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A modern take on the vampire image. Source: All You Need AI/Adobe Stock

The Great Vampire Epidemic: A Bizarre Chapter in History

Imagine a time when the fear of vampires wasn't just the stuff of horror movies, but a genuine epidemic that swept across Europe. Yes, you read right, - a vampire epidemic! This wasn't a small-scale...
AI close-up portrait of Dracula baring his sharp fangs, with a predatory glare in a dark room.		Source: EOL STUDIOS

Bloodsuckers Through the Ages - A History of Vampires (Video)

Vampire lore , originating from Eastern European folklore, has fascinated and terrified people for centuries, with various creatures haunting the imaginations of different cultures worldwide. Among...
Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler. Source: byerenyerli / Adobe Stock.

Terror of Wallachia: The Reign of Vlad the Impaler (Video)

The name " Dracula " immediately brings to mind images of a bloodthirsty vampire , but the true story of the man behind the myth is just as chilling. Vlad III, also known as Vlad Tepes or Vlad the...
The Lamia demon terrified ancient Greeks. Source: Andrey Kiselev / Adobe Stock

The Lamia of Ancient Greek Mythology: The Original Bogeyman

Ancient Greek mythology is absolutely full of things that go bump in the night. It’s one of the many reasons Greek mythology is still so popular today. How many films, novels, and video games take...
The vampire slaying kit which was sold at auction. Source: Hansons Auctioneers

Vampire Slaying Kit Sells During High-Stakes Bidding War

A vampire slaying kit has been sold for five times more than expected at an auction in Derbyshire, England. The sale of this bizarre box of artifacts, once believed to help guard against vampires,...
Wesley Snipes played Eric Brooks in the Blade trilogy. Source: New Line Cinema / Fair Use

Six Fantastic and Mythological Beings from the Blade Trilogy

In the original Blade trilogy, Wesley Snipes played Eric Brooks, the title character also known as Blade. The film, written by David S. Goyer and directed by Stephen Norrington, was released in 1998...
Literature’s first vampiress was called Carmilla. Source: Subbotina Anna / Adobe Stock

The Story of Carmilla: Literature’s First Vampire Was Actually a Woman

The novel Dracula , written by Bram Stoker and published in 1897, became a cult classic of horror literature throughout the world. It brought vampire legends to a wider audience and captivated...
The Living Dead: Chinese Hopping Vampires

The Living Dead: Chinese Hopping Vampires

The Hopping Vampires (jiang shi) are a type of undead creature found in Chinese folklore. Although its Chinese name is often translated as ‘Chinese hopping vampire / zombie / ghost), its literal...
Artist’s representation of a vampire

A Vampire in New Orleans? The Mysterious Case of Jacque and the Comte de St. Germain

If vampires existed in our modern age, it would be easy to imagine them in New Orleans, creeping from the shadows of the crypts in the St. Louis Cemetery or prowling for victims in the unlit alleys...
Volterra: Home to Three Civilizations and the World’s First Witch

Volterra: Home to Three Civilizations and the World’s First Witch

Volterra, an archaeological gem in the province of Pisa, in Italy, is often eclipsed by more famous historical sites. This beautiful village, however, dates to the Etruscan period and also contains...
Chupacabra, a terrifying Latin American cryptid

Chupacabra: Legend of a Blood-Sucking Cryptid in Latin America

The Chupacabra is a legendary cryptid often associated with Mexico, and well-known across Latin America. One of the locations the Chupacabra has made a significant impact in the past is in Puerto...
Detail of an artistic representation of an Egyptian vampire queen. Before the Egyptians, there were Sumerian vampires.

