Vampire Myths Explained

Vampires have haunted literature, art, and folklore since the dawn of mankind. Stories of vampirism can be traced as far back as biblical times with Lilith the first rumored vampire.

Stake Through the Heart

 

 Staking a vampire through the heart has been the most popularized method of extermination. Many different countries show references to driving a stake through the heart as well using specific woods to get the job done. Certain types of wood have tied symbolism to Christianity such as Ash, Blackthorne, Maple, Hawthrone, Buckthorne, and Aspen. A stake was driven through the chest cavity to insure deflation of a bloated corpse so it would be deflated before its transformation into a revenant was complete. Groans were reported to escape the “vampire’s” mouth when the chest was either pushed on or staked. Gasses trapped in the stomach, intestines, and esophagus escaped and pressed against the vocal chords when the pressure of staking was applied.

Bats

In Romanian folklore it was thought that a bat, insect, or other flying creature that passed over a corpse could turn it into a revenant (a corpse that returns from the grave). In fact, bats are much like vampires. They are nocturnal, some species drink blood, and they have an acute sense of hearing and smell. The discovery of blood drinking bats only exacerbated the vampire myth.

Fresh Corpses

 When suspicion of vampirism fled though an area it was not uncommon for the towns people to exhume the corpses of their loved ones to check for the tell tale signs of a vampire in the grave. Normally a vampire’s corpse appeared fresh (not far into decomposition), the cheeks were reported to be full and rosy, the lips and mouth were red from what appeared to be fresh blood, and the hair and fingernails of the corpse appeared as if they had continued growing. With a basic knowledge of decomposition these signs can be explained. The lack of fresh air and substantially lower temperature of the Earth below can, for lack of a better word, refrigerate a corpse therefore slowing down outer signs of decomposition. 

 

Fangs

Those who were vampires were thought to have longer than usual eye teeth. Porphyria, also called the Vampire’s disease, is a recessive genetic disease that is characterized by too little hemoglobin being produced in the blood. This disease is said to have happened as a result of European nobility intermarrying. Skin complications of Porphyria include, but are not limited to, photosensitivity, skin blisters, skin itching, skin swelling, hair growth abnormalities (which can explain myths of lycanthropy), skin pigment changes, deterioration of the lips and nose, and receding tissues of the gums and lips. The appearance of someone whose lips and gums have receded would be a gruesome and frightening sign indeed making the eye teeth stand out. In most European countries if a child was born with teeth it was considered to be a vampire.

Vampire’s Reflection

 Another telltale sign of a vampire was no reflection in mirrors. Mirrors have always held relevance in folklore when associated with death. It was common superstition in Bulgaria that if a corpse’s reflection was shown in a mirror or if mirrors were not covered in the presence of a corpse then there was an increased likelihood another death would occur. It was also customary for a corpse to be removed from a house through a window and never through a front door as to discourage the corpse of a loved one to return to the home to claim another family member. It was also thought that those who suffered from Porphyria abandoned mirrors from their lives because they did not wish to see their ghastly and ghoulish appearance.

Photosensitivity

 
Porphyria appears to be the prior missing tie in the myth of vampires blistering and burning in the sunlight. The bodies of those with Porphyria lack the function of being able to effectively repair their skin cells from UV ray damage.

Aversion to Garlic

 

Garlic holds classic symbolism in vampire folklore. But why garlic? Again, Porphyria is the culprit to this age old myth. Garlic contains chemicals that exacerbates the symptoms of the disease and causes those with it to avoid it at all costs. Imagine having severe allergies and walking into a field of dust, flowers, and weeds.

Drinking Blood

Why blood? If a vampire is already dead then what purpose would ingesting blood have on a corpse? Although that part of the myth is left up to the imagination, blood consumption is none the less the ultimate telltale sign of a vampire. Porphyria rears its ugly head again. Because a symptom of the disease is a deficiency of hemoglobin in the blood it was a common practice for those with the illness to drink large quantities of fresh blood in hopes that drinking it would provide the same effect as someone who takes a supplement to meet their daily requirement for a vitamin. Although the afflicted at the time most likely did not know the details of their disease but rather just assumed their illness was from “bad blood” so to speak.

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