Honours Research Document

By Ronald Burgess (Games Design BA honours - Module: XB3992 )

Contents : This document shall contain the various amounts of research I’ve focused on; primarily revolving around vampire fo lk

from around the world, Victorian horror analysis, exploring various aspects of the time period such as fashion, technology etc.

Il lustrated report & bibliography.

Contents Page

The Vampire : Origin, Etymology & Exploration-----------------------------------------------------------------------Page 3

Etymology of the term 'Vampir'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 3

Vampire Appearances around the world--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 4

Ancient Greece : Vrykolakas------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 4

Mesopotamia - Lilith, Lilitu, Lamashtu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 5

Albania - Shtriga---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 6

Filipino - Aswang---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 7

Puerto Rico - Chupacabra---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 9

Indonesian - Jenglot----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 9

Indonesian - Toyol-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 10

China - Jiangshi---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 12

Malaysian - Langsuyar and Pontianak----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 13

Caribbean - Soucouyant----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 16

German - Nachzehrer-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 17

South East Asia - Penanggalan--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 18

Old Norse - Draugr-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 19

Brief Analysis of the 'Traditional Western Vampire-----------------------------------------------------------------Page 21

Historical Documents linked to Witchcraft and Vampirism-------------------------------------------------------Page 23

Conclusion---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 25

Bibliography & References------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 26

Within this research document I shall detail the foundation, inspirations and thought processes I

discovered and explored during the creation of 'Claret' ; my Victorian-gothic inspired Concept Art book. In

order to differentiate my work from that of other vampire themed works, I explored a more worldly

approach to the folklore and mythology attached to this creature, from the etymology of the term

'Vampire', to the various solutions cultures around the world linked to seemingly supernatural deaths,

diseases and events. This document shall be split into a series of smaller categories with two primary

focuses : The Vampire (Etymology, various species and cultural believes) and the theme of Victorian and

gothic, allowing for a more grounded setting. Throughout this document I shall reference various pieces of

research, images and how the information I've learned and gathered could be used and adapted into my

work, concluding as the bedrock for my designs and final product : a illustrated and annotated concept book.

"the spectres of those people; upon which, their bodies (from the description given of them, by the sick

person,) being dug out of the graves, appear in all parts, as the nostrils, cheeks, breast, mouth, &c. turgid

and full of blood. Their countenances are fresh and ruddy; and their nails, as well as hair, very much grown.

(Montague Summers 1929 The Vampire in Europe)

The Vampire : Origin, Etymology and exploration.

The Vampire: a creature often associated with legend and folklore, existing thanks to their

supernatural, undead powers: particularly the ability to drain the life essence (Often in the form of blood).

In classical European folklore, the Vampire, or 'Vampyre' often caused mischief or the death of loved ones

and neighbours – usually as a superstition based explanation for medicinal ailments and the sudden

unbalancing humours. Their original description often involved a much more grotesque creature than in

modern popular culture; a bloated, flushed yet pale creature, with swollen limbs and stomach. Often their

most supernatural ability was their ability to drain life essence as well as exist in undeath, a harsh

juxtaposition to the modern, rather gaunt counterpart - with various powers and a heavy focus on the

seduction of their pray. Though these original conjurations of the creature host a great many paranormal

or supernatural powers and manifest the imagination and fear associated with what the local populous did

not understand.

Their origin is largely inspired by an intense fear of the paranormal, as well as a very limited

knowledge of medicinal practice and understanding, making it difficult for common folk to distinguish

between the bloating of a corpse due to natural gasses, and their community being onset by a paranormal

creature. In this initial research, I shall be exploring the origins of the Vampire, as well as its abilities, the

folklore surrounding them and finally its existence within popular culture; all in an effort to better

understand my protagonists and villains.

Etymology of the term 'Vampir'

The first written appearance of any vampire derivative was ‘Vampyre’ appearing within a travelogue titled

‘Travels of Three English Gentlemen’ published in The Harleian Miscellany in 1745. The term Vampire had

already been used and greatly spread across French and German literature by this point, as well as in

practice, raising a societal awareness of this supernatural plight. In 1718, Austria gained substantial control

of the northern quarters of Serbia and Oltenia with the signing of the Treaty of Passarowitz, creating a

sudden merger of their cultures as well as their practices, leading to officials noting a peculiar practice of

entombing bodies. This practice was described by locals as ‘Vampire Killing’ and spread across Europe,

particularly to France and England, both of which had upper classes encapsulated and entranced by the

macabre. The English term of ‘Vampire’ was conjured from a

possible combination of French, German and Serbian spellings –

Vampyre, Vampir and Upyr’ respectively.

A similar, less widely spread theory of the origins of the term

Vampire, stems from a possible deviation of Slavic colloquialism, a

borrowed term from early Turkish ;Ubyr, meaning ‘Witch’. Czech

linguist Valclav Machek proposed that the Slovak verb “Vrpitsa”

(Stick to, thrust into) is a possible etymological background, and

therefore translates “Upir” into “Someone who thrusts, bites”. A

clear description of the creature as it came to be known as bat like

; using its fangs to break the skin before lapping at the blood.

There is additionally early Russian, anti-pagan propaganda, in the

religious treaty “Word of Saint Grigoriy”, condemning pagans worshiping a deity known as ‘Upyri’.

Vampire Appearances around the world

The initial surge of Vampire-like folklore has existed for thousands of years, with various cultures around

the early word creating mythological creatures that drain your life essence, while simultaneously

explaining the effects of entropy on the body, as well as missing children, sudden bouts of illness or death.

The Mesopotamians, Ancient Greeks and Herbrew cultures all had references of such creatures, such as

the Greek myth of a Vrykolakas, the Mesopotamian Lilitu, or the HerbrewLillith. In this section I shall briefly

explore various interpretations of the vampire before honing in on the more recognizable European variation, focusing on its traditions, superstitions and powers.

- When discussing the various iterations of the Vampire, I’ll be concluding each with various

Apotropaics, these are objects or traditions associated with countering the undead – rather than

dispatching them, these practices were intended to prevent the recently deceased from

transforming into an undead revenant, or to satiate the creature enough to not be harmful to the

living. An example of an Apotropaic object would be the single obolus that was placed in the mouth

of an ancient greek corpse, in order to pay the ferry man to cross the River Styx, as well as ward off

evil spirits.

ANCIENT GREECE - VRYKOLAKAS

This creature is a derived from the Slavic Varkolak, a compound word meaning “Wolf/Hair” and was a

possible origin for the term werewolf: The Greeks believing that killing a werewolf would create a more

powerful creature, transcending into a vampire. A Varkolak being an unusual combination of both a wolf

and a Vampire. Believing that this unified creature was born from living a sacrilegious life, an

excommunication from the church, being buried in un-consecrated grounds, or finally indulging in the

meat of a sheep that has been attacked by a werewolf or common wolf, creating a vampire like creature

with hairy palms, glowing red eyes and wolf like maw and fangs. The bodies of possible Varkolak share

many similarities to those of the rest of Europe, such as a lack of decay; instead perhaps retaining a

bloated, swollen body, holding a patchy, and blotchy complexion and in one account from the 18 th century

author Pitton de Tournefort “Fresh and gorged with new blood”. He also describes a tradition within

northern Greek and Slavic settlements in which those with red hair and grey eyes as possible vampires.

When risen as a Vrykolakas, the creature can partake in various, primarily hostile behaviour; beginning

with the harmless wandering of the place of their death, to poltergeist like behaviour of haunting a specific

person, or finally spreading disease and plague among a community. A

common belief among certain communities stems from one of their

supernatural traits; The creature is believed to knock upon settlement

doors during the night, should the residents ignore them, they leave in

peace, with the creature becoming more powerful per house.

However, should the residents answer the door, they are attacked by

the creature, a single bite causing the resident to die within days,

raising as another Vrykolakas. For this reason, many Greek villages hold

a superstition in which they knock multiple times to prove the fact they

are not a vampire. This is the possible origination of the modern rule

of Vampires needing to be invited across a thresh hold. As a

paranormal ability the Vrykolakas

grains more power the longer it is

left alone, its loneliness and

seclusion pushing it further into

undeath. The primary ways of

dispatching a Vrykolaskas was to strike while it rests in its grave, but

only on a Saturday – most commonly removing the creature via

exorcism, impaling them to their coffin, beheading or cremation.

