Mythology & Folklore Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [vampires]

For questions about myths and legends connected to vampires, humanoid beings occasionally (especially in modern literature) depicted as nocturnal and preferring to drink blood.

See also Where should we draw the line for werewolf and vampire questions?.

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What is the relationship between werewolves and vampires in Balkan folklore?

In Balkan folklore, several words that originally meant werewolf (e.g. the Bulgarian vǎrkolak and the Serbian vulkodlak) either ended up being used for both creatures or for vampires alone (e.g the Greek word vrykolakas, a derivative of vǎrkolak).…
yannis
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Origin of the 'vampires have no reflection' myth

Depending on what stories you read or movies you watch, vampires will and won't have reflections. But what is the earliest reference to this particular myth and do we know it's origin?
Daft
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Why is silver in particular effective against dark creatures like vampires?

For instance, according to the supernatural wiki, silver is a metal with strong supernatural properties. But historically, why is specifically silver considered harmful to vampires? Is there a reason why it could not be gold or bronze?
Tom M
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Why can't vampires walk in the sun?

A very common trope in vampire fiction is that vampires can't walk in the sun, and will die if they try to. See, for example, Suicide by Sunlight on TVTropes. Why is that? What is the origin of the myth? Wikipedia's Vampire folklore by region…
Ouroboros
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Why do so many cultures have monsters that prey on families?

While researching La Llorona and vampiresses, I noticed that lots of cultures have predominantly female monsters that use deception to prey on families. Lamia that prey on young men and children, deer women that seduce and kill young men, incubi…
Anonymous
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What's the origin of “vampires must be invited”?

What is the origin of the idea that vampires cannot enter your home without being invited? Does it apply specifically to homes, or does it include any building? A walled garden? A vehicle?
peterorme
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Are vampires called anything else in European folklore?

Does there exist alternative names for vampires? Perhaps an euphemism; for example, in Harry Potter, those who feared Voldemort called him "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" in lieu of his real name. Or perhaps something like a true name. Is there anything…
Jillifish
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Why don't vampires migrate?

In both European and American folklore, vampires are either outright nocturnal or are weak to the sun. Therefore, wouldn't it make logical sense for them to migrate with the seasons to parts of the world with long nights? This is something I feel…
Treldman
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Are vampires vulnerable to crucifixes because of the crucifixion of Jesus?

I wanted to know if the legends of vampires being vulnerable to a crucifix or a cross exist because of what happened to Jesus. Is this so?
iXô
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Are there any mythological cures for vampirism?

Lots of cultures have varying myths about vampires. Do any of these myths mention a cure that could turn someone back into a (living) human after they were infected?
Abijah
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Can Vampires Take Form of Nocturnal Animals?

In Bram Stoker's Dracula, it was hinted that he may have taken form of a bat while visiting the asylum inmate, Renfield. Is that possible? And could he take form of all the other animals, like wolves or owls?
The Elvish Cowgirl
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Vampires in Religious texts

You know how the Torah says that there were Vampires who were called blood sucking demons. Are Vampires mention in other religious books or texts?
14thAngel
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Are there official terms in any cultures for vampire hideouts?

I've been thinking about what sorts of monsters would realistically be in a haunted house and I wound up wondering if there was an official word for the sorts of places where vampires lived. Is there?
Anonymous
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