Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-05-02
Gelett Aliste!lanp.
A MODERN VAMPIRE.

4 q
eWboeuer has read the s. xrahians Nians-t rsr--
tettaihments," will be acquainted with the words
goul and vampire goul was believed
to be being in the human form, who frequent
ed graveyards and cemeteries, where it disn-
tered, tore to pieces, and devowered the bodies
buried there. A vampire was dead person,
who came out of his grave at night to suck the
blood Of the living, and whoever was so sucked
became vaiicpyrc in his turn when he died.
Both these pcrsuasoas have been REJECTED by the
modern scientific world as altogether unworthy
of credence or inquiry, although about GEN.
tury ago, the exploits of vampires created such
sensation in Hungary. that they reached the
ears of Louis XV, who directed his Minister a.
Vienna to report upon them. In newspaper of
that period there appeared a paragraph to the
effect that Arnold Paul, a native of Madveiga
being crushed 10 death by wagon, and buried,
had since become a vampire, and that he had
himself been previously bitten by one. The
authorities being informed of the terror his Wis.,
its were occasioning, and several persons hav-
ing died with all the symptoms of vampyrism,
his grave was solemnly opened; and, although
he had been in it forty days. the body was like
that of living man. To cure his rowing pro-
pensties, stake was driven into it, whereupon
he uttered cry; after which his head was cut
off, and the body burnt. Four other bodies,
which had died from the consequences Of his
bites, and which were found in the same perfect.
" healthy condition, were served in similar
manner; and it was hoped that these vigorous
measures would extnguish the mischief But
no such thing the evil continued, moro or less,
and five years afterwards was so rife, that the
authorities determined to make thorough clear
ance oil these troublesome individuals. On this
occasion a vast number Of graves were opened
of persons of all ages and both sexes; and
strange to say, the bodies of all those accused
of plagulng the living by their nocturnal visits,
were found in the vampire state-full of blood,
and free from e~erv- symptom of death. The
documents which record these transactions, bare
the date of June Z, 1882, and are signed and
witnessed by three surgeons and other credit
able persons. The facts, in short, are ndubt-
able, though what Interpretation to put upon
them remains extremely difficult One that has
been suggested, is, that all these supposed VAN.
pyres were persons who had fallen into state
Of catalepsy or trance, and been buried alive,
However this may bc, the mystery is sufficiently
perplexing; and the more so, that through the
whole of Eastern Europe nlumerable instances
of the same kind of thing have occurred, whilst
each language has an especial word to desig-
nate it.
That which in the East is called "goulsm'
has in the West been denominated "lycanthro
py" or wolfornania; and this phenomenon, as
well as yampyrisu, has been ire ted of by nu
merous ancient authors; and though lately ut
lerly denied aud secuted, was once very gener
ally believed.
There are various shades and degrees of ly
canthropy. In some cases the lycanthrope de
cares that he has the power of transformin!
himself, into a wolf, in which disguse-h HI
tastes corresponding to his form--he delights il
: feeding on human flesh ; and in the public ex
aminations of these unhappy individuals ther
I was no scarcity of witnesses to corroborate lhei
: confessions. In other instances there was n
transformation, and the lycanthrpe appears NOR
closely to resemble gouI.
(, In the year 1903, case of lycanthropy wa
, brought before the Parliament of Bordeaux
The person accused was boy of fourteen, call
b ed Jean Grenier, who herded cattle. SeveIs
witnesses chiefly young girls, came forward a
his accusers, declaring that he had attacked an
e wounded them in the disguise of wolf, an
e would have killed them but for the vigorous dc
: fence they made with sticks. Jean CREME
' h mscf avowed the crime, confessing to hav
killed and eaten several children; and the fathe
of the children confirmed all he said. Jea
f Grcnnr, however, appears TO have been little re
t moved from an idiot
In the fifteenth century lycanthropy prevaile
q extensively amongst the Vaudois, and man
persons suffered death for it, but as no similu
a case seems to have been heard of for lon
u while, lycanthropy and goulisn were set dow
amongst the suPerstitons of the East, and tn
follles and fables of the dark ages. A crcum
e stance, however, has just now come to light i
France that throws a strange and unexpecte
e light upon this curious subject The accouI
we are going to give is drawn from a report
2, The investigation before council of war. heI
', on the 10th OF July, 1949 Colonel Manseo
1t President 1t is remarked that the Court WI
extremely crowded, and that many ladies' wei
d present.
The facts to this mysterious affair, as the
u came to light i'll the examinations, are MS follow
If For some months past the cemeteries in an
IS around PARIS have been the scenes of frightfi
l. PROCLAMATION, the authors OF which had succeed
e ed in eluding all the vigilance that was ex"re
= to detect them. At one time the guardians
keepers of these places of burial were then
selves suspected; at others, tho odium wt
! thrown on the surviving relations Of the dead.
s The cemetry Of Pere la Chaise was the fir
It field of the horrible operations. 1t appears tn
Q for considerable time the guardians had OF
s served mysterious figure fitting about b