Vampire Myths Originated in India

Hindu Vampire

There is some research that suggests ancient India was the original source of the vampire legends. Stories of undead, bloodsucking creatures may have traveled from India to places like Romania, Russia, and other lands, to form what our ideas of the vampire are today.
Earliest myths of vampire-like creatures seem to come from India, and other places in the East like Tibet and China. The “Gypsies” or the Roma people, actually began as nomadic tribes in northern India, taking stories of vampire legends with them as they traveled westward.
They traveled to places like Turkey and Romania, Hungary, the Slavic lands, and soon all across Europe. The vampire legend traveled with them. The ancient India beliefs about the vampire creatures still exist in Indian culture today. Since this was all oral tradition, it’s easy to understand how the vampire legend changed over time from its original source in India.
In India, the vampires were generally viewed as demonic beings that could reanimate the corpse of a human. It would use the body of the human to destroy others and drink their blood. Typically this was a human who was buried improperly or not given the proper funeral rites. These ideas persisted about vampires as the Gypsies spread the legends throughout Europe.
The Gypsy vampires changed to be more like revenants; humans who come back from the dead. These versions of vampires usually come back and destroy their families and friends first. This idea was very common among the earliest vampire myths of Europe.
A common theme in these early vampire legends were that any living thing could become a vampire. This included dogs, cats, and farm animals. Even plants! There was, of course, the myth of the vampire pumpkin! These myths had changed a whole lot from the original India legends.
The Gypsies also had some interesting ideas about protecting against vampire attacks. They would drive steel or iron through the corpse, or put steel in the mouth or over the eyes of the corpse of a suspected vampire. They would place hawthorn in the socks of the corpse or drive a hawthorn stake through the body. They would also pour boiling water over the grave or the corpse. If all else failed, they would decapitate the corpse and burn it. This is more similar to the Western idea of vampires we have today. And to think, it all began in ancient India!

By Holiday

Holiday is a secretive squonk from deep in the darkness of the forests. She loves helping people, reading about obscure myths and folklore, and having adventures.

97 comments

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  2. Don’t forget the fight between the goddess Durga and the asura Raktavija. The asura had the power to spring again from drops of his blood, so it was indestructible. Durga found herself in dificulties, so she called Kali to aid her (I also read a version where from Durga’s anger sprung Kali). Kali then drank all the blood Raktavija spilled and defeated him at last.

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      1. right, every country has their own legends about vampires, and that’s what this article is talking about. People found it a strange coincidence that the storys were spread around the world for over a Millenia. Now we know why, the very nomadic Gypsies spread the myth.

  4. hi everybody i believe that those creatures exist really.but sites are blaming that india is the source of vampires

    1. well dear mugdha i guess u hit ur head very hard……thats why u said like that……read novels, see movies but dont make them ur world

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    1. yeah rite.. the fact that ur on this site says u think they r for real..of atleast doubt.abt them….
      so…yeah..nonsense it seems….
      the whole world is going vamp crazy…so many myths n legends…..they must be der for a reason…
      how did so mamy ppl from across the world have so many myths abt the vampires….
      and we r talking abt a period where there were no means of communications..or fast travel…
      from america to india….HELL..! there must be some reason…

      1. The myths and legends about vampires aren’t something new, they have been around for hundreds and in some cases, thousands of years. Every part of the world has their own unique vampire myths.

  6. Wow, where did you idiots read that Vampire’s came from India?

    What they said was the vampire MYTH originated there… not that there once were vamps in India… duh

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  9. its not true that vampires originated in india…those pics are of GOD NARASIMHA….its not any vampire!!

  10. m nt surprisd!! it feels nyc at least one mythical creature hv chances 2 exist…. morever human’s blood is rich in protein and mayb datz y dese creatures bcum mre intrestd… sometimes i do think dat mayb if vamps really exist den dey mayb aliens…. wassay??@ rply

  11. i think vamp diaries ve made all of us go crazy abt d vampire stuffz.i mean obviously if sum one like ian somerhalder tells hez a vampire who d hell wont belive. if they really r there” where the hell r they!!!!!!!!!

  12. wowwwwwww vampires are amazing creatures. they drive me so crazy. i”d love to be one of them. do they realllly exist in india???????????????????

    and if you have a cute indian and portuguese vampire like vivian in front thennnnnnnnnn who will not like to be with him………….

  13. Atleast Our India is source of something!!
    I think they exist!!
    They r not imaginary n living with us!!
    If not then y the whole world chattering abt dis??

  14. alright u know wat i do beleve in vampires n i am researching on them from i guess 6 yrs and have got a lot info im really intrested in all these things everybody thinks dat dis is all rubish but who knows dat wat can happen …??? so ill not stop recearching till the time i get more proofs dat they exist and will keeep hunting for them…………………………………

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  16. There is no possible way to become vampire… First of all Vampires does not exist… If so even no one can be changed as vampire…. Rubbish..

  17. it can be true,while in Gangtok ,i have heard a story of a ancient king there, who used to drink blood of his farmers and animals, there are still the ruins of his palace.

  18. I prayed to the moon spirit and now i think a vampire is after me
    every night around 3 am ( technically morning :p) i can hear someone walking on my roof
    i just don’t have the guts to invite it in
    this may sound stupid but believe me all the cats and dogs around my house have been killed mysteriously what could it be :(

  19. Hi freind’s I am Ajit trivedi me India ka rahene at post-surajgoan,Tal-sagwara,Dist-Dungarpur (RAJ.),Pin-314027 ………….. Muje english nhi aati he But i like Vampire ………
    Agar koi vampire is mesage ko padh rha ho to muje call kare pz…………..
    kyoki muje bhi vampire banana he or me apni marji se vampire banana chata hu
    Me whatssp pe hu
    PZ…………………… muje call karna or muje PZ vampire bnado

  20. seriously guys,vampires dont exist and lol who wants to live an eternity,thts really really long and if vampires had exist then u would have read neck bite cases in newspaper.

    1. it is not necessary that vampire will leave teeth mark on your neck or any other place. according to eastern study . vampire have the ability to fix the teeth marks after they drink your blood and even u will not able to remember the scene.

  21. I want to become a vampire if any vampire read this comment please turn me and this is my wish contact me on facebook ANKIT DWIVEDI WHERE MY CELL no available

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