Methods to prevent the creation of a Vrykolakas range from placing

an inscribed piece of pottery “Jesus Christ Conquers” as well as a wax

cross melted onto the corpse. Other common methods are similar to

those around Europe, such as severing the tendons at the knees and

placing poppy seeds or sand on the ground of their burial site, causing

the undead to develop an obsession with counting each grain, at one

per year – leading to the folklore of vampires displaying a level of

arithmomania.

MESOPOTAMIA/ HEBREW – LILITH, LILITU & LAMASHTU

Mesopotamian culture and beliefs over the origin of the vampire seem to converge or lead into the

Hebrew interpretation of the creature, the two taking from each other’s beliefs. One of the earliest

civilizations with tales of blood-drinking demonic creatures were the Persians, with ample evidence of

demons attempting to drink the blood of men, depicted on ceramics and wall paintings. The apex of these

demons was Lilitu, tantamount to Lilith and her offspring the Lilu, documented in Hebrew demonology.

Lilith is often depicted as a demoness and sustains herself on the blood of babies and younger children, her

mythological roots laying within the bible.

Lilith is often depicted as the first wife of Adam, having chosen to become the queen of the demons after

refusing to be subservient to him, God banishing her from Eden. Once anointed the queen of demons, she

feasted on young children and their mothers, particularly affronting the Hebrew law that forbids the eating

of human flesh or the drinking of blood.

An alternative variation of this creature stemmed from Sumer, having been described as a beautiful,

infertile maiden – she would turn out to be a harlot and vampire who, after selecting a lover, would refuse

to let him go. Her spiritual daughters the Lilitu would be described as large, anthropomorphic bird-footed

demonesses, sexually predatory demons that subside on the blood of babies and their mothers, perhaps

drawing inspiration from other Mesopotamian demons such as the Babylonian goddess Lamashtu, also

displaying a strong vampire nature.

"Wherever she comes, wherever she appears, she brings evil and destruction. Men, beasts, trees, rivers,

roads, buildings, she brings harm to them all. A flesh-

eating, bloodsucking monster is

she."Lamashtuinvoked as ‘Daughter of Heaven’ she is

the god that left a mark on the figure of Lilith, and is

depicted as a terrifying blood sucking creature, with

a lion’s head and the body of a donkey, praying on

new-borns and their mothers. She is said to watch

pregnant women with vigilance, once they go into

labour and give birth she steals the child, draining it

of its life and possibly the mother as well. This may

be a primitive attempt at describing the

complications that can manifest at birth, or aliments

that effect the mother and child.

Lilith, the Lilitu and Lamashtu all manifest as female spirits of power and maliciousness attempting to steal

new-borns, linked to their infertility – incantations and amulets often used to invoke their name,

traditional texts describing them as “Spirits that threaten every house, rage at people, eat their flesh, and

as they let their blood flow like rain, they never stop drinking blood.” Mothers would often create dream

catchers or amulets from sentimental objects in an attempt to ward off the creatures, proving their love

was more substantial than that of the demon’s lust for blood.

ALBANIA – SHTRIGA

The Shtriga, or Dhampir is a vampiric witch in traditional Albanian folklore, with various supernatural

powers and traditions, more so a weakened undead than the other examples so far, the Shtriga sucks the

blood of infants during the night, pushing them into a coma before transforming into an insect such as a

moth or a fly and departing. Only the Shtriga that had drained the child of their blood is able to cure the

victim, often by spitting into the mouth of the drained; if the creature is not forced to cure the child it will

eventually sicken and die.

The name of the creature is often used to describe a person of evil in Albanian folklore, due to the fact that

a Shtriga is not born, its created, often from the strong evil or envy of a woman. Physically they take the

form of a disfigured crone, with a hateful stare, horribly mutilated face, and grey, milky or pale eyes

framing a long, crooked, crow like nose. One of their most notable paranormal abilities was their unsettling

stare, causing people to become uncomfortable – traditionally you must avoid eye contact at all costs, lest

you be cursed with the evil eye.

In order to remove this curse, as well as deter and ward off a witch, Albanians would take a small pinch of salt into their fingers, touching each of their closed eyes, both sides of their chest and the pit of their

stomach before throwing the remaining salt into a direct flame, declaring the phrase "sytidalçinsytiplaçin" (The eyes of eyes would be exasperated) alternatively they would whisper the phrase "plastsyrikeq"

(Remove the Evil Eye) a minimum of six times, depending on how superstitious the person was.

The Shtriga is an undead that is commonly removed from a village with various methods, perhaps birthing the superstitions associated with modern day interpretations of vampires. The first and most common

tradition associated with the Shtriga is the concept that new born children, as well as beautiful women are more likely to catch the evil eye of this creature; there for when meeting such an individual it is common for people to touch the nose of the beautiful person, declaring ‘Masha’allah’ an Arabic term of respect and joy which helps to show the speaker’s benevolence and ward them from the evil eye.More direct methods of frighten away the Shtriga involve the creation of a doll made from garlic. The small puppet acting as a beacon of evil and absorbing any of the hatred that the undead force upon the household. Often when a member of the community was suspected of having become a Shtriga, the other members would rise up against them in secrecy, often to trap the creature and destroy it. A veriety of methods are

considered effective for defending oneself against a Shtriga, often by trapping or outsmarting the witch. The primary method of trapping the witch is to creating various crucifix from the bones of a pig, placing each above the doors and windows of a church, mid mass on Easter Sunday; This prevents the Shtriga from crossing the thresh hold of the church, trapping it inside – often as the townsfolk attack the creature with bottles of holy water containing a single silver coin, destroying the creature. The ultimate ward against a Shtriga is by tricking or taking advantage of its feeding habits. After feeding on a creature Edith Durham – an early 20th century author and traveller famous for her anthropological accounts of life and living in Albania – writes about the habit of Shtriga removing themselves from the community, often to a nearby forest or natural setting before regurgitating the blood – it being corrupt and unusable. If a mortal was to soak a silver coin in the pools of blood they would imbue it with the permanent ability to repel the witch like vampire.

FILIPINO – ASWANG

Aswang or Asuwang is the Filipino equivalent of the Vampire, taking the form of a shape shifting creature that possesses various combinations of vampiric, ghoul or witch like abilities, some paintings and works even associating different species of were-beast to the creature. The Aswang itself is commonly feared across many provinces of the Philippines, especially popular in Samar, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Aklan. In terms of etymology, the Aswangis derived from the word Asura – Sanskrit in origin and meaning Demon or chaos-creation. The Term ‘Asura’ was originally traced by Sir MonierMonier – Williams, a teacher of Sanskrit, Persian and Hindustani at oxford university during the 18th century and honoured with multiple awards and a knighthood for his contributions to language. His finding traced the words roots back to ‘Asu’; which means “life of the spiritual world or departed spirits”. Monier Williams stating that Asuras are “Evil spirits, demons and opponent of the gods”.

