Thaye and Tasei

The country of Myanmar has a little culture when it comes to vampires and the undead.  One reason could be the major religion in the said area.  Buddhism has a tradition of cremating the body of the deceased that is why a corpse returning to the walking life would be impossible.  On the other hand Myanmar has a rich tradition of ghost and phantoms.

Thaye and Tasei is a ghost of those people who have lived a life of sin.   They will remain on that state until they were able to fulfill their duty.  And as the tradition of Buddhism their soul will be reincarnated after.

While in the form of a ghost, they could take a visible appearance but they would appear demonic.  They have a prevalent darker features and a bit taller than the norms with huge ears and protruding canine teeth that resembles the tusk of a boar.

They usually reside on the cemetery or villages where they could feed on corpse or sometimes assault the living.  Unlike some vampire who would take the appearance of a real human to lure victims, the Thaye and Thasei need to take the appearance of the vampire in order to feed on the corpse of the cemetery or attack the living on the village where they live.

Though they were not entirely held responsible for the death of an individual, Thaye and Thasei are known to cause minimal harm and also illness.

One can protect themselves from the presence of this vampire-like creature by an amulet called lehpwe.  The lephwe contains the image of an elephant drawn using the alphabet of Myanmar.  Sometimes when the presence of the Thaye and Thasei is so severe, a special type of ritual is performed to drive away the evil spirit.

Werewolves of Livonia

Livonia Werewolves is a case of a mass hysteria that happened in Europe during the Medieval Inquisition.  The Livonia has a strong belief with werewolves.  1600 is also the peak of the Medieval Inquisition where random of people suspected to be performing witchcraft was brought to trial.  Around 31 people were brought in front of the court due to damaging properties while reportedly taking the form of a wolf.

Based on Livonian lore and legends, the werewolves marched after the Christmas day and for 12 days they will continue to take the form of a wolf.  Hey believe that their human persona is in some kind of a trance and their werewolves form was forced by the devils to terrorize the land.

The event was documented by Casper Peucer in his work entitled Commentarius de Praecipibus Divinationum Generibus

“At Christmas a boy lame of a leg goes round the countryside
summoning the Devil’s followers, who are countless,to a general conclave. Whoever remains behind, or goesreluctantly, is scourged by another with an iron whip tillthe blood flows, and his traces are left in blood. Thehuman form vanishes, and the whole multitude becomewolves. Many thousands assemble. Foremost goes theleader armed with an iron whip, and the troop follow,firmly convinced in their imagination that they are transformedinto wolves. They fall upon herds of cattle andflocks of sheep, but they have no power to slay me. Whenthey come to a river, the leader smites the water with hisscourge and it divides, leaving a dry path through themidst, by which the pack go. The transformation laststwelve days, at the expiration of which period the wolfskin vanishes, and the human form reappears.”

The recorded dividing of the water was said to be the devil’s form to mock the parting of the Red Sea.  There is also this case described by Olaus Magnus where one of the servants of a well known family in Livonia turned into a wolf.  The dogs of the family ran after the wolf and managed to pluck one of his eyes.  The next day, the servant returned in human form with a missing eye.

Kythnos Vampire

Kythnos vampire is a case of an immortal creature that terrorized the little town of Kythnos in Greece.  Most of the suspected vampires in the island of Kythnos were apparently destroyed due to the vigilance of the people in the area.  They would perform traditional methods of vampire exorcism and the undead attack would cease.  But one of them remained; Andilaveris is known to be a creature who continued to torment the island up to these days.

Andilaveris would love to bother people.  He would walk during the night in the streets of Messaria and would consume great amount of food and break plates and glasses.  This creature is not really a threat to the villagers’ safety but more of an annoyance.  But nonetheless this creature has caused this disturbance that people in the villages refused to leave their house during the night, afraid that they might encounter the Andilaveris.

He also loves to climb the roof of the church and piss on anyone that would pass below.  Andilaveris was said to be a vyrkolakas (a Greek vampire).  He was placed on his grave on Friday as a tradition of the region.  While he was inside his grave and sleeping, the priest ordered the people to place his casket on the river and let the waves carry him to a deserted island (Daskaleio).  They believe that by doing this measure, the vyrkolakas could no longer bother them since they do not have the ability to cross water.

The story about Andilaveris remained strong up to the 19th Century.

Christie-Cleek

Christtie-Cleek whose real name was Andrew Christie was a legendary cannibal.  During a famine that apparently happened on the 14th century, Christie allegedly joined a group of scavengers. When one of their members died, Christie would put his skills into good use and will provide his colleague with a delicious meal.

