Vampire names are well known to all fans of the supernatural and connoisseurs of otherworldly forces. They have long been found in most mythologies of peoples from all over the world.
Diversity of names
Vampire names are very different depending on the area in which they became popular, as well as the beliefs of the inhabitants. At the same time, despite the differences, the main features that define vampires were common.
These are the walking dead who suck blood from people and are mortally afraid of the sun's rays. In European mythology, they often rise from their graves or come to people in the form of bats to suck their blood. They often drink blood from sleeping victims, and so that they do not resist and wake up, they send terrible nightmares to them.
In some countries there was a belief that vampires were unholy dead. For example, those who committed suicide, died prematurely, or died themselves from a vampire bite. Vampire names among many peoples made it possible to immediately distinguish a representative of the evil spirit clan from an ordinary person.
Vampires among ancient peoples
You need to know that stories about vampires did not appear in the European tradition, butexisted much earlier. Almost all peoples, even the most ancient ones, have stories about the dead feeding on the blood of living people.
For example, in Babylonian demonology there were spirits like vampires called Lilu. In even earlier Sumerian mythology, Aksharas are well known. They were mostly female demons who wandered restlessly in the night. Their main targets were pregnant women and newborn babies.
Vampire names from ancient Armenian mythology are known. The evil spirits of this people were called Dahanavar. The vampire lived in the mountains of Ultish Alto-tem. His main feature was that he never killed his countrymen, those who lived on his lands.
According to Armenian legends, Dahanavar possessed superhuman strength, which allowed him to defend his country from enemy invasions. All those who invaded Armenia became its victims. He attacked at night, killed opponents and drank their blood.
There is an even more recent history, recorded by Baron von Axtausen in the 1950s. He spoke of two travelers who ended up in the domain of Dahanavara. They knew well all his habits, in particular, that he attacks only at night. To see it through, they fell asleep with their legs under each other's heads.
When Dahanavara came, he was so puzzled by what he saw a creature with two heads and no legs that he left these lands forever. Nothing has been heard from him since.
Asian vampire legends
Own vampire counterpartsalso existed among the Indians. They were called vetals. They are often found in works written in Sanskrit. According to legend, these vampire-like creatures inhabit corpses.
The most famous work, which describes their habits and appearance, is called "25 vetala stories". This is a collection of Sanskrit novels. The main character is King Vikramaditya, who is trying to overtake and capture the elusive vetala. The Indian vetala is an undead creature that is also associated with bats that hang upside down over cemeteries, as well as over places where the dead are cremated.
In China, the analogue of a vampire was called a limping corpse. True, unlike the well-known vampires, this one feeds not on blood, but on qi energy. In the Chinese worldview, it is the life essence of every person.
In the Philippines, the vampire was called Mananangal. This is a vicious evil that eats people. In addition to light, she is also afraid of spices, vinegar, whips, and even stingray tails. Moreover, it is worth noting that Mananangal is an example of female vampire names. To this day, many legends have survived about how they release wings with membranes from their shoulders and go flying - in search of a victim. In this case, the body itself is divided, the lower part remains on the ground in anticipation. With a proboscis-shaped tongue, they suck blood from sleeping people, most often from pregnant women.
Vampires in Europe
In Europe, vampires are known from ancient Roman legends. The list of vampire names among this people was very wide. These are Empusa, Lamia, Lemurs. Many Roman legends mention the bird Strix, which lives only at night. She feeds on human blood and flesh.
In the Romanian language, the word "strigoi" is formed from the name of this bird, which in this country denoted vampires. A similar etymology is in the Albanian language (here the most common male vampire names are Shtriga).
Vampire tales were often written down by medieval historians who might quite sincerely believe in all of this. For example, in the 12th century, the English chroniclers William of New York and W alter Map preserved several stories about creatures similar to Eastern European vampires.
Modern vampire myth
The blood-sucking vampire myth that most of you know originated in Eastern Europe. Moreover, he came there under the influence of Slavic folklore. The Slavs had vampires who killed people by drinking all the blood from them or by strangling them.
There were several ways to kill a vampire. He could be cut off his head or plunge a sharp aspen stake right into the heart. In order for the dead to not come to life, the corpse should have been burned.
In the Slavic tradition, there were many reasons for the appearance of vampires. This is the birth in a water shell, the so-called shirt, and the appearance of a tail or teeth in a newborn, and the conception of a child on certain days, as well as suicide or excommunication.
To prevent the dead from becoming a vampire, a crucifix was placed in the coffin, and some object under the chin that could interfere with the deadeat the shroud. There was another original way. A lot of sawdust was poured into the coffin. There was a belief that the vampire wakes up in the evening, but before leaving the coffin, he must count all the sawdust. By the time he did this, morning had come. And light is the scariest thing for vampires.
Vampires in the world
Let's dwell on some of the most famous names of vampires in world mythology. Some African tribes believed that a special spirit in the form of a fiery clot could inhabit people. His name was Adze.
Among the Arab peoples, Algul was famous for its cruelty and feasts in cemeteries. Women's vampire names are also well known. The list is headed by Brooks. Her target is young boys, whom she hunts down and kills.
The most famous vampire
The most famous vampire names and surnames are, of course, Vlad Tepes, nicknamed Count Dracula. This is the hero of numerous novels and films, who had a real historical prototype - a Romanian count who was famous for his cruelty.
The first to write about Count Dracula was Bram Stoker. It happened back in the 30s of the XX century. Since then, Dracula has become one of the most popular characters of the last century. It does not lose its relevance today.
It was Stoker who came up with the idea that Dracula sleeps in a coffin, wears a long black cloak, has incredibly sharp fangs.
Vampires in movies and books
The best vampire name for a girl is Carmilla. At least that's what the fans are convinced19th-century Irish writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. His most famous story is called Carmilla. It has a merciless female vampire.
Not spared the theme of vampires and the master of literary horror - Stephen King. In particular, they appear in his novel The Lot. The main vampire in this work is called Kurt Barlow.
Many vampires in Robert Rodriguez's cult action movie "From Dusk Till Dawn". Salma Hayek plays the bloodthirsty vampire Santanico Pandemonium.
In Neil Jordan's dramatic fantasy "Interview with the Vampire" there are several representatives of evil spirits at once. Their names are Armand, Louis de Pont du Lac, Lestat de Lioncourt and Claudia.
In Tab Murphy's comedy "My Best Friend Is a Vampire", the main character, whose name is Jeremy, becomes a terrible bloodsucker. He is a classic teenager who is going through a crisis of puberty. The superpowers that he gains by becoming a vampire only hinder his life.
Russian authors often turn to this topic. In Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy's story "Ghoul", the vampire is the knight Ambrose, and in science fiction writer Nick Perumov, the bloodsucker is called Ephraim.