Throughout the Philippines, various legends and folklore have manifested around the Aswang, making it easier to pin down common themes rather than a specific appearance or range of abilities. The most

prevalent feature of the Aswang is its shape shifting powers, recounts of these creatures living as generic townsfolk in their human form – exhibiting an unusual shyness, and elusiveness that is juxtaposed by their

night time state; that of a humanoid creature that seems partly animal in origin, sharing the features of their full animalistic shapes. These animals can be anything native to the island in which the creature inhabits, such as bats, birds, boars, cats and most often dogs. When not animalistic in form, Aswang retain their humanoid appearance but can be otherworldly in appearance, some as tall and thin as a bamboo post, others insectoid with a proboscis, aiding in hunting their favoured pray, unborn or young children. They primarily favour the hearts of young children or their mothers, sometimes able to steal the child straight from the mother’s womb. Often the creature will replace the stolen child or cadavers with doppelgangers, made from the trunk of a tree or other plant like material. This facsimile will take their original’s place within their community, only to become ill and die afew days later, in order to avoid detection. Aswang display various signs of proximity when in their human and natural forms, allowing a perspective resident to notice them. When in human form they can be noticed by their slightly weary appearance, often showing bloodshot eyes with bags – revealing of the concept that during the night they stalk their

pray, or move between homes where wakes have recently been held, stealing cadavers. It’s said that if you look at a Aswang in a “Tuwad” fashion (bending over and looking between your legs) they will display their true form to you. The creatures also have various other names based of the fact that some of them make sounds that appear quieter the closer they are to you, in an attempt to disorientate the victim. Examples of this are Tik-Tik, Fi-Fi, Wak-Wak or Sok-Sok. In the Philippines there is a saying “Mas mabutiangaswangkaysasaisangmagnanakaw” which means: “Better aAswang than a thief”. With these creatures being day-walkers as well as having the same social capacities of humans, such as emotions, ambitions, fears – they can be befriended and will avoid hurting those they care about. Often befriending aAswang was used as a method to make them vulnerable, their human form lacking the super strength of their night form – techniques of dispatching a Aswang range from garlic, to holy water, religious verses or the lashing of a whip made from the tales of sting rays. They are often repelled from new-borns with the tying of Agimats, native Philippine amulets of red and black beads, wrapped around the infant’s ankle.

PUERTO RICO – CHUPACABRA Folklore rampant across the Americas, with its first recorded sightings emanating from Puerto Rico; The Chupacabra is vampiric creature that plagues the farmers and livestock owners in rural areas, attacking and drinking the blood of agricultural animals. The creature prefers the easier pray of farmyard animals than that of humans, it lacking the intelligence of some of the other examples I’ve researched. The name Chupacabra in a literal translation from Spanish equates to ‘Goat-Sucker’ from ‘Chupar’ which is ‘to suck’ and ‘cabra’ which means ‘Goat’. The Chupacabra itself is considered a cryptid – a creature which is believed through sightings but the scientific community disagrees with, such as Big -Foot, the loch Ness Monster or the Abominable Snowman. Appearance wise, the Chupacabra is a bi-pedal creature capable of running on all fours, similar to a werewolf – it canine in appearance, almost reminiscent of a strange breed of wild dog, though much larger. Other features of the creature are its almost hairless body, rat like muzzle or stance, as well as unusually pronounced spinal ridges, bulging eye sockets, and deeply cutting fangs and claws. Unlike usual

parasitic predators, the Chupacabra drains all blood from its pray, its bite displaying a triangular series of holes on its victim where its drained the life essence of the creature. There are sightings that suggest the creature is able to hypnotise and paralyze their pray in order to make the feeding of blood safer and easier for the Chupacabra. Besides their glowing red eyes being able to induce nausea, they also leave behind a sulphuric stench when they have visited an area or attacked a victim. Due to being a more bestial creature, as well as a rather new myth, the Chupacabra has little to no mythology attached to it in terms of repelling attacks or deterring them from entering an area. Without being able to transform other creatures into their kin, they almost lose the paranormal aspect which the other legends display. Many believe that the sightings of Chupacabra as well as their victims are the result of Coyotes with serious cases of mange, a

parasitic disease that can be fatal to canines – leading the weakened animal

to attempt to attack livestock, only to fail or run out of stamina after the first

bite. INDONESIAN – JENGLOT Indonesian mythology has an abundance of creatures, both living and undead, but few are more peculiar than the Jenglot. Small humanoid beings, the Jenglotare described as living dolls, tiny – withered looking people, believed to be former humans. Most often these creatures are discovered by Indonesian psychics, after they have performed any rituals involved in communing with the dead. They are drawn to supernatural events and power, collecting around it before returning to their diminished state – a small, human effigy that seems withered and mummified. Often Jenglotsare said to locate themselves naturally

into tree trunks, underground and infesting abandoned homes.

Traditionally Janglot are those that follow the ideals of Asceticism, a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from all forms of worldly pleasure, as well as becoming a recluse, pulling back from human society in an

attempt to reach a form of spiritual enlightenment. In the case of these creatures, they were attempting to follow the “IlmuBetharaKarang” or the way to eternal life. It’salso believed that a person who has made various dealings or a worshiper of demons may be turned into a Jenglot as a reward, gaining certain powers and abilities as a thrall for the demonic entity, though cursed. The final method in which to transform into these small creatures is through a similar ascension to Asceticism, though this involves a person of great spiritual power, meditating within a cave where the boundaries of the spirit world and reality are thin, gaining powers and abilities through this merging of realms. Jenglot feed on the blood of animals and humans to maintain their small form, drawing strength from the liquid indirectly, leaving it on the ground until they are alone, or absorbing strength from it once they are alone. By feeding a Jenglot the blood of an animal or human, that person becomes it ‘Keeper’ owning the creature legally and

tasked with the duty of keeping it with a fresh source of blood, in exchange for good fortune and happiness and perhaps knowledge. INDONESIAN – TOYOL Though Janglot are more benevolent in nature, their counterpart is much more mischievous and dangerous; the Toyol. Often going by the name ‘Kwee Kia’ or ‘Tiyanak’ a Toyol is a small creature, usually taking the appearance of a small baby like figure with a large head and slender body, its summoned by a Dukun, an Indonesian witch doctor or shaman, through the use of black magic and the soul of a ba by. Toyol are usually associated with selfish but petty gains - their primary use is to sabotage and steal from others, increasing their Keeper’s wealth in exchange for their care and blood. A Toyolmust be summoned and evoked, the use of black magic leading to the slow gaining of the creature’s trust. You begin by purchasing a Toyol from a traveling magician, whether they had created it themselves or taken it from its dwelling place, it does not matter – though if its creation – through an embalming technique on an aborted baby, or if its kidnapping from its home was particularly violent, it can affect the amount of time it takes to gain its

trust. Once you are in possession of an effigy of the Toyol you must gain its trust,

through various methods. The first are almost childish in approach – consisting of

giving the Toyol a cup of warm milk every morning, as well as giving presents such as toys, clothing, sweets and biscuits. These objects please the child within the Toyol and gain its trust, ritual wise these gifts must be accompanied by the continuous lighting of a black candle, incense and mantras, using black magic to seal the spirit to the small creature. The rituals and relationship building accumulating in the offering of the keeper’s blood, the creature feeding on its

host to sustain and increase its power.

Appearance wise the Toyol takes on a much more sinister look than that of the Janglot, often given a ‘baby like’ description – A toddler sized creature, walking with an overly large head, small hands and a pair of

cloudy, often red or alien like eyes, a dark greenish complexion and rows of needle sharp teeth, retractable. The creature often uses these teeth or its claws in self-defence or feeding rather than outward aggression. Some eye-witness reports say they have monkey like hands or feet, helping them when they climb. They are also suspected of having eyes that can see through barriers and walls, helping them to find and steal valuables that even humans couldn’t find. When strong enough to carry out their Keeper’s bidding, a Toyol has various weaknesses, often associated with the creature’s intelligence or attention span – referencing back to the fact it’s the soul of a child attached to this creature. The first and most useful method of deterring a possible Toyol from stealing your money or jewellery is to set ‘traps’ for the creature – these traps consist of toys, marbles, puzzles, beans/sand, or rows of garlic. These objects are intended to distract the creature, causing it to play with the objects long enough that its forgets its

original task and leaves the house in a panic. More aggressive methods of deterring the creature involves leaving pins or needles underneath money, as they are deathly afraid of needles, or placing a mirror above areas you store valuables, as the Toyol can’t stand its own reflection, its outward appearance frightening the child within. Toyol are often kept within family lines for generations after the original Keeper has died, aiding the family by continuing its work, while growing more powerful. It’s often believed that you can’t let a Toyol become too powerful, as an old and powerful spirit becomes more capable, exceeding petty crime and becoming capable of murder. In response to this a family may choose to terminate their contract with the spirit before it becomes a problem. Once the ‘Contract’ with a Toyol has ended they are often disposed of, either through respectful or blasphemous means. Peacefully the creature may be entombed in an urn, buried in a graveyard, with the relevant rituals associated with laying someone to rest, alternatively they can be cast into the sea while trapped inside the urn, angering the spirit and denying it a peaceful burial. The final method of removing a

Toyol from service is to set the spirit free with the help of a Bomoh (Shaman), peacefully allowing the spirit to roam the forests – without a Keeper, the Toyol becomes a pacific observer, sneaking into people’s lives

only out of curiosity and to occasionally play with toys that are left unattended. Quite like their counterparts the Jenglot, the Toyol are by nature harmless, without a masters command they are nothing

more than mischievous – but when under the command of an unprincipled individual they become much more dangerous. Once the trust between Keeper and Toyol has grown they have various uses and abilities that benefit their owner, while increasing the power of the spirit.

