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This article continues my work from my last article GLOBAL VAMPIRES OF LEGEND & MYTH
I continue to try and compare the different vampire myths across countries and continents. I have tried my best to make sure that there are no duplications with my previous article.
The spelling of the vampire names was different depending on the era when it was written; often the spelling changed when it was translated into a different language and then back again.
Where countries no longer exist but can still be identified inside modern land boundaries, the ancient country name was used.
Some of the myths on here may not conform to your definition of a vampire. I have used the definition from several sources to make sure that I have not missed out a myth that may conform to someone else’s definition of a vampire
It is not a complete list …
ADRIATIC COAST (covering many counties)
Vrykolakas
The Vrykolakas was a species of vampire found in the Adriatic and Aegean regions. It was created by various means including an immoral life. It travelled in the dark and knocked on doors, calling out the name of someone inside, if the person answered they would die soon after. The Vrykolakas gained further powers as it grew older.
AFRICA
Adze – Impundulu - Obayifo
The Adze was a vampire spirit that possessed tribal sorcerers among the Ewe, a people inhabiting parts of southeastern Ghana and southern Togo in Africa. The Adze flew around in the form of a firefly but, if caught, changed into a human. It drank blood, palm oil and coconut water and preyed on children, especially handsome ones.
The Impundulu was a vampiric servant of a witch found in the Eastern Cape region of Africa. This vampire servant was usually passed down from mother witch to daughter witch and was used to inflict suffering on their enemies. It was said to have an insatiable appetite and had to be continuously fed. The Impundulu also took the form of a handsome man and could become a lover to its mistress.
The Obayifo was a living vampire found among the Ashanti people of the Gold Coast in Africa. It was said to be a man or a woman that left their human body at night to feed. It was particularly fond of young children. The Obayifo also caused blight in crops.
ARABIA
Algul - Katanes
The Algul was an Arabic vampire., which, translated, means ‘horse leech’ or ‘bloodsucking jinn’. The Algul was traditionally a female demon that inhabited cemeteries and ate dead babies.
The Katanes was a lean, sharp-toothed, hairy vampire-like creature in Arabia but little else was known.
ASIA
Kumiho
Kumiho or “nine-tailed fox” was an evil trickster found in Asian folklore. It was a shape shifter, a vampire and a possessor of humans. It was widely feared.
AUSTRALIA
Talamaur
The Talamaur was a living vampire found in Australia. This creature could communicate with the spirit world and make a spirit its servant, which it then sent among the living. One version of the Talamaur could send out its soul to drain the remaining life essence from a fresh corpse.
BABYLONIA
Estrie - Utukku
The Estrie was a female Hebrew spirit. The Estrie was considered to be an incorporeal spirit of evil that had taken solid form and lived among humanity to satisfy its need for blood. Its favourite prey was said to be children, although no one was considered safe when it needed to feed.
The Utukku was a Babylonian vampire spirit, sometimes viewed as a demon. Generally it was believed to be the spirit of a recently deceased person that had returned from the grave for some unknown reason.
BRAZIL
Jaracacas
The Jaracacas was believed to appear in the form of a snake, it fed on the breast of a woman while she attempted to breastfeed her child. The Jaracacas did this by pushing the child out of the way and silencing the child’s cries by forcing its tail into the child’s mouth.
BUDDHIST (not a country but I can’t find where they’re from)
Preta
In Buddhist tradition, the Preta was a hungry ghost. They had a human shape, but their bellies were bloated and they had very tiny mouths. Because of the size of their mouths, they were unable to quench their thirst. The Buddhists saw this as a punishment in reincarnation for selfishness, or for having too many desires, in an earlier life. They were doomed to spend a part of time in such an existence.
CANADA
Mara
The Mara was a Slavic vampire, also found in the legends of the Kashube people of Canada. It was said to be the spirit of an unbaptized dead girl. The Mara was considered to be a terrible night visitor who crushed and oppressed her victims. In the Slavic legend once the Mara drank the blood of a man she would fall in love with him and would return to plague his dreams until he died. She was also said to be fond of feeding on the blood of children.
CARIBBEAN
Soucoyant - Ol' Higue - Loogaroo
In the Caribbean, vampires known as Soucoyant in Trinidad and Tobago, Ol' Higue in Jamaica, and Loogaroo in Grenada, took the form of an old women during the day and, at night, shed their skin to became flying balls of flame who hunted for blood. They were said to be notoriously obsessive-compulsive. They could be stopped by sprinkling salt or rice at entrances, crossroads and near beds; the vampire felt compelled to stop and pick up every grain. They could also be killed by rubbing salt into their discarded skin, which would burn them when they returned and put it back on in the morning.
EUROPE
Nachzeher
The Nachzeher was a vampire found among the Kashubes of northern Europe. This vampire had the ability to kill its relatives by psychic means. While in its grave the vampire would begin to devour its shroud and then pieces of its own flesh. This caused the living relatives to begin to waste away.
