One Diseases Symptoms Make it Look Like you're a Vampire

Although vampire superstition has been around for longer, lore and accounts of real vampires grew most in the Middle Ages.  The Middle Ages was ripe with diseases and plagues.  One of these diseases shows symptoms that fit the description of traits a vampire would show.  Lets list some common traits exhibited by a vampire throughout all lore  and compare it with symptoms of a disease called Porphyrias [pawr-feer-ee-uh].


VAMPIRE 

• Burns in sunlight
• Pale/Fair skin
• Drink blood       

PORPHYRIAS 

• Blisters in sunlight
• Changes in pigment (skin color)
• Desire to drink human blood to alleviate symptoms

Interesting huh?



Barber, P. (1987). Forensic Pathology and the European Vampire. Journal of Folklore Research, 24(1), 1-32. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3814375

The Bedburg Werewolf

The 15th century holds one of the most famous cases of the werewolf. For a long time the town of Bedburg, Germany had a number of cow mutilations and the farmers suspected wolves. Then children and women started disappearing. Some were not found and others found mutilated. A man named Peter Stumpp, born in 1525, resided in Bedburg, Germany. Peter was blamed for the killings after some hunters claimed that they saw him shape-shift into a wolf. After being tortured he confessed to the killings as well as owning an enchanted belt that let him transform from man to wolf. The enchanted belt was never found.

Editors, H. (2017, August 23). Werewolf Legends. Retrieved June 5, 2019, from https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-the-werewolf-legend

Vlad the Impaler

Vlad Dracula ruled Walachia, Romania from 1456-1462.  The reason for his nickname is because he killed his enemies by impaling them on a wooden stake.  He is also said to dip his bread into dying enemies blood.  No wonder people believed he was a vampire.

Editors, History.com. “Vampire History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/topics/folklore/vampire-history.