Sumerian Vampires Inspired Tales of Bloodsucking Baobhan Sith, Satan, and Dracula

Many folktales, stories, and myths around the world begin with folk “straying from the path” and meeting beautiful females, only to discover that they are treacherous vampires. Since Bram Stoker’s...
Detail of a portrait of Vlad Ţepeş, the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia (1456-1462) (died 1477). Weapons of this man who inspired the vampire Dracula have been found in Bulgaria. Source: Public Domain

Dracula’s Balls: Weapons of Hyper-Violence Used by Vlad III Discovered Under Bulgarian Fortress

Archaeologists excavating at the medieval Bulgarian ‘Zishtova Fortress’ have unearthed ‘stone cannonballs’ which are thought to have been used by Vlad III [Tepes], the historical inspiration for Bram...
Camazotz Maya style Batman suit created by Mexican designer Kimbal

Batman Existed in Mesoamerican Mythology and His Name Was Camazotz

As social media is abuzz with who might be cast in the next Batman movie, with concerns that some of the candidates might not be menacing enough to fill those big black boots, it might be time to...
A jenglot.

Jenglot: Humanoid Creatures or a Hoax? Creepy Bloodthirsty Beings of the Indonesian Jungle

The jenglot is a creature found in Indonesia. It resembles a tiny humanoid doll, and seems to be a creature from modern times, as the first reports of the jenglot’s existence were made in 1997. Till...
Depiction of a vampire.

Older than Dracula: In Search of the English Vampire

By Sam George / The Conversation The story of Count Dracula, as many of us know it, was created by Bram Stoker, an Irishman, in 1897. But most of the action takes place in England, from the moment...
A rock was inserted into the mouth of a 10-year-old to keep the deceased child from rising from the grave and spreading malaria, researchers believe.

'Vampire Burial' An Effort to Prevent a Child's Infectious Return From the Grave

The discovery of a 10-year-old's body at an ancient Roman site in Italy suggests measures were taken to prevent the child, possibly infected with malaria, from rising from the dead and spreading...
Mortal Kombat X – Quan Chi.

Beyond a Fighting Game: Unmasking the Origins of Mortal Kombat Mythology

The “Mortal Kombat” franchise is based on a vast mythology. It is not just invented legends but actually sourced from various world mythologies as well. This article will take a look at elements from...
'The Premature Burial’ by Antoine Wiertz

How Long Have We Believed in Vampires?

Vampires have a contested history. Some claim that the creatures are “as old as the world”. But more recent arguments suggest that our belief in vampires and the undead was born in the 18th century,...
The 800-year-old skeleton found in Bulgaria stabbed through the chest with iron rod.

People Practiced Anti-Vampire Rituals in Bulgaria Until Three Decades Ago

Thanks to Bram Stoker’s Gothic horror novel Dracula, many people associate vampires with the region of Transylvania in Romania. However, it was only around 25 years ago that anti-vampire rituals...
‘The Hexing Box’ at Merrylin Cryptid Museum

Merrylin Cryptid Museum: Proof for the Existence of Mythical Beings or Elaborate Hoaxes?

Numerous mythical creatures have been created Over the course of human history. Most of them were based on misunderstandings of real animals, plants, or even other human populations. Greek Legends of...
Detail; Prince Hanzoku terrorized by a nine-tailed fox

Quick as a Fox, Powerful as a Demon: Legendary Foxes and Their Trickster/Temptress Ways

The fox plays a wide range of roles in 42 out of the 358 of Aesop’s fables. It is generally described as a quick, intelligent and adaptable animal which no doubt led to its importance as a symbol of...
Yorkshire Photo Walks (Tom Marsh/CC BY 2.0), and Grey Lady. (CC BY 2.0); Deriv.

Staked Through the Heart and Buried at the Crossroads – The Profane Burial of Suicides

I uncovered a curious tale about a scrubby patch of land while writing a book on the folklore and history of East Anglia. Marked on modern maps as Lushbush, you pass it heading eastwards out of the...
Jure Grando and The First Documented Case of Vampirism in Europe

Jure Grando and The First Documented Case of Vampirism in Europe

In the English-speaking world today, vampires are perhaps most famously associated with the region of Transylvania in Romania, thanks to Bram Stoker’s Gothic horror novel, Dracula . Nevertheless,...

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