Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality; With a New Preface

The subtitle of this fine book by Paul Barber, "Folklore and Reality," explains the contrast which is the subject of his research.With admirable storytelling skill and a dry sense of humor, Mr Barber sets out to look at the folkloric depictions of vampires and other returnees-from-the-dead, and then compare those images with the realities of what happens to a body after death.It turns out that, many times, the attributes of a dug-up, suspected vampiric body are the kinds of things familiar to fans of CSI -- in other words, these things are usually what SHOULD be happening to a body that's been buried for a month, or whenever.Usually, in the cases from 500 years ago, which undoubtably were influenced by folkloric expectations -- as well as to influence folklore in the future -- the descriptions of the body included things like this:--body swollen;-- body flexible and not stiff;--hair and teeth seen as having grown since death;--old nails shed and "fresh new ones" seen;--blood around the nose and mouth;--a sigh or gasp of protestation if the body is staked or otherwise violated.Well, nowadays we know that putrefaction causes bodies to swell; that rigor mortis is a temporary state; that the skin shrinks around the teeth and hair, causing them to look longer; that the nailbeds of finger- and toenails look like "fresh new" nails if left untouched; that the gases of decay force blood from orifices like the nose and mouth; that these same gases will escape audibly if a new path for their release is made; and so on!As told in these historic accounts, often in a village one member will die unexpectedly. Soon afterwards, several other citizens will also die. Eventually the people will decide that something unnatural is causing this perceived "rash" of deaths. so the first person in this "string" is exhumed, at which time, three months later, the body is found NOT rotted away, but in a condition summarized above.So, obviously to the horrified town members, the body has prolonged an unnatural life by causing the deaths of the others!In several of the cases, Barber quotes lists where several bodies are dug up at once. It is heart-rending to read how many of these bodies were of young women and their babies only days old. Nowadays, when "everybody" expects to live a long life, it's sobering and bathetic to be reminded of the low life expectancies and lack of basic medicine and hygiene that were so common only a century or so ago.This book is fascinating, if you have ANY interest in the "real" topic of vampires -- as opposed to the tarted-up version inspired by Interview with the Vampire and carried on by Underworld, Twilight, and such tripe.Call me a purist or a traditionalist, but this sort of book is a much more worthwhile investment of a thinking person's time than gobbling down a dozen of those --uggh -- "romance vampire" books.Barber does a really fine job of lining up folkloric expectations of vampires, with the findings of the digger-uppers. Finally he comes to the conclusion that the vampire tradition is a part of the living's fear of the dead. The RECENTLY dead. Until we see final proof that the body has decayed -- bones are all that's left -- then, it is possible that the body may be reanimated. Reanimation shows that not only might a "demon" be walking around in Uncle Joe's body. Even worse, it's possible that Uncle Joe himself might be ambulating. Even more so than what "he" might do to us, that means that UNCLE JOE IS NOT AT REST. We have not done our familial/societal duty by ensuring that, as part of the process of things, Uncle Joe's body decays. Once his body has decayed to bones, then his spirit is at rest.All kinds of post-death natural processes are covered here, and the influence of burial environments, time buried, and all these things are discussed. There's a lot of stuff in here!Two comments: In his discussion of a murderer's attempts to discard a dead body (through burial, disposal in water, or what-have-you), Barber discusses the perceived heavy weight of a corpse. I am amazed that he did not mention the common phrase "dead weight," since this situation is the origin of the phrase!Secondly, on page 187 and later, Barber discusses the concept of a person's shadow as a representation of their soul. If you catch their shadow, they might be forced to return as a ghost. This time, I'm surprised it did not seem to appear to Barber to mention the common parlance of referring to a ghost as somebody's "shade"!If you have an interest in "true" vampires and not pretty-boy angst-ridden eye-shadow types, then this book will raise your eyebrows, broaden your perspective, (maybe) touch your heart, and elevate your knowledge level.

Not only is this a book about vampires but also the manner with which people confronted the strange or what they considered diabolical. What they described had great consequence from a superstitious and cultural vantage, having in one account a large percentage of the village leaving until matters were settled! Copious research by the author from as to close to primary sources contradicts what pop culture determines are the components of vampirism. This is the real, unromantic vampire and revenant accounts met with a discerning eye of inquiry as well as humor.

