Vampires
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Sanguisuga
The Sanguisuga is a Latin form of vampire. The name means “blood sucker” though it’s sometimes referred to as a “horse leech.” The term was used before the word Vampire was popularized, and likely referred to a Vampire or some other blood sucking demon. They are related to bats, and if pierced they pour out the blood they’ve consumed. Citations: Arnold, Thomas Kerchever, et al. A Copious and Critical English – Latin Lexicon, Founded on the German-Latin Dictionary of Dr. C.E. Georges. United Kingdom, Longmans, Green, and Company, 1865. Bunson, Matthew. The Vampire Encyclopedia. United Kingdom, Gramercy Books, 2000. Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That…
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Revenant
The Revenant is a form of undead creature and at one time it was used as a synonym for “ghost.” Their name is a variation of the French “revenir” meaning “to return.” They return from the grave and can be physical or incorporeal. In Irish folklore, they are physically risen bodies that sometimes attend their own funerals. Other times they are undead, with some being vampiric in nature. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. United States, Checkmark Books, 2007.
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Ramanga
The Ramanga comes from the Betsileo people of Madagascar. Their name translates to “blue blood.” They are referred to as ceremonial vampires, meaning the name describes an occupation rather than a species. They eat the nail clippings and drink the blood and spit of nobles. This was done as a precaution to prevent these biological materials from being used by a witch to create some kind of fetish, meaning a magical item. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. 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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Poo
The Poo is a monster from the legends of the Waray people in the Philippines. They are a variation of Aswang that look like a normal person, and have no distinctions like wings or fangs. They are described as being similar to the Wakwak, but this can mean a number of different things across various cultures in the Philippines. They are thought to come out at the full moon. They will shout “poo” when still far from a house and say it again as they gets closer. By the fourth “poo” they will be inside the house. They will steal a child if that parents don’t wake up but will…
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Pishtaco
The Pishtaco is a legend from Peru and the Andes Mountains. They are described as looking like tall white men wearing long white coats which they use to hide knives. They are known to be aggressive and are considered very powerful. They sleep a lot and drink large amounts of milk. They are known to steal children, and sever their heads and limbs until there’s only a torso. They remove the body fat from their victims to run machinery and cover church bells. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Ovengua
The Ovengua are from Guinea. They are created when an evil sorcerer or a corrupt person dies. Their bones escape their grave one by one and gather back up in a secret location. They move through the forest and attack travelers at night. They catch and eat people and may drink blood. They live in caverns during the day. They can be attacked by a lot of spears and must be burned completely to ash or they will come back. They may take a ghostly or a physical form, which is for the sake of feeding. The creatures can be appeased by leaving out bowls of animal blood outside the…
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Nosferat/Nosferatu
The Nosferat is a form of vampire most commonly known from Bram Stokers’ Dracula, and may have originated there as well. The name supposedly comes from the Greek word “nosphoros” meaning “plague carrier,” but the term Nosferat has not been reliably found in any East European dictionaries. This could make it a form of old Fakelore which became so intertwined with actual myth that it became a part of accepted myth in the modern day. The Nosferat was sometimes seen as a form of living vampire, and has been thought to originate as the illegitimate child of two people who were also born as illegitimate children. Sometimes it is instead…
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Nora/Nore
The Nora are vampiric creatures from Hungarian myth. They often take the form of small, bald, and fragile children. They often run around on all fours in their human form. They may have initially been human. They can become invisible at will. They have a bite comparable to the sting of a wasp and are seen as annoying rather than lethal. They search out sleeping prostitutes and drain blood from their chests. It’s thought they feed on “tainted blood” from women they deem “unclean.” In some versions they also consume breast milk from victims. Crushed garlic can be applied to the injury to soothe it and prevent further attacks. Stories…
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Neuntöter/Neuntoter
The Neuntöter is an undead creature from Germany, usually Saxony. The name translates to “killer of nine” or “nine killer” and comes from the belief that these corpses take nine days to rise from the grave. They resemble corpses with rotting flesh and many open sores that smell like feces. They’re linked to the spreading of disease, which comes from their open sores. Because of this they’re typically seen during great epidemics. They are known to drink blood and may kill purely for its own enjoyment. A person will become a Neuntöter after death if they are born with teeth, born with a spoon in their mouth, or if they’re…
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Nachzehrer/Nachtzehrer
The Nachzehrer is from Germany. Born with cauls on their faces and cursed to rise from the dead, they eat their burial shrouds and their own flesh to give them the energy to break out of their graves. They get out of the grave at midnight, then hunt their family to feed on their blood. They are known to spread disease, cause famine, and destroy crops. They can be repelled by putting a pair of scissors open facing the head of the bed under the pillow. Garlic can be used to ward them off. They can be stopped through exorcism. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural…
