#arnold paole

[satan-conduit-le-bal]

killing the corpse of arnaut pavle

[vampireadamooc]

The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser

Sat 8 Mar 1851  

Page 1-2

Reprinted: From the Glasgow Herald.

THE VAMPIRE SUPERSTITION

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/101736844

Note: Trove Auto-transcriber errors have been corrected, but period spelling was left intact.

THE VAMPIRE SUPERSTITION.

[From the "Glasgow Herald."]

Most of our readers are, we dare say, acquainted with the general nature of the vampire superstition, but few of them are in possession of the curious facts out of which that superstition has arisen, and fewer still are probably aware of the terrible consternation which, in the early part of the last century, it caused in Servia and the districts adjacent to Belgrade. It is a most extraordinary idea, that the dead should arise from their graves, and prowl about the country for the purpose of sucking the blood of the living, and yet this is the genuine notion of vampirism. By some writers, the original of the vampire superstition is referred to the habits of a peculiar kind of bat, which, in hot climates, gently fans sleeping persons with its wings, while it bleeds them to death; but from the statement about to be made, it will be evident that this can by no means account for its "rise and progress." In a note to his poem of the "Giaour," Lord Byron says, "The vampire superstition is still general in the Levant. Honest Tournefort tells us a long story which Mr. Southey, in the notes on Thalaba, quotes about these 'Vroucolocha,' as he calls them. The Roman term is 'Vardoulacha.' I recollect a whole family being terrified by the scream of a child, which they imagined must proceed from such a visitation. The Greeks never mention the word without horror."

The best original account that we have seen of the ravages committed rather more than a century ago by the vampires, is contained in the third volume of a scientific publication printed at Paris in the year 1758, and entitled "Bibliotheque de Physique et d'Histoire Naturelle" The narrative referred to forms the second division of the sixty-third articles, the title of which is, "Observations Physiques sur l'embrasement de l'air Souterain dans une mine de charbon de terre ; sur les Vampyres, on corps morts accoutums a sucer le sang des vivans." The mode in which the learned author of this article, in the absence of all knowledge of the gases, endeavors to explain the causes of coal-pit explosions, is both ingenious and curious, but has now lost its interest in consequence of subsequent discoveries. His narrative of the ravages of vampirism in Servia is more to our purpose, and we accordingly translate it for the entertainment of our readers. However, the phenomenon may be explained, the facts stated relative to the ruddy healthy-looking condition of the supposed vampire corpses have been fully authenticated. " Our author says—

"In the, village of Kisolva, belonging to the district of Rahon, near Belgrade, a man died named Peter Plogowitz. Two months and a-half after his interment, it happened that, within the space of eight days, nine persons of different ages died, after about twenty-four hours illness, and declared that the said Plogowitz had appeared to them during sleep, and rested upon their bodies, squeezed their neck so hard as to leave them in a dying state. This character of vampirism was confirmed by the widow of the alleged vampire, who declared that her husband had come to her after his death to demand his shoes, upon which she quitted the village, for the purpose of establishing herself elsewhere.

Narratives of this sort are not new in that country, as there is a regular system of vampirism esta-

Continued on Page 2

blished, according to which the accused corpse must be examined, and certain forms be gone through for the purpose of putting an end to its murderous exploits. This, in the instance before us, was done in the presence of the provost of Belgrade, and of the chief priest of Gradisch. The former avers that he discovered in the disinterred carcass all the marks by which the natives, of that country distinguish vampires ; as, 1st, the body had no smell ; 2nd, it was entire, with the exception of the nose, which was a little thinned ; 3rd, the hair had commenced growing as well as the beard; 4th, new nails had been formed in place of the old ones, which had fallen off ; 5th, under the old skin, which was peeling off, and had become whitish, a new skin was growing up ; 6th, the countenance, the hands, the feet, and the whole body, were as fresh and healthy—looking as they could have been during life; 7th, it was remarked, with astonishment, that the mouth was filled with fresh liquid blood, which it was doubted that he had sucked from the bodies of those whom he had killed. Being then convicted of being a wicked vampire, a stake was quickly driven through his heart, from which abundance of blood issued, as well as from his mouth and ears, to say nothing of different effects which were manifested in other parts of the body. Finally, to curb his passion tor running about the country, the corpse was thrown upon at pile of wood, and reduced to ashes.

