who was killed with a tree …
When the tour was over, O'Brien went up to the guide and began to ask him if he knew anything about the Highgate vampires and what the letter V embossed on some of the gravestones meant. The old gentleman was very agitated. Suddenly he turned onto a side path and ran along it … Jason rushed after him, but the old man suddenly disappeared, as if he had disappeared into thin air.
The puzzled Scotsman and his wife headed for the exit. Going into the administrative office, Jason asked the usher what the name of the elderly gentleman who was leading the tour was. The girl was very surprised and said that only students-historians work as guides for them, not a single elderly gentleman among them …
When, upon their return, the spouses began to look at the video and photographs taken by the camera, it turned out that the mysterious trinity was not on them. Other sightseers turned out great, but in the place of the old guide there was a void …
It's hard to say what is fiction in this incredible story and what is true. But Highgate is still considered one of the most mystical places in London. Not so long ago, the well-known American writer Audrey Niffenegger dedicated a whole novel to him called "My proportional image", the main characters of which are ghosts …
Margarita Troitsyna
Rising from the coffin
Recently, news agencies reported sensational news: in the Bulgarian city of Sozopol, archaeologists discovered the remains of vampires 800 years ago.
It is believed that you can only destroy a vampire by driving an aspen stake into his heart.
They drove a stake in the chest
The excavation workers couldn’t believe their eyes: two male skeletons were pierced with stakes in the heart. This is how people dealt with vampires in the Middle Ages.
A skeleton pierced with an iron bar. Found in Bulgaria, buried about 800 years ago
However, scientists were not surprised by such a find. The director of the National Historical Museum in Sofia, Bozhidar Dimitrov, said that in recent years more than 100 similar skeletons have been found in his country.
Silver bullets, cross, candles - complete ghoul protection kit
The Mediterranean and Eastern Europe believed in the existence of vampires until the 20th century. If a person was evil during his lifetime, then after death, according to the inhabitants, he turned into a vampire. The fact that a bloodsucker had started up in the village was judged by characteristic signs. If, for example, immediately after the death of one of the villagers, cattle disappeared or his neighbors suddenly died, there was no doubt: the dead man was to blame! They say, having risen from the coffin, he does all sorts of outrage. It is imperative to neutralize it. The grave of the "suspect" was opened and a special ceremony was performed over it. The corpse could have been nailed to the coffin with an aspen stake and garlic had been poured into it; otherwise, the remains were burned or a brick was thrust into the mouth of the deceased. Later, in the 19th century, silver bullets were used - only they could surely kill a ghoul.
According to Bozhidar Dimitrov, in Bulgaria, only men were considered vampires, and not of a simple title - aristocrats or priests. And never women. At least no skeletons of female ghouls have been found.
With a bloody flap in your mouth
Although … in Italy, apparently, there was a vampire. In 2009, on the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo, a mass grave was excavated, in which the artist Titian Vecellio, a victim of the plague that struck the locals in 1576, was buried. Among the numerous remains, archaeologists have discovered the skull of a woman with a brick in her mouth. Really?.. Skeptics objected: they say, in mass graves, corpses were buried mixed with all sorts of rubbish, and a brick could get into the mouth by accident. But Professor Matteo Borrini, who led the excavation, came to the conclusion that in this case a ritual was performed on a vampire. Moreover, the scientist put forward his version of the emergence of people's belief in the bloodsuckers who are afraid of the sun. The reason for this, according to him, is the devastating plague epidemics that swept across Europe in the XIV-XVII centuries. Each time, they claimed tens of thousands of lives. Among the lost, committed to the earth,gravediggers sometimes encountered corpses with long nails and teeth. From the mouth of such a deceased, a piece of shroud, soaked in blood, often stuck out, which gave rise to the judgment - vampires eat the dead. Ghouls got out of the graves not only in order to sow a terrible disease, but also to replenish food supplies. According to Borrini, such was the lady whose corpse was found during excavations near Venice.