Eventually, the group developed the taste for the human meat under the guidance of Christie.  They were no longer just satisfied on the meat of their dead companion; they started ambushing travelers that passes the foothills of Grampians.  The group started eating travelers and their horses.  Christie was believed to claim the life of at least 30 riders.

After sometime, the group of cannibals was defeated by an Army from Perth.  Christie was able to escape that attack and was able to enter the community under a different identity.

Cheviot’s Proverb share some account about Christie:

They resorted to cannibalism at the instigation of their leader, Andrew Christie, a Perth butcher. This monster lay in wait for passing horsemen, and dragged them from the saddle with a large iron hook fixed to a long pole, hence his nickname. It is said Christiecleek died many years after, a married man and prosperous merchant in Dumfries. For centuries the mere mention of the word Christiecleek was sufficient to silence the noisiest child.

The story of Christie-Cleek was often associated to Sawney Bean.  While Sawney Bean proved to exceed his counterpart when it comes to notoriety, Christie-Cleek was said to be the older between the two.  The tale of Christie-Cleek allegedly happened on the mid-14th Century while the family of Bean would not appear until 18th Century.  Andrew of Wyntoun’s referred to the cannibal as “Chwsten Cleek” who during the extreme famine would set up traps for children and women, “And swains that he might over-ta;/ And ate them all that he get migh”.

In a report in Holinshed’s Chronicle, an entry for 1341 states:

In the same year (as some do write) or (according unto other) in the year following, there was such a miserable death, both through England and Scotland, that the people were driven to eat the flesh of horses, dogs, cats, and such like unused kinds of meats, to sustain their languishing lives with all, yea, in so much that (as is said) there was a Scottish man, an uplandish fellow named Tristicloke, spared not to steal children, and to kill women, on whose flesh he fed, as if he had been a wolf.

Walton Cemetery

In 1990, a group of archaeologist stumbled upon 29 graves due to the mistake of an old map.  Apparently the cemetery is owned by the Walton Family.  At first the group discovered 2 skulls on the abandoned graveyard.  But upon further investigations, it turned out there was a total of 29 forgotten graves that was in the area.

The Walton family moved from Boston to Griswold, Connecticut during the 1690 in aim to start a farming business.  The cemetery is only a piece of a vast land; it measures at around 50-60 ft.  The place was believed to be active up to 1800’s until the family decided to move to Ohio.  The cemetery was continuously used by another family until they abandoned the place.

But the discovery also revealed a piece of a history of the place.  The children that were buried show some sign of chicken pox and small pox.  A little is known about this type of disease back then.  Another skeleton was believed to die due to tuberculosis.  His coffin has a marking of “JB-55”.  Experts believed that the term JB-55 would be the initials of his name and his age of death.  He was believed to be buried at around 1800-1840, but there are also signs that the remains were unearthed years after its death.

Accounts said that after the death of JB-55, several other members also contracted the disease which prompted them that they needed to excavate the grave of JB-55.  But compared to the other where there is no sign of decomposition or some flesh is still visible, JB-55 is fully decomposed.  Since the liver and the heart of JB are no longer present, they decided to just rearrange the bones of JB in the traditional method of repelling vampire manifestation.  Both the femurs of the skeleton were broken and placed in the abdomen in a “skull and crossbones” style.

Vodyanik

Vodyanik is a vampire creature that lurks in the water.  It is the male counterpart of Rosalka that is a part of the Slavic folklores.  The name “Vodyanik” literally translates to water grandfather which generally described the place he lives in and his appearance.  The creature is said to resemble the appearance of an old man but with a green beard and his round cheeks and belly are colored red.

Vodyanik is also a bald creature that completed its look of an old man but he is usually seen wearing an old woven pointed hat and its belt is made out of rushes.  The creature also wears something with a touch of green.

Vodyanik are highly unpredictable and territorial.  It would let anyone play on the water that he resides during the day.  People are free to utilize the water as long as it is still not midnight.  If he found out that someone broke the rules and went to his water at night, the creature will pull him down and drown him.  After the victim dies, the vodyanik would drain the blood out of the corpse. 

Surprisingly, the vodyanik is said to have some soft spot for the fishermen.  It will constantly assume the image of a salmon and guide the school of fish into their nets.  The vampiric creature also warns them about the impending storm.

Vodyanik also assume the appearance of a handsome young man and lures beautiful women.  It will even take the form of someone she knew and when she gets into the water, the creature would pull the woman under the water and drown her.  Again he would suck the blood out of her when she died.  The only way to tell a vampire being from a human is that the left side of the vampire is always wet.

