5.Vampires: Reality or Myth?

Vampires: Reality or Myth?

You might have heard the word Vampire. We all are very aware of it. In modern era we have variety of literature, movies and information available about the Vampires. But we all have such confusions about what Vampires are? Are they reality or any myth? We all have seen Vampires as a character in novels, TV series or in movies. But what are they exactly & how they came from? Such questions always amaze me.

Everyone knows Vampire is a creature who feeds on human, sucks human blood, immortal creature. They have certain super powers like speed, senses of hearing and immortality. They can fly also.  But do you from where the word vampire comes from? What is the real history behind Vampires?The word Vampire came existence in early 17^th century. In different cultures it was pronounced as different names like Vmpyre, Vampir, upyr, upir, wampir etc.

Exactly no one knows the origin of the word Vampire. But according to Oxford dictionary, the term comes from the Hungarian word Vampir. The Indo-European languages have adopted the word from Turkic term Uper or Upyr which means witch. On the contrary some research has mentioned that the English word is derived from the French word Vampyre & German word Vampir.

It is difficult task to make a single description on the folklore Vampire. There have been different appearances about vampires but still every culture describes some similarities. The most common characteristic has described is drinking human blood. They have fangs through which they are feed on humans. They are cold. They are faster in speed. Their emotions and senses of hearing is heightened than any normal human being.

In Russian folklore the belief was, the people who were against Russian Church while they were alive. After their death they were cursed as a Vampire. In ancient Greek culture it was myth to place some objects such as axe or sickles. It was done to prevent the body from demons and spirits. The intension of placing things to prevent the body from becoming a Vampire. If certain procedure was not followed, then it was belief that the body would arise from the death as a vampire & with the evil soul inside the body.

In European folklore, the methods were used to prevent the body from becoming a vampire was quite amusing. They were placing seeds or sand at the grave. This was intended to keep the Vampire occupied in counting the fallen grains all the night. In Chinese folklore they were doing the similar things like placing the rise near the grave to busy the Vampire.

In good old days people were using different methods to identify the Vampire. They were performing some rituals. For performing that rituals, the requirements were, the virgin boy and the horse. Mostly the black horses were used to perform this ritual. They were examining the whole cemetery or the graveyard. If they suspected any holes nearby any grave, then it was taken as a sign of Vampirism.

People were using different things to protect themselves & to ward off from Vampires. The most common things were the Christ’s cross, the holy water from the church and the garlic. The wild rose and some seeds were also potent enough. These all were considered as the weakness of the vampire. If a Vampire makes physical contact with it. It will burn them. Another thing mentioned was the mirror. Thy don’t have the reflection. So people were placing the mirror in front of the front door to identify the Vampire.

In European culture, people were sprinkling mustard seeds on the roof so that the vampire cannot enter in the house. It is also belief that vampires cannot enter in the consecrated place like church. The myth is Vampire can’t enter in the house without the permission of the owner. The owner also has right to rescind the invitation anytime. Some traditions also hold that the vampires are creatures of night. So, they were vulnerable to the direct sunlight.

To destruct the Vampire people were using woods and the silver and directly staked through the heart. Though there are different beliefs.  But most often people staked through heart or the head. Furthermore, pouring boiling water over the grave also used to kill them. The most famous was to burn them. Any sharp object penetrated through their body will able to kill the Vampire.

All the things mentioned above is the beliefs of different folks and myths related to Vampires. There is no scientific proof of these things or the creature like Vampire. Though science has mentioned about some people who was suffering from such kind of disease in which they were feeling the bloodlust. In present we only have heard and seen Vampires only on television or in books. It’s a pure fiction.

If you believe in the concept of God & evil, hell and heaven, ghosts and spirits then may be it is possible Vampires were reality or are reality. Otherwise it’s just a fictional entity with zero reality.

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