Gather Your Amulets and Wits

We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of seeing. -Maria Mitchell {Research blog}

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Baobhan Sith

Vampiric Scottish fairies who appear as beautiful young women dressed in green.  Baobhan sith is a Highland term for a banshee and usually is applied to dangerous and evil succubi.  The baobhan sith dance with men until the men are exhausted, and then feed upon them.  They can be killed with cold iron.

The baobhan sith are especially fond of hunters and young men who are out after dark.  One scottish folktale tells of four young men who went hunting and spent the night in an empty shieling, a hut for the shelter fo grazing sheep.  To entertain themselves, they played mouth-music and danced.  One of the men wished they had dancing partners.  Immediately, four beautiful women appeared.  Three danced with the men and the fourth stood by the music maker.  The music maker suddenly noticed that drops of blood were falling from his dancing friends.  Terrified, he fled, pursued by the vampire.  He hid himself among their horses, protected by the iron of their shoes.  The vampire nonetheless kept circling him, but had to give up when dawn came.  The hunter returned to the shieling and was horrified to find the bloodless bodies of his companions.  

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Baital

Indian vampire.  The term baital succeeded the older term of vetala.  The baital is an evil, mischievous spirit that inhabits and reanimates corpses.  It’s form is half man, half bat, and stands approximately four to five feet tall.  

In the Hindu folktale King Vikram and the Vampire, the baital hangs upside down in a siras-tree (mimosa tree), for that is where the corpse he inhabits was placed.  It’s appearance is described thus:

It’s eyes, which were wide open, were of a greenish brown, and never twinkled; it’s hair also was brown [a color associated with low-caste men, witches and fiends], and brown was its face - three several shades which, notwithstanding, approached one another in an unpleasant way, as in an over-dried coconut.  It’s body was thin and ribbed like a skeleton or a bamboo framework, and as it held onto a bough, like a flying fox, by the toe tips, it’s drawn muscles stood out as if they were ropes of coir.  Blood it appeared to have none, or there would have been a decided determination of that curious juice to the head; and as the Raja handled it’s skin, it felt icy cold and clammy as might a snake.  The only sign of life was the whisking of a ragged little tail much resembling a goat’s.

The baital has ironlike skin that makes it impervious to blows.  He is wily and clever.  

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Ataru

Vampire in Ashantiland lore.  Like the Asasabonsam, the ataru drinks blood through it’s victims’ thumbs.

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Aswang Manananggal

Shapeshifting Philippine viscera sucker that flies about as a bodiless head with trailing entrails, feeding on human flesh, blood, organs, and mucus, especially of fetuses and newborns.  It has a long tongue that can suck a fetus out of a womb.  

The aswang Manananggal is accompanied by small birds who act as familiars and reconnaissance, locating prey.  By day, the vampire is either a man or woman who is likely to be a respected member of the community.  

Pregnant women can protect themselves by wearing a necklace made of bullets on a string and by smearing coal dust on the abdomens.  

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Astral Vampire

Spirit form of a vampire; also a magically created vampire.  In occult lore, the astral vampire is the spirit shape of a living vampire, such as certain witches or sorcerers who have the ability to project themselves out of body to attack their victims at a distance.

Astral vampires - a type of thought-form- can be created through magical procedure for psychic attack.

Vampire researcher Vincent Hillyer theorized that an astral form also might be the “real” vampire in cases of the restless dead.  Hillyer said the astral vampire, the spirit essence of the dead person, might be able to project itself out from the corpse, feed on the living, and then return to the corpse to sustain it.  He developed a theory called the “hemolytic factor” to explain how an astral form can draw off the blood of a living person.  The theory rests on the process of hemolysis, which is the destruction of red corpuscles that occurs with the release of hemoglobin into surrounding fluids.    Hemolysis is caused by hemolysin, a substance in the blood serum that causes destruction of the red corpuscles.  This effect is sometimes produced when red corpuscles from a different blood group are injected into the blood. 

According to the hemolytic factor theory, the vampire’s astral body penetrates the victim’s aura and physical body.  The vampire, which is in great need of blood, has sparse red corpuscles and can be considered the “wrong blood group.” Hemolysis occurs, and the vampire sucks up the red corpuscles released in the victim’s blood.  These are transported back to the grave and infused into the corpse. 

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Asrapa

In Indian lore, a blood-sucking witch who attends Kali, the fierce human flesh-eating goddess from whom the asrapa draws its power.  The asrapa roams naked in cemeteries, where it raises the dead to life and practices shapeshifting.  

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Aspen

The wood of Christ’s cross, and thus in folklore a protection against all evil things.  Aspen is a favored wood for stakes for confining or destroying vampires.  Branches of aspen laid on the graves of vampires and witches will prevent them from rising up at night to terrorize people. 

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Ashes

In folklore, the ashes of the burned corpse or organs of a destroyed vampire have the power to heal the victims of vampires.  The ashes are mixed in a drink and taken as medicine.  