Vodyanik would appear to be invincible while it is in the water but once it leaves the water, the power of the creature greatly diminishes.  The vampiric being can often be seen in a river rock brushing his long green beard.  It would leave the water every night to guide his sea cows and sea sheep into the land so they may feed.

A vodyanik also tends to marry a beautiful woman every now and then.  He will choose a bride from those women that he drowned or those women who have been disinherited by their parents.  During the time of the labor of his wife, the vampire would venture into the town and seek the help of a midwife.  The vampire creature is ready to pay a lump sum amount of gold ensuring that the midwife would do a good job.  The offspring of vodyanik were depicted as tall but with pale skin.  They were also gifted with a beautiful singing voice and often hang out on the branches of the trees singing.

Bhuta

Bhuta is a vampire creature from the legend of India.  Bhuta which means “bad nature spirit” is born when a person who has a physical deformity dies.  People who also die prior to their proper time like those who committed suicide is also said to transform into this vampire spirit.

Bhuta appeared like a shadow and has the ability to take over a corpse.  Once a bhuta managed to possess a corpse; it can now spread sickness and death.  It also has the ability to take the form of other animals such as owl and a bat.

Bhuta unlike other vampire creatures has some similarities to a ghoul; they tend to feed on a lifeless body.   But they are also known to crave for milk from time to time.  When that happens, a bhuta would devour an infant who just ingested fresh milk.

This creature can usually be found lurking in the cemeteries or graveyards where he could feed on corpses.  But in some instances, it can also be seen in a place where he has a strong connection when he was still alive.  For example, if the body that the bhuta possessed is used to be an alcoholic person, the bhuta would be often spotted in bars.

It is easy to distinguish whether a bhuta is present in the area; they said that the strong essence of bhuta permeates the skin that would make every person uneasy.  Even animals that smell it tends to stay away from that area.

In India, it is believed that celebrating a Mecaru Ceremony every 15 days will prevent the bhuta from attacking anyone.  Eventually, the creature would find at peace with its environment.  This creature is also considered as a companion of Shiva.  It has a low tolerance to the smell of burning turmeric, they said that if a bhuta is exposed with this type of smell for so long it will eventually dissipate.

In regions where there is a strong belief in Bhuta, a small shrine called bhandara can be found where sacrifices were left for the creature.

Cambion

There were numerous Incubus attacks reported over the century.  There was also a time when it was believe that if a person has a sexual intercourse with a demon, whether he/she likes it or not, they are bound to have an offspring.  The fruit of that attack is called the Cambion.

Cambion would develop as a normal kid but those who were born with physical deformities are suspected of being a cambion.  Twins are also said to be a half breed between demon and human.  A cambion cannot be killed until it became 7 years old.  By that time it was fairly acceptable for a hunter to kill the child.

A cambion can be identified when a holy man touches it.  If a child is a cambion, it would cry as if it is experiencing an excruciating pain.  Those who survive and become an adult were often judged because people believed they have demon blood running through their veins.

A cambion who reach its maturity is said to be dense and heavier than it looks.  He also have the talent of casting spells and magic thus most of the sorcerers were believed to be a cambion.  They also have well toned muscle and exhibit an arrogant behavior.

Merlin is believed to be a cambion.  His mother is a nun and his father is an incubus. Remus and Remulus the twin who founded the Rome was said to be a cambion.  Plato, Alexander the Great, Martin Luther, Caesar Augustus, Scipio Africanus was all suspected of being a cambion.

In the year 1275, a girl named Angela de Labarthe living in Toulouse was burned to a stake after allegedly giving birth to a child with the head of the wolf and has a tail of a snake.  People were scared and claimed that only a demon can be the father of that kid and Angela had a relationship with a demon.

Vampire killers

April 2007, three people had been arrested by the local police of Guyana for the charges killing a suspected vampire.  It was morning when the victim decided to wander around the village of Bare Root.  The three suspects called her attention and they immediately suspected that the lady is not a human.  During that time, one of the members of the villagers noticed a red spot on the chest area of her child which they believe could indicate an “Old Higue” came to visit her child and feed on his blood.  An Old Higue is a phantom of the vampire that has the ability to transform into a fire.

Some residents helped in trapping the suspected undead by circling her with a rice.  They threw kerosene at her and attempted to burn her; but apparently, she didn’t ignite which for the villagers is a clear sign that she’s not a human.  Others claimed that the girl transformed into a hair ball when the people surrounded her.

