When one thinks about documented vampires it`s almost always Transylvania that comes to mind, however Europe is riddled with examples of villages that were terrorized by tales of the dead coming to pray on the living – was a regular occurrence in medieval communities.
Let`s take Croatia for example – their first recorded incident dates back from 1656, when a man by the same of [Jure Grando Alilović or Giure Grando] is said to have haunted a village in his native region of Istria.
What I find very interesting about this account is the fact that the vampire was not eradicated until 1672 so he apparently had a full 16 years reign!
Now, if legends are to be believed, the reanimated man would go for a walk around the village and knock on random doors – death would visit that house within the week. Must have had a lot of victims…
ure also appeared to his terrified widow in her bedroom, who described the corpse as looking as though he was smiling and gasping for breath, and would then sexually assault her.
When Father Giorgio eventually came face to face with the vampire, he held out a cross in front of him and yelled “Behold Jesus Christ, you vampire! Stop tormenting us!”
Another notable detail is the fact that the villagers were not successful in getting rid of the vampire the first time they tried, as apparently the stake “bounced off” the chest of the corpse. The second time they tried by decapitation, after a series of exorcism prayers were said – and according to folklore, peace finally returned to the land.
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† Superstitions
† Legends
† Vampire Accounts