Written by Silas Lucas
Edited by T Canchola
Vampires: a powerhouse and conglomeration of symbolism, metaphors, history, and superstition. What vampires are and how they are viewed in society have changed unfathomably over the centuries. As we know them now, they are viewed as sensual, sexual, and “terrifying”.
As of before, all the way back to the 13th century (1200’s) in Northwest Poland, vampires were a thing that were fueled by bizarre credulity, fear, and extreme religious beliefs. This is where we discover what we call “Vampire Burials.”
The stories of Vampires start in the mythos of Pagan beliefs, with what are known to us now as ‘Revenants.’
“These haunting burials highlight a fear of something that long predates the vampire– something that our modern world has mostly forgotten.” -Milo Rossi, environmental scientist and archeologist, graduate of University of Maine, via Vampire Burials.
Revenants were called this because of what they were– to Pagan’s, they were spirits (or animated corpses) that had returned to the land of the living after their death or a long absence.
This superstition started around the 6th or 7th century A.D. before the practices and rituals had been adapted (stolen) by Christianity and then edited and changed to fit the mythos of their own religion– which is when the idea of the vampire, as we know it today, began to emerge.
In the process of Christianity absorbing various Pagan beliefs into their own religion, multiple notions started to surface into the case of what would make one person a perceived vampire after their death.
What Made You a Vampire?
Died a violent death.
Not from around those parts.
Your body was moved after burial.
Your funeral rites and rituals did not meet the local standard.
An Odd Looking Fellow.
Dying at a significant time in your life.
Unbaptized.
First to die in an epidemic OR natural disaster.
Gave people nightmares after you had died.
Shroud near your mouth decomposed too fast.
If you were a criminal or a murderer.
A family member had gotten sick after your death.
Because of how big the vampire hysteria was in eastern Europe and how it was only getting fueled by their religion, the burials of people who had been suspected of being a vampire started to arise. Some of them were brutal, others were simple– it really was dependent on your area's beliefs on what to do in relation to it.
In some places, there were burials that had the bodies put into the ground with a heavy stone brick shoved in their mouth, burials where there were sickles either placed against the throat of the person, or directly over the middle of their body. The purpose of that was to make it so if they tried to arise, they would either be decapitated or cut in half.
Other areas would put coins in the mouths of the deceased, as well as drop boulders on the legs of the body. People would also nail the corpses to the ground, place the bodies face down, and decapitate the bodies and then place their heads between their legs.
And now, you can live your life forever knowing what proper vampire etiquette is. Remember now, guys– if you see someone suspected of being a vampire, just shove a stone or coin in their mouth, and all will be well.
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