An anecdotal account from the late 19th centry in Romania tells about an old peasant woman from Amarasti who died and became a vampire.  A few months after her death, the children of her eldest son died one by one.  Then the children of her youngest son began to die.  Suspecting that their mother had become a vampire, the sons dug up her body, cut it in two, and reburied her.  Still the deaths of the children continued.  The sons dug up the body a second time, and were astonished to find it whole and without any wounds.  This time they carted the corpse deep into the forest and laid it under a tree.  They disemboweled it and removed the heart.  Fresh blood flowed from it.  They cut the heart into four pieces and burnt them to ashes, which they saved.  They burned the rest of the body to ashes and buried them.  

The sons mixed the ashes of the heart into water and gave the potion to the remaining children to drink.  This remedy destroyed the vampire and stopped the deaths.

In a similar Romanian case from the late 19th century, a crippled, unmarried man from Cusmir died.  Soon thereafter, his relatives fell ill and some of them died.  Several complained that one of their legs was withering.  The association of an affliction of the leg pointed to the crippled man as a vampire, so the villagers drug him up on a Saturday night.  They found him “red as red” and curled into a corner of the grave.  They cut him open, removed the heart and liver, and burned the organs to ashes.  These were mixed with water and given to the ill relations, who included the dead man’s sister.  They all regained their health.  

In some areas, the smoke of burning vampire organs is believed to protect against evil.  Villagers passed through the smoke to acquire the protection.

In other Slavic lore, the consumption of the ashes of one’s Caul can prevent one from turning into a vampire after death.

In vampire cases in New England in the 18th and 19th centuries, several corpses were disinterred so that their organs could be burned and mixed into medicine for victims of consumption.

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Asasabonam (Asanbosam)

African vampires.  In Ghana lore the asasabonsam have hooks instead of feet.  They like to bite their victims on the thumb.  They can be men, women, or children.

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Andandara

In the lore of the Azande of Africa, a race of malevolent wild cats that have intercourse with human women, who then bear both human children and cats.  The women suckle the cats.  The andandara possess a killing look, and the mere sight of them can cause death.  It is extremely unlucky to hear their cries in the bush.  Their presence brings misfortune.

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Ala

A Turkish term, borrowed by Serbs and Greeks, for an eclipse vampire.  The ala replaced the names of Varcolac and Vukodlak as the sky creature who eats the sun and moon.  Ale (plural) assume human form and drink boiled milk, wine, and vodka like water.  They bring storms that ruin crops.

According to a Serbian folktale, a peasant who lost all his money because his vineyard was plucked clean by an ala is told how to kill the vampire: he must wait under his pear tree with a shotgun loaded with pellets of lead, silver, gold, and steel.  The peasant replanted his vineyard, which produces an abundant harvest.  The ala comes to eat the grapes, and the sky becomes dark and menacing, with lightning, thunder, and hail.  The peasant loads his shotgun and waits beneath the pear tree.  Soon the ala arrives in the form of an eagle.  The peasant shoots it and it falls to the ground; he kills it.  The sky immediately clears.  The peasant regains his wealth.  

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Al

In Armenian lore, a half-human, half-animal creatures that especially likes to attack pregnant women.  The al may have originated in the Babylonian lore of the alu, a malevolent spirit in the form of a black dog that causes diseases.

The al has one fiery eye, iron teeth, brass fingernails, the tusks of a wild boar, and long, snakelike hair.  it possesses a pointed hat covered with bells that renders it invisible.  The al likes to live in damp and dirty places, including homes and stables.  it also frequents wet and sandy places along roads.  

The al strangles pregnant women and their unborn children and pulls out their livers.  It causes miscarriages and steals newborn infants up to seven months old.

The explanation for the al’s rage against women and infants is found in Christianized lore.  God gave Adam an al, but the two were not compatible, for Adam was made of dust and the al was made of fire.  God created Eve as a substitute.  This enraged the al, who dedicated itself to attacking women.

Another Christian story about the al tells that St. Peter once came upon a creature with iron teeth and tusks, sitting in a wet and sandy place along a road.  The saint asked it to identify itself, and it gave it’s name and described it’s activities.  

The best remedy against the al is iron: Keep numerous iron objects and utensils around; especially place them around the bed of a pregnant woman, or place an iron knife under her pillow.  Prayers and charms are also effective for warding off attacks.  

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Afrit

In Arabian lore, the vampire spirit of a murdered man who seeks to avenge his death. The Afrit rises up like smoke from the blood of the victim. Like the European vampire, the Afrit can be stopped by driving a nail into the blood soaked ground.

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Adze

In African lore, a vampiric entity who appears in the form of a firefly. The adze lives among tribal sorcerers of the Ewe in Ghana and southern Togo. If captured, it turns into a human and attacks its captors. If there is no blood available, it drinks coconut water and Palm oil. It especially likes the blood of beautiful children.

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Abchanchu

Bolivian vampire. The abchanchu pretends to be a kindly old man who loses his way. His well meaning, helpful victims are whether stricken with a fatal disease or are sucked dry off their blood while they are asleep.

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Crooked Paths

Crooked paths and bridges confuse all spirits, including evil ones, and will prevent them from accessing a place.

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Running Water

Water represents purity and will reject evil.  In folklore, crossing running water will enable a person to evade pursuing evil spirits and witches.  In the European witch hunts, suspected witches were sometimes “swum”, or dunked into deep water with their hands and feet bound.  If they floated, it meant that the water rejected them because they were evil, and so they were guilty of witchcraft.  If they sank - and usually drowned- it meant that the water accepted them, and they were innocent.

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