The VERY Messed Up Origins™ of Vampires | Folklore Explained

[@JonSolo]

Thanks for stopping by mere mortals! (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ this one was a longgg time coming so I hope you enjoy it and are excited for more vampire videos in the future :) Which of the bloodsuckers listed would you be most afraid of? ▼ Podcast Links! ▼ » Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jon-solos-messed-up-origins-podcast/id1631064271 » Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0zC1NxCX576HHQUoYCuGDo » Google Podcasts: www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vbWVzc2VkdXBvcmlnaW5z » Amazon Music: music.amazon.com/podcasts/e2ab5016-5166-4670-b0a3-7c6ade06947d/jon-solos-messed-up-origins-podcast » Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/jon-solos-messed-up-origins-podcast » iHeartRadio: iheart.com/podcast/99117988/

[@jdc1979]

Was waiting for a lost boys reference lol and thank you for featuring a Filipino folklore! Manananggal scared the living daylights out of me when i was a child!

[@kayvaanmcsharrowkyn6901]

OMG...JON BOY...I'M LOVING ❤️ 😍 THAT SHIRT MY FRIEND!

[@forrestdupre87]

Could you do The Nightmare before Christmas?

[@TerryFedora]

I adore vampires so I'm very glad that you did this episode. I did NOT know about the Egyptian Goddess however so that was very cool to learn about that. I'm not sure which vampire I would be most afraid of, to answer your question. I think meeting any of them would be terrifying. I think, honestly, having a loved one come back and drinking from either you or one of your other family members would be the most heart wrenching and terrifying. Think like in the original Salem's Lot scene where one of the boys is whispering "Let me in" and the other one, in a trance, tells him to go away and is crying. That to me is more scary.

[@austingomez9630]

Finally, but I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow because I like listening to the newer videos at work while using headphones. It makes the work day go by faster, but I'll leave a like until then😁

[@jacobshore5115]

In between those two books you mentioned, there was also Carmilla, which was about a female vampire who preyed on young women (and the book might’ve had a lot of lesbian undertones too. It was published in 1872.)

[@captainboyblunder9414]

Every video you make keeps getting better and better my mans. Keep up the dedication and love for the art dude I’m here for the ride!

[@raymedrano5181]

Thanks for this! I was popping on here to ask John to cover Carmilla, it's such a great vampire story. The audiobook read by Megan Follows is compelling!

[@tlgmc1908]

I hope he covers this in the vamp series he mentioned

[@JohnSmith-io3ii]

I also thought Carmilla would come up in this video, I could be wrong but I always thought she was the second most famous vampire after Dracula, and like Jacob said her book came before Dracula. Still a cool video, though. I'd never heard of that first vampire novel before now.

[@borjaslamic]

Undertones? I'm reading through it right now and well, I just wouldn't call them undertones. I guess to a culture who demonised homosexually it'd be a great way to introduce dread, but nowadays it's a very weird paranormal romance, or at least a one-sided romance, until shit hits the fan.

[@kittiesice]

This episode brought back memories of a book I read in high school called 'Blood Sugar' about a diabetic girl that was obsessed with vampires. She even wrote a report for school talking about how people who were deemed as vampires might have actually been diabetics or people with other blood disorder. One: The pale skin and lanky appearance could be due to anemia and lack or light due to being inside due to illness. Two: The 'fangs' could just be that the person was so unhealthy the gumline of their teeth had receded and made their canines look longer than an average person. Three: Aversion to sunlight could be Photosensitivity or sensitivity to bright lights can often be a result of certain illnesses. The person in question could also just get sunburn very easily like a lot of people born with very pale skin. (I myself can't be out in the sun more than a few hours without burning) It's also very possible some of these people had Albinoism (born with no melanin production, resulting in pale skin and red or rather more pink looking eyes) Four: Drinking blood may seem gross but there were people who would resort to such extreme measures when it came to health and/or Beauty. Most of these people being nobles that did it behind protection of their title. (Good example the Duchess that used to bathe in blood to make her skin beautiful) If I had to guess why it would be effective in anyway. Nobles had very fat heavy diets in comparison to peasants so they probably didn't get the proper nutrition to absorb important nutrients from meat like Iron, hence drinking blood would probably make them feel more energized. (not saying it's correct thing but what I suspect based on the knowledge I have on body anatomy) Five: red and/or sunken in eyes could be the result of either being sick and unable to sleep or maybe even the person being an Albino The comparisons she made make sense and honestly made me wonder if it might be true. People were very superstitious back then so someone who walked around at night pale as a sheet looking sickly could come off as looking a bit scary lol. Though it is kind of crazy if it's true... Then again much crazier things have happened throughout history, lol

[@Nelkz39CFC]

The lack of understanding of modern disease and unbalanced lifestyle dies validate these points

[@TitularHeroine]

Lupus. One of the contributing factors in my mom's passing. Nasty, vicious disease that can manifest as several of the symptoms you mention here.

[@tanyaejilla1491]

"a book called blood sugar about a diabetic girl obssessed with vampires" I'd like to read it but the only "blood sugar" I can find is Sacha Rothchild's. If you can remember the author of said book, please inform me.

[@Nobu73]

@@tanyaejilla1491 the book is called Sweet Blood by Pete Hautman. It’s not Blood Sugar.

[@12368784]

I wrote my desertation in high school about vampirism and remember some books discussing health issues like these having been misunderstood as vampirism in the past, so its definetely a theory thats been going around for a while. Quite the interesting topic

[@meganthefencer694]

I would love to see you tackle Filipino and East Asian folklore

[@bluesteel1389]

Yea, the Philippines also has it's fair share of vampiric beasts.

