The Vampire
Lord Lytton, 1858
I found a corpse, with glittering hair,
Of a woman whose face, tho' dead,
The white death in it had left still fair,
Too fair for an earthly bed!
So I loosened each fold of her bright curls roll'd
From forehead to foot in a rush of red gold,
And kissed her lips till her lips were red,
And warm and light on her eyelids white
I breath'd, and pressed unto mine her breast,
Till the blue eyes oped and the breast grew warm,
And this woman, behold! arose up bold,
And lifelike lifting a wilful arm,
With steady feet from the winding sheet
Stepp'd forth to a mutter'd charm.
And now beside me, whatever betide me,
This woman is, night and day.
For she cleaves to me so, that, wherever I go
She is with me the whole of the way.
And her eyes are so bright in the dead of the night,
That they keep me awake with dread;
While my life blood pales in my veins and fails,
Because her red lips are so red
That I fear 'tis my heart she must eat for her food;
And it makes my whole flesh creep
To think she is drinking and draining my blood,
Unawares, if I chance to sleep.
It were better for me, ere I came nigh her, -
This corpse, - ere I looked upon her, -
Had they burn'd my body with penal fire
With a sorcerer's dishonour.
For when the devil has made his lair
In the living eyes of a dear dead woman,
(To bind a man's strength by her golden hair,
And break his heart, if his heart be human),
Is there any penance, or any prayer,
That may save the sinner whose soul he tries
To catch in the curse of the constant stare
Of those heartbreaking bewildering eyes, -
Comfortless, cavernous glowworms that glare
From the gaping grave where a dead hope lies?
It is more than the soul of a man may bear.
For the misery worst of all miseries
Is Desire eternally feeding Despair
On the flesh, or the blood, that forever supplies
Life more than enough to keep fresh in repair
The death ever dying, which yet never dies.
Vampires Around the World
 The vampire is truly a global creature, with myths related to the dead which rise to drink the blood of the living coming out of cultures all around the world. Not only is the vampire worldwide and of dateless antiquity.
In it's many forms, the vampire is a truly international blight. Those regions with a rich heritage of vampire lore are listed below along with examples of the most common indigenous species.
Africa: Obayifo
Tree-dwelling, child-eating vampire known to Ghana's Ashanti people.
Australia: Yara-Ma-Yha-Who
From aboriginal mythology, this was a nasty little vampire with suckers on his fingers that lurked in fig trees.
Bosnia-Herzegovia: Lampir
Blood-drinking species destroyed only by fire.
Bulgaria: Vapir, Ubour
Rises after forty days in the grave to feed on blood, excrement and other "food". This vampire had only one nostril and slept with its left eye open and its thumbs linked. It was also held responsible for cattle plagues.
Caribbean: Soucoyant in Trinidad and Tobago, Ol' Higue in Jamaica and Loogaroo in Grenada
These vampires take the form of old women during the day, and at night shed their skin to become flying balls of flame who seek blood. They were said to be notoriously obsessive compulsive, and could be thwarted by sprinkling salt or rice at entrances, crossroads and near beds. The vampire would feel compelled to pick up every grain. They could also be killed by rubbing salt into their discarded skin, which would burn them upon returning to it before morning.
China: Chiang-shi
White or green haired vampire with the power of flight and transfiguration that drew their strength from the Moon.
India: Yakshis, Vetala and Wraithly
Yakshis vampires, prevalent especially in the southern state of Kerala, were beautiful women who seduced men in order to kill or eat them. They are said to be averse to iron objects in addition to other religious symbols, and could be killed by driving an iron nail through the head. They could also be imprisoned in trees using blessed objects. India is also home to the vetala, a wraithly vampire that can leave its host body to feed.
Ireland: Dearg-du
Rarely seen, sometimes appears in the form of a beautiful temptress.
Germany: Nachzehrer
Shape-shifting vampire with psychic powers. Feasts on the bodies of the dead, and the blood - and energy - of the living.
Greece: Vrykolakas
A night-walking creature that kills by crushing the chest of its sleeping victim.
Malaysia: Penanggalan, Pontianak
In Malaysian folklore, the Penanggalan was a vampire whose head could separate from its body, with its entrails dangling from the base of its neck. The Pontianak was a female vampire that sucked the blood of newborn babies and sometimes that of young children or pregnant women.
Malaya: Langsoir, Langsuir
Restless undead form of a woman who died in childbirth, who now preys upon infants and children for the most part. Usually depicted with long black hair concealing a blood-drinking organ in that back of the neck, making smaller victims even more preferred. They attack with long nailed hands and can take the form of owls. Langsoir bear some similarities to the Amerind legends of Civateteo.
Mexico: Civatateo
Vampires that date back to the of the days of the Aztecs and are believed to be the servants of the gods. Thus, they have the magical powers of a priest. All Civateteo are noblewomen who died during childbirth and have now returned to earth.
These creatures stalk travelers at crossroads and lurk in temples or churches. They are terrible to look upon, shriveled and as white as chalk. Often a death's head or other glyph is painted on their clothes or tattooed on their flesh.
Philippines: Manananggal, Aswang
In Philippine folklore, the Manananggal was a female vampire whose entire upper body could separate from her lower body and who could fly using wings. She sucked the blood of fetuses. The Aswang was believed to always be a female of considerable beauty by day and, by night, a fearsome flying fiend. She lived in a house, could marry and have children, and was a seemingly normal human during the daylight hours.
Romania: Nosferatu
Bloodthirsty revenant that seeks sexual intercourse with the living.
Strigoii, Strigoii Morti
Living and dead vampires which leave the grave to consume the living both psychically and physically.
Russia: Upyr
Daywalking bloodsucker with a preference for children, which it eats with its iron teeth.
Scotland: Baobhan Sith
The White Women of the Scottish highlands. These women are ghostlike vampires who assume the shape of beautiful women and invite men to dance with them, and drink their blood.
Slovenia: Kudlak
Shape-shifting revenant associated with pestilence, plague and famine.
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Sources of Information Include: Encyclopedia Mythica and The Vampire Watchers Handbook
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