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VampireRomania · Eastern EuropeLegendFear 8/10

Description

A vampire from the folklore of Romania. A vrykolakas (Greek: βρυκόλακας or βρικόλακας, pronounced [vriˈkolakas]) is a harmful undead…

Origin & Background

The word vrykolakas is derived from the Bulgarian върколак (vǎrkolak). This term means werewolf in Slavic mythology and is found in other Slavic languages as well. Originally meaning 'werewolf', it still retains that meaning in modern Slavic languages. However, in the folklore of Croatia and Montenegro, the same word (vukodlak) has come to mean 'vampire', and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Bulgaria, the term 'vampire' is more common. These two concepts appear to be somewhat mixed. In Bulgaria, the original folklore describes vǎrkolak as a subspecies of vampire that does not have wolf-like characteristics.

The Legend

In Greek tradition, it was believed that a person could become a vrykolakas if they lived a blasphemous life after death, were excommunicated, buried in unblessed ground, or ate the meat of a sheep that had been wounded by a wolf or werewolf. The corpse of a vrykolakas has characteristics similar to vampires in Balkan folklore, being uncorrupted, swollen, and taking on a 'drum-like' shape. This creature is generally said to engage in harmful activities, wandering away from its grave, performing poltergeist-like activities, or causing epidemics in the community. The vrykolakas knocks on the doors of houses and calls out the names of the residents; if there is no response, it passes by without causing harm, but if there is a response, it is said to kill a few days later and become another vrykolakas.

In Popular Culture

During World War II in Greece, belief in the vrykolakas was still prevalent, especially in rural areas. During the famine of 1941-42, many people were buried in unblessed ground, leading to fears that they would become vrykolakas. As a result, some families took preventive measures, such as beheading the corpses, to prevent their loved ones from becoming vrykolakas.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Vrykolakas" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia