Jure Grando the First Vampire

According to history, Jure Grando from Istria was believed to be the first actual person to become a vampire.  He was a peasant in a small town in the interior of the Peninsula of Istria, a place near Antignana, Croatia.  Jure Grando died in 1656, but legend said he came back to life years after to spread terror and fear around the village.  The local priest attested to the bizarre incident that happened in their town.  He said that someone would knock on the doors of their house during the night, and on that house, someone would eventually die.

 

Is Jure Grando the First Vampire?

 

His wife also said that Jure appeared inside their bedroom looking at her smiling and short of breath; Jure Grando will sexually assault her after.  Father Giorgio claimed that he came face to face with the vampire. He held a crucifix in front of him and screamed 

 

"Behold Jesus Christ, you vampire! Stop tormenting us!" 

 

He said that a tear fell from the eyes of the vampire during that incident.

 

The Killing of the First Vampire

 

A man named Miho Radetić chased and tried to kill the undead by piercing his heart, but he failed since the stake bounced off the vampire's chest.  Nights after, nine people went on a hunt.  They brought sticks, lamps, and crosses and went straight to the graveyard to dig up the grave of Jure Grando.  They were surprised to see a perfectly preserved corpse of Jure with a smile on his face.  Father Giorgio uttered a prayer and tried to remove the vampiric manifestation.  They tried to pierce his chest once more, but the stake could not penetrate the flesh of the corpse.

 

After performing an exorcism, Stipan Milašić took a saw to dismember the head of Jure Grando.  As soon as they started sawing the head off its body, the accused vampire screamed, and fresh blood started flowing out of the wound.  Moments after, the whole graveyard was drenched in blood.  Peace returned to the village soon after they decapitated the body of Jure.

 

 

The Legacy of Jure

 

These accounts can be found on The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, written by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor.  He was also mentioned on La mystique Divina, Naturelle, et Diabolique, but some said that the story about Jure is a bit sensationalized. Today, the people of Kringa have fully embraced the story of the first vampire. Vampire-themed establishments have become standard in the area and are a significant tourist drawer. Interestingly, the strigun or strigoi story of Jure Grando has been documented and analyzed by the experts at the University of Zagreb.