- They protect the owner as well as talk to him, complete simple tasks and communicate or carry messages between family members and other Toyol.

- They have the ability to phase through solid matter over short distances, most often walls or doors that block the way to their prize. Some mediums use Toyol to attempt to diagnose clients that require medical advice.

- Though very rare, a Toyol will become aggressive, often in self-defence, using its long claws to slash at the victim, or using their phasing ability to squeeze the heart of the attacker.

- Their power increases every year of their existence, though can be boosted through them drinking the blood of a newly-wed bride, through her big toe, or through ‘corpse oil’ as substance obtained from the boiling of a lower jaw and taking the oil from it.

- They can be used to obtain information for their Keeper, such as a fortune teller using them to gather more ‘creditable’ knowledge of their client, boosting their legitimacy. Another example would be the use of a Toyol in a casino to turn the tables in your favour – however this is often risky as casino’s often employ their own Toyol to fight off intruding spirits, as well as consecrating the ground to prevent any foreign spirits.

- If the Keeper begins to mistreat the Toyol, it will begin to cause trouble, mischief and disobey commands in order to be brought back to the spirit master or magician it was initia l bought from. Once there it will complain about its keeper and the magician will break the contract.

- When attempting to remove a Toyol you must consult the original spirit master that helped to summon it, should that original master have died you must consult his successor. Should there be no living descended of this magician then the Toyol becomes incredibly difficult to remove, needing another shaman to attempt to ‘convince it to leave’. Whether through force or in exchange for

something of great value. - Like a child, a task must be explained very slowly and precisely to a Toyol, its instructions must be

plain and to the point in order to not confuse the creature. For example, should you want it to steal $100 you must first show, and explain the smaller denominations of money, how much each currency equates to, as well a visual representation of its reward, most often sweets.

- The Toyol is at heart, a child and appreciates very similar things, such as hugs, lullabies, sweets, sleeping near its owner (often under their bed) and toys such as marbles, cars and suckers. They also enjoy playing in water.

- Female Toyol are uncommon (Apparently due to their stubbornness and being more home bound, therefore not adept at stealing) They are often used to defend the keeper’s home from other spirits as they are more aggressive, jealous and deadlier than their male counterparts.

- The longer a Toyolis evoked, the more humanlike they become, with very powerful Toyol eventually transcending into

something humanlike and reincarnated as a baby.

- Because the Toyol is feeding on the blood of the owner every other day, they gain a telepathic link

between the two after an extended amount of time, able to communicate via “用心沟通’ –

“Through the heart”. CHINA – JIANGSHI

A Jiangshi is a creature of eastern origin and is known as ‘The Hopping Vampire’ typically a reanimated corpse and found most commonly in Chinese folklore, branching off into Korea and Japanese cultures

referred to as Gangshi and Koyonshi respectively. Typically envisioned as a stiffened – rigor mortis restricted corpse it hops forward, using its outstretched arms to steady itself and to capture its pray. It

feeds of the living, often depicted being able to suck blood from a victim (Simularly to the western interpretations of vampires) but traditionally the Jiangshi absorbs a person’s ‘qi’ or “life force” attempting

to become more powerful and exist for longer – almost as if staying an active undead drains its stored qi. The creature itself is most active at night, avoiding sunlight and resting within its burial site or in other

darkened areas away from civilisation such as a cave or deep forest.

When discussing Chinese interpretations of undead, the primary literary resource is Yuewei, a book written by the Qing Dynasty scholar Ji Xiaolan, synonymous with his intellect, anecdotes, folklore research and position as poet laureate to the sixth emperor Qianlong. Within Yuewei, Xiaolan discusses the concept that there are two types of undead – There are those who are recently deceased individuals which have returned to life, or those that have been dead long enough that a spirit reanimates their body. This is why Jiangshi are often depicted wearing official garments from the Qing Dynasty, as it takes centuries for a corpse to raise as one. Xiaolan explains that the primary means of which a generic undead may rise are:

- Through black magic, or supernatural arts; which bind a spirit to a corpse and cause it to rise

- The buried corpse absorbs a sufficient amount of qi from the ground or those around them in order to resurrect and break out of its tomb.

- A person’s soul fails to remove itself from the body, most often through an improper death such as murder, suicide etc.

- A mischievous spirit has attached itself to the body to cause trouble for the living.

These four circumstances are often the reasons attached to an undead rising from its resting place, however this can constitute a large variety of different spirits or demons, such as the “Diao Si Gui” which is a spirit that possesses those who are victims of suicide, depicted as a long haired creature with various extended tongues – this makes it incredibly difficult to reliably summon or create a Jiangshi unless you follow one of the following methods. The method of reliably becoming a Jiangshi is suggested within the pages of“Zi Bu Yu” (What the Master Would Not Discuss) by Qing Dynasty scholar Yuan Mei, a poet and writer best known for this compendium

of supernatural events. Its title referring to the saying “Confucius did not speak of strange events, violence, riots and supernatural things”. He discusses the traditional dualism concept of Hun and Po – This dictates

the composition of one’s soul, explaining that every person has three ‘Hun’ which constitutes the yang part of the soul; is ethereal and leaves your body after death, as well as seven ‘Po’ which dictates the ying side

of the soul and remains with the corpse after death. If you have lived a life of great imbalance in which the ‘foolish, evil’ side of your Po becomes too indulged – upon death your Hun will ascend and leave the other half of your soul to overtake your body and reanimate as a Jiangshi. Alternatively, Yuan Mei dictated that one may become a Jiangshi through sustaining an injury from one of these creatures, such as a bite or a claw mark, the injury draining a portion of your ying making your yang stronger, and making it easier for you to turn. Appearance wise these creatures often range based on the time of death, from a rather unremarkable, though pale looking recently diseased Jiangshi, to that of a putrefying and rotting corpse, overcome with

centuries of decay. The Chinese character of ‘jiang’ (僵) literally means ‘hard’ or ‘stiff’ and refers to the belief that a Jiangshi is incapable of moving its limbs, causing it to hop. This characteristic of a stiff, two

footed hop is often coupled with the appearance of Qing Dynasty official officer robes, due to the vampire developing after a substantial time underground – this outfit consisting of a uniform like coat, a round-top

tall brimmed hat and often a paper talisman (with a sealing spell) placed upon its forehead, overlapping the vampires face. Often displaying a pale or greenish complexion, this vampire’s fangs range from us ual

human teeth to a maw full of spiked canines – an adaptation pulled from western style vampires and exaggerated. The supposed origin of Jiangshi stories dates back to the practice of “Xiāngxīgǎnshī”or “Driving the corpses in Xiangxi”. Often in the cases of provinces such as Xiangxi, residents would come of age, then leave home in order to build a new life elsewhere – once they died, their bodies would be dried out and would be transported back to their hometown, to avoid their funeral taking place in unfamiliar ground, and preventing their spirit from becoming lonely. For those who were too poor to hire a vehicle, the family of the deceased would hire a Taoist priest to conduct a ritual; reanimating the dead and guiding them home. The priest would ring a large bell while holding a lantern, only traveling at night and making his presence known, due to it being a dangerous and unlucky thing for a person to set eyes on a Jiangshi. Typically, the ritual would be undertaken by two priests, attaching the bodies too two large bamboo trunks the men would carry the corpses, both clad in black robes, with the one at the back wearing a heavy funeral mask, obscuring his vision from the bodies. Many believe this is the origin of the Jiangshi’s ‘hopping ’ as from a distance the bamboo rods holding the bodies would flex, creating the illusion of the bodies jumping in

unison. In terms of traditional weaknesses, the Jiangshi can be warded off by various different objects and practices, some obscuring its abilities, others out right destroying it. Primarily the undead of China are warded away by objects of religious importance, often linking to Taoism – such as five objects made from the wood of a single peach tree as “Peach is the essence of the Five Elements. It can subjugate evil auras and deter evil spirits." As stated in The ‘JingchuSuishi Ji: Festivals and Seasonal customs of the Jing-Chu region’. This also applies with reading segments from ‘I Ching’- an ancient Chinese divination text, or ‘Tong Shu – The All-Embracing Book’ a reinterpretation of the Confucian doctrines. Other methods of deterring a Jianshi range from fairly common practices such as scaring it with its own reflection, rice or daylight etc. Though, some methods are a little more specific, such as nailing 7 Jujube seeds into

acupuncture points on the corpse, stopping it from absorbing qi, or holding your breath: the creature acting

more on its sense of smell and hearing than on its eyesight.