This fact is confirmed by many others, and particularly by another vampire of Kisolva, who took it into his head to demand food, and who, in effect, ate whatever was given to him. But he too, having committed many murders, was disinterred, when he appeared with his eyes open, his skin of a vermilion color, his respiration natural, but the body at the name time stiff and dead. Dead or not, however, from a dread of some trickery being practiced, he was again killed with blows of stones, and then burnt. But the most important circumstance connected with this second example happened in the year 1728, and related to the case of one Arnold Paule, who, having been tormented by a vampire, had the good fortune to save his life by eating a quantity of earth taken from the vampire's grave, and by rubbing himself with his blood. This, how- ever, did not prevent one of the most distressing consequences attributed to the attacks of vampires, namely, that those who have been sucked themselves regularly suck others in their turn—in other words, that those who, during life, have been passive vampires, become active vampires after death.

In fact, Arnold having been exhumed forty days after his burial, was found to have all the marks of an arch-vampire. Thus, when he was pierced with a stake, according to the ordinary method, the history states that he uttered a frightful yell, as if he had been alive. Several other persons who had died from the effects of vampirism were similarly proceeded against. In the year 1731, vampirism carried off seventeen individuals of different sexes and different ages, within the space of three months, and the chief complaint lay against a young noble man named Milo, who, nine weeks before his death had acted the hobgoblin, for the purpose of seducing the young females of the village. After many researches, it was agreed that all this mischief sprung from poor Arnold, who had been reduced to ashes five years before, as he had sucked not only the four persons whose bodies had been burnt along with his own, but he had also sucked beasts ; and the mischief was, that all who had eaten any portion of those vampire beasts became in course vampires themselves. Milo was one of these persons ; and on the occasion of his examination, the whole grave yard was scrutinized out of 40 bodies which had been interred within a certain period, 17 were found bearing the signs of vampirism. It need not be asked if a long time was spent in going through the established process. It remains only to be remarked, that the fact stated is attested by a great number of individuals of the strictest probity." As to the flat, that in the district mentioned corpses were found exhibiting the singular physical appearances above related, no doubt seems to be entertained. At least, on the testimony of so many and so unexceptionable witnesses, our French philosopher takes the fact as abundantly proved, and then he enters into an elaborate disquisition, in order to account for it upon the principles of natural science.

We need scarcely inform our readers that he very properly rejects the superstition founded upon it. To enter into the details of this argument would not be interesting to the majority of our readers, and we may therefore mention, that to the action of saltpetre he attributes the fluidity and freshness of the blood, and the ruddy color of the skin of the imaginary vampires. We translate the following detached passage, which will give some idea of his theory. Our author says—" From these discoveries" (alluding to certain facts in natural history, previously adduced), " we conclude that the fluidity of the blood in vampires is merely the effect of saltpetre, which had penetrated the pores of these bodies, and that the phenomena which the good priest of Gradisch took for nails and skins falling off and for renewed hairs and beards, were only a very subtle moss of saltpetre, which had been formed as a tissue over the different parts of the body, and which, in proportion as the dead bodies were roughly handled, became detached in form of a skin. The moss on the nails represented the old nails as having fallen from the fingers so much the more naturally, as it was by no means so firm as the skin, in consequence of the exceedingly minute pores of the nails.'  

Here we close our extracts from this curious essay : but we have done enough to call the attention of those who have made physical science their study, to an exceedingly singular phenomenon in the history of the animal economy.

Citations

Article identifier http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101736844

Page identifier http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page9710608

APA citation

THE VAMPIRE SUPERSTITION. (1851, March 8). The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848 - 1859), pp. 1-2. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101736844

MLA citation

"THE VAMPIRE SUPERSTITION." The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848 - 1859) 8 March 1851: 1-2. Web. 1 Feb 2019 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101736844>.

Harvard/Australian citation

1851 'THE VAMPIRE SUPERSTITION.', The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848 - 1859), 8 March, pp. 1-2. , viewed 01 Feb 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101736844

[vampireadamooc]

Print Info ------------------------------------- The National Gazette Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 21 Nov 1820, Tue · Page 2 Relavent To: Unnamed Mykonos Vrykolakas, Arnold Paole, Don Calmet, Joseph Pitton de Tournefort Other Editions: credited to "A French Journal"

------------------------------------- Article Text -------------------------------------

From a late French Journal. VAMPYRISM.

Vampyres have been, of late, brought into fashion, by romances and plays. Vampyrism is worth attention as one of the wildest superstitions of the human mind. No great timehas elapsed, since it prevailed in a deplorable manner among some European nations.

