Year: 1874

Vampire and Bruxa.


In our former a11icle oa this subject
we mentioned that belief IN witches was
a superstition almost universally met
with. Another almost equally prevalent
is the fear of "the Evil Eye" This is an
unpleasant faculty, supposed to be pos
sessed by some persons, OF being able to
wither, as it were, any one they chose
merely by a glance. 1t is acquired by a
compact with the Prince of Darkness,
who, in return for bestowing the wished
for power, demands the souls of those
who make the compact with him. There
are, however, individuals who are sup
posed to possess this faculty not only in
voluntarily, but even against their will,
in which case it is not under their con-
troll, and they frequently therefore in
jure the very persons they most love; for
should the involuntary possessor of an
evil eye be unguarded enough to praise
any person, animal, or even thing, and
look at it at the same time, it's doom is
fixed, and in spite of all the efforts of the
unwilling cause of the injury, it's destruc-
tion is certain to ensue. What gave rise
to this singular superstition we have
been unable to discover, but belief in it
is very widespread. 1t is met with
among most nations of the East, while
in many countries in Europe the lower
classes believe in it firmly, especially
in Greece and Spain. Many of our
readers will doubtless remember strik-
ing picture of Philips, of which this
superstition is the subject. A Spanish
gypsy mother is seated covering down in
a corner of her tent, her attitude and
cOuntenance expressive of the most in
tense fear as she clasps her babe to her
breast, as though to save it from some
impending danger, while through the
open door of the tent we see the innO-
cent cause of her alarm, a young, bright
girl who looks incapable of lnfiicting in
jury on any one, but who, nevertheless,
is suspected of being an unfortunate pos
SCISSOR of the dreaded Evil Eye. In the
Nerth of Europe, and also in many parts
of Germany, we find traces of this SUI
perstitious belief among the peasantry,
while in the Highlands of Scotland, and
especially in the Hebrides, the gradual
decline of PERSONS health, or the sud-
den death of COW, is commonly attrib-
uted to the baneful effects of an evil
eye. Numerous as are the superStitiOnS
that have worldwide prevalence, it is
yet in the East that we meet with the
most extraordinary and varied forms of
beliefs of this nature, and any of our
readers who have travelled much in East
ern countries, and at the same time en-
tered into conversation with their inhab-
itants, have doubtless heard many a
thrilling tale of vampires, ghouls and
kindred races.


1t is in Turkey and Asia Minor and the
borders of the neighboring countries
that the traveller is most frequently re-
galed with stories of beings of this ma
ture, in whose actual existence the
people of those lands most firmly be-
lieve. A vampire is supposed to be a
body which, though to all intents and
purposes dead and buried, is yet en-
doWed with certain kind of life and is
animated by horrid thirst for human
blood. During the day the vampire re-
poses quietly in his grave, but as soon as
the shades of night begin to fall he
makes preparations for sallying forth in
search of his evening repast, and then,
when all the world is buried in slum-
ber, he steals out of his narrow resting
place and wanders about till he meets
with the only food that will appease his
hunger, d. e., the blood of some one be-
long to the race of mankind The vic
tim may be his wife or child or some
friend that, while in this life, he cared
for more than life itself, but all consid-
erations of love and friendship are now
forgotten and the sole aim Of the yam-
pire is to slake his thirst. No feeling of
pity moves him as, bending over his un-
conscious prey, he makes small incision
with his long, sharp tooth in his
victims vein and then sucks
his life-blood from him. Having thus
satisfied his hunger, he steals back to his
grave ere the first streaks of dawn ap-
pear in the east, there to rest till it is
time for the next nights orgies. And
meanwhile, what of his hapless victim?
Apparently he is none the worse except
that he is rather pale, and on his throat
is small blue mark, but that mark tells
him that his doom is sealed, and that a
fearful fate awaits him. Slowly, but
surely, he dies, and knows that instantly
life is extinct he too must become one of
the dreaded race and drag on horrid
existence at the expense of his fellow
men. Sometimes when a vampire is
known to haunt a neighborhood the in
habitants join in self-defense, and pro-
ceeding to the burial ground open the
grave, with many prayer and no little
fear and treDidation. The body, which
has all the appearance of being still in
life, is than taken up, and after being
pierced through the chest is carefully
burnt, after which ceremony the people
believe they are free from the danger of
visitations from vampire until new
member of the race visits the district.
Traces of this superstition were to be
found in Poland and in some parts of Ger
many about century and half ago. but
it is almost totally extinct now in these
countries. The imaginary beings, whose
existence is still believed in in the West,
that bear most resemblance to the vam-
pire race are the "Bruxas," tales of
whom are occasionally told to travellers
in some parts of Portugal. Fearful
beings are these same Bruxas supposed
to be, while the utter wretchedness of
their fate is even greater than that Of
vampires, for they have to indulge their
horrid taste while still in life. The fol
lowing description of /" Bruxa" is given
by Kingston in his Lusitanian sketches:
In the daytime she is like any other
woman, performing the duties of her
household in the most exemplary man.
ner. She may be the daughter of hon.
est and good parents; she may marry
and have children; she may be amiable
and is often very beautiful, though there
is a certain fierce expression in her eye
and an ominous wrinkle on her 9th er
wise fair brow which the skeptical