MALAYSIAN – LANGSUYAR AND PONTIANAK Both Malaysian in origin the Langsuyar and the Pontianak are very similar in origin and abilities, though with slight differences in their weaknesses and reason for turning undead. Both take the form of powerful female vampires, and both are created through great loss at childbirth, the Langsuyar created from the sorrow of losing a child during pregnancy or birth, while the Pontianak is the vengeful and saddened spirit of the child, from the same situation. The Pontianak, also known as the matianak is a young female spirit, harbouring the anger, sadness and

vengeance inspired by their own death at child birth, becoming a spirit due to the taking of their potential life. The name is often reported to be a corruption of old Malaysian dialect, meaning

“perempuanmatiberanak” or “woman who died in childbirth”, alternatively this could stem from a

combination and derivative of various terms - puan (woman) + mati (die) + anak (child), perhaps including ‘Matianak’ which translates as ‘Death of a Child’. Often depicted as a young woman or girl, the Pontianak is described as wearing a long, flowing dress, which inflates and ripples in the breeze as she glides, along with her flowing black hair. The creature is often described as having a pale- undead like complexion and a pair of startling, deep red eyes, reflecting the blood often trailing on her gown. Similar to the Irish folklore of the Banshee, the Pontianak announces its presence with a deafening sound, it releasing high pitched baby-like cries into the night, the softer the sound, the further away the creature. Dogs can also be used to locate the creature, howling and growling when she is nearby or resting during the day within the trunk of a banana tree. When traveling silently, the Pontianak can be recognized by a sudden, powerful, flower like aroma, followed shortly by the stench of decay. Scent seems to be a common theme with this interpretation of the vampire, with the Pontianak being able to locate a person based on scent, therefor there is a tra dition that you shouldn’t leave your laundry out overnight, in fear that she may pick up your scent. In terms of

attacking their victims, the Potianak is able to grow her fingernails to half a meter in length, using them to dig into the stomach of her (often) male victims, ripping out their organs and devouring them along with draining the corpse of its blood. It’s also said that if a moral is to lay eyes on the true form of a Pontianak she will drain the eyes from his skull. Alternatively, the Langsuyar is a female vampiric revenant, having been a mother whose child died during birth or pregnancy, resulting in an older form than her counterpart, often a beautiful young to middle aged woman, with pitch black hair that reaches down to her ankles. Often referenced wearing a long, extravagant green robe and having long, claw like nails (Signs of beauty) the Langsuyar has the ability to detach itself from its lower body, flying upward and able to swoop down on its victims. Traditionally her long black hair is used to conceal a monstrous mouth at the base of her neck, used to devour the blood of her victims, often feeding on the blood of children. Traditionally the Langsuyar is associated with the parasitic fern “Sakat” a species of Epiphyte that derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain and debris that fall to the ground around their host

tree, the venomous Rengas trees of Malaysia; who’s extruded sap may burn, boil and scar on contact.

Those who endanger either of these plants are required to undertake elaborate exorcisms in order to

counteract a potential Langsuyars haunting. Both the Langsuyar and the Pontianak are very similar in origin and ability, and therefor share weaknesses the primary one being a weak point on the neck. For example, the Pontianak is able to be returned to relative normality should you hammer an iron nail into the back of their neck, where a dark black mark is located, turning the creature into a beautiful maiden and loyal wife for many years, until the nail is removed. The same weakness is applied to a Pontianak, though in the form of the mouth on the back of her neck, cutting her hair and nails before stuffing them into the mouth will turn her into a beautiful woman for years, until its mouth eats through the substances. You can also deter a body from transforming into either of these creatures by placing a glass bead into the mouth of their entombed body, along with a hen’s egg under her armpit and a pair of needles in her palms – holding her in her tomb and

preventing her from shrieking. Saki folklore also dictates that charms and chants are able to repel the demon.

CARIBBEAN – SOUCOUYANT Originating in the tropical environments of the Caribbean, and stretching outwards past Trinidad, Dominica and Guadeloupe, the Soucouyant is a powerful vampiric hag, with the power to drain blood and enter homes. The legend of this creature having formed from the combination of cultures that occurred when European settlers brought French-based vampire myths to the West Indies, eventually merging into the enslaved African cultures of the time. The amalgamation of cultures brought on by enslavement created various mythological creatures, with the Soucouyant taking place alongside other evil spirits as a ‘Jumbee’. A Jumbee being those that have committed evil in life are destined to continue in death, appearing as shades and shadows, rather than ghost like wisps. Often described as a venomous, old woman, a reclusive and often aggressive person; this form of vampire exists as a seemingly regular person by day, and by night sheds her skin, revealing her true form. The Soucouyant’s true form consists of a being of pure fire, often spending the night hunting for her victims

as a fireball shooting across the sky. Once having found a victim, this creature can enter a room through any gaps in the door, a key hole, a crack etc. Entering the home and sucking blood from the arms or legs of a human, leaving deeply bruised blue-black marks on the body in the morning. The creature itself does not need the blood to survive as many other vampires do, however it uses the blood it collects to make black magic trades with the demon Bazil, whom resides in silk cotton trees. A demon who is the Caribbean’s response to the Devil; a demonic entity who is incredibly powerful and was sealed within the bows of cotton trees by a skilful woodcarver, forcing the demon to collect blood in exchange for powers till he is strong enough to break free – woodsmen fear it, therefore the tree is often left to flourish. This allows for the myth to continue should a bitter old woman live

near a silk cotton tree. Its powers magnified by the Soucouyant’s avid practicing of black magic, voodoo

and demon workship, gaining a medley of powers in exchange for its victim’s blood.

In order to expose a potential Soucouyant, a villager must take advantage of the avid association of vampires with arithmomania – pouring a large pile of rice at the main crossroad of the town. Traditionally vampires are associated with a counting form of Obsessive compulsive disorder, causing the Soucouyant to spend her night counting and picking up every grain of rice or sand, a difficult task before dawn and something that would allow her to be caught in the act. At this point the townsfolk would wait until the creature sheds its skin to feed, placing coarse salt over its suit and preventing it from retaking its human form – eventually perishing. Alternative visual sightings and legends of this creature range from her normal ‘fireball’ like description, to that of a swarm of creatures such as cockroaches, stinging insects or rats, controlling them all as a hive

mind and perhaps inspiring the western interpretation of a vampire being able to dissipate into a swarm of bats.

GERMAN – NACHZEHRER A creature from Germanic mythology, the Nachzehrer is an undead, vampiric creature inspired by the effects of entropy and scavenging creatures such as rats on those buried in mass graves. The word Nachzehrer is a vague corruption and amalgamation of various other words in the German language, primarily ‘Nach’ which means ‘After’ and ‘Zehre’ which is translated as ‘Living off’ likely linked to the concept that these creatures are undead and parasitically feed off other creatures. The creature itself stems primarily from northern regions of Germany, but spread into Bavaria (Southern Germany), as well Silesia (South-west Poland) and other areas of Europe. Commonly believed to be created from those who have committed suicide, the Nachzehrer is an undead, vampiric creature that feeds off its family members, loved ones and those resting beside its

original burial site. This belief of originating from suicide or accidental death prevents this creature from reproducing like other vampires, bites and scratches having no supernatural effect. Along with feeding off those its cares about, Nachzehrer are strongly associated with pestilence and disease, it often believed that the first person within a town that died of the plague, was a Nachzehrer that spread the disease to others before falling into undeath. The key aspect of the Nachzehrer is it being believed to be a creature of undead hunger, similar in that regard to modern interpretations of a zombie, it raising from the dead in order to devour its family members and friends, often even its own body and funeral shrouds. This initial consumption of their funeral attire when they turn undead, acts as a pre-cursor to their hunger for their family’s blood and flesh – weakening their loved ones above ground, making them ill and tired. Once their family becomes weak enough, the creature can leave its grave, appearing to them as a decaying body and draining their blood or consuming their flesh little by little, as well as the graves around them. Traditionally this may have been

used as an explanation of savaging creatures eating away at corpses as well as grave robbing – something rampant during the times of plague.

