Farkaskoldus

The Farkaskoldus is a vampiric form of werewolf from Hungary. Its name translates to “wolf beggar.” Oftentimes they are undead creatures that in life, were abused shepherds. Sometimes a person could become a Farkaskoldus if they consumed the flesh of someone who was executed. They return from the dead to right some serious wrong and are known to be incredibly dangerous and easy to anger. Sometimes the spirit that brings them back will fade quickly after getting revenge. They can take the form of a cat, dog or goat, and they use these forms to discreetly seek out prey. After finding prey, typically sleeping people, they sit on the person’s chest and drain their blood. After they’ve finished feeding and morning comes, they return to their graves to rest. They can be killed with normal weapons but are incredibly hard to kill one on one and often need to be killed by a large group. If exhumed, the Farkaskoldus shows little sign of decay either visually or in smell and are filled with fresh blood. They can be killed if the body is burned to ash or soaked in holy water. Sometimes a wooden stake would be driven through the heart or a nail driven through the skull before burning the body to ash. Some sever the limbs and head, remove the heart through the back, and then burn the body. Some however simply place the body in a sack and throw it into a river.

Citations:

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

Kenyon, Theda. Witches Still Live: A Study of the Black Art Today. United Kingdom, Rider & Company, 1931.

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.