Vrykolakas/Vrykolakes(pl.)/Timpaniaois

The Vrykolakas is a creature from Greek myth related to the Vrukolak of Dalmatia and the Vryolakas from Macedonia. It was believed that every Greek clan had one Vrykolakas. It’s possible that this was a more general term for vampires in Greek myth. They are often linked to stories of werewolves, with possible Serbian influence. They are thought to be vampiric spirits that possess the corpses of dead werewolves. As it is a spirit separate to the body, it is sometimes not seen as a form of undead. Sometimes the Vrykolakas was formed from the corpse of someone who had been excommunicated, with these Vrykolakas often being depicted as more docile. People who die from suicide, murder, or plague, who die without full burial rites, who have the need of vengeance, children conceived or born at the Church Festivals, stillborn babies, the unbaptized, apostates, those who die from a curse, or anyone who calls down wrath through their perjury, were also likely to become Vrykolakas. Vrykolakas in need of vengeance are considered to be more reasonable. Modern views of these creatures see them as indiscriminately violent. Sometimes they act more like a nuisance than an actual threat. They walk through public areas spreading disease and call out the names of those they knew in life. Anyone who looks directly at the Vrykolakas will die instantly. Any who answers the call of a Vrykolakas is certain to die within 24 hours, as answering the call creates a connection to the Vrykolakas. They only call out to people once, so people would wait for a second call if they heard their name. They sometime have the power to reveal themselves in dream form. Sometimes their mere presence is enough to kill, and they would be blamed for unexplained deaths. Stories of these creatures have been recounted extensively by a man named Leo Allatius, and his descriptions heavily influenced modern vampire folklore. When the body is possessed then a process called timpanios occurs tightening and hardening the skin of the bloated corpse. They would be found in the tomb with swollen and blackened skin. Their teeth, hair, and nails would all remain intact, and the corpse would not rot. Sometimes though they would have no hair. Their skin would be stretched so tight over their bones that it sounded like a drum when struck and their joints would hardly bend. Despite these limitations, they are thought to be incredibly fast. There is a difference between Vrykolakas and Timpaniaois, though sometimes they’re one and the same. The Timpaniaois would be found in the grave, and be reburied, while the Vrykolakas would most often be encountered in person and combatted more violently. If a body was suspected of being a Vrykolakas they would be exhumed, prayed over, and burned to ashes. This process required specific permissions. Finding a grave with a hole in it is a sign of a Vrykolakas, and throwing fire into the hole kills it. Someone was thought to be a Vrykolakas if their body didn’t decompose within 40 days. Their blood is still red and the body may even remain warm. The body of a Vrykolakas could only begin decaying when its soul was freed, however, the church said that a soul could not remain in the body without their intervention, and so discouraged this thinking. They believed that the Vrykolakas was either an illusion of the devil, or a punishment from God. In interpretations where the Vrykolakas retains the soul, it would remember past relationships and use those to target others. They can appear in broad daylight, inside and outside. Some Vrykolakas return to protect their families or simply go away and live a normal life somewhere else. In a case from Santorini, a shoemaker named Alexander was seen drawing water, cutting wood, and mending his children’s shoes after his death. Alternatively, there is a story of a murderer being struck by lightning and turned into a Vrykolakas as a punishment by God. Often the burning of the Vrykolakas wasn’t done with malice, simply for safety. They may sit on a sleeping person’s chest to cause immense pressure, killing and transforming them. This sleep paralysis transformation can be stopped if someone sees it happening and fires a gun to scare the Vrykolakas off. Any killed by the Vrykolakas also become Vrykolakas and serve as the minions to the original. When the original is killed, these minions die with it. They are thought to become more and more vicious as time passes and can grow to devastate entire villages. Waiting too long can let it become merciless and unkillable.

Citations:

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.

Barber, Paul. Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality. United Kingdom, Yale University Press, 1988.

Hartnup, Karen. ‘On the beliefs of the Greeks’ : Leo Allatios and popular Orthodoxy. Belgium, Brill, 2004.

Lawson, John Cuthbert. Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion: A Study in Survivals. United Kingdom, University Press, 1910.