During the night the creature would conduct itself in a similar way to when it was alive, traveling around

the town and attempting to carry out its habits, though as it becomes more powerful its starts to become more undead and beast like, desiring pray. Nachzhrerare often known to ascend to the belfry of a church, ringing the bells loudly, cursing all who hear its tolls to death. Those Nachzhrer who gain significant power are able to bring death to others through their shadow falling on them, their shadow able to act independently from the vampire. In order to destroy a Nachzhrer you must first identify the grave of one, approaching its family to ask permission to deal with the threat before digging the grave of the suspected undead. Once unearthed a silver coin must be placed within the mouth of the creature before decapitating i t. A common tell-tale characteristic of the Nachzhrer is its positioning within the coffin or burial site. Often the creature will be on freshly disturbed earth, holding its thumb in its opposite hand while closing its left eye. This manner of

entombing was popular around the heights of the plague, as the first to fall would be associated as the vampire or demon who began the plague, requiring special burial rights such as a woman recently found

within the Republic of Venice having had a brick lodged into her mouth, superstitiously preventing her return as a vampire.

SOUTH EAST ASIA – PENANGGALAN A ghost and supernatural creature that emanates from South-eastern Asian mythology, the Penanggalan or ‘HantuPenanggal’ is a detached head, often female in form that can levitate though paranormal means. As the creature glides through the night it trails behind it a series of internal organs, specifically its lungs, stomach and entrails; traditionally twinkling similar to fireflies in order to entice in victims. The literal translation of the word “Penanggal” is to “detatch” or “remove” explaining the root of the name through its startling supernatural appearance.

A juxtaposition tomany vampire-like creatures, the Penanggalan is in fact a living creature – taking the form of a human woman during the day or in times of fasting. It often believed that the Penanggalan gains its power through supernatural means such as black magic, or sealing pacts with a demon. Often in folklore this demonic pact is made with the devil, giving a midwife supernatural powers due to her position of trust and strength with an expecting couple. She often gains this contact with a demonic entity through breaking a stipulation, specifically not to eat meat for 40 days before a pregnancy, an old superstition and custom of a midwife but one still upheld in many parts of Asia. This gives her the ability to detach her head, flying off

into the night in order to drain blood from new-borns and expecting mothers – needing

to submerge their entrails in vinegar to shrink them for easy re-entry to the waiting body.

Similarly, to the Irish folklore of the Banshee, the Penanggalan perches itself onto the roof of an expecting mother, screeching and shouting as the child is born, notifying other blood sucking creatures in the area. A Bomoh shaman was often hired to protect a mother during labour, as the Penanggalan often desires to feed upon the newborn or the mother, its long tongue sneaking into the house in order to lap up blood from the new mother. Once aware of a nearby newborn the creature will return every night in order to feed on its blood, its often believed that Penanggalan can ooze upward through the floorboards of stilted houses – similarly using its entrails as tentacles to break into a home. Beside their previously mentioned abilities, Penanggalan also have a variety of supernatural powers such as toxic ooze that leaks from their organs, requiring a Bomoh to re-seal the painful sores it creates - or their bite transferring a powerful wasting disease that is sure to kill the victim.

As mentioned previously, when expecting, a new couple will traditionally hire the assistance of a Bomoh

shaman, to ward and protect the house from the Penanggalan – though this often though more herbalist means. The primary weakness of the creature tends to be its exposed endtrails, usually resilient to damage

they become weakened when damaged by specific plants. The first plant based weakness these creatures have are the leaves of the Mengkuang plant. A strong, palm-like dioecious tree or shrub, often found within the tropics of Asia, its serrated leavesoften the first tell-tale sign of this species of plant. New couples (Advised by their shaman) will often spend a day picking these leaves, having them blessed then tying them in small loops over and around entrances to their home, to deter a Pananggalan from gliding into the window, only to have its lungs damaged. A similar concept of planting pineapples under stilted homes once the couple knows they are expecting, often used to trap the creature should it ooze upwards through the floorboards. Once trapped within the home, a mother will often be encouraged to battle the creature, using a pair of scissors or a parang she keeps under her pillow, protecting herself and her child, scaring the creature away. The main, assured way of destroying a Pananggalan is to first identify your midwife as one of the creatures,

usually appearing as a normal woman during the day. Due to this daytime normality, a couple must keep an eye out for subtle

nuances that would identify a relative or a midwife as a vampire, this often manifests as a licking of the lips, the creature anxious to feed on the blood of the new born baby or its mother. Once identified it is advised to line the home with more Mengkuang leaves as the birth approaches, the men waiting till nightfall before searching for the home of the creature. Once their home has been found, the men wait till the creature leaves its body and departs, breaking in to find its headless form. At this point the hunters must find a method of preventing the head from reattaching, this can take the form of being lethal or non-lethal. Non-lethal methods range from hiding the body of the creature, preferably somewhere public, or to turn the body over in its bed, causing it to re-attach its

head in reverse – both methods designed to reveal the creature for what it really is.

Traditionally the lethal method of despatching a Pananggalan is to pour molten

or shards of glass into its neck cavity, before blessing the corpse, causing the creature to sever its internal organs as it re-attaches.

OLD NORSE – DRAUGR Emanating from Old Nordic mythology, the Draugr is an undead being of immense physical strength and size, often an adversary for various Viking heroes and is often used as a supernatural explanation for decay, mysterious deaths and grave robbing. The name Draugr originates from the Proto-Indo European stem of language, a mixture of Icelandic, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian – with many of their translations

containing descriptions such as “Again-Walker” or “Second Death” with it commonly believed that the body must have a strong enough spirit and “Hugr” to reanimate the body, and potentially die again.

Draugarare often secluded to their burial grounds, or graves – guarding treasure that was entombed with them, or protecting the dead that reside there from grave robbers. Traditionally Draugar are said to be

either “Hel-blar” (“Death-Blue”) or conversely, “Nar-folr” (“Corpse-pale”) colours often associated with the paranormal and evil entities – such as the bones of a sorceress whose bones would appear blue and evil looking. Draugr are often distinguished between Sea-draugar: Those warriors that died or were buried at sea, reanimated to attack sailors and traveling warriors, And Land-Draugr: often warriors that have been entombed into a Tumulus or Barrow, usually rising from the grave should their burial place be disturbed. In mythology, the Draugr share many common themes with ghosts, often reanimating should they have unfinished business or if they are truly a mean, nasty or greedy person, haunting a specific place and attempting to sustain a negative impact on the area. It’s often believed that

