The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Myth or mistyfy?
11:46 Jan 31 2013
Times Read: 681

On a propaganda site of a shadowy (some suspects governmental) organization named something like "Strigoi Vii", the admin published a strange article. It is written in the same style we are used to from this kind of group: a mix of real facts with false information.



I also have a dream-like side of personality and I also share the fascination for the vampire myth and for the Carpathians (the last one maybe because I was born in those mountains), so reading this article was a little funny for me, but may be dangerous for people that could take this serious.





First the article:



"No other place in modern lore evokes the concept of vampires than the fictional Transylvania set in the Carpathian mountains, and the factual story of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula. Legends of the Strigoi Vii (plural), Strigoi Viu (singular) or “living vampire witches” in Romanian, were also known the “moroii” which translates to be “nightmare” from Slavic. Vampires of this type were living humans who through metaphysical means could leave their bodies and feed upon the life-force of people in the area.



In death the Strigoi would become Strigoi Morte, or undead spirits, which were not considered demons or malevolent spirits. According to to folklore and gypsy tails unlike other vampires could live off the directly life-force of humans and did not need to feed only on blood. They would be tall, beautiful, pale and often beautiful individuals who were very well educated and aristocratic.



Legends persist that indeed the most famous of all the vampires, Dracula, which literally meant “son of the dragon” was actually Strigoi Vii. Further to note gypsy lore says that most of the local nobility were Strigoi Vii and the fabled Order of the Dragon was actually an order of the Strigoi Vii, with the word Dracul meaning not only dragon in Romanian, but also demon and vampire. Few realize that Dracula was not even the head of the Ordo Dracul, it was the reigning king Matthias Corvinus, who some claim was also Strigoi Vii. There is no solid evidence on these claims; only legends, yet in modern times many living vampires prefer to address themselves as Strigoi Vii;a more discrete alternative to vampire which has many connotations."





Then my comments:



1. The first paragraph tells the truth mostly.Exception: the word "moroi" is written in my language with a single I both for singular and plural.

2.The right term is "strigoi mort"(singular) "strigoi morti"(for plural). The plural form uses not a T but a sort of Latin dygraph like ts specific to our language and Basque language, but no Romanian would write STRIGOI MORTE because it doesn`t have any sense and the word "morte" doesn`t exist in the language.The term comes again and again and this become annoying for me towards the end of the article.

3.The author doesn`t specify the difference between the Romanian folklore and Roma(or gypsy) folklore and this makes me think that he doesn`t knows the difference between their cultures and really doesn`t knows anything about their folklore. Everything is taken from the internet not from a folklore source. Maybe that`s why he lacks in details

4. There is no legend that says that Dracula was a strigoi! Never.Not dead and not alive. On the contrary. The renown historian Matei Cazacu demonstrates in his book entitled "Dracula" that the voivode couldn`t have been a vampire.

5.The last paragraph is just lies: there is no Romanian legend affirming that Dracula was strigoi. The only approach between Dracula`s cruelty, the vampire craze from Transilvania in XVIIIth century and literary character of the vampire was not the legend but the brilliant mind of Bram Stoker.

The same goes for Mattias Corvinus: we don`t know if the order of the dragon survived after the death of it`s founder, king Sigismund, except on some Hungarian noble families crests (take Bathory for example). We also don`t know, even if the order survived we don`t know if King Mattias supported it or, even more, if he ever was it`s Master. More then that, there is no legend in Romania that sustains that! Maybe the author of the article makes up a legend!



6.If you still believe that the purpose of the article is to inform the dreamers, the last proposition deserve our attention because it reveals the real purpose of the whole article(and maybe site?): a group of people (or maybe only the author) fabricates false legends in an attempt to gain credibility as a legitimate traditional organization.



My opinion: cheap propaganda to gain power!

Why cheap? The author doesn`t know even how to spell the Romanian words.

Why propaganda?The intention is obvious because the information goes in a controlled, dozed manner from truth to false.

