Vampires; Not a Hollywood Myth? by Carlos R Savournin   MATORINU DE SUS, ROMANIA Many people don’t realize that Vampire Slaying is not only for the teenage blonde, but a time honored heritage. Though illegal, Romanian villagers continue its practice – even if said vampire is dead. Several bodies have recently been pulled from their graves, their hearts ripped out, burned to ashes, then mixed with water (which according to tradition was later drank by those performing the deed). The deceased – which will remain unnamed – were said to be vampires, and locals are performing these acts to ward off the evils their death will inevitably bring. One relative of a recently excavated corpse claims that she fell ill directly after the death occurred, and this was an apparent tip off that the deceased was, in fact, a vampire. “If a family member falls ill after a death,” she explains, “odds are a vampire is draining their blood at night, looking for company”. She also claims that once her deceased relative was ‘slain’, her illness disappeared. She went on to explain that there are only two ways to stop a vampire, but only one after he or she has risen to feed. “Inserting a large needle into the bellybutton will directly after their death will prevent them from becoming a vampire,” she says is the first method. The second; “Dig up their bodies, use a carved haying sickle to remove the heart, burn the heart to ashes on an iron plate, then have the ill drink the ashes mixed with water.” When asked if she took part in the ritual, she declined answering. Hers is not a Hollywood legend, and she mocks the vampire lore that has been spread throughout the ages. “Walk into any of our bars,” she says, “and our men will laugh at the garlic cloves and crucifix fiction.” Romania has been filled with news of vampire-slayings for many years, and villagers know very well to take the news seriously. Most of them learned to kill a vampire in the childhood and have been taught how to spot one in busy cities where most people are too busy to notice one standing directly beside them. When asked how she knew her relative was a vampire, she explained that “…he was buried on his back, his hands over his chest. But when he was dug up, he was on his side, his beard longer than it was at the burial, and bleeding at his nails as though he tried clawing his way out of the coffin.” Most would call her story a delusion, but according to her twenty year old daughter, Marinescu, what happened after the ritual was a miracle. After weeks in bed. her mother got up to walk. Her head wasn’t pounding. She could breathe without trouble. “She was saved,” she said. “We were all saved from an evil vampire.” But how could she be sure a vampire caused her mother’s illness? “Because there’s no other possible explanation,” she answered. Click here for a picture of the Romanian field where the ritual took place. © Savournin, 2005