Ghosts and Draugar refuse to adhere to the natural laws, staying bound to their body out of selfishness and strength of will, often hostile. This is often why they are associated with spirits as anyone is able to become a Draugr should they live a selfish and evil life. It’s also possible for people to be

transformed into the creature through infection, as stated in the Grettis Saga, which dictates the story of Glámr: "the previous evil spirits are relegated to the side-lines and, when Glámr is found dead, they disappear, whereas he takes over their role as ghost of the valley”. This dictates the process of a hero taking over the spirit’s anger and selfishness, becoming lost to it and taking its place within its haunt. The Eyrbyggja saga is one of the more well preserved Icelanders' sagas; the title is roughly translated as “The Saga of the People of Eyri” written by an anonymous writer, it narrates the long-standing feud between “SnorriGoði” and “ArnkelGoði” a pair of powerful chieftains throughout the Norse community that settled in Iceland. Within this work they quote some of the abilities of the Draugr possesses, describing the one they encounter as "uncorrupted, and with an ugly look about him... swollen to the size of an ox,". Within the work they mention their lack of decay alongside their increase to size, strength and willpower – leaving the unmistakeable stench of decay wherever they travel. Other than their enhanced senses and strength, the Draugr is able to ‘swim through rock’ and appear in a wisp-ish form, smoke-like

and incorporeal they can pass through walls and out through their graves. Within folklore, Draugar have various methods of dispatching their victims, from crushing their pray with their immense strength, to

being able to drive people mad with sustained contact

with the creatures influence. After crushing the life from their victim, they often consume the foe’s blood or in some cases devour them whole. These passive abilities that are associated with the Draugr are oftendwarfed in comparison to their other

powers. Named “Trollskap” these abilities are similar to

living witches and wizards in Nordic lore, giving them

powers such as shape-shifting, control over the weather and the waves, and occasionally divination abilities to view the future. These powers also inspire more ‘traditional’ vampiric creatures; such as bringing disease, as well as being vulnerable to sunlight and immunity to most conventional weaponry. There are various methods in which you can prevent a person coming back from the afterlife. Traditionally Nordic burial methods are created to counter the concept that anyone could come back as a revenant – therefore the vast majority of entombing rituals were made to confuse and disorientate the creature. Rituals associated with this are traditions such as the coffin being lifted and lowered three times and in different directions to confuse the Draugr’s sense of direction. Another example would be the concept of a ‘Corpse Door’: a special door in which the corpse crosses feet first, with people surrounding its view, before sealing the tomb, the door hidden and the monster

unable to escape. Other smaller examples are placing a pair of iron scissors on the chest of a corpse, or tying their large toes together before hammering needles into the soles of their feet, preventing them from walking. Once a Draugr is plaguing a village, this immunity to conventional weaponry allowed for various methods of dispatching a Draugr, from attacks and superstitions similar to traditional vampires, to more Nordic and culture inspired attacks. Though iron may injure the creature, it is not enough to stop it, often allowing it to regenerate or retreat until it regains its strength, this is where many traditional methods such as beheading and cremating originate – often throwing the ashes into the sea in order to ensure it can’t come back. Other more traditional methods can be found within “Eyrbyggja Saga” in which one hero wrestles the creature back into its grave, beating it in fair combat and sending it back to the afterlife. Alternatively, the hero Kiartan held a “Door-doom” a ritual in which the hero summoned the draugar that infested his home, one by one, passing judgement on the creatures before forcing them out of the home in an almost legally binding method, holy water sanctifying the ground afterward. ___________________________________________________________________________

Brief analysis of the ‘Traditional Western Vampire’

The ‘Traditional vampire’ as we’ve come to know it, is a vast accumulation of cultures, literature and cinema, with various myths and works combining to creature a singular and immortalized creature. As a

synopsis of my work so far I’ve concluded that the vast majority of the vampire’s abilities, and appearance are credited to the superstition and lack of information surrounding dying and the decomposition process, this ignorance leading to mass hysteria throughout the 18th century. A heavy distinction between the more bestial and malicious creatures of mythology around the world, and the more modern, charismatic and sophisticated vampire of modern fiction, born of the 1819 works of John Polidori; The Vampyre. Though in regards to vampire fiction, Polidori’s Lord Ruthven is dwarfed in comparison to the novel that spawned an entire genre Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), quickly becoming the quintessential interpretation of vampirism and its effects for the western world. The western vampire is often characterised by its need to drink human blood, emanating from the ignorance of the populous to the process of decomposition, many citizens during the hysteria, unearthed

their graveyards, finding bloated, ruddy and purplish corpses, dark and colour and seemingly freshly gouged on blood – leading to the spawning of this supernatural creature. Other aspects such as the

seeming continuation of hair growth, nail growth and fangs as the body decays resulted in their animalistic associations and method of blood drinking. Often associated as undead, this lead to many people facing

execution during the 18th century, being hung, decapitated and sanctified or the iconic stake through the chest. Originating with the works of Stoker and Polidori, and built upon them from the early 18th century, the Vampire has been accredited with a vast arsenal of powers and abilities. These powers range from the physical to the paranormal, all with the intent to protect the vampire as well as stalk his pray. Physically, a person who has become a vampire shows signs of super strength as well as super speed, exceeding that of a human and making it easier to capture its victims. These enhanced physical abilities allow for a more durable and powerful creature, only strengthened by its enhanced sense of hearing, smell and sight – easily able to locate a living creature within pitch blackness. On top of these physical abilities, vampires also hold an increased resistance to damage, and regeneration based powers gained from their existence as an undead – often manifesting as a lack of pain reception and being able to recover from an encounter with a hunter by sleeping within the earth of their burial place.

Other than these more biological abilities, Vampires traditionally display a series of supernatural powers, often gained based on the age of the vampire, the older the creature – the more powerful they become.

These abilities often consist of methods of moral capturing, a key example of this would be hypnotism, with many vampires in fiction displaying the power of suggestion or mental control – from luring their pray willingly into their home, to knocking their victim unconscious with a flick of their hand. This hypnotism often branches off into the manipulation of animals also. One would assume that vampires have a flare for the extravagant, using more magical powers such as fog control, summoning a storm or necromancy to create greater fear in their enemies as well as disrupt hunters from being able to stalk them. This visibility often transfers across into supernatural powers associated with the bestial, some such as Dracula displayed the ability to transform into a werewolf-like creature, or disintegrating into a swarm of plague beasts such as rats or bats. These powers all accumulate with the one desire of the Vampire – to suck the life-force from a living

creature, every power attempting to create a supernatural killer with the stealth of death and a superhuman resilience to sanctification or destruction. When feeding on a victim a vampire has another

option – without being able to reproduce traditionally, they have to transform a mortal into an undead, often by feeding its corrupted blood to the victim. This process causes their pray to die, raising within a

week as an undead. A lesser form of this ability manifests in being able to create ‘Thralls’ or minions who will obey their master in return for a drop of their blood, gaining minor powers and reversing the aging process as a reward for their aid. These Thralls, though often depicted as pathetic and venerable (to strengthen the storyteller’s depiction of their master) is often useful when their master is in a weakened state, such as during the day, or when their master does not wish to reveal himself. As expressed in the previous chapter, Vampires have a great deal of Apotropaics, often unique to the specific strain of vampirism that the victim displays, with each region of the world imagining different solutions to the vampire menace. Whether it’s something of religious origin blessed to calm a worried member of a priest’s flock or a cheap charlatan attempting to make a quick shilling on the side with a cheap flask of rose water. Derived from the greek word ‘Apotropai’, meaning to ‘Ward off’ or ‘Turn away’ evil, these objects of Greek mythology were used to keep heroes safe, deflect misfortune or avert the evil

eye. Within Greek mythology and the rest of the world these apotropaic often took one of two forms, Either an object of good luck or an object named ‘Grotesqueries’ designed to scare evil away. These types of good fortune generating objects are easily noticed throughout almost every society, from the fortuity generated by an Irish Traveller’s horseshoe, the purifying amulets blessed by Shinto shrines in japan, or the nightmare warding capabilities of a Native American dream catcher. As abundant as objects of good fortune are within society, there are just as many grotesqueries designed to frighten away witches and other malign influences. Most often placed above doorways and openings such as windows with these being easy opens for evil. Examples of these would be the Gargoyles and Hunky Punk carvings lining gothic churches and castles- used to scare away witches and demonically possessed forces, as well as the Celtic originated tradition of carving horrifying faces into pumpkins as a

way of scaring away the spirits let loose by the crossing of the spirit worlds and the real ones. With specific view of my project I’ve already covered the various specific cultural aspects that repel the specific strains

of vampirism, but the collective pop culture identity of the vampire has narrowed down specifi c and stereotypical methods of repelling a vampire. These specific forms of repelling the blood sucking undead

are often linked to the use of religious artefacts such as crucifixes or rosaries, under the impression of the will of God being able to punish the dead for returning. Other than religious artefacts, the use of pure silver bullets, wild roses and garlic were believed to repel the creature temporarily, with the intention of the hunters returning when the creature is resting in its grave, severing its head and then staking the body to the coffin, preventing its return to the surface. Though these preventions have been generated by decades of folklore and pop culture, a large source of these traditions were generated by a series of dissertations written within the 15th and 16th centuries, specifically those of King James (1566 – 1625), Leo Allatius ( 1586

- 1669), Prospero Lambertini (1675- 1758) , Dom Augustine Calmet (1672 -1757) and (1694-1778).

