Archaeology & History

'Vampire' grave unearthed in Poland

By T.K. Randall
May 9, 2014 ·  12 comments

A 19th century vampire slaying kit. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Josh Berglund The burial is thought to date back to the 16th century and shows signs that the people of the time carried out a special ritual in the belief that the subject being interred was a vampire.

"A piece of brick rubble in the mouth and pierced thigh indicates that it is a vampire burial," said dig leader Slawomir Gorka. "This was done not for him, but for the community, who lived here."Similar burials were believed to have been common in the region between the 13th and 17th centuries when vampires were an integral part of superstitions and folklore.

"There is a strong Slavic belief in spirits," said Dr Tim Beasley-Murray. "Romanian folklore has vampiric figures such as the moroi and strigoi. The word 'mora' means nightmare. But these are common to many cultures. We often see bird or owl-like figures that swoop and feed on you."

Source: Yahoo! News | Comments (12)

Tags: Vampire, Poland