Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-07-25
STORIES OF VAMPIRES. /"
AN OLD SUPERSTITION THAT Il NOT
YET DEAD.
she Literature OF Vnmpirlsm and Its
influence on European People
Ale Eed Dolngs OfXnmnires.

she Literature OF Vampirism and Its
influence on European People
Ale ged DOings OF Vampires.
The Chicago Inter Ocean SAYS: A ply
stefan of local fame in an Eastern city
said to the writer, recently: "This Is an
age of queer mental and bodily decisions,
despite its enlightenment. One of the odd
est cases that l ever saw was called on
to treat the other day. A man came in to
complain that his ankles were wounded.
found that the wounds were scratches.
and expressed my surprise that he should
nave consulteda physician about a trifie.
he said he often found the skin of his
ankles broken in the same way on rising
from bed. l suggested that he smooth
the foot board, and not kick it so much
Then the real object of his visit came
out. What do you think it was2 With
6ated breath he whispered that he was
the victim of vampire-not a vampire
bat, but human vampire. Actually,
here was sound, healthy, intelligent
man covering from. the effects of that
OLD superstition. He limited to me that
ne knew who tho vampire was-a former
enemy now deceased. He had come to
me for charm, or something else, to
exercise his terrible visitor. tried to
laugh and chaff him out of the idea.
Whether l succeeded don't know The
man went away much depressed, and
hasn't returned since l ought to have
mentioned that he was a native of Hun
gary, and had imbibed vampirism in his
chDIhood's home"
This is one of the several instances
that have come under the writer's notice
to prove that the ancient and horrible
vampire belief is yet lingering upon
earth. Certainly no more extraordinary
or appalN ing belief ever troubled mems
wits. The very idea is startling. That
the dead returned from their graves to
prey on the flesh and blood of the living
should have ever been believed by thou
sands of people sounds Incredible. But
at is fact nevertheless.
The history of the vampire supersti-
ton ranges over 1900 years. 1t begins
with the LAMA of the Greeks, a beauti-
full woman who enticed youths to her in
order to drink their blood. And it may
be said to end with the dawn of general
education about seventy-five years ago.
At certain periods its believers have
numbered hundreds of thousands, per-
haps millions of people, not of the un-
deferred entirely, but included educated
and scientific men of France, Germany
and Italy Fifty years ago the vampire
was well-known figure in literature and
in the drama. The foremost poet in
England was credited with the author
ship of popular play called the" YAM
pre-" and did not wholly deny it. A
hundred years before this time vampires
and ghouls were the topic of interest in
the salons of Paris, that ranked with
Law and his schemes. At this period,
indeed, the superstition obtained the
greatest currency among educated people,
and its literature is the richest. We
learn from the memoirs of court lady
at the time that vampirism was talked
at every soirec, and that its ardent
believers were nearly as many as those
who scoffed it. Among the former were
members of the army, the law, several
members of the academy, and numerous
scientific men. Physicians were divided.
They agreed there must be some found
alton for the vampire belief, and for the
werewolf belief, which was closely al
Lied to it. Finally they gave the mono
mania which lay at the bottom of
all the vampire belief the name of
lycanthropy. Elaborate treatises were
written for and against, and host of
minor writers flung out books on the sub
ject. The principal of these were Raufft
and Calmet. The latter's work is es-
pecially rich in cases of vampires, many
of which are described by actual wit
nesses.
One of the best attested vampire stories
in Calmet's work is that of Marshal de
Retz. This was a noble, brave and
worthy man who lived in France in the
reign of Charles VII. He was a soldier,
and after distinguishing himself in the
wars retired to his country seat Shortly
after he took up his residence the neigh
borhood became alarmed at the disap-
pearance of many young children. Only
children under the age of seven disap-
peared, and soon the number of dis
tracted parents mourning their lost ones
was very great. No amount of vigilance
could discover the mysterious agency
which as it were swallowed the children
up. Accident, however, directed sus-
picion to the noble de Retz. His castle
was watched by desperate parents who
had lost their little ones, and circum-
stances multiplied to give the people
courage to accuse him of being at the
bottom of the mystery. He was arrested
and placed on trial, charged with having
Kidnapped over 100 children. He was
convicted and executed. Before he was
led to the block the monster confessed that
in three years he had killed 800 children
He was led to do it, he said. by an insa-
table desire to taste their blood. Calmet
relates this story circumstantially, adding
though it is largely exaggerated that he
believes it is not a myth He cites de
Retz's confession that he was led to COM
NIT the horrible atrocities by an irresisti-
bic impulse as an evidence that there
must be trait in humanity which leads
to vampirism, and which awakens from
its dormant state in individuals from
time to time. A case rather different from
the above was that of Jean Grenier, a
herdboy. In 1903 he was placed on trial
for attacking girls in the form of wolf.
The girls themselves and their fathers
gravely and positively identified him.
and what was more singular, Grenier
himself admitted that their charge was
true. He declared that he had eaten
several of them. He produced what his
judges accepted as good evidence of his
assertions 1t is presumed that he suf
fcred the penalty of being a vampire,
though Calmet omits to state what his
punishment was.
The most celebrated vampire case,
perhaps, and the latest, happened in
1649. In that year the cemeteries