Spectres Called Vampyres

**The Surprising Account of those Spectres Called Vampyres**

Published on: January 21, 1765

Published in: The Hartford Courant, p1

Author is Currently Unknown

Containing the frefheft Advices, Foreign and Domeftick

These Vampyres are fuppofed to be the be the bodies of deceafed perfons animated by evil fpirits, which come out of the graves in the night-time, fuck the blood of many of the living, and thereby deftroy them. Such a notion will probably be look’d upon as fabulous: but it is related and maintained by authors of great authority. From one who take the following extract.

“The Vampyres, which come out of the “graves in the night time, rufh upon people “sleeping in their beds, fuck out the blood “and deftroy them. They attack men, “women, and children, fparing neither age “nor sex. The people attacked by them “complain of fuffocation, and great “interception of fpirits; after which they “foon expire. Some of them, being asked, “at the point of death, what is the matter “with the, fay, they fuffer in the manner “juft related from people lately dead, ot “rather, the fectres of the thofe people; “upon which their bodies, from the “defeription given of them by the fick “perfon, being dug out of the graves, “appear in all partf, as the noftrils, checks, “breft, mouth, &c, rurgid and full of blood. “Their countenances are frefh and ruddy, “and their nails, as well as hair, very much “grown. And, though they have been much “longer dead than many other bodies, “which are perfectly putrified, nor the leaft “mark of corruption is vifible upon them. “Those who are deftroyed by them, after “their death, become Vampyres; fo that to “prevent fo freading an evil, it is found “requifite to drive a stake though the dead “body, from whence, on this occafion the “blood flows af if the perfon was alive. “Sometimes the body is dug out of the “grave, and burnt to ashes; upon which all “difturbances seafe. The Hungarians call “thefe fectres Pamgri; and Servians, “Vampyres; but the crymon, or reafon of “thefe names is not known.

M. J. Henr Zopfius

Thefe Fpectres are reported to have infefted feveral diftricts of Servia, and the bannar of Tamefwaer, in the year 1725, and for feven or eight years afterwards, particulasly those of Mevadia, or Meadia, and parakin near Morava. In 1732, we had a relation of some of their fears in the neighbourhood of Caffovia; and the public prints took notice of the tragedies they acted in the banar of Tamefware, in the year 1738. Father Gabriel Rzacyski, in his natural history of the kingdom of Poland, and the great dutchy of Lithuania, published at Sendomir in 1721, affirms, that in the Ruffian, Poland and the great dutchy of Lithuania, dead bodies, acfuated by infernol firits, fometimes enter peoples houfs in the night, fall upn men, women and children, and attempt to fuffocate them; and that fuch diaboloical facts his countrymen have feveral very authentic relations.

The Poles calls a man’d body thus infcted Upier, and that of a woman, Upierzyco, & c. a winged or feathered creatyre; which name feems to be deduced from the furprizing lighznefs and activity of these incarnate demons. If we remember right, an account of them alfo, from Poland, is to be met with in fome of the news papers from 1693, perfectly agreeing with thofe of the Servian Vampyres given us by M. Zopfius. In fome, the notion of fuch peftiferous beings has prevailed from time immemorial over a great part of Hungary, Servia, Corniola, Poland, &c., is eviuced by feveral authors in conjuction with the aforefaid M. Zofius. To which we fhall beg leave to add, that the Ancient Greeks alfo feem to have been firmly perfuaded, that dead bodies were fometimes acted by feveral firits, as appears from a fragment of Phlegon. Neither is this opinion, however it may be ridiculed, by many people, altogether without foundation; fince the fupreme Being may make wicked firits his inftruments of punifhment here as well as plagues, wars, famines, &c., and that he actually has done fo, is fufficently apparent from fcripture, to omit what has faid on |his head by fome of the moft eminent profane authors. See Calmet’s differtation upon good and bad angels; his articles of Angels, Demon, Devil, Satan, etcetera, in dict. bibl. and the followinf texts of fcripture; Pf ixxviii 49. Job i. Matt xii 22-23. mark iii 22-31. Luke xi 14-31, xiii 16. Acts xix 13-17.