GERMANY
Alp – Doppelsauger - Neuntoter
The Alp was a German vampiric spirit associated with the bogeyman and the incubus. It normally tormented the nights and dreams of women. The creature’s physical manifestations could be very violent and dangerous. Long connected with the nightmare, the Alp was considered male and sometimes the spirit of a recently deceased relative.
Children could become an Alp if the mother had used a horse collar to ease childbirth. During the Middle Ages the Alp was said to appear as a cat, pig, bird or other animal. In Cologne it could also appear as a lecherous demon dog, which associated it to the werewolf legends of that time. In all its manifestations the Alp was known to wear a hat.
The spirit form of the Alp could fly like a bird, ride like a horse and was credited with a certain gallant attitude, rarely forcing itself on its prey. The Alp drank blood from the nipples of men and children but preferred milk from women. Because it was so involved in terrors of the mind and sleep, the Alp was thought virtually impossible to kill.
The Doppelsauger was a vampire found in northern regions, among the Wends (a Slavic race). The thought was that a child, once weaned, would become a vampire if (s)he should nurse again. On its passing into a vampire, the Doppelsauger would eat the fleshy parts of its nursing mother’s breast and in so doing would draw out the life essence from a living relative.
The Neuntoter was considered to be a carrier of plagues and pestilence. By tradition, it was only seen during the times of great epidemics.
GREECE
Empusas – Mormo - Vrykolatios (Vryolatios)
The Empusas or Mormo was a vampiric creature from Greek mythology, it was usually said to be in attendance to the goddess Hecate. It was described as a demon that could, from time to time, take human form. Its most common incarnation seems to have been in the form of a Phoenician woman.
The Vrykolatios (Vryolatios) was a vampire species found on the island of Santorini. They are described as fiends who banquet on the living.
INDIA
Chordewa – Gayal – Jigarkhwar – Masan – Masani - Pacu Pati - Yakshis
The Chordewa was a witch found among the Oraons, capable of turning her soul into a form of vampire cat. It was said that if the cat licked a persons lips they would die soon after.
The Gayal was a vampiric spirit. Usually created due to the death of a man who had no one to properly perform the burial rites at his funeral. When he returned from the grave, the Gayal reeked his revenge on the sons of others and on his own relatives. The threat of a relative returning as a Gayal usually ensured that the proper funeral rites were performed.
The Jigarkhwar was a vampiric sorceress found in the Sind region of India. She fed by extracting a person’s liver through a piercing stare and various incantations. The liver was then cooked on a fire and eaten, at which time the victim died.
The Masan was usually said to be the ghost of a child, that delighted in tormenting and killing children. The Masan was also said to be able to curse a child that walked in its shadow. It would also follow a woman home should she allow her gown to drag on the ground over the Masan’s shadow.
The Masani was a female adult vampire, she was said to be the spirit of burial grounds in India. She was burnt black in appearance. Her hunts were conducted by night, that started by her emerging from a funeral pyre. Anyone passing the burial site would be attacked.
The Pacu Pati was a powerful vampire from India. This creature was deemed Lord of all beings of mischief. It was seen at night in cemeteries and places of execution.
In India (especially in the southern state of Kerla), theYakshis were beautiful women who seduced men in order to kill or eat them. They were said to be scared of iron objects in addition to other religious symbols. They could be killed by driving an iron nail through their head. They could also be imprisoned in trees using blessed objects.
IRELAND
Dearg-due (Dearg-Dul) - Leanhaum-shee - Leanansidhe
In my last article I said that I could not find much out about the Dearg-due, other than ways to kill it. I have now found this:
The Dearg-due was a dreaded creature of Ireland, whose name meant "Red Blood Sucker." This was an ancient vampire that dates back to Celtic times, it is still feared. The only way to stop it hunting was to pile stones on any grave suspected of being its home. The most famous tale of the Dearg-due was the story of a beautiful woman supposedly buried in Waterford, in a small churchyard near Strongbows Tree. Several times a year she rose from her grave and used her stunning appearance to lure man to their doom.
The Leanansidhe or Leanhaum-shee appeared first in the Isle of Man. This vampiric faerie seems to have migrated to Ireland’s eastern coast. Similar to the Hebrew Estrie, she was well known for luring men (and inspiring poets) to their deaths. One myth says she devoured her prey by draining their essence through long bouts of sex. The other myth says that she drank blood and, sometimes, collected it in a cauldron.
ITALY
Stregoni benefici
The Stregoni benefici was an Italian vampire, said to be on the side of good and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires.
JAPAN
Kasha - Yasha
The Kasha was a vampire that fed by removing corpses from graves, or prior to cremation, and devouring them.
The Yasha was a female vampire bat of Japanese folklore. A woman could become one of these creatures if she allowed anger to lower her status in rebirth.
LIBYA
Lamia (not the Greek One)
The Lamia was a vampire from Libya. According to legend the Lamia was a Queen of Libya and all of her children were slain by the goddess Hera. The Lamia wanted revenge for this and roamed the earth feeding on infants. She was also said to entice men into sex and then devour them in a gruesome way.
MADAGASCAR
Ramanga
Ramanga was a living vampire found in Madagascar. It was a servant of tribal elders. The Ramanga would consume the nail clippings and spilled blood of any noble member of a tribe.
