Abhartach The Oldest Vampire in Western Europe

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

 

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.