### Modern English

Monday, January 21st 1765,  Number 3

Containing the Freshest Advises, Foreign and Domestic

These Vampires are supposed to be the bodies of deceased persons animated by evil spirits, which come out of the graves in the nighttime, suck the blood of many of the living, and thereby destroy them. Such a notion will probably, be looked upon as fabulous: but it is related and maintained by authors of great authority. From one whom we take the following extract:

“The vampires which come out of the “graves in the nighttime, rush upon people “sleeping in their beds, suck out the blood “and destroy them. They attack men, “women and children, sparing neither age “nor sex. The people attacked by them “complain of suffocation, and a great “hindrance to their spirits; after which they “soon expire. Some of them, being asked, “at the point of death, what is the matter “with them, say, they suffer in the manner “just related from people lately dead, or “rather, the specters of those people; upon “which, their bodies from the description “given of them by the sick person, being “dug out of the graves, appear in all parts, “as the nostrils, cheeks, breast and mouth, “etcetera,  rigid and full of blood. Their “countenance are fresh and ruddy, and their “nails, as well as hair, very much grown. “And, though they have been much longer “dead than many other bodies, which are “perfectly purified, nor the least mark of “corruption is visible upon them. Those “who are destroyed by them, after their “death, become vampires; so that to “prevent so spreading an evil, it is found “requisite to drive a stake through the dead “body, from whence, on this occasion the “blood flows as if the person was still “alive. Sometimes the body is dug out of “the grave and burnt to ashes; upon which “all disturbances cease. The Hungarians “call these specters Pamgri, and the “Serbians; Vampires, but the etymology or “reason of these names is not know.

Johann Heinrich Zopfius

These specters are reported to have infested several districts of Serbia and the Banat of Timişoara, in the year 1725, and for seven or eight years afterwards, particularly those o Medveda near Pristina and Paracin near the Moraca River. In 1732, we had a relation of some of the fears in the neighborhood of Košice; and the public prints took notice of the tragedies. They acted in the Banat of  Timişoara, in the year 1738. Father Gabriel Rzcznski in his natural History of the Kingdom of Poland, and the Great Dutchy of Lithuania, published at Sendomir in 1721, affirms, that in Russia, Poland and he Great Dutchy of Lithuania, dead bodies actuated by infernal spirits, sometimes enter peoples houses in the night, fall upon men, women, and children, and attempt to suffocate them; and that of such diabolical facts his countrymen have several very authentic relations.

The Poles call a man’s body thus infected Upier, and that of a woman Upierzyco (old spelling for Uperczi) etcetera, a winged or feathered creature; which name seems to be deduced from the surprising lightness and activity of these incarnate demons. If we remember right, an account of them, also, from Poland, is to be met with in some of the newspapers for 1693, perfectly agreeing with those of the Serbian vampires given us by the M. Zopfius. In some, the notion of such pestiferous being has prevailed from time immemorial over a great part of Hungary, Serbia, Košice, Poland, etcetera, as is shown by several authors in conjunction with the aforesaid M. Zopfius. To which we shall beg leave to add, hat the Ancient Greeks also seem to have been firmly persuaded that dead bodies were sometimes possessed by several spirits, as appears from a fragment of Phlegion of Tralles. Neither is this opinion, however it may be ridiculed by many people, altogether without foundation; since the Supreme Being may make wicked Spirits his instruments of punishment here as well as plagues, wars, famines, etcetera, and that he actually has done so, is sufficiently apparent from Scripture, to omit what has been said on this head by some of the most eminent profane authors. See Calmet’s dissertation upon good and bad angels: his articles of Angels, Demons, Devils, Satan etcetera, in dictionalry biblical and the following texts of scripture: Psalm 28 verse 49. Job 1. Matt 12 verses 22-23. Mark 3 verses 23-31. Luke 11 verses 14-31, 13 verses 16. Acts 19 verses 13-17.

### Citations

**Chicago:** "The Surprising Account of Those Spectres Called Vampyres." The Hartford Courant (Hartford Connecticut), January 21, 1765, No 3 ed.

**APA:** The Surprising Account of those Spectres Called Vampyres. (1765, January 21). The Hartford Courant, p. 1.

**MLA:** “The Surprising Account of Those Spectres Called Vampyres.” The Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 1765, p. 1.