More of me in Dracula Territory!

More things that I have now learned about Bulgarian Vampires!

40 Day Journey of the Dead

Bulgarians believed that spirits of the dead embarked on a journey immediately after death that visited every place they had visited during their life on earth. Their journey lasted for 40 days and then the spirit went on to its next life. However, if the dead were not properly buried, they may find that their passage to the next world was blocked, and might return to this world as a vampire.

How you become a Vampire

Certain people are predisposed to becoming vampires. These included people who died a violent death, those excommunicated from the church, and drunkards, thieves, murderers, and witches. There are stories of vampires who returned to life and started their lives over again in foreign towns, even to the extent that they would marry and father children. ( Actually, I think that I may have taught some! lol) Their only abnormality being their nightly journey in search for blood.

Characteristics of a Vamp

Bulgarian Vampires are renowned for their gluttonous blood drinking and ability to move objects like a poltergeist, and their capacity to produce noises like a firecracker! lol People apparently try to rid their town of them by offering them rich food or excrement!!! Go figure!

Ustrels - Spirits of Dead Children Never Baptised

The ustrel are yet another type of Bulgarian vampire!!! (As if they don’t have enough!!) - the spirit of a child born on a Saturday but who died before being baptized. The ustrel come to life on the ninth day after burial and seek the blood of cattle or sheep. They feast all night and return to their grave before dawn. After 10 days of feeding, the ustrel would become strong enough that it no longer needed to return to its grave. It would rest during the day either between the horns of a calf or ram or between the hind legs of a cow and would attack the fattest animals at night.

To get rid of ustrels, a vampire hunter (vampirdzhija) needs be hired to find the vampire. After the vampire is identified, the community performs a ritual known as the lighting of a needfire. This ritual begins on a Saturday morning. All the fires in the village are put out and the cattle and sheep are gathered in an open space. The villagers then guide the animals to a crossroads where two bonfires stand on either side. This ritual is thought to rid the animal of the vampire that has taken up residence in them and trap it at the crossroads, where wolves devour it! (Makes sense really!!)

How to Kill a Vamp

They use the traditional stake, BUT they also have a method called bottling, where a specialist called a djadadjii chases after the vampire with a holy icon. The djadadjii then drives the vampire towards a bottle that contains its favorite food. Once the vampire is lured into the bottle, it is corked and thrown into a fire. (Simple really!)

Hope that helps all you Stephenie Meyers fans! lol The problem is that these people aren’t laughing when they tell me this stuff! Gulps!!!!