Remains of a 16th Century Vampire?

DiamondSmiles · #1 ● 11-29-2012, 07:24 PM

Poveglia Island, Venice and Lido, Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy

An undated handout photo from the University of Florence shows the remains of a female, "vampire", from 16th-century Venice.

Italian researchers believe they have found the remains of a female, "vampire", from 16th-century Venice, buried with a brick in her mouth to prevent her feasting on plague victims.

Matteo Borrini, a forensic anthropologist from the University of Florence, said the discovery was the first confirmation of a Medieval belief that vampires were behind the spread of epidemics, such as the Black Death.

An anthropologist from the University of Florence, said the discovery on the small island in the Venice Lagoon supported the medieval belief that vampires were behind the spread of plagues like the Black Death.

Gravediggers reopening mass graves would sometimes come across bodies bloated by gas, with hair still growing, and blood seeping from their mouths and believe them to be still alive.

The shrouds used to cover the faces of the dead were often decayed by bacteria in the mouth, revealing the corpse's teeth, and vampires became known as "shroud-eaters."

According to medieval medical and religious texts, the, "undead", were believed to spread pestilence in order to suck the remaining life from corpses until they acquired the strength to return to the streets again.

"To kill the vampire you had to remove the shroud from its mouth, which was its food like the milk of a child, and put something uneatable in there," said Borrini. "It's possible that other corpses have been found with bricks in their mouths, but this is the first time the ritual has been recognized."

While legends about blood-drinking ghouls date back thousands of years, the modern figure of the vampire was encapsulated in the Irish author Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, "Dracula," based on 18th century Eastern European folktales.

(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Sharon · #2 ● 11-29-2012, 07:32 PM

bloated by gas, with hair still growing, and blood seeping from their mouths and believe them to be still alive.

That's an illusion caused by skin retraction. They thought nails grew also. Blood from the nose and mouth is broken down lung tissue escaping and it does indeed look like blood.

Interesting story

DiamondSmiles · #3 ● 11-29-2012, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by Sharon. ↗

That's an illusion caused by skin retraction. They thought nails grew also. Blood from the nose and mouth is broken down lung tissue escaping and it does indeed look like blood.

Interesting story

My brother swore my father's facial hair grew after death.

If the nails grew and there were scratches on the inside of the coffin, the person was still alive!

Your avatar scared me!