Below is a listing of various vampire myths throughout the world.
From reading these myths you will gain insight on how some of the famous vampire myths still exist today.
INDIA
Bhuta
Deranged individuals were believed to be this type of vampire. Bhuta were often found in cemetaries, old ruins or abandoned places and fed off of intestines and excrements of the recently deceased. It was also believed that these vampires would attack newly born infants who had just digested milk from their mothers. It was also believed that these vampires could possess their victims.
Brahmaparush
These vampires enjoy consuming human beings, this creature would drink a victim's blood through a hold in the skull, than eat the brain from the skull and finally proceed to wrap the victim's intestines around its body and perform a ritual dance.
Churel
The churel or churail were female vampires who died while being pregnant during the Dewali Festival.
These fems were ugly, with sagging breast, black tongues, scalely lips, and deformed feet. It was believe they were angered by their untimely death and would attack their familes and any young attractive men that they came in contact with.
Gayal
Gayal were male vampires who at the time of death received incomplete burial rites and would come back and attack their families for this injustice.
Kali
A female vampire who would appear during war battles and use her long tongue to drink blood from her victims. She was hideious in appearance with charred black skin her eyes and eyebrows were blood red in appearance.
Pisacha
Found in religious teachings. Believed to be the cause of immortality and vices throughout humanity. This creature would digest entire corpses, but was also believed that if this creature was approached in a repectful manner could actually cure diseases.
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GREECE
Callicantzaros
Children born between Christmas day and New Years were believed to be Callicantzaros, during this time each year these children would become manic and had long sharp fingernails that would tear at it's victims. During other times of the year it was believed that these creatures were trapped in the netherworld.
Mormolykiai
Also known as Empusas. Attendants of Hecate the greek goddess would transform themeselves into a human form and attack their victims at night.
Lamiai
Taken from the mythical goddess "Libya" who went insane after Hera had Libya's children murdered. In revenge of her children's deaths she would travel the earth and drink the blood and flesh of infants. She also would appear as a beautiful woman to young men and seduce them then devour them. The only way to destroy this vampire was while she was sleeping, she would take her eyes out and then a warrior was able to kill her.
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RUSSIA
Eretica
A Russian female vampire, considered to be a heretic who has returned from the dead. A woman who sold her soul in life and then returns in the form of an old woman. At nightfall a group of Ereticy would gather in ravines and perform a form of sabbat. Also believed to be active only in spring and autumn.If you looked into the eyes of such a creature the victim would die a slow withering death.
Upyr
Considered to be extremely vicious. It first attacks children and then kills the parents. As with the Upier the Upyr rises during the day and sleeps at night, and in doing so has a fairly human appearance.
Vourdalak
Female vampire said to be very beautiful but very deadly. Only known to be turned by another Vourdalak.
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ROMANIA
Moroli
Also known as Muroni.
A kind of vampire found in the Wallachia region of Romania. It is said to have the ability to change itself into a variety of different animal forms. While in one of these incarnations the Muroni can kill easily, with misleading signs of attack being left.
Nosferatu
A species of vampire, said to be the illegitimate child of parents who were illegitimate. Soon after its burial the Nosferatu embarks on a long career of destruction. It delights in tormenting and engaging in wild orgies with the living. The male can father children. The vampire hates newly married couples due to its own illegitimacy and wreaks its revenge on such couples by making the groom impotent and the bride barren.
Varacolaci
A Romanian vampire that ranks among the most powerful of all the undead.This vampire has the ability to cause both lunar and solar eclipses. They may appear as pale humans with dry skin. They can travel on an astral thread, the midnight spinning, travelling as far as need as long as the thread remains unbroken.
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AFRICA
Adze
The spirit that dwells in sorcerors of Ewe (people inhabiting southeastern Ghana, and southern Togo). It takes the form of fireflies but if caught , it takes the form of a human. It feeds on blood, palm oil, and coconut oil. It preys on children.
Asasbonsam
Originating from the Ashanti people of Ghana and also found in Togo and the Ivory Coast. These vampires hide in trees of forests and kills anyone who walks below them. Asasbonsam are in human form except for iron teeth and hook like legs that helps them capture their victims.
Impudulu
Witches in the eastern Cape region keep these as servants. The witches uses these vampires to attack their enemies. The Impundulu is passed down from mother to daughter. Alot like an incubus, transforms into a handsome young man and seduces it's witch mistress. The Impudulu has a thirst for blood and will drain their victims dry if allowed to.