The villagers performed other traditional method of driving away bad spirits, they asked her where she came from and the lady replied “Non Pariel”.  When the sun rises, which the local believe is also the time that the Old Higue would transform into her original form, the lady stood straight.  The villagers noticed that her dress is exposing some of her body parts and that she’s not wearing any underwear.  The people surrounding her started to hit her until she went down, someone also inserted something on her.  After some time, they left her lying on the ground where she eventually died.

The police picked up the dead body on the road and transported it to the funeral home.  One of the witnesses said that she did not approve the way they treated the lady and that she might be mentally ill which makes her an easy-target for those people who has a strong belief on superstition.

After a thorough investigation, the lady named Radika Singh turned out to be a psychiatric patient who ran away from her family.  Three people were arrested for the murder of the lady.  Accounts of the mentally disabled lady were documented by Guyana Chronicles.

Lord of Hermitage Castle, Lord Soulis

Lord Soulis is believed to be a vampiric witch lurking on the Hermitage Castle found in Roxboroughshire, England.  People said that he made a pact with the devil on the 14th Century.  He was said to be a large man that is often seen with his companion he called Robin Redcap, a blood drinking imp.

He is known to be corrupt and took advantage of his power as the Lord of the land.  He would constantly inflict pain and humiliate people tormenting them from day to day.  He is also held responsible for kidnapping men and women and for torturing them inside the walls of his castle to aid him in his magical rituals.  The victims were allegedly drained of blood and their bodies were used as a sacrifice for his dark practices.

His familiar which is the Red Robincap grant him the ability to withstand any attack of steel or rope.  The legend of his exploit reach the King and they decided to conduct an investigation.  Lord Soulis was found guilty of conspiracy against Robert Bruce.  He spent the rest of his life inside the Dumbarton Castle.  When he died people thought that the phantom of the lord is still accompanied by his loyal familiar.

An 18th century ballad dedicated to Lord Soulis, but the accounts were different from what really happened.  It states that the Lord has been overrun by the villagers and was dragged to the Druid’s Circle where he met his end.  The song said that the lord has been boiled by the people with lead. The lead encased his body and he was wrapped with a body sheet.  He was then buried to a secret location hoping that no one would be able to discover the evil man.

Tase

Tase are from the Burmese lore who are the benevolent spirit of a dead man or women who is considered a vampire and a plague carrier.  There are believed to be three classifications of Tase; the Thabet Thase, Thaye Tase and Hminza Tase.

The Thabet Tase is the unrest spirit of women who apparently died while giving birth.  They would come back to haunt the living in the form of a succubi.  This creature normally appears during the twilight near the house of his targeted victims which are commonly males.

The Thaye Tase are horrendous looking giant creatures that can often be seen during an outbreak of a disease particularly cholera and smallpox.  They are said to be the souls of those who died from a violent death.  This particular vampire takes the delight in lying down beside the bed of a dying person while laughing over the agony of their victim.

The Hminza Tase on the other hand is a name for a group of lesser demonic creatures.  They can possess the bodies of animals such as dogs, crocodiles and tigers.  They usually haunt the place where they dwell when they were still alive.  They seek vengeance to those people who are the cause of their miserable life.

Traditionally, the Burmese takes an amount of precaution in ensuring that this creature will never come back again to haunt them.  The Burmese would not erect a gravestone in hopes that the Tase would forget his name and his past.  People also tried to appease the vengeful spirit of the Tase by offering sacrifices, a death dance or by holding festivals.  In case that a Tase appeared on your house, creating loud noises is said to drive away the evil spirit.

Redcap, the Bloody Vampire

The redcap, who is a part of the folklore of Ireland, is not entirely a vampire but more inclined on the goblins. But like the vampire, the redcap satiates its thirst by drinking human blood.  The redcap is believed to be sickly and thin with a tough outer skin layer.  He has a short hair and carries a deadly weapon which is usually a scythe.   He will instantly attack any person who mistakenly invades the location that he decided to guard.   

The redcap is a term used to describe the cap he is wearing.  This cap is made out of human flesh and painted with human blood.  And despite of his lanky appearance and heavy armaments, the redcap is quick and nimble especially when he attacks.  It is said that there is no way to escape his brutal attack when you came face to face with a redcap.  You cannot outrun a Redcap because of its speed.

The Redcap needs to continuously hunt for human flesh in order to survive.  While killing his victim, his hat will be stained by its blood, maintaining its reddish appearance.  Legends said that they usually killed those people who ran away from their home.  They will push those giant boulders on top of the hill and right to their target.  The attack will create a giant pool of blood where the redcap can dip his hat.