The idea is common among the Hungarians and the Moravians, that of the dead some return at night to torment the living, particularly their near relatives, to suck their blood and continue thus a sort of terrestrial existence at the expense of their victims. This absurd belief is found, more or less generally, among the Poles, the Silesians, the Servians, the modern Greeks, &c. It is reduced almost to a system among the Hungarians. They pretend to recognize by infallible symptons, in particular dead bodies, the property of returning to such the blood of those who survive; they think they have a method for destroying this property and rendering themselves inaccessible, and it is they who have given the denomination of Vampyres, which means Blood Suckers, to the dead bodies which they endow with the property in question. Tournefort, in his account of his travels in Greece, grives a lond and lively history of a Vampyre that infested , in 1701, the inhabitants of the Island of Mico. A poor peasant, killed in a quarrel, was accused of returning to the earth every night, beating people, breaking open doors, &c. "I had never,' says Tournefort, 'seen any wretchedness and alarm greater than those of the island, on this account; the imagination of every body was completely disordered. Whole families, amond the most sensible, abandoned their houses at night and slept in the open square of the city. many fled into the country."

Tournefort passed for an idiot or an infidel when he appeared incredulous. The body of the peasant was exhumed two or three times each day, religious processions and fasts took place. At length in a fit od despaire, the inhabitants determined to burn the body; which being done, the panic soon disappeared, from the supposition that the Devil was thus deprived of his nest.

It is not a century since this superstition of Vampyrism wore, in Hungary and Moravia, a much more appalling and serious character. It was believed that dead bodies, in which the blood remained at all fluid, were subjectto vampyrism; the point was determined by judicial inquest; the bodies suspected of the evil, were disinterred, the heads of them cut off, and their hearts pierved with a lance to destroy the dreaded attribute. Those who believed that they had been sucked by a vampyre, rubbed their persons over with earth taken from the grave of the deceased enemyl they drank his blood, not to become vampyres themselves; for Vampyrism was thought to be communicable like a disease, and whoever was sucked, was held to be condemned to suck others after his death. The year 1732, as the one in which Vampyrism made the most noise in the Austrian domininion. Many bodies were dug up; madistrates and military commissioners were employed to superintend the process mentioned above, which usually extended to burning and throwing the ashes in the river. regular records, or Proces Verbaux, of these proceedings were transmitted in all the forms to Vienna.

The German scholars published dissertations upon the vampyres, and after their example, the celebrated Don Calmet, compiled his "Treatise upon the Apparation of Spitits, and upon the Vampyres of Hungaria, Morvia, &c."

------------------------------------- Citations -------------------------------------

APA: Unknown. (1820, November 21). VAMPYRISM. The National Gazette, p. 2. Reprint from the wires, credited to "A French Journal"

MLA: Unknown. “VAMPYRISM.” The National Gazette , 21 Nov. 1820, p. 2. Reprint from the wires, credited to "A French Journal"

Chicago: Unknown. "VAMPYRISM." The National Gazette (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA), November 21, 1820. Reprint from the wires, credited to "A French Journal"

[vampireadamooc]

Part 3 of the the best Military Memes we could find on the internet! Safety First Spider hunt! Submarine fun Join the Army, they said Generals... Forget

The Austrian Army’s Vampire Hunting Detachment – A Halloween Special FEATURED GUEST BLOGGERS Oct 30, 2015 Guest Blogger

In autumn and early winter of 1731, a number of people in Serbia began dying mysteriously after two or three days, with no previous signs of disease. The Austrian military commander in the central Serbian town of Jagodina, Lieutenant Colonel Schnezzer, sent an Imperial Infectious Disease Specialist (Contagions-Medicus) named Glaser to investigate. After visiting the affected region on 12 December, interviewing villagers, and examining corpses, Glaser failed to find any sign of infectious disease. He noted that all the villagers were attributing the deaths to vampires. Glaser noted that some of the alleged vampires, when exhumed, showed no sign of decomposition while bodies that had been buried later had decomposed. He recommended to Schnezzer that the villagers be permitted to destroy the bodies of the suspected vampires so as to calm tensions. Schnezzer forwarded this report to the Austrian Oberkommandantur in Belgrade.

At the massive Kalemegdan fortress in Belgrade, the Oberkommandantur dispatched a special military detachment comprised of officers and troops from Baron Fürstenbusch’s Honorable Regiment of Foot (Regiments zu Fueß), the Honorable Marulli Regiment, and the Honorable Alexandrian Regiment. They were accompanied by a regimental surgeon Johann Flückinger, the field surgeon from Fürstenbusch’s regiment, J.H. Siegel, medical officer of the Moralli Regiment, and Johann Friedrich Baumgarten – also a medical officer from Furstenbusch’s regiment. In command was Lieutenant Colonel Buttener of the Honorable Alexandrian Regiment, accompanied by his adjutant J.H. von Lindenfels.

