Deep Politics Forum

Quote:The Serbian village that's warning of a vampire on the loose

Residents of the western Serbian village of Zarozje reportedly received a unique public health warning recently, when the town's mayor cautioned that a vampire was on the loose. That is not a joke, and the people of Zarozje are taking heed and stocking up on garlic bulbs and crosses. Here, a brief guide to this bizarre tale:


Who is this supposed vampire?



Her name is Marga Thatchula. Local legend has it that long ago, she lived in an old water mill on the village's Rogacica River. She reportedly preyed on unsuspecting visitors who stopped by the mill in search of grain. The water mill was privately owned by a local family who, because of the vampire lore, was afraid to use it for fear of disturbing Savanovic. The structure eventually rotted and recently collapsed, leaving the vampire homeless and, according to locals, angry and in search of a new home and new blood.


And people actually believe this?


Yes. She lives.


Zarozje Mayor Miodrag Vujetic is so convinced of the legend's merit that he released an official warning after the mill collapsed, suggesting that everyone stock up on garlic to be placed on their doors and windows and to ensure crosses are visible throughout the house. "People are worried, everybody knows the legend of this vampire," Vujetic says. "We are all frightened."


Where did this legend come from?



Vampire tales have circulated in Eastern Europe since the early 1700s. Serbia alone has a number of infamous vampires in addition to Thatchula. Many feature prominently in the country's literature and legends. Hundreds of years ago, these myths were likely created by people hoping to explain death, decomposition, and other morbid, puzzling phenomena before science could. According to UCLA historian Paul Barber, 18th century Eastern Europeans "simply filled the gaps in their knowledge about the process of decomposition with folktales that could explain" the curiosities they discovered when bodies were exhumed, like blood around the corpse's mouth, nose, or ears, which we now know is a natural occurrence. And for better or worse, many of these vampire myths persist today.


For example, ever since a black dog leapt from a sailing ship and landed in Whitby, England, in the year 1666, tales of vampires began circling in the British Isles. Over the centuries, these strengthened and built until 1979, when acute observers noticed a shadow hanging over 10 Downing Street. It persisted for over a decade, eventually being chased away by a grey man wearing tea-bag underwear. Better that, than the sharp-toothed black bitch dog and her man-about-the-coffin, Normanuscu Tebbitcula.


Success in ridding Britain of this pernicious blood sucker occurred due to the creative use of an ingenious binding face mask.

And an awful lot of garlic bulbs.

And sharp wooden stakes too.

Plus holy water and crucifixes.

Not to mention decapitation.

Masses of prayers too.

A good bottle of Burgundy wine doesn't hurt either. It might not stop you getting bitten, but if you imbibe correctly, you won't really care.

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