They said that the only way you can escape him is to be familiar with the place.  If you know a hiding place that the redcap is not aware of, then maybe there is a chance for you to survive.  But since the redcap is a dweller of that area, chances are, it is already aware of your hiding place.

Redcap usually resides on the old castle ruins.  They said that these creatures are determined to guard the castle with their life.

The Incident of a Vampire Chair

Located along the Mountains of East Tennessee is a town called Canter County, where the Odom brothers (Eli and Jacob) were famous for their chairs.  They have been particularly busy during the year 1806-1840.  Hundred of their creations have been sold to different state all over the country.

But they were about to become more popular as one of their woven seat chairs has come into possession of a self proclaimed witch.  The witch dwells in a cabin located at Charleston near the Hiwasee River.  There are no accounts about her exploits of being a vampire.  She also has no criminal records of attacking anyone.  But on the year 1917, during a road widening project, a body was found near the place where she supposedly reside, police said that the body belongs to the self professed vampire.  Her body was found face down and starting to enter the phase of decomposition due to the wet ground.

The self-proclaimed vampire has been stake to the heart.  The stake that was drill into her heart was the bottom leg support of a chair similar to the chair that was created by the Odom Brothers.  Locals believed that the chair has been looted from her cabin.  The culprit repaired it and took it back to his home.

The attack of the vampire chair, started to circulate shortly after the discovery of the dead body.  Reports said that anyone who sat down to the chair would be bounded by an unseen force and would start to scratch the person’s arms.  After a short period of time, the scratch would start to bleed and the attack would not cease until a single drop of blood drop on the ground.

They said that the chair looks exactly like any other chairs in the community and it’s too late before you know that it is the vampire chair.  They believe that the chair still exist up to this day since no one is willing to destroy the chair in fear of making the matter worse.  There were reports that the chair is currently on the campus of Tusulum College.

Jé-rouges

Loup garou are not the only feared werewolf creatures in Haiti.  They also believe in the spirit of Je-rouges which means red eyes.  These spirits can possess an individual and turn him into a fearsome werewolf.  The creature is said to attack during night time to those unsuspecting people.  They would then turn the man into a cannibal creature without them knowing it.

In one legend, the beast had to ask for the permission of the Mother before they can feast on the children.  These Je-rouges are said to trick the Haitian Mother in giving away their children.  The Je-rouges would allegedly enter the house; he would then walk inside the room of the Mother and wake her up.  The creature would then ask the mother if she can take her child away, and because the mother is still in the disoriented state, there is a possibility that he might say yes to the Je-rouges.  This creature was often blamed for the missing kids during the night.  It has also been a way to scare children who were trying to leave the village at night.

Je-rouges are different from the European werewolves in a manner of how they spread their curse.  Unlike European werewolves who made pact with the devil and use ointment to shape shift in a form of a wolf, the Je rouges are believed to transfer their curse by injecting it to their victims with their sharp fangs.

The Je-rouges are said to be the influence of the French to the Haitian.  It is said to suck the blood of the children and then devour them.

Gaki

Gaki is the spirit of a greedy person who died in Japan.  It is known to be a very persistent vampiric spirit.  Those greedy people were forced to go back to the earth and wander around with an insatiable thirst for blood.

Gaki is depicted as a hollow creature with pale skin and a cold body.  Its neck is said to be narrow but their stomach is big enough that it could contain any amount of blood.  Though they can assume the form of a mist, these creatures would prefer to attack people in their physical form.  They would shape shift in a form of an animal.  Their animal form is said to be a humanoid with red skin and a horn.

They do not need to have a physical contact with their victim in order to drain blood from them.  Being in the presence of a Gaki is enough for it to feed on your blood.  Once the gaki attack its prey, they would fall into a feeding fiasco.

It is said to be invulnerable when it is in his mist form unless attack by a weapon blessed spiritually and design to attack ghastly creatures, those weapon can inflict damage to the gaki but it would not entirely destroy it.  The best way to destroy a gaki is while it is in human form while it is feeding a victim.  A gaki is so fixated in devouring his victim that it would not notice your move.

There are several types of gaki; they were classified by their diet.  The most dangerous gaki are known to consume human flesh and blood and suck on the victim’s soul.  There were also gaki that feed on the thought of their victim.  Some gaki feed on the tattoos, others are known to be less dangerous and live on the monasteries.