Flückinger’s Autopsy Report

Beginning on 7 January 17132, they interviewed villagers in places where vampire activity was reported. They recorded the activities of 14 suspected vampires, then exhumed and conducted autopsies on 13 of them. The body of the 14th had already been staked and burned before they got there.

Upon their return to Belgrade, field Surgeon Flückinger wrote an official report to the Belgrade Oberkommandantur on 26 January 1732, which was signed by the other officers and surgeons who had accompanied the mission. In it, Flückinger described in detail the case of the vampire Arnont Paole, as well as the results of each of the 13 autopsies. In the case of Paole, Flückinger wrote:

“And they found that he was quite complete and undecayed, and that fresh blood had flowed from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears; that the shirt, the covering, and the coffin were completely bloody; that the old nails on his hands and feet, along with the skin, had fallen off, and that new ones had grown; and since they saw from this that he was a true vampire, they drove a stake through his heart, according to their custom, whereby he gave an audible groan and bled copiously.”

In conducting the autopsies, Flückinger could not help but note that 10 of the 13 were “quite complete and undecayed,” even though having been dead for months. He described them as being “in a condition of vampirism.” The fate of the 10 “vampires” was fiery. Flückinger tells us that “after the examination had taken place, the heads of the vampires were cut off by the local gypsies and burned along with the bodies, and then the ashes were thrown into the river Morava.” In addition to Flückinger, the other two medical officers signed the report, along with Lieutenant Colonel Buttener of the Honorable Alexandrian Regiment, and J.H. von Lindenfels, an officer in the same regiment.

The report was then sent to Vienna, where it caused such a stir that Emperor Charles immediately sent it to all the capitals of Europe. In addition, Flückinger published the entire report at the Leipzig book fair in 1732 under the title of Visum Et Repertum, (Seen and Discovered). This booklet received wide circulation throughout Europe. Glaser’s father, the Viennese physician Johann Friedrich Glaser, sent his son’s letters describing the case to the Nuremburg journal Commercium Litterarium. Both were reprinted around Europe, and it was at this time that the word “vampire” entered into widespread us in Western languages.

Visum et Repertum (Seen and Discovered) 1732

After it had been reported that in the village of Medveđa the so-called vampires had killed some people by sucking their blood, I was, by high degree of a local Honorable Supreme Command, sent there to investigate the matter thoroughly along with officers detailed for that purpose and two subordinate medical officers, and therefore carried out and heard the present inquiry in the company of the captain of the Stalater Company of Hajduks [Serb paramilitary/bandit units], Goršić, Hadnack, the standard-bearer, and the oldest Hajduks of the village, as follows: who unanimously recount that about five years ago a local Hajduk by the name of Arnont Paole broke his neck in a fall from a hay wagon. This man had during his lifetime often revealed that, near Kosovo in Turkish Serbia, he had been troubled by a vampire, wherefore he had eaten from the earth of the vampire’s grave and had smeared himself with the vampire’s blood, in order to be free from the vexation he had suffered.

About 20 or 30 days after his death, some people complained that they were being bothered by this same Arnont Paole; and in fact four people were killed by him. In order to end this evil, they dug up this Arnont Paole 40 days after his death – this on the advice of a soldier, who had been present at such events before; and they found that he was quite complete and undecayed, and that fresh blood had flowed from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears; that the shirt, the covering, and the coffin were completely bloody; that the old nails on his hands and feet, along with the skin, had fallen off, and that new ones had grown; and since they saw from this that he was a true vampire, they drove a stake through his heart, according to their custom, whereby he gave an audible groan and bled copiously. Thereupon they burned the body to ashes the same day and threw these into the grave. These people say further that all those who were tormented and killed by the vampire must themselves become vampires.

