BECOMING A VAMPIRE Throughout folklore there are many varied references to the ways in which an individual could become a vampire, such as practiced sorcery, black magic, suicide, death before baptism, children born out of wedlock, children born with teeth, those with a third nipple, dying a violent death, a cat jumps on someone’s corpse before burial, being the seventh son of the seventh son, red heads, a dead body that has been reflected in a mirror, a stillborn, a bat flying over a corpse or people who were improperly buried.
In Chinese traditions, any corpse that was jumped over by an animal, mainly a cat or a dog, would become one of the undead. Also, a corpse with a wound that has not been treated with boiling water, could become a vampire. In Russian folklore, people who were witches, or who were against the Russian Orthodox Church while they were alive, became vampires.
Individuals suffering an attack from a vampire typically endure several fates. In many instances, the creature sucks enough blood as to cause its victim to perish. Other victims suffer prolonged illness that eventually ends to death. At worst, the prey of vampires are turned into the undead.
To get turned into a vampire you need to exchange blood with a vampire, a teaspoon of blood is enough to turn you into a vampire, first the vampire must drink your blood, second, you must drink the blood of the vampire. You will never find a vampire to turn you into a vampire, to become a vampire you must be chosen.
FIGHTING A VAMPIRE How do you kill a vampire? First you must work out which type of vampire you are dealing with, then you can find the appropriate method of destruction. Some vampires can be fought using the basic weapons such as garlic, holy water, and a stake to the heart, but to other vampires this would cause no harm. It is best to start with the basics when fighting a vampire, and if this fails, move to other methods. Real Vampire Hunter Kits From The 1800s
There have been many elaborate rituals used to identify a vampire. One method of finding a vampire’s grave, involved leading a virgin stallion through a graveyard, with a virgin boy riding on the horse’s back, the horse would then supposedly balk at the grave of the vampire. Generally it was a black horse that was required, however in Albania it was a white horse.
Corpses thought to be vampires were generally said to have a healthier appearance, and show little sign of decomposition. In some cases when the suspected graves were open, there would be fresh blood over the corpse’s face, which would be a sign that this is the undead.
Other evidence of vampires in an area, would be an increase in death of cattle, sheep, relatives or neighbours. Some vampires have made their presence noticed by engaging in minor poltergeist-like activity, such as moving household objects, or pressing on people in their sleep.
There are several items around your home that can repel vampires, salt, candles, incense, garlic, crucifixes, and bells. Salt has been a staple, both in ancient and modern folklores, to ward off evil. It is said that a vampire cannot cross a line of unbroken salt, and for this reason a line of salt was often added to fireplaces, doors, windows, even surrounding the whole house. Other folkloric legends have it that vampires and other revenants can be banished to remote islands surrounded by water, thereby assuring that they have no means of interacting with society, and could even die of malnourishment. Salt water in those instances provides a twofold measure of protection, as vampires are also repelled by salt.
Garlic is one of the oldest weapons to ward off and protect against this supernatural enemy. Considering how widespread and accessible garlic has always been, it is small wonder that vampires from all over the world, and from every time period, have been thwarted by this remarkable herb. A member of the lily family, garlic contains natural healing powers and has long been used for medicinal and healing purposes as well as herbal uses
Roman soldiers thought garlic gave them courage, sailors believed it protected them from shipwreck, and German miners believed it protected them from evil spirits when they went underground. In several cultures, brides carried garlic under their clothes for protection, and cloves of garlic were used to protect people from a wide range of illnesses. Modern-day scientists found that the oil in garlic, allicin, is a highly effective antibiotic.
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