Many of the books on vampires that you find today will, in their bibliography, list Paul Barber's Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality, as one of the many sources the author has used. In fact, I would say his work is a major source and is one everybody interested in vampires and folklore should read. The book follows a very logical and reasonable course, starting with the vampires and vampire scares of the 18th Century, and earlier. Then moving onto the subject of burial, how people are buried, why, where, so on. Then it moves onto death, what happens to the bodies after death, why and when it happens. By getting into the details, sometimes gross, sometimes very interesting, he can explain how vampires were born in the folklore of Europe. It is a fascinating read that, while sometimes making me a tad sick, could not be put down. I had to finish it no matter how grossed out I got.A must for any library about vampires, death or folklore.

This is a somewhat fascinating book. It clearly draws and explains the distinction between 'fictional ' vampires and 'folkloric' vampires. All fictional vampires flow from Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula". Today all movies, t.v. shows. etc. etc., all follow the guidelines Stoker set out. What I was unaware of is the in Europe (and other parts of the world) vampires existed in the various cultures and popular imagination. Too my surprise, the author quotes verbatim and at length from several official government reports from several governments (German, French, Greek, East European countries), of the officially observed by State authorities exhumations, and the staking or beheading of supposed vampires. He also provides the footnote data to find much much more. Not that I need to. He is convincing.His explanation of what happens to a body as it decomposes, (supplied by the Medical Examiners of both NYC and LA) without the intervention of a modern mortician, are both accurate and gruesome. It also reminds us that the sole purpose of a casket/coffin is to provide the body protection from animals. In the past wolves, dogs, bears, would smell the poorly buried bodies and attempt to dig them up. The hole in the grave was of course proof to the village that a vampire had escaped; and if animal tracks were found, that the vampire could transform into a familiar.The author can be tendentious and repetitive. I often felt the author was a student trying to fill a 'word count thesis', for a degree.But overall, informative.

è un libro incredibile, mi serviva per scrivere la tesi, è molto interessante e completa le mie conoscenze sul argomento

Great

Great and interesting book. Well researched. I will enjoy reading more of this.

This book takes the reader on a journey through the folklore associated with death. In particular, it focuses on the vampire - as a creature that returns from the dead (as 'undead'). Much about this journey through the history of such tales is connected to our fear of dying, and the unknowns bound-up with it. Through fear, we've invented elaborate legends and myths concerned with overcoming death, or returning from the dead. And of these, the vampire is one of the most prevalent. It involves the physical continuation of existence, rather than returning in ethereal form as an incorporeal entity. For centuries, the vampire has captured our imaginations ... and this book explores the manifestations of such imagery.The narrative looks at real history, from early modern times (the 1700's) to the present-day. And many of the most important cases of documented vampirism from around the world are outlined and explored in detail. This, then, is a case history of actual vampirism. And what does 'vampirism' mean? It refers to instances when people really thought that vampires existed. Whether they did or not is irrespective, what's of concern here is that the historic belief was real. And these beliefs were documented by the authorities, in the various countries at different times. As such, there are empirically-recorded cases of vampirism. And this book examines how these cases portray the vampire as a creature that is associated with death.It's a well-written, highly informative book. It's academically presented, with references cited throughout. I recommend this item to anyone interested in the real-world history of documented cases of vampirism.

Well, I bought this book without really knowing what I was doing. There are lots of books that try to explain the phenomenon and after expending some time searching and reading reviews, I ended up buying this one. And I gotta tell you, it was worth it. If you're a fantasy/fiction reader like me and if you like vampire stories, you'll certainly enjoy reading this book. It's the kind of book to read slowly, ideal for those moments when you don't want to do anything else and want to relax a bit. The basic aproach on the subject is amazingly done, the text fluidity is ideal and the way the book is organized is great. The examples are hilarious and what I liked the most was how the author explains and justifies all that is reported with nowadays and the actual knowledge, mainly in the medical/forensics area.It is a great reading and we get to see an amazing perspective of how supersticious people were back then.oh well, 5 out of 5 in my opinion.An essential to those who like the subject. Very down-to-earth and accurate.