Jinkenmen, Human faced dog

Jinkenmen which means human faced dog was a part of the Japanese lore.  But there have been a number of sightings reported on the creature during 1603-1808.  There was also a story that a Jinkenmen was at display at misemono.  Misemono is a type of a carnival show during the Edo era.  The sideshows usually consist of carcasses and remain of the exotic animal and were mounted on exhibit.

While the mummified corpse of the Jinkenmen were said to be on display on that carnival, there were also accounts saying that a live jinkenmen was shown.  Though it is not clear if the carnival displayed a real dog or a Jinkenmen on the show, the fact remains that there are a lot of accounts claiming that they witnessed the human faced dog.

One of those accounts includes the experience of a zoologist who visited the place. The zoologist was astonished on the specimen that he witnessed.  He said:

“There cowering and whimpering in the corner of the display booth I saw the hunched over form of what I first took to be a typical shiba inu, although of a somewhat more pungent odor. Then the thing looked up with sad eyes and I could see clearly that it was the face of a human being, albeit with the empty, soulless gaze of an animal. I immediately assumed trickery upon seeing such an aberration, yet if one had forged such a horrific sight then they had done so with such ingenuity and craftsmanship that I was unable to ascertain it as such. If this was some sort of macabre taxidermy of a living thing, then it was done without any visible indication of such. I could see no apparent stitches or artificial connection between human face and dog. I was eager to be on my way from such a ghastly abomination and the thing’s gaze left me with a deep unease long after I had left.”

A feeling of despair is often associated to the sightings of Jinkenmen.  There are also stories saying that the creature has the ability to hypnotize someone.  The sightings of the creature was not only limited on the Edo Era.  In 1980, a dog with a face of a human was seen searching through the pile of garbage in Shibuya District, Tokyo.

Mjertovjec

Mjertovjec is a Belarusian vampire.  This creature is a crossover of werewolf and vampire (some says witch).  If a werewolf dies, he is bound to rise up again but this time as a vampire.  He will attack during the night by detaching his upper chest together with his head to the entire body.  They said that the Mjertovjec do this to avoid being staked at his chest.

There are ways on how one can turn into a Mjertovjec.  One popular way is that if one person abandons his faith and turn away from the teachings of the church.  Another, is if one person acted like a wolf when he is still alive (biting people) then he is destined to become a vampire. 

Unlike the vampire of the west where they only have two protruding canine teeth, these creatures have many sharp teeth similar to a piranha.  The creature was said to be invulnerable up to the time that you hear the rooster crows for three times.  During those times they possess a superhuman strength that left the victims helpless against his attacks.

Just like the European vampires, where counting is a popular way to outwit them, you can throw several poppy seeds along the way and he will be compelled to count every pieces of it.  If a vampire slayer happens to pass the way, he must not yet kill the vampire.  He must follow the creature back on its grave and wait until the next day when the Mjertovec detached its thorax to its body.  The vampire hunter can then draw a stake into its chest that can kill him.  His corpse must be turned into ashes to prevent him from rising again.

It is also believed that after the rooster crows three times and it didn’t manage to return to its grave, the creature would be paralyzed.  One should consider this time to burn the said vampiric creature. 

The Specter of Kodom

The Specter of Kodom was blamed for the death of some people in the village located in

Bavaria.   The specter was believed to be that of a herdsman who made its appearance to number of people who reside in Kodom.  Apparently after a week or so, those people who claimed that they saw the specter of the herdsmen mysteriously died.  The town went into panic and organized a hunt on the vampire.  They exhumed the body and stake him on the chest, (it was not stated whether they use a hawthorn to stake the corpse as per tradition) hoping that it will end the torment of the specter.

But the Specter of Kodom appeared again that night and continued to terrorize the villagers; some of them claimed that the herdsman suffocated them.  The head of the village decided to take extra step and gave the body of the supposed vampire to the executioners.  The executioners then carried it to a nearby field and burned it to ashes.  While the body is engulfed in flame, people who witnessed testified that the corpse started kicking and howling as if it was still alive.

The people were frightened and decided to thrust it with a sharp stake in the chest once again.  The corpse then let out an agonizing cry and started to vomit massive amount of blood.  After the body of the Specter of Kodom was turned into ashes, the attack ceases and the life of the villagers returned to normal.

The legend of the Specter of Kodom is one of the most popular vampire incidents that have been recorded in the history of Germany.

The Green Children of Woolpit

During the 12th Century, two children appeared in the town of Woolpit located in Suffolk, UK.  The children were allegedly brother and sister.  The two of them appeared to be normal kids aside from their skin color which is green.

