Vampires are often depicted as being repelled by garlic, running water, or Christian implements such as crucifixes and holy water.
Some medieval Europeans believed that vampires – the fictional blood-drinkers that have come to dominate the horror genre – were created by a blood disease, so people carried garlic thinking it was a strong antibiotic that could kill the monsters.
Often its because sunlight or UV light burns and kills them. Other times it just hurts but is tolerable. In one story it was because the sun reminded them of a life they could never have again.
Traditionally, crucifixes and crosses have been used to repel these deadly beings. However, the Star of David, Wiccan pentacles and other symbols are now also thought to be just as effective. Vampires are, according to stories, petrified of the potential wrath of higher powers, so they steer clear of true believers.
Mirrors were traditionally backed with silver (and some still are today). Silver was commonly believed to repel evil spirits, possibly because it has antimicrobial properties; so, much like garlic, the healing properties may be what was supposed to scare off a vampire.
Vampires are potentially immortal, but they do have a few weaknesses. They can be destroyed by a stake through the heart, fire, beheading and direct sunlight, and they are wary of crucifixes, holy water and garlic. Vampires don't cast a reflection, and they have superhuman strength.
Traditionally a silver bullet is supposed to kill a werewolf. Vampires are not particularly affected by silver bullets. Traditionally what kills vampires is a wooden steak through the heart.
In addition to sunlight, the average vampire can be killed (or at least thwarted) by a stake through the heart, decapitation, fire, silver, garlic, the sight of a crucifix, holy water, and running water.
Wolfsbane is a beautiful—and poisonous—fall-blooming perennial. It also has a colorful history associated with werewolves, vampires, and witches.
European folklore gives garlic the ability to ward off the “evil eye.” Central European folk beliefs considered garlic a powerful ward against devils, werewolves, and vampires. To ward off vampires, garlic could be worn on one's person, hung in windows, or rubbed on chimneys and keyholes.
Vampires are notorious for raging in the night, carousing the depths of darkness for energy, food, excitement and fulfillment. Vampires do not have to sleep in coffins or cemeteries but they do need rest. They must sleep during the light hours as daylight frightens, threatens and weakens their sensibilities and powers.
Contrary to popular belief, vampires can eat human food. In fact, in some sources of folklore, it is stated that food can be used to either bottle a vampire or bribe it into doing something you want them to do. Therefore, if this is true, food cannot harm the vampire.
Vampires attack and drink blood to survive and, secondarily, for pleasure. This distinction may seem irrelevant, but not all vampires relish draining blood from living things (mostly humans).
Vampires were first sexualized to strike fear into people of the taboo and sinfulness of sexual behavior, but later, this sexualization became a metaphor for repressed desires, until finally their sexualization caused them to be humanized.
Yes, absolutely. A vampire's sense of smell is equal to that of a dog, if not superior. Dogs can tell, and they will zero in on a woman during that time of the month, so for vampires it would be “dead simple”. Why is it portrayed that it feels good to humans to get their blood-sucked by vampires?
Holy water has also been believed to ward off or act as a weapon against mythical evil creatures, such as vampires. In eastern Europe, one might sprinkle holy water onto the corpse of a suspected vampire in order to destroy it or render it inert.
It seems that the act of being made into a vampire confers a special paleness or whiteness. This notion is strengthened by the color symbolism prevalent in the films: vampires are represented by white. Breaking Dawn extensively uses white and red to represent vampires and humans, respectively.
Vampire pumpkins and watermelons are a folk legend from the Balkans, in southeastern Europe, described by ethnologist Tatomir Vukanović. The story is associated with the Romani people of the region, from whom much of traditional vampire folklore originated. the outside of an aged watermelon.
Vampires were usually reported as bloated in appearance, and ruddy, purplish, or dark in colour; these characteristics were often attributed to the recent drinking of blood, which was often seen seeping from the mouth and nose when one was seen in its shroud or coffin, and its left eye was often open.
Juniper: Juniper causes a slow acting, short lasting paralysis in Vampires. Whether fed Juniper directly or even if they are poisoned through Juniper infected human blood it is a powerful herb against Vampires.
While many versions of Dracula mention both garlic flowers and hawthorn blossoms as effective deterrents against vampires, this film claims that a wreath of tuberoses and a drawn sword laid over a door or window prevent a vampire from entering.
Under European folklore it mentions: "Various regional herbal weaknesses such as plants/woods of the hawthorn family, aspen, oak, ash, maple, dogrose, wild rose, holly, juniper, millet, linden, mayflower, roses, lemon, rowan, and wolfsbane."
vampiress (plural vampiresses) A female vampire.
Considering the human body has an average of 5 litres of blood and that a vampire might feasibly take 15%, in the study a vampire would drain 0.75 litres of blood, and by their calculations it would take 6.4 minutes to do so.
Decapitate and Burn: “Chop off the head and burn the body seems the most universal way of stopping a vampire. Bereft of a body, you don't have a vampire anymore, since technically it's a reanimated corpse. There are constant historical anecdotes where people behead and burn suspected vampires.