Undead
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Pishacha/Pisacha
The Pishacha flesh-eating ghouls from the myths of India. They rise from the grave because they are trapped between heaven and hell, incapable of moving on or redeeming themselves. They take out their anger on humans who are still capable of redemption. Due to their supernatural nature, they have a great understanding of the past, present, and future. Oftentimes they’re imprisoned by sorcerers who use this knowledge to their advantage. Can be killed with normal weapons physically, though it will continue to haunt the location where their physical form is destroyed. They can be forced to move on if one has a holy sage and the Pishacha’s true name. The…
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Dopplesaugr
The Dopplesaugr is an undead creature from Hanover, Germany. They’re formed when a child is allowed to breastfeed after already having been weaned off of it, this causes them to return from the grave as a Dopplesaugr. Because of this origin, their name translates to “double sucker” and they eat woman’s breasts. They attack family members to feed on the flesh of the breasts, blood, and breast milk when available. However, they may feed on anyone if they become desperate enough. They may feed on their own breasts to get the energy to rise and can be preemptively dealt with by using thick wooden blocks to keep the jaw from…
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Blutsaugr
The Blutsaugr is a vampiric form of undead from the mythology of Austria, Germany, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The name translates to “blood sucker” and they have pale skin, rotten flesh, and emaciated frames. They are mostly mindless, only smart enough to avoid capture or death. In Bosnia specifically, the Blutsaugr is thought to have no skeleton and is covered in stiff dark hair. This version can turn someone else into a Blutsaugr by tricking someone into eating a bit of dirt from its grave, and can also turn into a rat, wolf, or hunting dog. Eating the meat of an animal killed by a wolf can turn someone into a Blutsaugr…
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Krampus
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Upior
The Upior is a form of vampire from Polish myth and was a common belief among the Ruthenian people. This term is a reinterpretation of the Russian Upyr into Polish myth in the seventeenth century. They are sometimes believed to be dead people possessed by the devil often described as swollen blood-filled corpses. This blood-filled appearance led to the phrase “red as an Upior” becoming popular. Someone born with two hearts, who later grows evil was thought to become an Upior. Corpses suspected to be at risk of rising would be staked in the heart, burned, decapitated and staked, or have pig manure stuffed in their mouths. It was also…
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Upier/Upierczi(pl)
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Wurdalak
The Wurdalak is from Russian folklore. They are heretics or blasphemers who rise from the grave after making a deal with the devil for immortality. Their hunger is insatiable and consumes its immortal life. They often look like a female who appears young and attractive to lure in victims. They return to the form of rotting corpses when alone with their victims which is their true form. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.
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Wume
The Wume are from the Togo people of West Africa. They are created when a criminal dies and isn’t buried or when someone dies while cursed. They are always hungry and are strong, smart, and very hard to kill. They have to be killed by a group of priests who have gone through a ritual cleansing. They are easiest to approach after feeding when they go into a catatonic state. They should be tied down with several layers of rope encasing them, and then their wrapped body should be taken to an undisclosed location and buried in an unmarked grave. Afterwards no one can speak of the location or approach…
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Vryolakas
The Vryolakas is a form of vampiric creature from the Republic of Macedonia related to the Vrykolakas. They are created when a cat or dog jumps over a body before it’s buried. They can also be created when someone dies from murder, suicide, if one ate meat from something killed by a werewolf, if someone splashes wine on the face of a corpse, or when an evil magic user dies. They are only active from 10 pm until morning and are weak to sunlight. They hunt humans to drain them completely of blood. They often have a compulsion to pour wine over their own faces, some believing they do this…
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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…
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Vlkodlak/Volkodlak
The Vlkodlak is from Serbian legend. They starts out as werewolves, being humans who could turn into wolves without any additional supernatural abilities. After they die as werewolves, they rise from the grave as a Vlkodlak. They resembles a drunk person with skin flushed red like blood. They exist in this form for seven years and drain the blood of the living. After these seven years, they become normal humans, which will turn into a Vlkodlak again upon its death. A Vlkodlak can also be created if someone sees a werewolf and survives, which guarantees they become this after death. They can also be created by eating sheep that has…
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Varcolac/Varacolaci(pl.)
The Varcolac is a form of wolf monster from Romanian myth. Some believe the Varcolac is a Christian reinvention of Fenrir. They sometimes take the form of demons who possess the corpses of unbaptized children. They can be created when someone commits suicide, or they can simply become a Varcolac from a hereditary curse. Some however believe God sends the Varcolaci to consume the moon to lead men to repent. When they rise from the grave they have pale, dry skin. They’re seen as enemies of light who seek to swallow the sun and the moon, causing eclipses when they near success. They are particularly active on St. Georges day,…
