Vampir
Serbian folkloric undead that inspired the modern vampire.
Reports of vampiric entities appear across many cultures globally, but the widespread use of the term "vampire" in Western Europe followed an 18th-century mass hysteria that built upon earlier folk traditions from Southeastern and Eastern Europe.[1] Contemporary understanding generally treats the vampire as fictional, yet belief in analogous vampiric beings, such as the chupacabra, continues in certain cultures.[2] The concept of vampirism has been present for thousands of years.[3]
Quick Facts
- Earliest english spelling
- Vampyre
- First prominent english appearance
- 1730s
- Related serbian term
- вампир (vampir)
- Language family
- South Slavic
- Notable early case
- 1725 Serbian panic
- Austrian reporting period
- After 1718
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
The English word "vampire" may have come into the language through the French "vampyre" or the German "Vampir".[4] The earliest known English usage of the term "vampire" dates to the 18th century, with some possible evidence placing it in the late 17th century.[5] Although vampiric figures appear in those ancient civilizations, the specific folklore of the vampire as it is known today stems almost entirely from early 18th-century southeastern Europe.[3] Vampires are typically revenants of evil individuals, those who died by suicide, or witches.[6]
The widespread belief in these legends led to mass hysteria in some regions and, in certain instances, to the public execution of individuals accused of being vampires.[6]
What the cited sources add
A 2002 paper by Lane suggests that historical victims of the worst forms of porphyria may have inspired tales of werewolves and vampires.[7] Lane also notes that the condition may have been less rare in isolated pockets such as the valleys of Transylvania, perhaps giving rise to tales of vampires.[7] A 2012 BBC News report states that archaeologists in Bulgaria have found two medieval skeletons pierced through the chest with iron rods to supposedly stop them from turning into vampires.[8] The same report notes that Bulgaria is home to around 100 known "vampire skeleton" burials.[8]
A 2023 article on Turkic mythology describes the Ubır as a vampiric creature with varied regional depictions, also known as Obur, Hobur, or Vupar.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Vampire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wilson, "Decomposing Bodies in the 1720s Gave Birth to the First Vampire Panic", The Smithsonian Magazine, 23 October 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vampire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Winkler, "Vampires, Porphyria, and the Media: Medicalization of a Myth", Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 1990, p. 598–611; Lane, "Born to the Purple: the Story of Porphyria", Springer Nature, 16 December 2002 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vampire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Silver Ursini 1993, p. 22–23 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vampire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wilson 1985, p. 580; Wilson, "The History of the Word "Vampire"", Journal of the History of Ideas, 1985, p. 577–583; Vermeir, "Diseases of the Imagination and Imaginary Disease in the Early Modern Period", Brepols Publishers, January 2012; Barber, p. 5.; "Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob Grimm und Wilhelm Grimm. 16 Bde. (in 32 Teilbänden). Leipzig: S. Hirzel 1854–1960"; "Vampire", Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary; "Trésor de la Langue Française informatisé"; Wilson 1985, p. 580; Wilson 1985, p. 580; ; Зубов, Живая Старина, 1998, p. 6–10 (origina en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vampire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tokarev, "Mify Narodov Mira", Moscow, 1982; "Russian Etymological Dictionary by Max Vasmer"; Wilson 1985, p. 580; Wilson 1985, p. 580; "The Modern Vampire and Human Identity", Palgrave Macmillan, 2013, p. 3; Barber, p. 5.; Barber, p. 5.; Dauzat, "Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française", Librairie Larousse, 1938 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Vampire" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cohen 1989, p. 271–274 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Lane, "Born to the Purple: the Story of Porphyria", Springer Nature, 16 December 2002. facts only, no text reused. scientificamerican.com
- "'Vampire' skeletons found in Bulgaria near Black Sea", BBC News, 6 June 2012. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
- "Ubır: A Vampire-Like Creature in Turkic Mythology and Folk Beliefs", ULUKAYIN English, 25 August 2023. facts only, no text reused. ulukayin.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Vampire (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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