MALAYSIA
Bajang
The Bajang was a Malaysian vampire, assumed to be male. It appeared as a cat and normally threatened children. The Bajang could be enslaved and turned into a demon servant and was often handed down from one generation to the next within a family. It was kept in a Tabong (bamboo vessel) that was protected by various charms. While imprisoned it was fed with eggs and would turn on its owner if not enough food was provided. The master of such a demon could send it out to inflict harm on his/her enemy; the enemy usually died soon after of a mysterious disease. According to traditions the Bajang came from the body of a stillborn child, coaxed out of the corpse by various incantations.
MEXICO
Tlaciques - Civatateo
The Tlaciques were vampiric witches found among the Nahuatl Indians of Mexico. They could turn into a ball of flame or into a turkey, in which form they were said to be able to feed unnoticed.
The Civatateo were said to be the servants of the Gods (they also had the magical powers of a priest). They date back to the time of the Aztecs. All of the Civatateo were noblewomen who had died during childbirth who then had returned to earth in order to stalk travellers, haunt temples or churches, and feed off of children. They were said to be white and shrivelled, with a certain type of glyph (character) either painted on their clothes or tattooed on their bodies.
MOLDAVIA
Zmeu
The Zmeu was a vampiric figure that took the form of a flame and entered the room of a young girl or widow. Once inside, the flame became a man who seduced her.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Vis
The Vis was a vampire among the Lakalai people of New Britain that flew at night, it was said to shine brightly and clawed out people’s eyes with its long nails.
PHILLIPINES
Danag - Bebarlangs
The Danag was a Filipino vampire held to be very ancient as a species, responsible for having planted taro (a tropical plant) on the islands long ago. The Danag worked with humans for many years but the partnership ended one day when a woman cut her finger and a Danag sucked her wound; the Danag enjoying the taste so much that it drained her body completely of blood.
The Bebarlangs were a tribe found in the Philippines that had members that practised a form of psychic vampirism. They apparently sent out their astral bodies and fed on the life forces and vitality of individuals.
POLAND
Ohyn
The Ohyn was a little known vampire caused by the presence of teeth and a caul in a newborn baby.
ROMANIA
Varacolaci
The Varacolaci was a vampire that ranked among the most powerful of all the undead. It was said to have the ability to cause both lunar and solar eclipses. They could appear as pale humans with dry skin. They could travel on an astral thread [aka the midnight spinning], travelling as far as needed so long as the thread remained unbroken.
RUSSIA
Vourdalak
Vourdalak was a Russian vampire, considered in Russian folklore to be a beautiful but evil woman.
SLAVIA
Mara - Mahr
The Mara was a Slavic vampire, also found in the legends of the Kashube people of Canada. It was said to be the spirit of an unbaptized dead girl. The Mara was considered to be a terrible night visitor who crushed and oppressed her victims. In the Slavic legend once the Mara drank the blood of a man she would fall in love with him and would return to plague his dreams until he died. She was also said to be fond of feeding on the blood of children.
Among the ancient Slavish and Teutonic people, the Mahr was believed to be the spirits of their dead family members (or even living people) who could send their spirits out at night to disturb humans and/or drink their blood. They could appear as moths, hairs or straw.
In contrast the Mahr were also said to be a race of giant vampiric moths that lived in the Carpathian Mountains. If a person was bitten by one of these creatures, the Mahr could inhabit their body. There were numerous ways of killing a Mahr, including a stake through the heart.
In Poland and in Bulgaria Moravia, the Mahr were called Mora.
SLOVAKIA
Nelapsi
The Nelapsi was a Slovak vampire, which caused serious harm to the living. The Nelapsi was said to be able to massacre entire villages in a single visit. It also had the ability to kill with a single glance.
SLOVENIA
Pijavica - Volkodlak
The Pijavica was created as a result of evils perpetrated during a person’s mortal life, particularly incest, which was guaranteed to cause the sinner to return as a member of the undead. It generally fed on relatives or descendents.
The Volkodlak was a species of vampire found in Slovenia; it has been linked in some ways to various werewolf legends.
SOUTH AMERICA - SURINAM
Azeman
The Azeman was a female vampire or werewolf of Surinam. At night, she transformed into an animal and travelled around drinking blood. Obviously she was thought to beobsessive-compulsive; the best way to stop her was to scatter grain or seeds around and she was compelled to stop, count and gather them. She also wouldn’t cross a broom, so another way to stop her was to prop a broom against a door.
SPAIN
Guaxa
The Guaxa was a witch of the Asturies. She was old and ugly with many wrinkles and a single tooth. She preyed upon children and young adults, entered their homes while they were sleeping and feeding off of their blood until they died.
Sources:
www.hiddenlair.org
www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology
www.occult.be/
www.seattleluxury.com/encyclopedia/entry/vampire
www.faqs.org/faqs/paranormal
Vampire Myth & Lore, Packman & Krown
The Myth of Babal, David D Mighal
Blood or Energy, T K Sheehan
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyph
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro
Thanks to:
DarkFallenAngelOfSinJas
MidNightRayven
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