Vampire folklore by regionLegends of vampires have existed for millennia; cultures such as the Mesopotamians, Hebrews, ancient Greeks, and Romans had tales of demonic entities and blood-drinking spirits which are considered precursors to modern vampires.VrykolakasA vrykolakas (Greek: βρυκόλακας or βρικόλακας, pronounced ) is a harmful undead creature in Greek folklore. Similar terms such as vourkolakas (βουρκόλακας), vourvoulakas (βουρβούλακας), vorvolakas (βορβόλακας), vourvolakas (βουρβόλακας), and vourdoulakas (βουρδούλακας) were also used for the creature.
UndeadThe undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if they were alive. A common example of an undead being is a corpse reanimated by supernatural forces, by the application of either the deceased's own life force or that of a supernatural being (such as a demon, or other evil spirit). The undead may be incorporeal (ghosts) or corporeal (mummies, vampires, skeletons, and zombies).ShtrigaA shtriga (Albanian: shtrigë) is a vampiricwitch in Albanian mythology and folklore that sucks the blood of infants at night while they sleep, and then transform themselves into a flying insect (traditionally a moth, fly or bee). Only the shtriga herself could cure those she had drained. The shtriga is often pictured as a woman with a hateful stare (sometimes wearing a cape) and a horribly disfigured face.
BloodBlood is a specialized form of connective tissue and body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells of the body, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is composed of blood cells suspended in plasma. Plasma, which constitutes 55% of blood fluid, is mostly water (92% by volume), and contains proteins, glucose, mineral ions, and hormones.
European folkloreEuropean folklore or Western folklore refers to the folklore of the Western world, especially when discussed comparatively. The history of Christendom during the Early Modern period has resulted in a number of traditions that are shared in many European ethnic and regional cultures.
Eastern EuropeDigital rendering of Europe focused over the continent's eastern portionTraditional cultural borders of Europe: usage recommendation by the Standing Committee on Geographical Names, GermanyEastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations.
VitalismVitalism is an idea that living organisms are differentiated from the non-living by the presence of forces, properties or powers including those which may not be physical or chemical. Varied forms of vitalist theories were held in former times and they are now considered pseudoscientific concepts.
ShroudA shroud is an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects some other object. The term is most often used in reference to burial sheets, mound shroud, grave clothes, winding-cloths or winding-sheets, such as the Jewish tachrichim or Muslim kaffan, that the body is wrapped in for burial. A famous example of this is the Shroud of Turin.
Corpse decompositionDecomposition is the process in which the organs and complex molecules of animal and human bodies break down into simple organic matter over time. In vertebrates, five stages of decomposition are typically recognized: fresh, bloat, active decay, advanced decay, and dry/skeletonized. Knowing the different stages of decomposition can help investigators in determining the post-mortem interval (PMI).
Legendary creatureA legendary creature is a type of supernatural entity that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), and may be featured in historical accounts before modernity, but has not been scientifically shown to exist. In the classical era, monstrous creatures such as the Cyclops and the Minotaur appear in heroic tales for the protagonist to destroy. Other creatures, such as the unicorn, were claimed in accounts of natural history by various scholars of antiquity.
Albanian paganismAlbanian paganism comprises the pre-Christian customs, beliefs, rituals, myths and legends of the Albanian people. The oldest stratum of Albanian mythology is of ancient Paleo-Balkanic origin.
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