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Dhampire is the name of children of a vampire-human relationship. The names and characteristics of the dhampire changes from region to region. Dhampire is the common name for these creatures but Gypsy groups also called them Vampire(if male), Vampuiera(if female), Vampijerovic, and Lampijerovic. Some believed that the creature was always male; others believed that they were short-lived because of jelly-like bodies. They could not come from the family of an Orthodox or Muslim cleric, or in some cases like normal humans.
Dhampires are found in Serbia and elsewhere in parts of Yugoslavia. They are very efficient in detecting and destroying their vampiric families, thus making a comfortable living as vampire hunters. They are said to be the only creatures that can see the Serbia vampires (they are invisible). They perform bizarre rituals- whistling, running about, undressing, and using shirtsleeves as a type of telescope. After wrestling with a foe (many invisible), the dhampire declares the vampire dead and collects his large fee. The last documented dhampire ceremony was in 1959 in the Yugoslavian province of Kosovo.
Nomenclature
The word "dhampir" is associated with the folklore of the Roma people of the Balkans, whose beliefs have been described by T. P. Vukanović. In the rest of the region, terms such as Serbian vampirović, vampijerović, vampirić (thus, Bosnian lampijerović, etc.) literally meaning "vampire's son", are used. In other regions[specify] the child is named "Vampir" if a boy and "Vampiresa" if a girl, or "Dhampir" if a boy and "Dhampiresa" if a girl.[citation needed] In Bulgarian folklore, numerous terms such as glog (lit. "hawthorn"), vampirdzhiya ("vampire" + nomen agentis suffix), vampirar ("vampire" + nomen agentis suffix), dzhadadzhiya and svetocher are used to refer to vampire children and descendants, as well as to other specialized vampire hunters.
Origin
In the Balkans it is believed that male vampires have a great desire for women, so a vampire will return to have intercourse with his wife or with a woman he was attracted to in life. Indeed, in one recorded case, a Serbian widow tried to blame her pregnancy on her late husband, who had supposedly become a vampire, and there were cases of Serbian men pretending to be vampires in order to reach the women they desired. In Bulgarian folklore, vampires were sometimes said to deflower virgins as well. A vampire may also move to a village where nobody knows him and marry and have children there. The sexual activity of the vampire seems to be a peculiarity of South Slavic vampire belief as opposed to other Slavs], although a similar motif also occurs in Belorussian legends.
Features
Some traditions specify signs by which the children of a vampire can be recognized. Serbian legends state they have a large head with untamed dark or black hair and lack a shadow]; in Bulgarian folklore, possible indications include being "very dirty", snub-nosed or even nose-less, having a soft body, no nails and bones (the latter physical peculiarity is also ascribed to the vampire itself), and "a deep mark on the back, like a tail". In contrast, a pronounced nose was often a sign, as were larger than normal ears, teeth or eyes. Indeed, it is believed in some areas that the offspring of a vampire, being "slippery like jelly", "cannot live". There were also tales of more "normal" appearance variations on those who could not only seem quite human, but attractive. Often they appeared very pale and stood tall and thin, with a highly noticeable or robust skeletal structure or black beneath their eyes, features common with the dead or dying. Some writings also claimed that they were identifiable by their slouching, bow-legged or pigeon-toed stance or by traits such as fascinations with the macabre or mystical and by having abnormal fighting prowess or reaction speed, possibly stemming from the unnatural and ofttimes mystical strength and power associated with their vampire fathers.
Vampire Hunting Methods
Among all Balkan peoples it is believed that the child of a vampire has a special ability to see and destroy vampires. Among some groups, the ability to see vampires is considered exclusive to dhampirs. The powers of a dhampir may be inherited by the dhampir's offspring. Various means of killing or driving away vampires are recognized among peoples of the region, but the dhampir is seen as the chief agent for dealing with vampires. Methods by which a dhampir kills a vampire include shooting the vampire with a bullet, transfixing it with a hawthorn stake, and performing a ceremony that involves touching "crowns" of lead to the vampire's grave. If the dhampir can't destroy a vampire, he may command it to leave the area.
A dhampir is always paid well for his services. The amount of money varies, but there is never haggling over the price. Standard pay for a dhampir may also include a meal or a suit of clothing. Sometimes a dhampir is paid in cattle, jewelry or women.
Charlatans travelling the regions around the Carpathian Mountains, Balkans and elsewhere in Eastern Europe would claim to be dhampirs. They were believed to be the only ones who could see the spirit and would put on elaborate shows for villages. Once fear, grief and superstition took hold in a village following a recent death, the dhampir would "come to the rescue".
Dhampirs in Fiction
Main article: List of fictional dhampirs
The concept of dhampirs (much like the related vampire) is popular in fiction and can be found in various novels , television shows (e.g. Vampire Hunter D, Blood +, and Angel), comic books (e.g. Blade), and video games (e.g. Castlevania, BloodRayne).
Often, each puts its own spin on the concept re-inventing their purpose and / or powers. This re-invention can also extend to the dhampir's origin, as often vampires themselves can be presented as sterile yet still offspring are produced in the various medium. Blade, for example, is the result of his mother being bitten by a vampire while still in her womb. In the 'Buffyverse', Connor - despite being the child of two vampires - can be described as a dhampir as he himself is not a vampire. Thus, in the broadest sense, dhampirs can be understood as the children / offspring / clones / etc. of at least one vampire while at the same time, not a vampire themselves.
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