Zarena

Where did vampires first appear in legend? When was the first vampire movie? Do people believe they really exist? Ten facts about the legendary vampire.

Vampire legends date as far back as ancient Egypt and Sumeria
Folkloric vampires of Eastern Europe especially the Balkans did not have fangs and were described as having ruddy and bloated appearances. They were afforded the gaunt, pale look by novelists such as Bram Stoker.

Vlad the Impaler is credited as the inspiration for Dracula. Vlad was guilty of sadistic torture of his enemies, including impaling but as far as is known he never drank his victims’ blood.

In the 16th century, Countess Bathory of Romania slit her maidservants’ throats and drank their blood with the mistaken notion that it would give her longevity and it is alleged that this gave rise to the blood drinking activities of vampires in fiction

In Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire in 1973 a Polish expatriate, Demetrius Myiciura died from choking on a clove of garlic. He was found in his home surrounded by salt, garlic and crucifixes all reputed to stave off vampires.

There is also a report that another Polish man, Jan Dbworski, died in similar circumstances in Stoke on Trent but in 1966
Nicolae Ceausescu, communist dictator of Romania from 1965 to 1989 was portrayed by protesters against his regime as a vampire

There are people who genuinely believe themselves to be vampires. In 2002 in Edinburgh, a Scot tried to convince a jury, unsuccessfully, that he believed himself to be a vampire and that it was the reason for his murder of a friend.

In Cuba in 1977 there were reports of goats being attacked and drained of their blood. The creature attacking them was called a “Chupacabra”. It is still not known what the creature was.

‘Nosferatu’ was the first ever vampire movie that followed the “Dracula” storyline. It was released in 1922, silent and black and white. The first ever vampire movie is believed to be the German silent “Nachte des Grauens” aka “Night of Terror” released in 1916 and featured vampire-like beings.

I consumed 600 more calories then I should have….

First week back on a calorie controlled diet.

I will endeavour to do better.

Our water heater was dripping too much water and rusting it’s bottom. It is apparently normal to have this level of water wasted. I have now connected some old garden hose & ran it to the garden.

No more wasting precious water!