New England Vampires

I've been doing some research into the Vampire tradition in New England. As you may have heard there are several documented cases of bodies being exhumed and hearts removed and made into potions.... bones mixed up etc. up until the 1870s. This all had to do with The consumption epidemic around that era. Pretty neat stuff if you want to look into it. But I was wondering if there are any other areas around with simular activity to stop the dead from feeding off the living.

Originally posted by Gislebertus
I've been doing some research into the Vampire tradition in New England. As you may have heard there are several documented cases of bodies being exhumed and hearts removed and made into potions.... bones mixed up etc. up until the 1870s. This all had to do with The consumption epidemic around that era. Pretty neat stuff if you want to look into it. But I was wondering if there are any other areas around with simular activity to stop the dead from feeding off the living.

That's amazing. No, I had not heard of that until now. If you happen to have a site link, it may help others to be able to reply here.

I've done a lot of research on my own, but this guy's book is what got me started

www.foodforthedead.com...

They have Chapter one included. They have a Map, that showed the areas of activity and you can see why I wanted to find out more about this since I live in Saco Maine. I went through all the death records in Saco from 1840-1870 and listed all Consumption cases and plotted them geographically as to where they occured in the town. I got some Amazing clusters and found several families that could have fit the bill for being the ones who may have done this up in Maine. That's about as far as I got though.

I have been led to understand that eatting the heart of the alleged vampire is a thing that only happened in New England. I have heard of it before ... the victim eats the ashes of the burned up vampire heart and it is supposed to make them well. It never did.

Ive lived in New Engalnd for 2 years before moving to New York. NEVER have ai seen a vampire as many of the times I have been in the woods.

Watching Salem's Lot?

[edit on 30-6-2004 by cjane]

Be skeptical all you want cjane... It's well documented. I never said these were Bram Stoker style Vampires... But they were considered Vampires by the people of their day. Just because you don't share a belief system doesn't mean that the system doesn't exsist within a culture.
This one definately did!

This is really helpful stuff guys. Im doing a thesis/dissertation on vampire superstition and archaeological burial evidence. unfortunately i live in england so i cant see the graves myself. id really like to but i havent got the time or the money!
I'll keep you posted with what I find over the summer and if any of you have any info that might help, you will be credited in my bibliography/acknowledgments page!
Thanks!

So what exactly are these 'vampires'? they sound more like cannibals to me.

I live in new england, RI actually...I have researched this a few years ago out of interest in local folk lore. I have had the pleasure of meeting Michael Bell on two occassions. There really are no vampires per se. If you read Michaels book, you will come to understand that the rituals were done out of desperation. Consumption (tuberculosis) was wiping out families throughout the area. Doctors were unable to cope with the great numbers of people being sick. All of the land in my area used to be farm and woods. there were not too many people around who knew exactly what was happening. When the notion of witchcraft was offered, it sent a panic throughout the community. Making a concoction with the ash from the burnt heart of a dead relative was a last resort effort. It was strange when a family was found with no illnesses...suspicion took over and rumors of them being in league with the devil sprouted up.

In my humble opinion, it was just some poor uneducated farmers doing the best they could with what they had. No night stalkers, no satanic rituals, just a desperate people looking to survive. I am sad to say that the many times I pass by the cemetery, I see people milling around looking for the folk who were accused of being vampires. The stones have been knocked over and damaged. The graves have been disturbed. It is a shame that they cant rest in peace. That is the real reason it is played down by the locals & no one hears those stories. Our folk lore is rich, but that is all that it is.