Whether they’re told as common folklore, or believed to be real terrors and creatures that roam the earth, there are many names for vampires and vampire beings throughout the world. Here are some common vampire names that send a tingle up one’s spine throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.
Bruja: This creature took the form of animals although it was usually thought to appear as a female. The Bruja was also known to attack mostly infants. This vampiric creature is known mostly throughout Spain. In Portugal, there’s a known creature that’s similar to the Bruja, called the Bruxa. The Bruxa however, were thought mostly to be witches and not vampires. They too however, attacked mostly infants.
Callicantzaros: This terrifying vampire is of a special sort that’s known throughout Greece. Not only are these vampires born around the holidays, from Christmas Day through to the Epiphany (New Year’s), but this is also when they are most known to attack and be the most violent. They also have long talons, which make them much more dangerous.
Dhampir – Dhampirs weren’t actually vampires. But they were thought to be a specific kind of vampire hunter. What gives a dhampir they’re power is that they are the son of a vampire and during the 17th and 18th century, it was thought that only dhampirs could kill vampires. It was common for other people to disguise themselves as dhampirs, claiming that they could kill vampires in order to make a profit. These types of vampire hunters were also thought to be common throughout Bulgaria, where they are called vampirdzhija.
Lamia: Throughout Greece there’s another vampiress that strikes terror. This creature however is only half woman, and the rest of her is half serpent. Lamias are thought to live in caves and they come out to feast on children. They also sometimes take the form of beautiful women, who are all-woman, in order to seduce men so that they can also drink their blood.
Nachzehrer: This vampire is found in graves in Germany and has very particular traits. They will always hold the thumb of one hand with the other, and their left eye is always open. They sit in their tombs while feasting on their prey and make loud grunting noises.
Neuntoter: Also found in Germany, this vampire spreads terror of a different sort. They may not drain you of your blood, but they do spread the plague!
Upir: The Czech Republic is a vampire that stems from the thought that everyone has two souls. After death, one soul moves on to the afterlife and the other soul, known as the ‘lesser soul’, remains in the corpse, leaving it to become reanimated. Found in graves, it usually had its eyes open and had two curls in its hair. Another characteristic of Upirs was that they had two hearts.
Ustrel: These vampires were found in Bulgaria. These vampires came from babies that were born on a Saturday and not baptized. When nine days had passed after their burial, the ustrel would come back to feed on and drain the blood of livestock. After they had become strong enough, ustrels would then remain out during the day, hiding in among the livestock, and feasting on them one by one.
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