Mirror

Mirrors are associated with magic through many myths, stories and legends.

It was believed that the reflection in the mirror (or any other reflective surface) was a vital part of one’s soul. (sound familiar??? What about a vampire’s reflection???)

Mirrors were thought of as “soul catchers.”

Draping black cloths over mirrors in the sick room of a dying person was to prevent the soul from being taken.

In witchcraft mirrors are used as divination tools, like a crystal ball. The witch sees images in the mirror and interprets them.

Garlic

Time for another Vampire Wednesday!

So I decided to talk a little about Garlic.
Garlic has long been believed to ward off vampires. It was also believed to ward of all sorts of evil beings and spirits.

Like witches!
I find that somewhat hard to believe. Garlic has been used for centuries as a medicine. It still has a reputations as a powerful healing agent. It’s widely used for heart and blood conditions. Some witches were healers, I find it hard to believe that he/she wouldn’t use garlic to heal.

Garlic was rumored to protect from the plague! Kind of strange if you ask me, Italy loves garlic and yet they have suffered the plague a couple of times throughout history.

So back to the vampires…
Vampires who were hiding in their villages and were not detected for who knows how long, would be spotted when they refused to eat dishes made with garlic. –Busted!–
I guess ancient vampires could eat human food. According to this idea of finding hidden vampires they could.

It wasn’t until Bram Stoker that the smell garlic was able to deter vampires. (Filling Lucy’s room with garlic flowers to keep Count Dracula away.)

A special note! Modern vampires aren’t effected by garlic. (Well, some aren’t.)

What do you think about Garlic and vampires?
I know some writers are keeping the myth, others are leaving it behind.
If you write vampire stories, do you keep the garlic myth?

Armenian Vampire

Today is Wednesday … and that means it’s Vampire Wednesday here at my blog.

The Armenian Vampire

The first mention of a vampire creature in Armenia was in a text by Baron August von Haxthausen in 1854. Montague Summers mentioned the text.
The local legend says Dakhanavar (a vampire) protected the valley from intruders. He would attack nighttime travelers by sucking blood out of their feet.

–Yuck! What would Dakhanavar do if they had athletes foot? What if their feet stink? Would you be safe then? Or was that part of his foot fetish?—
Anyways…

Two travelers outsmarted him who had heard the story before.
No, they didn’t rub garlic all over their feet. Get this!
They went to sleep with the others feet under their heads. Dakhanavar was so frustrated by the creature with two heads and no feet that he ran away never to be heard from again.
Now that doesn’t sound like a scary vampire to me. Well, as long as I have a friend who is willing to use my feet as a pillow.

On a separate note, my right wrist is much better. No brace! My left is not yet. So I am hunting and pecking with the right hand while my left hand rests in my lap; enjoying the special treatment it receives.

Are Vampires OCD?

I don’t think a Creature of the Night would have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but if you look into ancient legends. .
It would lead to the conclusion that they do.

Old legends say, bury the suspected vampire with mustard seeds in his coffin. When he wakes for his nightly wanderings, he will have to stop and count all the seeds before he can leave his coffin. If you didn’t “remember” to add the seeds inside the coffin, you can scatter them around the top of his grave. He will have to gather them and count them.

Fishing net or knotted ropes/cloths will also work, (same idea, the vampire will have to count each knot).

Seems like OCD behavior to me.