Power over who? The ordinary people, that don`t have enough pieces of the puzzle.

Vampire Literature classes at Harvard
10:57 Jan 31 2013
Times Read: 682

I wish I could attend to this course because I don`t know much about the contemporary US vampire literature and because the theme discussed here would help me put in order some aspects about vampire theme. I certainly found some nice suggestions about the short story I`m preparing: A White Cat.

Greek Ancient Vampire mythology: KERES
22:01 Jan 22 2013
Times Read: 691






"And Nyx bare hateful Moros and black Ker and Thanatos , and she bare Hypnos and the tribe of Oneiroi. And again the goddess murky Nyx, though she lay with none, bare Momos and painful Oizys, and the Hesperides ... Also she bare the Moirai and the ruthless avenging Keres ... Also deadly Nyx bare Nemesis to afflict mortal men, and after her, Apate and Philotes and hateful Geras and hard-hearted Eris."



—Hesiod, Theogony 211











"The black Dooms gnashing their white teeth, grim-eyed, fierce, bloody, terrifying fought over the men who were dying for they were all longing to drink dark blood. As soon as they caught a man who had fallen or one newly wounded, one of them clasped her great claws around him and his soul went down to Hades, to chilly Tartarus. And when they had satisfied their hearts with human blood, they would throw that one behind them and rush back again into the battle and the tumult."



(Shield of Herakles)

PRIVATE ENTRY
23:28 Jan 20 2013
Times Read: 701


• • • • PRIVATE JOURNAL ENTRY • • • •

Vampire quote
23:20 Jan 20 2013
Times Read: 702








"These vampires were corpses, who went out of their graves at night to suck the blood of the living, either at their throats or stomachs, after which they returned to their cemeteries. The persons so sucked waned, grew pale, and fell into consumption; while the sucking corpses grew fat, got rosy, and enjoyed an excellent appetite. It was in Poland, Hungary, Silesia, Moravia, Austria, and Lorraine, that the dead made this good cheer."



Voltaire - Philosophical Dictionary, 1764

The Golden Ass by Apuleius
23:09 Jan 07 2013
Times Read: 715








The Fifth Chapter



How Socrates and Aristomenus slept together in one Chamber, and how they were handled by Witches.