Therefore they disinterred the above-mentioned four people in the same way. Then they also added that this Arnont Paole attacked not only the people, but also the cattle, and sucked out their blood. And since the people used the flesh of such cattle, it appears that some vampires are again present here, inasmuch as, in a period of three months, 17 young and old people died; among them some who, with no previous illness, died in two or at the most three days. In addition, the Hajduk Jovica reports that his step-daughter, by the name of Stanacka, lay down to sleep 15 days ago, fresh and healthy, but at midnight she started up out of her sleep with a terrible cry, fearful and trembling, and complained that she had been throttled by the son of a Hajduk by the name of Miloje, who had died nine weeks earlier, whereupon she had experienced a great pain in the chest and became worse hour by hour, until finally she died on the third day. At this we went the same afternoon to the graveyard, along with the often-mentioned oldest Hajduks of the village, in order to cause the suspicious graves to be opened and to examine the bodies in them, whereby, after all of them had been dissected, there was found:

A woman by the name of Stana, 20 years old, who had died in childbirth two months ago, after a three-day illness, and who had herself said, before her death, that she had painted herself with the blood of a vampire, wherefore both she and her child – which had died right after birth and because of a careless burial had been half eaten by the dogs – must also become vampires. She was quite complete and undecayed. After the opening of the body there was found in the cavitate pectoris a quantity of fresh extravascular blood. The vessels of the arteries and veins, like the ventriculis ortis, were not, as is usual, filled with coagulated blood, and the whole viscera, that is, the lung, liver, stomach, spleen, and intestines were quite fresh as they would be in a healthy person. The uterus was however quite enlarged and very inflamed externally, for the placenta and lochia had remained in place, wherefore the same was in complete putrefaction. The skin on her hands and feet, along with the old nails, fell away on their own, but on the other hand completely new nails were evident, along with a fresh and vivid skin.

There was a woman by the name of Milica (60 years old), who had died after a three-month sickness and had been buried 90-some days earlier. In the chest much liquid blood was found; and the other viscera were, like those mentioned before, in a good condition. During her dissection, all the Hajduks who were standing around marveled greatly at her plumpness and perfect body, uniformly stating that they had known the woman well, from her youth, and that she had; throughout her life, looked and been very lean and dried up, and they emphasized that she had come to this surprising plumpness in the grave. They also said that it was she who started the vampires this time, because she had eaten of the flesh of those sheep that had been killed by the previous vampires.

There was an eight-day-old child which had lain in the grave for 90 days and was similarly in a condition of vampirism.

The son of a Hajduk, 16 years old, was dug up, having lain in the earth for nine weeks, after he had died from a three-day illness, and was found like the other vampires.

Joachim, also the son of a Hajduk, 17 years old; had died after a three-day illness. He had been buried eight weeks and four days and, on being dissected; was found in similar condition.

A woman by the name of Rušća who had died after a ten-day illness and had been buried six weeks previous, in whom there was much fresh blood not only in the chest but also in fundo ventriculi. The same showed itself in her child, which was 18 days old and had died five weeks previously.

No less did a girl ten years of age, who had died two months previously, find herself in the above-mentioned condition, quite complete and undecayed; and had much fresh blood in her chest.

They caused the wife of Hadnack to be dug up, along with her child. She had died seven weeks previously, her child – who was eight weeks old – 21 days previously, and it was found that both mother and child were completely decomposed, although earth and grave were like those of the vampires lying nearby.

A servant of the local corporal of the Hajduks by the name of Rade, 21 years old, died after a three-month-long illness, and after a five week burial was found completely decomposed.

The wife of the local barjaktar [standard-bearer, a military title], along with her child, having died five weeks previously, were also completely decomposed.

With Stanče, a local Hajduk, 60 years old; who had died six weeks previously, I noticed a profuse liquid blood, like the others, in the chest and stomach. The entire body was in the oft-named condition of vampirism.

Miloje, a Hajduk, 25 years old; who had lain for six weeks in the earth, also was found in the condition of vampirism mentioned.

Stanojka, the wife of a Hajduk, 20 years old, died after a three-day illness and had been buried 18 days previously. In the dissection I found that she was in her countenance quite red and of a vivid color, and, as was mentioned above, she had been throttled, at midnight, by Miloje, the son of the Hajduk, and there was also to be seen, on the right side under the ear, a bloodshot blue mark, the length of a finger. As she was being taken out of the grave, a quantity of fresh blood flowed from her nose. With the dissection I found; as mentioned often already, a regular fragrant fresh bleeding, not only in the chest cavity, but also in ventriculo cordis. All the viscera found themselves in a completely good and healthy condition. The hypodermis of the entire body, along with the fresh nails of hands and feet, was as though completely fresh.

After the examination had taken place, the heads of the vampires were cut off by the local gypsies and burned along with the bodies, and then the ashes were thrown into the river Morava. The decomposed bodies, however, were laid back into their own graves.

The undersigned attest herewith that all which the Regimental Medical Officer of the Foot Regiment of the Honorable B. Furstenbusch has observed in the matter of vampires – along with both medical officers who signed with him – is in every way truthful and has been undertaken, observed, and examined in our own presence. In confirmation thereof is our signature in our own hand, of our making, Belgrade, January 26, 1732.

