Vampires are shrouded in fantastic folklore and myth. They are alluring, seductive blood sucking killers. What's not to like? They are also misunderstood. Lurking in the shadows and scampering merrily through the Halloween streets, vampires. what do you know? T or F? 1. Tuberculosis is associated with vampirism. 2. Bubonic plague is associated with vampirism. 3. Garlic can repel the most fearsome vampire. Vampires draw particular attention during the cool dark autumn, just in time for all Hallows Eve. Historically, they are depicted, some blood sucking, some not, in most cultures. after more than 1,000 years of stories, vampires remain popular in modern literature and cinema from Anne Rice to The Twilight Saga. Grave digging, fueled by public hysteria, was widespread among vampire hunters during the 18th and 19th centuries. The exhumed body often revealed blood around the mouth and nose (blood suckers!) darker, healthy appearing skin and body (nocturnal feasting!) and larger, longer teeth and claw-like nails (still alive!). VAMPIRE! Not so fast, Sherlock. there are plausible scientific reasons for the appearances of the corpses. Blood may leak from vessels after death and ooze out of the nose and mouth. Ruddy skin and bloated appearance are not signs of nourishment, but rather from normal decomposition and the accumulation of bodily gases. As skin and gums lose fluid after death there is the appearance that nails, hair and teeth have grown. but, let’s not allow forensic science to get in the way of great folklore and the fastidious work of vampire hunters. Increased sightings of vampires have historically been correlated with outbreaks of bubonic plaque and tuberculosis. A type of pulmonary bubonic plague can cause bleeding, which may drip out of the mouth, even after death. Tuberculosis can have a similar result. An entire family afflicted by TB or plague may be accused of vampirism, ostracized and even executed. Spanish neurologist Dr. Juan Gomez-Alonso thinks that folklore vampires may have had rabies. he noted that vampires have many signs and symptoms of rabies. Rabies is known to cause hypersensitivity to light and garlic, insomnia and hypersexuality. Might vampires have been afflicted with centuries-old common conditions such as plague, TB and rabies? In 1985, a biochemist wrote his idea that vampires suck blood because they have porphyria, a blood disease. this idea was dismissed on the basis that vampires of folklore did not suck blood and by the fact that people with porphyria do not crave blood. nonetheless, the idea is now entrenched in vampire lore. Apotropaics are objects that ward off evil spirits, including vampires presenting at your door begging for treats and threatening tricks. Repurposed, they also make beautiful decorations. Garlic, and branches from wild rose and hawthorne plants are apoptropaics used for centuries to ward off vampires. They are especially effective for the under 4 feet tall crowd. In Europe, mustard seeds were sprinkled on rooftops to ward off vampires, zombies and other undead who bid harm. Sacred items such as crucifix, holy water or rosary were similarly used. upon death, suspected vampires were buried with garlic or lemon in their mouths in an attempt to destroy them, thus preventing their return to the land of the living. Coins were often placed on the eyes or mouth to prevent evil spirits from entering the dead. my 9-year-old son finally retired his “bampire” costume after 5 years of dedicated service. his twin sister decided to be a “vampire witch.” Bring on the garlic, hawthorne and wild rose. 1. T 2. T 3. T
» Read more: O’Neill: How well do you know your vampires?