Obayifo
A Ashanti vampire. This vampire is a spirit of a male or female witch that can leave it's body and fly around at night. Feasting on the blood of young children. This vampire has the appearance of a glowing ball of light. Not only does this vampire feed on blood, but also enjoy the juice of some fruits and vegetables. This vampire has also been known to destory whole fields if it is allowed to drink too much.
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FRANCE
Incubus
Male. This vampire is a energy feeding vampire and feeds on women at night until they are drained of all physical and sexual energies. This feeding is accomplished by horrid nightmares or sex. These vampires can father children.
Succubus
Female. This female version of the Incubus, is basically the same, they feed off of men either during sex or by horrid nightmares.
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TIBET
The Wrathful Deities
58 vampire deities that feed on blood. Originating from the Buddhist myth. These vampires have heads of various animals. They do not attack people. The myth is based on a dead person rising out of the grave on the 8th day.
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ARMENIA
Dakhanavar
Dakhanavar protected a valley near Mount Ararat. This vampire would suck the blood from the feet of travellers. As the legend goes, one night two men slept with their feet under each other's heads, Dakhanavar mistook them for a monster with two heads and no feet and Dakhanavar was never seen or heard from again.
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AUSTRALIA
Yara-Ma-Yha-Who
The Yara-Ma-Yha-Who is a vampirelike creature found in aboriginal culture. This creature has the appearance of a 4 foot tall red man with a large head and mouth. Unlike some myths, this creature has no teeth and uses suckers found on the ends of it's toes and fingers drain blood from it's victims. This vampire hides in the trees and attacks people as they walk by. Legend has it if you are attacked by this creature more than once you will become shorter and turn into this creature.
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GERMANY
Alp
This vampire creature is like the 'Incubus' it's vicitms are women who are attacked at night. This creature drinks milk from their victims nipples which in turn causes horrid nightmares. It's also known to drink blood from the nipples of men and children. Children can become an Alp if the mother suffers a painful and long childbirth. The Alp can also appear in an animal like form, which links it to werewolf legends. This vampire can also fly.
Doppelsauger
This vampire myth is from the northern regions of Germany and like the Alp, it also has a breast fetish. This vampire will eat the breasts off of it's living relatives. It was believed, mothers who allowed their children to breast feed after being weened off to solid food the child would eventually after it's death be turned into a Doppelsauger.
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HUNGARY
Liderc
The Liderc would kill their victims through exhaustion through sexual activity. Very much like the Incubus or Succubus.
Nora
This vampire creature was a spite (invisible). The Nora's appearance was human like but very small, ran on all fours and was bald. This vampire would attack women who were irreverent or known to be immoral and attack their breasts and would make them swell and become very painful. The fix for this ailment was to cover the breasts in garlic and that would prevent the Nora from attacking again.
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THAILAND
Phi Song Nang
This vampire would appear as a beautiful women and attack young men. It was believed the Phi Song Nang victims were caused by a person being killed by an animal.
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SCOTLAND
Baobban Sith
Vampire maidens in long green dresses, to hide their cloven hooves, sometimes seen as crows or ravens would dance with young men and cause them massive wounds on their necks or shoulders. It was believed they could be repelled by horses.
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ALBANIA
Liugat
It was very unfortunate to be of Turkish decent in Albania. It was once believed that they would turn into vampires once they died. These so called vampires would come out at night in high heel shoes to spread death and chaos. To kill the vampire, a will-o'-wisp (A person who is difficult to catch or see) would indicate where the so called vampire was buried. These legends were reported most frequently in the 16th Century. It did not help that Eastern Orthodox Church was highly superstitious during this time and caused this myth to increase in popularity.
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MALAYSIA
Langsuyar
Described as a beautiful woman who lost their child (Stillborn) would fly into the trees and became a night demon that would attack and drain the blood of other women's children. If a woman died as a result of childbirth, she was a candidate for becoming a Langsuyar. It was believed that the Langsuyar was capable of a normal life, they would marry and have children and would become a night demon at night and other's children. They had long hair that covered a hole in the back of the neck, where they would feed from their victims. To prevent a woman who had died in childbirth, from becoming a Langsuyar, the body would be treated with a needle in the palm, eggs under the arms and glass beads in their mouth. The Langsuyar also had a counter-part, a child who was stillborn could become a Pontianak.