Wanting to render harmless the living dead, a stone was thrust into his mouth
Empress's verdict
Oddly enough, the real panic in connection with the invasion of vampires began not in the terrible times of the plague, but later, in the 18th century, during the reign of Austria-Hungary. The incident in the Hungarian village of Kizilova so excited the public that an imperial official came here to investigate the case. Before his eyes, they exhumed the corpse of a certain Peter Plogoevich, who was buried ten weeks ago and … took up the "vampire affair". When the body was taken out into the light, according to the official, the deceased looked as though alive. There was no sign of decay on it, the skin was pink. Only long nails, huge teeth and blood oozing from the mouth of the deceased were affected. Seeing this, the official did not object when the peasants decided to hold a special ceremony. The heart of the deceased was pierced with an aspen stake, and the body was burned.
The story of Pogoevich has become another evidence that the vampire problem exists. Scientists again began to discuss it, unwittingly adding fuel to the fire. Empress Maria Theresa put an end to the debate. She instructed her personal physician to investigate known cases of vampirism, and when he concluded that all these were ordinary superstitions, the empress decreed: “Vampires do not exist. Stop desecrating corpses!"
And the panic stopped.
Look like bloodsuckers
It happened that people, whose appearance was disfigured by disease, were taken for vampires. For example, porphyria - a genetic disorder of pigment metabolism, in which a person is forced to hide from the sun, because his skin does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation, becoming covered with ulcers.
A patient with porphyria. Sunburn is visible on the skin
They are even more similar to bloodsuckers born with a rare disease - ectodermal hypohydratic dysplasia. Such people also cannot stand the rays of the daylight. They usually have pale skin, dark circles under their eyes, hair is sparse and thin, and their teeth resemble a palisade of ugly fangs. In 2010, British newspapers published eloquent photographs of such individuals - the teenage brothers Simon and George Cullen from Suffolk County (UK).
Brothers Simon and George Cullen suffer from a rare genetic disorder
It is easy to imagine what fate would have awaited these guys during the Middle Ages.
When thin becomes obese
Superstition is superstition, but the question arises - how can it be that corpses walk around at night and kill innocent victims? In favor of their good "food" was, in particular, the fact that a person who was slender during his lifetime, removed from the grave, turned out to be quite obese. Experts attribute this to a decomposition effect. There are explanations for other changes in the appearance of the dead. Nails and teeth feel overgrown because the skin around them has shrunk. But you need to take into account the fact that nails and hair continue to grow for some time even after a person's death.
The gases produced by decomposition swell the body. For the same reason, the skin of the face turns pink. The presence of blood on the lips is also the result of tissue decomposition. It is worth piercing the corpse with a sharp object, and the gases will burst out, fly through the vocal cords - there will be a sigh, or even a prolonged groan. How can you not think: the deceased is alive!.. It is precisely because people, as a rule, do not know this, and gloomy legends are born.
Seeing off like heroes
Meanwhile, stories about vampires were passed from mouth to mouth not only in Europe and not only during the period of plague epidemics. They appeared much earlier and in different parts of the world. Moreover, the descriptions of the bloodsuckers were the same everywhere. But what if there really was and is a grain of truth in such legends? No wonder many modern authors of works about vampires present them as an endangered, dead-end branch of homo sapiens.
Official science rejects this hypothesis, but who can guarantee that this issue has been completed?
… In the meantime, in February 2004, in the Romanian village of Marotinul de Sus, six men dug up the body of their recently deceased fellow villager, pulled the heart out of his chest with a pitchfork, and then returned the corpse to the grave, after covering it with bunches of garlic. The man's heart was solemnly burned. When the perpetrators of the incident were arrested, they insisted that they acted in the interests of the entire village. The late Petre Toma, a former teacher, was known as an evil man, and after his death people literally went mad: they dreamed that at night Petre leaves the grave and tries to enter their homes to drink blood. According to the testimony of the participants in the gloomy procedure, when the heart was removed from the corpse, he "noisily gave up his ghost."
All six of them were accused of illegal exhumation and sentenced to imprisonment. The villagers saw them off as heroes who suffered for a just cause.
Elena Galanova
Part 2