Vampire lore time! You see, every country in the world has its own vampire myth and legends; they have their own vampire species that people once believed in completely. Back in the day, the ustrel was one kind of vampire the Bulgarians were fearful of.
The bloodthirsty ustrel was thought to be the returned spirit of a Christian child who was born on a Saturday but died before receiving baptism. Nine days after burial the child would dig out of its grave and surface as a vampire – a very hungry vampire.
This was one peculiar vampire though, because while it absolutely loved feeding upon blood, it only drank the blood of cattle. That’s right readers, a vampire that only drinks cow blood. You would this that this would be a good thing, it kept the humans safe, however, people can’t survive if all of their cows die on them. But the cows filled all of the vampire’s feeding needs, so once the ustrel left its grave it instantly went in search of a herd of cattle. This vamp always starts off by feeding on the fattest and healthiest cows, moving down the ranks leaving behind drained corpses.
Within ten days of feeding the ustrel is strong enough to remain above ground, nestled in the horns of an animal or between the hind legs of a mulch cow. It will continue to feed from the cows unless it’s removed. Needfires (fires created for superstitious reasons) will rid the vamp from the herd; the creature will simply drop off the cow as it passes through the flames. But, for several days no man or woman should approach the remains of the flames, for the ustrel will call out their name and then follow them home. If one chooses to simply ignore the ustrel, a wolf will eventually come and kill it – but chances are that by then you won’t have many cows left on your land.
Mmm cow.
– Moonlight
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