In speaking these words, and devising with my selfe of our departing the next morrow, lest Meroe the witch should play by us as she had done by divers other persons, it fortuned that Socrates did fall asleepe, and slept very soundly, by reason of his travell and plenty of meat and wine wherewithall hee had filled him selfe. Wherefore I closed and barred fast the doores of the chamber, and put my bed behinde the doore, and so layed mee downe to rest. But I could in no wise sleepe, for the great feare which was in my heart, untill it was about midnight, and then I began to slumber. But alas, behold suddenly the chamber doores brake open, and locks, bolts, and posts fell downe, that you would verily have thought that some Theeves had been presently come to have spoyled and robbed us. And my bed whereon I lay being a truckle bed, fashioned in forme of a Cradle, and one of the feet broken and rotten, by violence was turned upside downe, and I likewise was overwhelmed and covered lying in the same. Then perceived I in my selfe, that certaine affects of the minde by nature doth chance contrary. For as teares oftentimes trickle downe the cheekes of him that seeth or heareth some joyfull newes, so I being in this fearfull perplexity, could not forbeare laughing, to see how of Aristomenus I was made like unto a snail [in] his shell. And while I lay on the ground covered in this sort, I peeped under the bed to see what would happen. And behold there entred in two old women, the one bearing a burning torch, and the other a sponge and a naked sword; and so in this habit they stood about Socrates being fast asleep. Then shee which bare the sword sayd unto the other, Behold sister Panthia, this is my deare and sweet heart, which both day and night hath abused my wanton youthfulnesse. This is he, who little regarding my love, doth not only defame me with reproachfull words, but also intendeth to run away. And I shall be forsaken by like craft as Vlysses did use, and shall continually bewaile my solitarinesse as Calipso. Which said, shee pointed towards mee that lay under the bed, and shewed me to Panthia. This is hee, quoth she, which is his Counsellor, and perswadeth him to forsake me, and now being at the point of death he lieth prostrate on the ground covered with his bed, and hath seene all our doings, and hopeth to escape scot-free from my hands, but I will cause that hee will repente himselfe too late, nay rather forthwith, of his former intemperate language, and his present curiosity. Which words when I heard I fell into a cold sweat, and my heart trembled with feare, insomuch that the bed over me did likewise rattle and shake. Then spake Panthia unto Meroe and said, Sister let us by and by teare him in pieces or tye him by the members, and so cut them off. Then Meroe (being so named because she was a Taverner, and loved wel good wines) answered, Nay rather let him live, and bury the corpse of this poore wretch in some hole of the earth; and therewithall shee turned the head of Socrates on the other side and thrust her sword up to the hilts into the left part of his necke, and received the bloud that gushed out, into a pot, that no drop thereof fell beside : which things I saw with mine own eyes, and as I thinke to the intent that she might alter nothing that pertained to sacrifice, which she accustomed to make, she thrust her hand down into the intrals of his body, and searching about, at length brought forth the heart of my miserable companion Socrates, who having his throat cut in such sort, yeelded out a dolefull cry, and gave up the ghost. Then Panthia stopped up the wide wound of his throat with the Sponge and said, O sponge sprung and made of the sea, beware that thou not passe by running river. This being said, one of them moved and turned up my bed, and then they strid over mee, and clapped their buttocks upon my face, and all bepissed mee until I was wringing wet. When this was over they went their wayes, and the doores closed fast, the posts stood in their old places, and the lockes and bolts were shut againe. But I that lay upon the ground like one without soule, naked and cold, and wringing wet with pisse, like to one that were more than half dead, yet reviving my selfe, and appointed as I thought for the Gallowes, began to say Alasse what shall become of me to morrow, when my companion shall be found murthered here in the chamber? To whom shall I seeme to tell any similitude of truth, when as I shall tell the trueth in deed? They will say, If thou wert unable to resist the violence of the women, yet shouldest thou have cried for help; Wouldst thou suffer the man to be slaine before thy face and say nothing? Or why did they not slay thee likewise? Why did they spare thee that stood by and saw them commit that horrible fact? Wherefore although thou hast escaped their hands, yet thou shalt not escape ours. While I pondered these things with my selfe the night passed on, and so I resolved to take my horse before day, and goe forward on my journey.



