Ever since the first Twilight movie, vampires have re-entered our culture in a big way. What is it about pale people with slightly larger canines that intrigue us so?
It may seem like this is a new phenomenon, but actually people have had an obsessive fear of vampires for centuries. It wasn’t just stories for people back in the day either, here are some actual people that were rumored to be vampires. Watch out, these stories may be the next Hollywood blockbusters.
1. Countess Elizabeth Báthory.
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In the early 1600s a member of the Hungarian royal family, Elizabeth Báthory is said to have been responsible for the deaths of over 650 women so that she could regularly bath in human blood. Supposedly she was another inspiration for Bram Stroker’s Dracula along with Vlad The Impaler.
2. Fritz Haarmann.
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Known as “The Vampire of Hanover”, this German was one of the first serial killers ever. His calling card was killing the person by biting through their necks.
3. Richard Chase.
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From “The Vampire of Hanover” to “The Vampire of Sacrmento”. Between 1977 and 1978 Chase murdered and drank the blood of six people. One of his victims was only six months old.
4. Josephine Smith.
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A homeless man in St. Petersburg, Florida called 911 after getting part of his face bit off by a woman who proclaimed “I am a vampire, I am going to eat you.” He identified Josephine Smith as his attacker, but she has no memory of the incident.
5. Rod Ferrell.
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Leader of a cultish gang called the “Vampire Clan”, Rod Ferrell killed his girlfriend’s parents in order that she may be initiated (orphans only apparently?). When he was arrested he told police that no jail could hold him for he was a 500 year old vampire.
6. Allan Menzies.
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Menzies was obsessed with the 2002 film “Queen of the Damned” and was convinced the vampire in the film wanted him to also be a vampire. He felt the only way he could do this would be to stab his best friend 42 times and drink his blood.
7. Vlad III Dracula The Impaler.
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The man who most inspired Count Dracula. He was a Romanian count who was renowned for his cruelty. Historians estimate that he killed up 100,000 people during his lifetime, and would sometimes decorate his home with desecrated corpses.
Then there’s this.
I’m not entirely sure if these people were real vampires or not, but man am I scared. I’ll be wearing an all garlic necklace on Halloween night if that’s ok with everyone.
