Healthy 'Vampires' Emerge From Graves In Medieval Polish Cemetery

Forbes ^ | June 1, 2016 | Kristina Killgrove

[C19fan]

Archaeologists excavating a Medieval cemetery site in Kałdus, Poland, recently discovered hundreds of graves — among them, they found 14 anti-vampire burials. Some of these people were decapitated, others buried face-down, and still more were weighted down with stones. One of the major theories about ancient “vampire” graves is that people buried in this way were unhealthy or disabled, causing their compatriots to treat them differently in death because of their physical differences in life. A team of researchers set out to investigate diseases apparent on the bones of these 14 so-called vampires.

[BenLurkin]

Yeah well, maybe their Unhealthiness was mental.

[ArcadeQuarters]

> still more were weighted down with stones.

So it worked!

[ClearCase_guy]

But I ain’t gonna quit until I’m laid in my tomb
And even then they better shut it tight.
— T Bone Burnett

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

When my time on earth is gone,
and my activities here are passed,
I want they should bury me upside down,
so my critics can kiss my ass!
- - Bobby Knight

[dangus]

>> It’s possible they are people “who died suddenly without Christian sacraments, like unbaptized children, people who committed suicide, babies born with teeth, or newly postpartum mothers.” <<

In case anyone misses what was going on with people who committed suicide or unbaptized children: they would have been considered to have died outside of the state of grace, and thus susceptible to BECOMING vampires. (Unbaptized children were speculated to go to Limbo, a state theologically compared to the Bosom of Abraham.)

Those in a state of grace would be immune to becoming vampires: The true purpose for someone using holy water and a crucifix when confronting a vampire would be to provide sacraments to any accomplices. Catholic homes used to always include a kit including a crucifix, holy water, charism oil and candles so last rites or baptisms could be provided to anyone who might be in danger of death. (No, you don’t need to be a priest to baptize someone.)

So, this is why the study is kinda pointless: vampire-proof burials weren’t necessarily because they thought that someone WAS a vampire, but because they thought that someone might BECOME a vampire.

[bgill]

Hubby and I were visiting a cemetery many years ago. He wandered over to a grave that had a large stone covering it. The stone had broken and fallen in. The headstone said the guy had been previously buried and the way it was worded made you wonder just how many times. That caused hubby to laugh so he was still laughing as he was trying to look under the broken stone when suddenly a loud horrible growl came from beneath it. Mind you, we’re country folk so animal growls don’t bother us. This thing sent hubby flying to car. It sounded like it came from far away and echoed. Nothing like a simple dirt hole a few feet deep.

[BiggerTigger]

Ancient Socialists.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks C19fan.

[COBOL2Java]

Hubby and I were visiting a cemetery many years ago. He wandered over to a grave that had a large stone covering it. The stone had broken and fallen in. The headstone said the guy had been previously buried and the way it was worded made you wonder just how many times. That caused hubby to laugh so he was still laughing as he was trying to look under the broken stone when suddenly a loud horrible growl came from beneath it. Mind you, we’re country folk so animal growls don’t bother us. This thing sent hubby flying to car. It sounded like it came from far away and echoed. Nothing like a simple dirt hole a few feet deep.

Get a hold of these two; they'll check it out for you!

[null and void]

There’s a headline you don’t see every day...

[MNJohnnie]

One interesting theory is the description of a “vampire” is similar to advanced stages of rabies.