Howbeit the wayes were unknown to me, and thereupon I tooke up my packet, unlocked and unbarred the doors, but those good and faithfull doores which in the night did open of their owne accord, could then scantly be opened with their keyes. And when I was out I cried, O sirrah Hostler where art thou? Open the stable doore for I will ride away by and by. The Hostler lying behinde the stable doore upon a pallet, and half asleepe, What (quoth hee) doe you not know that the wayes be very dangerous? What meane you to rise at this time of night? If you perhaps guilty of some heynous crime, be weary of your life, yet thinke you not that we are such Sots that we will die for you. Then said I, It is well nigh day, and moreover, what can theeves take from him that hath nothing? Doest thou not know (Foole as thou art) if thou be naked, if ten Gyants should assaile thee, they could not spoyle or rob thee? Whereunto the drowsie Hostler half asleepe, and turning on the other side, answered, What know I whether you have murthered your Companion whom you brought in yesternight, or no, and now seeke the means to escape away? O Lord, at that time I remember the earth seemed ready to open, and me thought I saw at hell gate the Dog Cerberus ready to devour mee, and then I verily beleeved, that Meroe did not spare my throat, mooved with pitty, but rather cruelly pardoned mee to bring mee to the Gallowes. Wherefore I returned to my chamber, and there devised with my selfe in what sort I should finish my life. But when I saw that fortune should minister unto mee no other instrument than that which my bed profered me, I said, O bed, O bed, most dear to me at this present, which hast abode and suffered with me so many miseries, judge and arbiter of such things as were done here this night, whome onely I may call to witnesse for my innocency, render (I say) unto me some wholesome weapon to end my life, that am most willing to dye. And therewithal I pulled out a piece of the rope wherewith the bed was corded, and tyed one end thereof about a rafter by the window, and with the other end I made a sliding knot, and stood upon my bed, and so put my neck into it, and leaped from the bed, thinking to strangle my selfe and so dye, behold the rope beeing old and rotten burst in the middle, and I fell down tumbling upon Socrates that lay under : And even at that same very time the Hostler came in crying with a loud voyce, and sayd, Where are you that made such hast at midnight, and now lies wallowing abed? Whereupon (I know not whether it was by my fall, or by the great cry of the Hostler) Socrates as waking out of sleepe, did rise up first and sayd, It is not without cause that strangers do speake evill of all such Hostlers, for this Catife in his comming in, and with his crying out, I thinke under a colour to steale away something, hath waked me out of a sound sleepe. Then I rose up joyfull with a merry countenance, saying, Behold good Hostler, my friend, my companion and my brother, whom thou didst falsly affirme to be slaine by mee this might. And therewithall I embraced my friend Socrates and kissed him : but hee smelling the stinke of the pisse wherewith those Hagges had embrued me, thrust me away and sayd, Clense thy selfe from this filthy odour, and then he began gently to enquire, how that noysome sent hapned unto mee. But I finely feigning and colouring the matter for the time, did breake off his talk, and tooke him by the hand and sayd, Why tarry we? Why lose wee the pleasure of this faire morning? Let us goe, and so I tooke up my packet, and payed the charges of the house and departed : and we had not gone a mile out of the Towne but it was broad day, and then I diligently looked upon Socrates throat, to see if I could espy the place where Meroe thrust in her sword : but when I could not perceive any such thing, I thought with my selfe, What a mad man am I, that being overcome with wine yester night, have dreamed such terrible things? Behold I see Socrates is sound, safe and in health. Where is his wound? Where is the Sponge? Where is his great and new cut? And then I spake to him and said, Verily it is not without occasion, that Physitians of experience do affirme, That such as fill their gorges abundantly with meat and drinke, shall dreame of dire and horrible sights : for I my selfe, not tempering my appetite yester night from the pots of wine, did seeme to see this night strange and cruel visions, that even yet I think my self sprinkled and wet with human blood : whereunto Socrates laughing made answer and said, Nay, thou art not wet with the blood of men, but art embrued with stinking pisse; and verily I dreamed that my throat was cut, and that I felt the paine of the wound, and that my heart was pulled out of my belly, and the remembrance thereof makes me now to feare, for my knees do so tremble that I can scarce goe any further, and therefore I would faine eat somewhat to strengthen and revive my spirits. Then said I, behold here thy breakefast, and therewithall I opened my script that hanged upon my shoulder, and gave him bread and cheese, and we sate downe under a greate Plane tree, and I eat part with him; and while I beheld him eating greedily, I perceived that he waxed meigre and pale, and that his lively colour faded away, insomuch that beeing in great fear, and remembring those terrible furies of whom I lately dreamed, the first morsell of bread that I put in my mouth (that was but very small) did so stick in my jawes, that I could neither swallow it downe, nor yet yeeld it up, and moreover the small time of our being together increased my feare, and what is hee that seeing his companion die in the high-way before his face, would not greatly lament and bee sorry? But when that Socrates had eaten sufficiently hee waxed very thirsty, for indeed he had well nigh devoured a whole Cheese : and behold evill fortune! There was behind the Plane tree a pleasant running water as cleere as Crystal, and I sayd unto him, Come hither Socrates to this water and drinke thy fill. And then he rose and came to the River, and kneeled downe on the side of the banke to drinke, but he had scarce touched the water with lips, when as behold the wound in his throat opened wide, and the Sponge suddenly fell out into the water, and after issued out a little remnant of bloud, and his body being then without life, had fallen into the river, had not I caught him by the leg and so pulled him up. And after that I had lamented a good space the death of my wretched companion, I buried him in the Sands there by the river.