L.S. Johannes Fluchinger, Regimental Medical Officer of the Foot Regiment of the Honorable Baron Furstenbusch.

L.S. J.H. Siegel, Medical Officer of the Honorable Morall Regiment.

L.S. Johann Friedrich Baumgarten, Medical Officer of the Foot Regiment of the Honorable Baron. Furstenbusch.

L.S. Buttener, Leieutenant Colonel of the Honorable Alexandrian Regiment.

L.S. J.H. von Lindenfels, Officer of the Honorable Alexandrian Regiment

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Part Three:

Green-Mountain Freeman Montpelier, Washington, Vermont, USA 2 May 1850, Thu · Page 1 Relevant To: Arnold Paole, Jean Grenier, Sergeant Bertrand Other Editions: reprinted from Chambers Edinburgh Journal, Scotland, 1850

NOTE: spelling errors caused by a rushed typesetter during orig. printing have been corrected but period-genuine errors in names and the like have been left intact.

--------------------

Bertrand – I withdrew, trembling convulsively, feeling a great desire for repose. I fell asleep, no matter where, ans slept for several hours; but during this sleep I heard everything that passed around me! I have sometimes exhumed ten to fifteen bodies in a night. I dug them up with my hands, which were often torn and bleeding with the labor I underwent; but I minded nothing, so that I could get at them. The guardians fired at me one night and wounded me, but that not prevent my returning the next. This desire seized me generally about once a fortnight.

He added that had no access of this propensity since he was in the hospital, but that he would not be sure it might not return when his wounds were healed. Still he hope not. “I think I am cured,” said he, “I had never seen anyone die, in the hospital I have seen several of my comrades expire by my side. I believe I am cured for now I fear the dead.”

The surgeons who attended him were them examined, and one of them read a sort of memoir he had received from Bertrand, which contained the history of his malady as far as his memory served him.

From these noted, it appeared that there had been something singular and abnormal about him from the time he was seven or eight years old. It was not so much in acts, as in his love of solitude and his profound melancholy that the aberration was exhibited; and it was not till two years ago that his frightful peculiarity fully developed itself. Passing a cemetery one day, where grave diggers were covering a body that had just been interred, he entered to observe them. A violent shower of rain interrupted their labors, which they left unfinished. “At this sight,’ says Bertrand, ‘horrible desires seized me; my head throbbed, my heart palpitated violently, I excused myself, my companions, and returned hastily into town. No sooner did I find myself alone than I procured a spade and returned to the cemetery. I had just succeeded in exhuming the body when I saw a peasant watching me at the gate. Whilst he went to inform the authorities of what he had seen, I withdrew, and running into a neighboring wood, I laid myself down and in spite of the torrents of rain that were falling; I remained there in a state of profound insensibility for several hours.”

From this period he appears to have given free course to his inclinations as he generally covered the mutilated remains with earth again, it was some time before his proceedings excited observation. He had many narrow escaped of being taken or killed by the pistols of the guardians; but his agility seems to have been almost superhuman.

To the living he was gentle and kind, and was especially beloved in his regiment for his frankness and gaiety!

The medical men interrogated unanimously gave it as their opinion that, although in all other respects perfectly sane, Bertrand was not responsible for these acts. He was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment, during which time measures will doubtless be taken to complete his cure.

In relating this curious case of the Vampire, as he is called in Paris, were the affair has excited considerable attention, especially in the medical world, we have omitted several painful and disgusting particulars; but we have said enough to prove that beyond a doubt, there has been some good foundation for the ancient belief in ghoulism and lycanthropy ; and that the books of Dr. Weir and other, in which the existence of this malady is contemptuously denied, have been put forth without due investigation of the subject.

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Citations

-------------------------------------

APA: Unknown. (1850, May 02). A Modern Vampyre. Green-Mountain Freeman, p. 1. reprinted from Chambers Edinburgh Journal, Scotland, 1850

MLA: Unknown. “A Modern Vampyre.” Green-Mountain Freeman, 2 May 1850, p. 1. reprinted from Chambers Edinburgh Journal, Scotland, 1850

Chicago: Unknown. "A Modern Vampyre." Green-Mountain Freeman (Montpelier, Washington, Vermont, USA), May 02, 1850. reprinted from Chambers Edinburgh Journal, Scotland, 1850

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Part Two:

Green-Mountain Freeman Montpelier, Washington, Vermont, USA 2 May 1850, Thu · Page 1 Relevant To: Arnold Paole, Jean Grenier, Sergeant Bertrand Other Editions: reprinted from Chambers Edinburgh Journal, Scotland, 1850

NOTE: spelling errors caused by a rushed typesetter during orig. printing have been corrected but period-genuine errors in names and the like have been left intact.

