We love vampires, and we love trivia. So we put those two loves together today and celebrate the creatures of the night that have inspired so much of the literature we love.
Did you know? The word “vampire” wasn’t in the English language until 1734. But vampire myths have been around since 4,000 BC, in Mesopotamia.
Did you know? The word “vampire” wasn’t in the English language until 1734. But vampire myths have been around since 4,000 BC, in Mesopotamia.
Did you know? The word “vampire” wasn’t in the English language until 1734. But vampire myths have been around since 4,000 BC, in Mesopotamia.
Every culture seems to have some variation of the vampire myth.
For the Ancient Babylonians, they were known as Lilitu, daughters of Adam’s first wife, Lilith. In many stories, Lilith was banished from the Garden of Eden after she refused to be subordinate to Adam, and became the queen of demons.
Older than Lilith is Lamashtu, the “Daughter of Heaven.” A terrifying creature with a lion’s head and the body of a donkey. Wouldn’t want to walk into a dark alley with her!
According to Slavic folklore, if you keep melons or pumpkins in your home for too long, you’re in for a nasty surprise. Melons and pumpkins turn into vampires, and start making strange noises and show blood.
In the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia, you’ll find tales of blood-sucking self-segmenters. The Penanggalan of Malaysia takes off her head, which flies around at night to feed on the blood of pregnant women.
In Ireland and Scotland, fairy spirits can have vampiric tendencies. The Baobhan sith are said to wander the Scottish Highlands. And the Irish Dearg-due is an alluring woman that wanders graveyards and seduces her victims.
The Romanians knew of at least three vampires: the moroi, the strigoi, and the pricolici. The strigoi were witches that sucked on the blood of livestock and their neighbors. The moroi were the undead, who died after being drained of blood by another vampire. And the pricolici were a werewolf/vampire hybrid. Turns out Underworld didn’t make this up!