Which done, in great feare I rode through many Outwayes and desart places, and as culpable of the death of Socrates, I forsooke my countrey, my wife, and my children, and came to Etolia where I married another Wife.



This tale told Aristomenus, and his fellow which before obstinatly would give no credit unto him, began to say, Verily there was never so foolish a tale, nor a more absurd lie told than this. And then he spake unto me saying, Ho sir, what you are I know not, but your habit and countenance declareth that you should be some honest Gentleman, (speaking to Apuleius) doe you beleeve this tale? Yea verily (quoth I), why not? For whatsoever the fates have appointed to men, that I beleeve shall happen. For may things chance unto me and unto you, and to divers others, which beeing declared unto the ignorant be accounted as lies. But verily I give credit unto his tale, and render entire thankes unto him, in that by the pleasant relation thereof we have quickly passed and shortned our journey, and I thinke that my horse was also delighted with the same, and hath brought me to the gate of this city without any paine at all. Thus ended both our talk and our journey, for they two turned on the left hand to the next villages, and I rode into the city.

Vampire Movie : Leptirica
10:57 Jan 07 2013
Times Read: 723












My recommendation from this week!



Leptirica (1973)





Director:

Djordje Kadijevic













Plot: Story follows young man Strahinja who is in love with a local beauty Radojka, but their relationship has an obstacle – her father Zivan, who considers Strahinja as nothing but a loser.



Cast



Mirjana Nikolic Mirjana Nikolic ...

Radojka

Petar Bozovic Petar Bozovic ...

Strahinja

Slobodan Perovic Slobodan Perovic ...

Zivan 'Dusman'

Vasja Stankovic Vasja Stankovic ...

Kmet

Aleksandar Stojkovic Aleksandar Stojkovic ...

Purko

Tanasije Uzunovic Tanasije Uzunovic ...

Pop



Review:



After I watched Zone of the Dead the other day, I though to myself that I definitely have to watch some ex-Yu horror movies. So I started my mini “marathon” with Leptirica, a cult movie dating from the early seventies. I’ve heard that it was one of the scariest movies ever made so I really had to check out those rumors furthermore. Well, were the rumors true? No! Does this make Leptirica a bad movie? Hell no!



Leptirica follows 2 interwined stories. The first one is about a vampire who kills local man who dare to sleep in the village mill, and the second one is about a young man, Strahinja, who loves a girl, named Radojka, and we will just do anything to merry her. What I like the most about this movie is that it perfectly follows the life of local village’s folk: you can see their lifes, everyday troubles and strange traditions (even some “pagan” rituals). I could even consider Leptirica as a documentary of some sort, because it is a perfect example of how some people lived back then. In addition to that it also features some social elements (like Strahinja being poor). The horror elements in this movie were done absolutely brilliant, some of them were even very disturbing, unfortunately, during the movie only 3 or 4 scenes feature this kind of atmosphere, which is achieved through some strange shrieking and weird vampire looks. One of the best things in the movie would surely be the twist in the end but I won’t spoil that out. Besides the creepy atmosphere, Leptirica also offers a very strong cast which fit their roles perfectly (most notably Slobodan Perović as Živan & Tanasije Uzunović as the priest), wonderful. It also has some humorous scenes worth mentioning.



The running time of the movie is about one hour, which is bad, because even though it’s running time is short it easily becomes boring from time to time. Apart from that, I didn’t find Leptirica to be anything special becaus it simply lacks a few more horror scenes, which would surely raise it’s effectiveness. But it still is a decent horror movie you should definitely check out if you haven’t already (especially if you are from the ex-Yu region). Over the years, it gained quite a cult following.



My Rating: 7/10… I gave it a shot and it didn’t disappoint me.



source:

http://drugsbunny.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/leptirica-1973/