Published and explored historical documents linked to witchcraft and Vampirism.

Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue, Divided into three Books: By the High and Mighty Prince, James &c.

Written in 1597, Daemonologie was a philosophical dissertation used to educate the misinformed populace on the history, practices and implications of sorceries and the methods and means of persecuting a witch or necromancer within Christian society, especially under canonical law. Focusing more on the contemporary relationship between necromancy, divination and the use of ancient black magic within modern and historical society. Acting as a primary

inspiration for historical works such as William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the dissertation touches on subjects such as werewolves, vampires, witches, ghosts and demonically empowered humans, presented in three volumes and a pamphlet and quickly becoming a primary resource for the study of the occult and religious philosophy. Seemingly heavily influenced by his personal involvement in the North Berick witch trials of 1590, King James, along with his royally endorsed version of the bible promoted the hunting of witches as well as other undead, giving guidelines and methods of spotting or dealing with such creatures. “The fearefullaboundinge at this time in this countrie, of these detestable slaves of the Devil, the Witches

or enchanters, hath moved me (beloved reader) to dispatch in post, this following treatise of mine (...) to resolve the doubting (...) both that such assaults of Satan are most certainly practised, and that the instrument thereof merits most severely to be punished.” This exploration was used primarily as a justification of the existence of magic, the undead and demons,

seeking to endorse and promote the study of magic as well as the condemnation of those who use it. This altered the mass hysteria associated with the ‘un-educated’ and narrowing their actions down to a

prescribed practice, making the public easier to control and potential witches easier to punish. Combined with ‘A Guide to Grand-Jury Men’ written by Richard Bernard; a comprehensive witch hunting and trial

manual, the masses were converted into a force prepared to face the work of the devil as they viewed it. This Daemonologie consisted of three volumes all exploring different paranormal aspects –

Volume One :

The separation of various magical arts with a direct assessment between Necromancy and witchcraft

An explanation of the finer uses of charms, trinkets, magical circles and conjurations

The dissection of Astrology

The methods and content of contracts made between men and demons

A juxtaposition analysing the miracles of God and the works of the Devil

The common purposes of these practices and how to spot a user of said magic

Volume Two :This volume focuses primarily on the methods in which ‘Satan’ can rule peoples lives and

A strong division between the ‘biblical proof’ and the aspects of the occult imagined or within mythology

An analysis of Sorcery and its comparison with Witchcraft, how to tell a contrast.

The route of a sorcerer's apprenticeship

Hexes, Curses and the separation of power between the Spell casters and their demon power source .

The appearance of various demonic entities; common times and forms which they appear

Methods of transportation and the illusions of Satan

Volume Three : This volume focuses primarily on the classification of demonic and undead creatures, how to spot them, signs of their tampering and how to identify those who have been corrupted.

Spectra: Used to describe spirits that trouble houses or places of habitation such as villages.

Obsession: These specific types of demon and spirit focus primarily on stalking and attacking specific people or groups of people.

Possession: Used to describe the forceful or willing acceptance of a demon into the body of a living creature. This often viewed as an affront to the will of God.

Faries:Used to describe illusionary spirits that are more closely linked to Celtic and Pagan beliefs, ranging from helpful or beautiful elven spirits, to devious and malicious sprites.

This identification of guidelines and methodology linking to spirts, vampires, lycanthropes and witches worked to

rally the church, its community and the law against people believed to be any corruption of the purity of humanity. This dissertation piece proved an interesting development in relation to my work as it developed the aspect of the vampire hunters. This rallying of the general populous, and vampires becoming more than just mythology would work well to create an interesting underworld mental ity to the undead, attempting to do everything, they cannot to arouse the suspicion of the humans. With purer strains of vampirism being able to blend in and adapt, while those of a grotesque nature or physical appearanceare forced to endure the foreboding nature of humanity.

Conclusion

Through the vast amount of research that I’ve partaken in regards to vampires and vampirism throughout the history of Europe and the world, I’m confident in my ability to create a vivid and interesting concept

around these characters. My goal would revolve around taking not just from the collective ‘pop culture’ interpretation of the undead, but injecting a well-needed dose of historical and cultural explanation into the mythos surrounding the creatures.This cultural approach to vampires will fuel not just my vampire protagonists, creating seemingly new and interesting approaches to the classic, over-used trope, but will also form as a vast inspiration for my vampire hunters as well, the unique and exotic vampires requiring new and unusual methods of dispatching. The research undertaken endeavours to justify and solidify my

designs and work creating a bleak world inspired by Victorian gothics as well as the historically accurate vampire and witch menaces of the previous centuries. In conclusion I believe this research has been a useful endeavour in order to not only generate ideas, but to inspire an unusual approach to the often exhausted vampire genre and I look forward to creating work motivated by these finding.

Bibliography and Reference Apps, Amino. "MΩΠSTΣR ΔΠΔLΨSIS:SHTRIGΔ". Movies & TV | aminoapps.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May

2017.

Boughan, Faith. "Fantastical Creatures Of Greco-Roman Mythology: The Vrykolakas | Fantasy-

Faction". Fantasy-faction.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Chupacabra". Virtuescience.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Horrorpediadotcom.files.wordpress.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Orig10.deviantart.net. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Marruda3.files.wordpress.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

S-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

T05.deviantart.net. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Killey, Michael, and View profile. "The Shtriga". Lotsoflore.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity Or Sex Goddess?". Ancient Origins. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

love, WHI. "Girl, Pretty And Black And White Image On We Heart It". We Heart It. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Malicious Myths: The Jiangshi (僵尸)". In The Dark Air. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Penanggalen - Pathfinderwiki". Pathfinderwiki.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Petersen, Niels, Niels Petersen, and View profile. "Vampyres According To An English Gentleman And A German Director". Magiaposthuma.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

profile, View. "Toyol-Like". Ktemoc.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Summers, Montague. The Vampire In Europe. 1st ed. LaVergne, TN: Kessinger, 2011. Print.

"Toyol". The Paranormal Guide. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"What Is An ASWANG?". THE ASWANG PROJECT. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Aswang". Grimm Wiki. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Aswang, A Terrible Philippine Monster.". Read-legends-and-myths.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Boughan, Faith. "Fantastical Creatures Of Greco-Roman Mythology: The Vrykolakas | Fantasy-Faction". Fantasy-faction.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Chupacabra - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.Com". Skepdic.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Conjure, Doc. "Shtriga". Thedemoniacal.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Hill, Alyssa, Alyssa Hill, and View profile. "Shtriga". Mythologylegends.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Hilot Turned To Be The Aswang". Myths.e2bn.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Inanna Arthen, Vyrdolak. "By Light Unseen - Vampires In Media And Culture". Bylightunseen.net. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Jamin, Ben, and Christo Tamarin. "Vampire < Ubyr - Etymology.". WordReference Forums. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Killey, Michael, and View profile. "The Shtriga". Lotsoflore.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Mowat, Diane, and Bram Stoker. Dracula. 1st ed. Oxford [etc.]: Oxford university press, 2008. Print.

"Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Rice, Anne. Interview With The Vampire. 1st ed. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 2014. Print.

Science, Live. "Chupacabra: Facts About The Mysterious Vampire Beast". Live Science. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"The History Of El Chupacabra". Animal Planet. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"The History Of The Word "Vampire" On JSTOR". Jstor.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"The Vrykolakas-A Greek Vampire Legend". Author Lyn Gibson. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Umbarger, Lord, GIDEON MAGE, and Michael Jackson. "Shtriga". Unexplained Mysteries Discussion Forums. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Vampire - New World Encyclopedia". Newworldencyclopedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

"Vrykolakas The Greek Vampire". Unmyst3.blogspot.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.