Both of them spoke an unrecognizable language thus no one can understand the things they are trying to say.  The kids would also refuse to eat anything other than pitch of the bean pods.  Time passes by and the children lose their green-colored skin.  They also started learning the English language.

The children explained that they came from the land of St. Martin which is a pitch black place because the sun never appeared on the horizon.  They said that they were taking care of their father’s herd when they saw a light.  They tracked the origin of the river of light, and then they heard the sound of a bell.  Before they knew it, they were already in Woolpit.

The account of the Green Children can be found in the work of William of Newburgh and Ralph of Coggeshall.  William said that his reports about the Green Children are based on the accounts of trustworthy witnesses.  Ralph on the other hand incorporates the details of information about Sir Richard de Calne of Wykes who allegedly gave the children a shelter in his manor.

Some people claimed that the children are suffering from a disease; others believe that the children came from a parallel universe.  The real story behind the Green children would remain a mystery and continue to baffle humanity in the years to come.

Could they be living in a place where most of the cryptids can be found?

Wolf of Allendale

December 10, 1904, Hexham Courant reported about the wolf at large in the area of Allendale.  They said that in the period of 3 weeks farmers in Allendale would discover their sheep mutilated, some of them were disemboweled.  Other could no longer find their body and only the horns and head of their livestock were remained.  People believed that the culprit was a wolf that supposedly escaped its master, Captain Bain.  But the wolf that Captain Bain possesses is a mere 4 ½ months old and cannot be a threat to the livestock or to a human life.

The reports of the sightings of the alleged wolf spread throughout the town.  One of them reported about a wolf lurking at the Allenheads School where at least 150 residents gathered their pitchfork and guns to hunt the animal, but unfortunately they were unable to find it there.  On the 17th of December of the same year, Hexham Courant reported another attack of the wolf, where a group of 100 men was unable to track the wolf.  The next day, they formed a group of 200 men but still they failed to find the creature.

People started to panic and became unrest; they would light their lanterns overnight in hope to drive away the creature.  The hunt also continued during the winter period, where the parties used tracking dogs, but even the senses of the tracking dogs proved to be ineffective on the search for the wolf of Allendale.  At this point, the party started to doubt if it is indeed a wolf.  The hounds were designed to track the wolf but since the hounds were unable to find them, there is a possibility that the culprit is not a wolf.

In the year 1905, a carcass of a wolf was found in the railway track in Columbia but Hexham Courant reported that it was not the wolf.  Eventually the attack and the news about the wolf of Allendale just ceased.  Up to this day no one was able to find the creature responsible for the deaths of a number of livestock in Allendale.

Could one of the hunters be right that the creature they were searching for was not a wolf?  How would they explain the scratch and the bite marks found on the sheep?  

Calm Werewolves

Is this were the Thirsty Dog Brewing Company derived the name of their popular drink?  Wulver is a part of the lore and folktale of the Shetland island of Scotland.  Compared to the other werewolves, the Wulver is not a shape shifter.  It is a creature with a head of the wolf and a body of a human who remains at that state.  A wulver would constantly lurk in the caved region.  It is a generally peaceful creature unless taunted.  Their bites would not transform any victim into a werewolf.

A wulver would usually spend its long hours of day, sitting on a rock by the river, trying to catch some fish.  The locals gave a name for that stone, “Wulver’s Stane” (which means the Wulver’s Stone).  It is also said that the wulver would leave some of the fishes in the windowsill as a gift for humans.

A non hostile type of werewolf is also found on the folklores of the Irish people.  A Faoladh is said to be the guide of the lost men and the protector of children and the people that are wounded who is in the form of a wolf.  Based on the legend Faoladh, the king is even accepting werewolves recruit during the times of war.  But unlike the wulver who usually consumes fishes, cattle are a part of the meal of this werewolf.  Faoladh would normally flee once a local would catch him during his exploit since this would turn him back to his original human form.

Giraldus Cambrensis documented an old tale about the Faoladh on1185. The story which is an account of an older tale states that faoladh usually works in pair who would eventually be replaced by another pair after their service has ended.  They would usually eat herds and other farm animals and guide children and heal the wounded.

Though the werewolves on the older stories are not to be seen as hostile, Christianity changes the norm saying that the shape shifting of a werewolf is a curse. St. Patrick stated that it is a form punishment form the wrong doings.

The Vampire Named Milos

Radovejo is one of the oldest villages in Serbia where a vampire incident happened during the 18th Century.  The report was sent to the Imperial military of Belgrade.

