Vampire lore is not exclusive to Eastern Europe and the areas surrounding it. Various forms of bloodsucking monsters exist in folklore from around the world, such as those that drain their victims of psychic or sexual energy, health, or life essence. Several types of vampires include nosferatu, moroi, strigoi, and mullo, with the Romanian nosferatu being the most popularized in the Western world. Other cultures also have their versions of vampires, such as the Indian bhut, vetala, and Kali. The Chinese jiang shi and the Central American chupacabra are also well-known examples.
Most vampire lore comes from Eastern Europe and surrounding areas, but folk lore from around the world features various forms of bloodsucking monsters. Some such creatures drain their victims of psychic or sexual energy, health, or qi, also known as life essence. Some of the best known types of vampires are the nosferatu, moroi, strigoi, and mullo.
Perhaps the best-known form of vampire, popularized by fiction and film in the Western world, is the nosferatu. This Romanian vampire is the illegitimate child of two illegitimate children and indulges in bloodsucking and sex with mortal women. According to legend, a woman so impregnated will give birth to a witch or moroi – also spelled moroii – a “living vampire” as opposed to the undead variety. Moroi are identified at birth by their hairy appearance, although features such as an extra cord, tail, or nipple could also signal vampiric identity.
The other main type of vampire in Romanian culture is the strigoi, or strigoii. Strigoi are either living witches or undead vampires, but the living become full-fledged vampires after their earthly death. Living strigoi can send their souls at night to communicate with others of their kind, and the undead feed on the blood of people and livestock. The word strigoi comes from the name of an ancient Roman bloodsucker, the striga, a nocturnal bird that feeds on humans.
Some gypsies, or Roma, traditionally believe that the souls of the dead stay close to their bodies and sometimes long to go back. The mullo, the Roma version of the vampire, usually returns to the human world to take revenge on a relative who somehow harmed the dead person. They suck their victim’s blood and otherwise torment them. Gypsies also believe in the dhampir, son of a vampire and a mortal woman, usually the vampire’s widow, skilled at hunting and killing vampires.
The Indian culture from which the Roma people originated also has many traditional bloodsucking creatures, most notably the deity Kali, the black goddess, who, although not a vampire, may have inspired other vampire legends. Indian vampires include the bhut, the evil ghost of a man who died early, and the vetala. Both varieties of vampires frequent graveyards, animating corpses, and attacking the living. The brahmaparusha, from North Indian folklore, drinks its victim’s blood through a hole in the skull and then eats the brain, eventually dancing with the victim’s intestines wrapped around its head.
Creatures similar to European vampires exist in cultures around the world. An interesting example is the Chinese jiang shi, or leaping corpse, an undead monster that kills its victims by draining their qi. Another well-known bloodsucker is the Central American chupacabra, which feeds on the meat and blood of livestock at night.
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