6 differences between Vampires in the West and those in the East
There are more types of vampires than expected. And there are some major differences between those in the West of Europe and those in the East.
1. Vampire basics Everybody knows the way a vampire acts: terrifying creatures that attack people and drink their blood, or that enchant them and cause them pain and suffering, which usually ends up in blood drinking. This is usually how vampires are seen in the West of Europe. However, in Romania, vampires are portrayed as pests that play tricks on people and cause mischief. In Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia, as well as in Romania, they are depicted as scaring horses, stealing raw materials such as wood, and causing rough rapids by hitting the waters with large boards.
2. Nutrition In the West, vampires drink blood, regardless of its origin. The most usual belief is that they drink human blood, however they can drink animal blood or synthetic blood. In the East, a vampire is known to enjoy a fresh loaf of bread before embarking on a weary travel.
3. Creation of a vampire In the West, a vampire can turn a human into a vampire. Bram Stoker’s Dracula can also turn humans into vampires, as proven with Lucy, who turns into a vampire after he drinks her blood repeatedly. However, in the East of Europe, one vampire cannot create another. A vampire becomes one due to the bad deeds they made during their lifetime. In the Romanian folklore, one can simply become a vampire by fate: if there are 7 children of the same sex in the family, the seventh is cursed to turn into a vampire.
4. Killing a vampire Most commonly and believed worldwidely, a stake through the heart is usually the way to kill a vampire. However, sometimes beheading is the answer, but the stake is the most popular version. In Bulgaria, a red-hot iron is used instead of a stake. In Romania, it’s even more different: one must exhume the body on a Saturday and then they can ‘kill’ the vampire either by putting a stake through the navel or by cutting out the heart and burning it.
5. Garlic In movies and books made in the West, people can usually be seen wearing a braid made out of garlic around their neck, and this usually wards off vampires. In the East, rubbing garlic over entrances and on window sills keeps the vampires away.
7. The “real-life” Dracula The “real-life” Dracula is seen as a bloodthirsty tyrant in the West, who loves terrorising people and feeding on them. However, in Romania, Count Dracula is believed to be based on Vlad the Impaler, and is considered a national hero who saved the country from the Turkish oppressors.
So come to the 'Dracula: When Art Meets Myth' exhibition on Saturday, the 2nd of April 2016 in Centrala to find out much more about Dracula!
References
Beresford, M. (2008). The creation of the modern vampire myth. London: Reaktion Books.