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The watch was doubled but to no purpose. A young soldier was one night seized in a tomb, but he declared he had gone there to meet his sweetheart and had fallen asleep and as he evinced no trepidation, they let him go.

At length these profanations ceased in Pere la Chaise, but it was not long before they were renewed in another quarter. A suburban cemetery was the new theater of operations. A little girl, aged seven years, and much loved by her parents died. With their own hands they laid her in her coffin, attired in the frock she delighted to ware on fete days and with her playthings beside her; and accompanied by numerous relatives and friends, they saw her laid in the earth. On the following morning it was discovered that the grave had been violated, the body torn from the coffin, frightfully mutilated and the heart extracted. There was no robbery. The sensation in the neighborhood was tremendous and in the general terror and perplexity, suspicion fell on the brokenhearted father, whose innocence, however, was easily proved. Every means were taken to discover the criminal, but the only result of the increased surveillance was that the scene of the profanation was removed to the cemetery of Mont Parnasse, where the exhumations were carried to such an extent that the authorities were at their wits’ end. Considering, by the way, that all these cemeteries are surrounded by walls and have iron gates, which are kept closed, it certainly seems strange that any ghoul or vampyre of solid flesh and blood should have been able to pursue his vocation so long undiscovered. However, so it was. And it was not till they bethought themselves of laying a snare for this mysterious visitor that he was detected. Having remarked a spot where the wall, though nine feet high, appeared to have been frequently scaled an old officer contrived a sort infernal machine with a wire attached to it, which he so arranged that it would explode if anyone attempted to enter the cemetery at that point. This done,  and a watch being set, they thought themselves now secure of their purpose. Accordingly, at midnight an explosion aroused the guardians who perceived a man already in the cemetery; but before they could seize him, he had leaped the wall with an agility that confounded them and although they fired their pieces at him, he succeeded in making his escape. But his footsteps were marked by the blood that had flowed from his wounds and several scraps of military attire were picked up on the spot. Nevertheless, they seem to have been still uncertain where to seek the offender. Until one of the grave-diggers of Mont Parnasse, whilst preparing the last resting place of two criminals about to be executed, chanced to overhear sappers of the 74th regiment remarking that one of their sergeants had returned on the proceeding night cruelly wounded, nobody knew how, and had been conveyed to the Val de Grace, which is a military hospital. A little inquiry now soon cleared up the mystery and it was ascertained that Sergeant Bertrand was the author of all these profanations, and of many others of the same description previous to his arrival in Paris.

Supported on crutches, wrapped in a grey cloak, pale and feeble, Bertrand was now brought forward for examination; nor was there anything in the countenance or appearance of the young man indicative of the fearful monomania of which he is the victim. For the whole tenor of his confession proves that in no other light is his horrible propensity to be considered.

In the first place, he freely acknowledged himself the author of these violation of the dead both in Paris and elsewhere.

“What object did you propose to yourself in committing these acts?” Inquired the President

“I can’t tell,’ replied Bertrand; ‘it was a horrible impulse. I was driven to it against my own will; nothing could stop or deter me. I cannot describe nor understand myself what my sensation were in tearing and rending these bodies.”

President – And what did you do after one of these visits to a cemetery?

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Part One:

Green-Mountain Freeman Montpelier, Washington, Vermont, USA 2 May 1850, Thu · Page 1 Relevant To: Arnold Paole, Jean Grenier, Sergeant Bertrand Other Editions: reprinted from Chambers Edinburgh Journal, Scotland, 1850

NOTE: spelling errors caused by a rushed typesetter during orig. printing have been corrected but period-genuine errors in names and the like have been left intact.

