The vampire demon of Aramaic lore is called Ephata and appears as a shadow.
This one of the weirdest creations I’ve ever heard of. Ready?
When the body of the deceased doesn’t decay properly the soul is forced to stay with the body and is bound to to this world.
At night the spirit leaves its body and searches for humans to drain of blood. If its corpse is destroyed the Ephata will be released from the binding and can move to the next world.
Image from Google search
Ankou are the king of the dead is the last person to die in a parish during the year. All of the next year the Ankou calls the dead. Each parish has their own.
This powerful figure dominates in Britain lore. Celtic Brittney’s folklore tells of a collector of souls.
Ankou is a tall haggard with long white hair, or skeleton with a revolving head that can see everything everywhere. Ankou drives a spectral cart and has two ghost assistants to walk beside the cart. They stop at a house and one of two things happens, either Ankou knocks on the door -sometimes the living can hear the knock too- or wails like a banshee.
Occasionally it’s seen as an apparition going into the house and carrying the dead soul out. Its assists place the soul in the cart and off they go.
Image from Google search.
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.
What does a butterfly have to do with vampires?
Well not a lot, but they are connected.
In Slavic lore the soul takes the shape of a butterfly when it leaves the body. Not only during death, but also during sleep, and out of body experiences.
The soul can also take the shape of a moth, fly or bird.
When vampire corpses are staked, onlookers watch for the butterfly or moth to escape. If a butterfly is seen it must be captured. The captured butterfly is thrown into a bonfire; this will completely destroy the vampire. If the butterfly escapes, seven years of vengeance awaits the villages.
Most Slavic vampires hold grudges!
Mari Wells 