Vampire Hints & Help

Birth of a Vampire

According to legend, the victims of a vampire either dies or becomes a vampire. Vampires could also be made in a variety of ways: a child born under certain omens, a cat or other animal jumping over a dead body, someone who committed suicide, and practising witchcraft are some activities thought to be the cause of vampirism. Even inanimate objects and animals were thought to be able to become vampires: pumpkins, watermelons and other fruit that was left out past a certain amount of time, latches that were left unlatched too long, dogs, horses, sheep and snakes are among the objects with vampiric potential.

Vampires were thought to be able to take the form of a bat as well as a mist. They were able to control creatures like rats and wolves, and the elements were at their command. Some kinds of vampires were thought to be endowed with the ability to fly. Most all vampires of legend slept either in coffins, or returned to the earth to sleep in their grave. Vampires were supposed to need to return to the earth from their homeland each night, could not cross running water, could not see their reflection in a mirror, could not enter a place uninvited, and could not tolerate the symbol of the Christian crucifix.

In Christian countries the crucifix was considered a powerful way protect yourself from a vampire. Garlic is the most popular vampire repellent. Another defense is to scatter seeds Vampires become so involved in counting every single seed that they would either lose interest, or be caught counting even as the sun came up. Silver is not the protective metal that we were lead to believe. Iron is the material of choice. Superstition says that iron shavings should be placed beneath a child's cradle. A necklace with an iron nail and other iron objects placed strategically around the place needing protection should scare off any Vampire.

If you forget any of your protection devices there are a few ways to rid yourself of an unwanted Vampire. A vampire may be destroyed by cremation, cutting off its head, exposing it to sunlight or by driving a stake through its heart. Other superstitions told that a vampire can be destroyed by touching it with a crucifix, drenching it in holy water and garlic, stealing his left sock, filling it with stones and throwing it in a river, or using a "dhampir", or a vampire's child. Dhampirs were allegedly the only people who were able to see invisible vampires, and they often took advantage of this by hiring out their services as vampire hunters.