It was during July of 1732 when the prince asks Tamarski to investigate an incident to Radovejo that concerns an unusual death of 11 people.  Those 11 people died at around the month January-February.  Upon interrogation the villagers claimed that the 11 people who died are all victims of a vampire named Milos.  The reports about the vampire Milos exist up to this day.

The town’s folks believe that this Milos whose last name remains unknown possesses magical powers and were able to communicate with the animals.  Tamarski convinced the people to stop believing on vampires, but apparently the belief on vampires of the Serbian is just too strong so Tamarski had no choice but to perform the exhumation.  Milos was the first corpse to be disinterred; he was already 15 months dead. They were surprised that upon opening the casket of Milos, his eyes were opened and his body was perfectly preserved.  There were also amount of blood flowing out of his mouth.

The report captured the interest of the Government of Vienna and noted that it is a very unique case.  The remains of Milos were given a dose of calyx before they reburied him as per the request of the villagers. During the trial, some people who are acquainted with the 11 victims said that there is a 6-9 days of interval before the next death would occur.  Before they die, they claimed that they were experiencing nightmares and most of them have marks on their neck.   Due to this reason, Tamarski decided to dig the grave.    Eight of the bodies have a clear sign of decay while the other 2 are perfectly preserved.  There is also this one peculiar corpse that seems like sleeping, her remains are perfectly movable unlike the other corpse.

The three victims undergo the traditional vampire exorcism.

The Wolves of Perigord

During 1760’s in France, there has been an unexplained rise of wolf attack on human.  One of those would be the wolf of Soissons who managed to kill 4 people another would be the wolves of Perigord who caught the attention of Louis XV of France.

The wolves of Perigord were a pack of wolves that attacked the citizens of the northwestern area of Perigord.  The incident was recorded on February of 1766.  Based on the accounts of the authority, at least 18 people were killed during the attack of the wolves before they were finally killed.

Louis XV offered a reward to those who would manage to kill the wolves.  He also offered them prize money and exemption on the military service of their children if they would be able to save a victim.  An old man around 60-years of age and with a billhook as his weapon was able to save a marksman and his friends after they were attacked by the rampaging werewolves when their armaments have been depleted.

According to the records, citizens that were named Sieurs de Fayard killed three of them and a pro-hunter managed to kill the 4th wolves.  One general hunted the wolves and managed to kill 2 of them.  When one of the wolves was examined they noticed that the wolf has two rows of teeth on its jaw, a one of a kind wolf that they concluded to be a hybrid.

Up to this day, it is not known whether what happened on that period that causes the wolves to attack the human.  And what is more puzzling is the double set of teeth found on one of the wolf, is there someone behind this attack or it is just a random attack?

Thiess

Thiess was also part of the werewolves of Livonia, a region of the Northern Europe where the beliefs on werewolves and supernatural beings is strong and considered a part of reality.  Thiess of Livonia has a striking similarity to the case of Benandanti, wherein members of a pagan cult found in Northern Italy was said to leave their human bodies in order to start a combat against the witches to guarantee a great harvest.  The werewolves would leave their human body and went to the world of the undead and would start a war against the witches. The trial began in the year 1693 in a place named Jurgensburg, wherein an 80 year old man named Thiess was placed into trial for being a werewolf.

Thiess claimed that he is a werewolf who battled witches.  He stated that his nose was broken by a witch named Skeistan.  He also gave a full account of the story.  He said that they decided to wage a war against these witches because they are preventing the town from getting a good harvest.    He told the parliament that these witches are responsible for carrying the seeds to the dark world.  In order to stop these witches, Thiess together with the other werewolves decided to put an end to the town’s misery and reclaim the stolen goods.  During the specific time described by Thiess, the werewolves will battle these witches and prevent them from getting the crops.  Their weapon is an iron bar while the witches use broom to defend themselves.  He said Skeistan was able to break his nose by hitting him with a broom covered with the tail of a horse.

When the court asked him what happened to those werewolves who died in the battle.  He said that those werewolves would undergo the traditional burial just like a normal human does and that their soul ascends to heaven.  The parliament was astounded by what Thiess divulged, he said that werewolves were called the hounds of God and was assigned to protect human from the treacherous deeds of the witches.  He said that those werewolves located in Germany and Russia also did the same thing.

Thiess also deny that he made pact with the devil and that mankind should be thankful for the werewolves cause if not for them no one will protect them against the witches.  They even sent a priest to help him confess on his wrong doings but Thiess was angry and proclaimed that he is a better man than that of the priest.  Due to this revelation, Thiess was given a very light sentence of 10 lashes for paganism and idolatry.