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Select Miscellany

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A MODERN VAMPYRE

FROM CHAMBER'S EDINBURGH JOURNAL

Whoever had read the "Arabian Night' Entertainments," will be acquainted with the words ghoul and vampyre. A ghoul was believed to be a being in the human form, who frequented graveyards and cemeteries, where it disinterred, tore to pieces, and devoured the bodies buried there. A vampyre was a dead person, who came out of his grave at night to suck the blood of the living and whoever was so sucked became a vampyre in his turn when he died. -- Both these persuasions have been rejected by the modern scientific world as altogether unworthy of credence or inquiry, although unworthy of credence or inquiry, although about a century ago, the exploits of vampyres created such a sensation in Hungary, that they reached the ears of Louis XV., who directed his Minister a Vienna to report upon them. In a newspaper of that period there appeared a paragraph to the effect that Arnold Paul, a native of Madveiga being crushed to death by a wagon, and buried, had since become a vampyre, and that he had himself been previously bitten by one. The authorities being informed of the terror his visits were occasioning, and several persons having died with all the symptoms of vampirism, his grave was solemnly opened; and, although he had been in in it forty days, the body was like that of a living man. To cure his roving propensities, a stake was driven into it, whereupon he uttered a cry; after which his head was cut off, and the body burnt. Four other bodies, which had died from the consequences of his bites, and which were found in the same perfectly healthy condition, were serves in a similar manner; and it was hoped that these vigorous measures would extinguish the mischief. But no such thing; the evil continued, more or less, and five years afterwards was so rife, that the authorities determined to make through clearance of these troublesome individuals. On this occasion a vast number of graves were opened of persons of all ages and both sexes; and strange to say, the bodies of those accused of plaguing he living by their nocturnal visits, were found in the vampyre state- full of blood, and free from every symptom of death. The documents which record these transactions, bare the date of June 7, 1732, and are signed and witnessed by three surgeons and other creditable persons. The facts, in short, are indubitable, though what interpretation to put upon then remains extremely difficult. One that has been suggested, is, that all these fallen into a state of catalepsy or trance, and been buried alive. However this may be, the mystery is sufficiently perplexing; and the more so, that through the whole of Eastern Europe innumerable instances of the same kind of thing have occurred, whilst each language has an especial word to designate it.

That which in the East is called “goulism” has in the West been denominated “lycanthropy” or wolformania; and this phenomenon, as well as vampirism has been treated of by numerous ancient authors and though lately utterly denied and scouted was once very generally believed.

There are various shades and degrees of lycanthropy. In some cases the lycanthrope declares that he has the power of transforming himself into a wolf, in which disguise – his tastes corresponding to his form- he delights in feeding on human flesh; and in the public examinations of these unhappy individuals there was no scarcity of witnesses to corroborate their confessions. In other instances there was no transformation and the lycanthrope appears more closely to resemble a ghoul.

In the year 1603 a case of lycanthropy was brought before the Parliament of Bordeaux – the person accused was a boy of fourteen called Jean Grenier, who herded cattle. Several witnesses chiefly young girls came forward as his accusers, declaring that he had attacked and wounded them in the disguise of a wolf and would have killed them but for the vigorous defense they made with sticks. Jean Grenier himself avowed the crime, confessing to having killed and eaten several children and the father of the children confirmed all he said. Jean Grenier, however, appears to have been little removed from an idiot.

In the fifteenth century lycanthropy prevailed extensively among the Vaudois and many persons suffered death for it. But as no similar case seems to have been heard of for a long while, lycanthropy and goulism were set down among the superstitions of the East and the follies and fables of the dark ages. A circumstance, however, has just now come to light in France that throws a strange and unexpected light upon this curious subject. The account we are going to give is drawn from a report of the investigation before a council of war, held on the 10th of July, 1849. Colonel Manselon {acting} President. It is remarked that the Court was extremely crowded and that many ladies were present.

The facts to this mysterious affair as they came to light in the examinations are as follows: For some months past the cemeteries in and around Paris have been the scenes of a frightful profanation, the authors of which had succeeded to eluding all the vigilance that was exhorted to detect them. At one time the guardians or keepers of these places of burial were themselves suspected; at others, the odium was thrown on the surviving relations of the dead.

The cemetery of Pere la Chaise was the first field of the horrible operations. It appears that for a considerable time the guardians had observed a mysterious figure flitting about by night among the tombs on whom they could never lay their hands. As they approached he disappeared like a phantom and even the dogs that were let loose and urged to seize him stopped short and ceased to bark, as if they were transfixed by a charm. When morning broke the ravages of this strange visitant were but too visible. Graves had been opened, coffins forced, and the remains of the dead, frightfully torn and mutilated, lay scattered upon the earth. Could the surgeons be the guilty parties? No. A member of the profession being brought to the spot declared that no scientific knife had been there; but certain parts of the human body might be requires for anatomical studies and the grave-diggers might have violated the tombs to obtain money by the sale of them.

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Death of a local villager becomes a problem in Eighteenth Century Serbia. Other villagers are haunted, apparently, by the deceased. Some of the first cases in Europe to be taken as serious proofs...