Posted on 06/06/2012 3:52:39 AM PDT by Renfield
More than 100 "vampire" corpses have been dug out from graves across Bulgaria during historic excavations, according to the country's archaeologists.
Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of the National History Museum in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, said on Tuesday that Bulgarian archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons from the Middle Ages pierced through the chest with iron rods to keep them from turning into the undead.
Dimitrov said that the two "vampire" remains were found last weekend near the Black Sea town of Sozopol.
The tradition of hammering an iron rod through the chest bones and heart of 'evil' people to prevent them from returning after death to feast on the blood of the living was performed up until the beginning of the last century, according to experts.
"These two skeletons stabbed with rods illustrate a practice which was common in some Bulgarian villages up until the first decade of the 20th century," Dimitrov said. Like us on Facebook :
"The stake was left on their bodies to prevent them rising as vampires after they’d been buried,” he added.
Not only were these people stabbed in the chest with an iron or wooden rod before being buried, their bodies were also pinned down into their graves to stop them from leaving at the struck of midnight and terrorizing the living.
"These people were believed to be evil while they were alive, and it was believed that they would become vampires once they are dead, continuing to torment people," Dimitrov said, according to Bulgarian Sega Daily Newspaper.
Dimitrov said that over 100 people whose bodies have been stabbed to prevent them from rising as vampires have been discovered throughout Bulgaria.
"I do not know why an ordinary discovery like that became so popular. Perhaps because of the mysteriousness of the word "vampire," Dimitrov added.
Dimitrov said that "vampires" were often aristocrats and clerics.
"The curious thing is that there are no women among them. They were not afraid of witches," he said.
The word "vampire" comes from the original Slavic term "opyrb" or "opir" which later appears as "viper", "vepir", or "vapir".
During the Middle Ages, many people throughout Bulgaria and other parts of central Europe believed in vampires.
Alcoholics, thieves and murderers were often believed to be likely candidates to become vampires.
Vampires were believed to look completely normal often marrying and fathering children, but at night they would roam the countryside in search for victims to cure their bloodlust.
The remains of a female "vampire" from 16th-century Venice. Italian researchers believe they have found the remains of a female "vampire" from 16th-century Venice, buried with a brick in her mouth to prevent her feasting on plague victims. Matteo Borrini, a forensic anthropologist from the University of Florence, said the discovery was the first confirmation of a Medieval belief that vampires were behind the spread of epidemics, such as the Black Death.
(Photo: Reuters)
Things haven't changed much, have they?
Ancient Bulgarian vampire ping!
Not to mention shot in the head. Looks like a 9mm...
I have seen enough movies to know how this will end. One of the lab technicians will pull the stake out of a corpse’s chest, go to work with his back toward the remains, and . . .
Early evidence of the Zombie Apocalypse?
Or a better love story than “Twilight”?
st germain?
***”You know, if I were a single man, I might ask that mummy vampire out,” Clinton said. “That’s a good-looking mummy vampire.”—Bill Clinton ****
That because he heard vampires suck. ;-D Oh my bad!
Something tells me you’re an authority on the subject, Renfield - lol!
Nah, he is still alive :)
“A top Peruvian anthropologist said Friday that President Clinton’s joke about the sex appeal of an Inca mummy was ``tacky’’ and criticized the display of the mummy in Washington. ...”
Clinton joked during a political fund-raiser Wednesday that the mummy is ``good-looking’’ and if he were single he might ask her out. ``That mummy looks better than I do on my worst days,’’ he said.
Anthropologist Sonia Guillen said ``obviously there’s a lack of respect’’ in Clinton’s remarks.”
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CLINTON+MUMMY+JOKE+IRKS+ANTHROPOLOGIST.-a083934406
With a name like Renfield, I’m not surprised you would post a vampire thread. But that said, I thought only a wooden stake through the heart would work.
“...I thought only a wooden stake through the heart would work.”
Apparently the ones with the iron rods didn’t come back, so that must work too.
***I thought only a wooden stake through the heart would work.***
In the old 1932 movie VAMPYR an iron rod is used, and in the book DRACULA, Drac’s head is cut off and a steel blade is plunged into his heart.
I took the name from one of our cats. When we got him, he was a tiny, very wild feral kitten, and his all-purpose response to any stimulus was to bite....so the name seemed appropriate.
Pretty quickly, though, we tamed him and he turned into a splendid cat. He’s now almost 19 years old...ancient in feline terms...and in remarkably good shape for his age, although very thin. Vet says there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s outlived about 10 of our other cats. He spends most of his time shadowing me, waiting for to sit down so he can jump into my lap and get petted. Most times when I post on FR, Renfield is sitting there, purring and shedding.
Bozhidar Dimitrov, head of the National History Museum in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, said on Tuesday that Bulgarian archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons from the Middle Ages pierced through the chest with iron rods to keep them from turning into the undead.
"They were immobilized by this simple iron rod I hold in my hand..."
At least the Socialists weren't accusing them of being "witches". That would have be an unfounded hysteria. Even today, we hear the evils of Capitalism and the Church...
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