The Real History Behind Hemlock Grove’s Upir

The Netflix show Hemlock Grove, based on the book of the same name, mentions a being known as the upir. But what is this creature and did the show’s writers create it? Oh no, Dear Readers, they didn’t. The upir is a vampire from European folklore, a vampire species once believed to be real. Along…

The Vampires of Russia

Russia is absolutely full of folklore and history of all kinds, but most importantly, it  has myths about our beloved bloodsuckers. Russian vampires share many similarities with other vampire species in Europe, particularly the countries nearby, but here’s a look at two vampire species found in Russia. Eretica: This horrifying vamp was often associated with…

The Russian Eretica

The eretica is a menacing Russian species of vampire.  This particular vampire stems from the belief that heretics were punished by becoming members of the undead after death. The most likely heretic to turn into a vampire was one that used magic. Sorcerers and witches were said to turn into a vampire once they died.…