The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

The prevailing belief in European countries was that vampires were the ghosts of suicides or others who had died violent deaths and were forced by the devil to leave their graves at night and feed on the blood of men and women, and any who died at the hands of these dreadful creatures also became vampires. In this way beautiful women became vampires and enticed young men and fed on their blood and flesh. It was believed that they had power to assume any shape or form desired between sunset and sunrise and that they committed most of their awful deeds at midnight. They were powerless in the daytime and were generally in a torpid state. Garlic and wild rosebushes were guards against them, and crucifixes were feared by them. To prevent suicides from becoming vampires they were buried with n stake driven through their hearts, and the straw they had slept on was burned. All the dogs and cats in the village were locked up, for if a dog or cat jumped over a corpse it was sure to become the home of a vampire. -- Chicago Tribune, 1903.