Today I bring you a vampire tale from G. Willoughby-Meade, a man that documented China’s folktales (like the Grimm brothers did in Europe) in his book, Chinese Ghouls and Goblins.
Our terrifying tale begins with a man named Liu, who was a tutor staying at another’s residence far from his native home. He was granted a vacation so that he could perform his devotions at the tomb of his ancestors. But, on the morning he was to set out on his journey, his wife entered his chamber and as she approached his bed she saw thereon Liu’s headless body, and there was no spot or stain of blood.
Half insane with fear, she at once cried out, yet the circumstances were so surprising that the magistrate gave orders for her to be arrested on suspicion of having murdered her husband. Though she swore she was innocent, she was still detained until the murder was solved.
However, there was no immediate information to be found. It wasn’t until two or three days later that a neighbor who was gathering firewood on a hillside noticed a large coffin with the lid partly raised. This coffin was curiously placed near an old and neglected grave. Feeling that something was amiss, he called a number of persons together from the village before investigating the coffin on his own.
They approached the coffin and quickly removed the lid. Inside they found a corpse which had the face of a hideous and man-like being. It had ferocious red eyes, long white teeth and full red lips covered in foamy blood and spittle. But the worst part was what was held within its bony hands – grasped between its claw-like hand and nails it held the missing head of the unfortunate Liu.
Upon discovering this, the people ran to the authorities, who upon hearing the report rushed to the hill with an armed guard, reaching the place before sunset. They soon found out that it was impossible to remove Liu’s head without severing the arms of the corpse. So they chopped off the arms, and at that very moment crimson gore gushed out in a great flood filling the coffin.
The head of Liu was found to be shriveled, sucked dry of blood. The authorities instantly commanded that the coffin and its contents should at once be burned to ashes on a great pyre. The tutor’s widow was immediately released from custody.
– Moonlight
I think I need to start brushing up on my folklore cause I have never heard that story before! I totally love it. Folklore is really a sensational way to inspire the soul.