The oldest recorded
vampire in the history of Western Europe would be the Abhartach.
It is likened to another vampire creature called Murbhheo. It comes from the
legend of the Celtics and part of the stories believed to happen in the town of
Slaughtaverty, Ireland, particularly in Glenullin. There was also a story about
a Town Mayor named Abhartach that turned into a Dearg
Diulai.
Abhartach: A Sorcerer or a
Vampire
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Abhartach is a powerful
sorcerer. He is a short man and has a physical disability. In some legend, he is
described as a dwarf. According to the
story, Abhartach married a beautiful maiden. One day he suspected his wife of
committing adultery. Since he doesn't dare to confront his wife directly about
being unfaithful, he crawled outside his window and crept on the ledges toward
his wife's bedroom. Before he could even reach his wife's bedroom, the man fell
and died. The villagers discovered his body the following day. They gave him the
funeral that the noble man deserved and buried him standing upright in his
grave.
Abhartach Sorcerer Who Came Back a Vampire
The day after his
burial, Abhartach returned
to the village of Slaughtaverty. He demanded the villagers to cut their wrists
and let the blood flow into a bowl for him to drink. He said that their blood would
maintain his existence. The people immediately complied with his demand. The
people feared him when he was still in the land of the living. They would not
dare do anything to upset him, especially now that he is dead or undead.
How the Abhartach Was Defeated
Eventually, the
people decided to hire an assassin. The assassin was able to kill the Abhartach,
but the man kept returning and demanding his share of blood. They hired another
killer, but the result is still the same. After hiring a bunch of assassins, a
druid finally came forward. He said that he could free the villagers from the
torment of the undead creature.The druid revealed that Abhartach could
not be killed in a typical process since he has already turned into a Murbhheo.
The druid used a sword made of yam and slashes the creature through. He was
then buried upside down in a grave covered with branches, ash, and a boulder.
Other Stories
There are also other
stories related to the Abhartach.
Instead of a druid, the story tells about a Christian who consulted a saint to
defeat the creature. There was a chieftain named Cathrain who defeated the
Revenant. The beast was entirely dominated by using a sword made from yew. He
was buried upside down. Thorns have surrounded his grave.
To this day, it was
believed in Shaughtaverty Village that anyone who dared to come near the gravesite
of Abhartach would
die. A large thorn tree is said to be beside the gravesite of the creature. You
can also see a large boulder on it, which keeps him trapped inside his grave.
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