[@Seia894]

I was just about to suggest this. Especially after watching Trese.

[@Larka661]

Heck, talk about some of those wack creatures from the Bible lol. some of those creatures are hard to even picture 🤣

[@Azulakayes]

@@Seia894 I just watched Trese too. Great show.

[@pepehorhae]

Aswang, Enkanto, Sigbin, Tikbalang, Nuno, Mangkukulam/Mambabarang/Babaylan.

[@jeremyc5108]

I can't believe you forgot to include one of the oldest vampire lore. From ancient Greece regarding Apollo, Artemis, and Hades creating the first vampire

[@milans.637]

OF course bro, acording to greeks they created universe, they must be stoped with their fake stories . Vampires are south slavic ir Serbian mythology so please leave this video, ok/.

[@mlogsdon1740]

I can’t believe it’s not butter

[@andrewowens4421]

I think the werewolf legends also trace back to Greece where King Lycaon was transformed into a wolf creature by Zeus because Lycaon ate his own son. Nice to see the parallels.

[@jdc1979]

I don’t think I’ve ever clicked on anything so fast

[@grimhasarrivedonyoutube8889]

Relatable bro. Been waiting on this episode for a while! I’m really intrigued and excited to watch the full video!

[@MotivationNAffirmations4YRLife]

Same here😂

[@boriqua004]

Same 😂

[@emileyclark5175]

Me neither

[@ninalane9950]

Same 💗

[@Chann223]

Sekhmet is a very interesting character. I didn't really think of her as a "vampire" until this video, but I guess that's one way to look at her. You should also have mention one or a few of the Mesoamerican deities because they certainly enjoyed blood offerings too. Huitzilpochtli( i hope I spelled it right) could certainly be considered to have some " vampiric" qualities as well. By the way, as anyone ever mentioned to you that you have a close resemblance to Tom Hiddleston. At least I think so.

[@ryankwon8785]

She is the main antagonist of Castlevania Nocturne. Her avatar is Countess Erzsebeth Bathory, the niece of Dracula.

[@shermarkle]

I'm glad you found time to finish this! I'm grateful for all the work you put into these!

[@JonSolo]

hey thanks Sherry! really appreciate you tuning in :)

[@davidbrewer9030]

There is also Yarbro's Saint Germain stories about a vampire from thousands of years BC who, as a boy, volunteered to have some of his blood drunk by a vampire. He then lives through time, immortal. His character was based on stories about an actual person, the Count of Saint Germain, who was supposed to have been very long lived, or immortal.

[@peskylisa]

I've read those stories.

[@aprilwhitaker9806]

I had a friend who was an actor and a model who was from Romania. He was always cast as a vampire in local independent films. He died because of COVID . I miss him very much. Thank you for doing this episode. I bet he would have loved it.

[@sstrykert]

Because of covid, or because of the v@ccine?

[@mountaintiger6945]

Don't worry you'll see him again. In the dead of night, scratching at your window demanding to be let in. Eat plenty of garlic with your meals & start drinking Holy Water.

[@sstrykert]

@@luxj.9451 Fake account

[@lvrtstrh2335]

'Cause he talked like....blah, blah. Blaaahhh

[@alanfoxman5291]

I'm Jewish and my grandparents came from Poland. When I was a little kid and we'd visit my grandparents' graves, my mother always said not to step over the grave. It was "bad luck" to do so. Likewise if I happened to be laying on the floor playing with toys, my mother would never step over me as it was also deemed "bad luck" to step over someone who was laying down. Hearing you explain how one vampire creation myth from slavic countries was having an animal jump over you explains where my mom (and likely her parents) got their ideas from.

[@Revanbzn]

And it’s a pretty rude thing to do

[@LanMandragon1720]

Interesting I'm a black dude from Illinois and we have the same superstition. Chicago also has a massive Polish population so I suspect that's the orgin.

[@stviz87]

There are a lot of superstitions in Europe, like if you accidentally place an extra plate on the table it means you're expecting visitors or don't step on a grave but walk around the grave. We were horrified when our aunt from the US told us the graves are set horizontally and you step on the dead because there's no marker or raised the area

[@RedLights9000-f3l]

We have the same thing in Morocco but it's more of "bad thing/disrespectful" than "bad luck"

[@jitterygravy2829]

I’m Russian and where I’m from stepping over someone meant that they’d never grow.

[@oranjmusemeyer968]

If you find the mythology interesting I highly recommend THE VAMPIRE ENCYCLOPEDIA. It list every country and it's vampiric myths, and a fairly complete list of Vampires in Film.

[@radagast7200]

What about the all time greatest vampire film, Dracula 3000?

[@mzpurplemist]

Great Book.

[@blaqjoker9105]

BOOK OF N.O.D

[@kasatka.]

Agreed, I really like that thick book and is quite informative. I used to read through it from the library.

[@ketami2]

Who's the author? I see 3 different one's on Amazon. I want!

[@FabrayFashions]

I am actually sad that you didn't mention Draugrs from Viking mythology. Often a toss up between whether they were vampires or zombies, I say vampires as they do consume blood rather than brain.

[@DoubleDealingDisarray]

I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Often, I'm nodding along, thinking, "I remember reading about that myth/folklore." Then there are times where I go, "I didn't know that. That's awesome!" Thank for the fun and information. Much appreciated. 😁 Also, the counting of little objects is found throughout mythologies, not just the Jiangshi, which I find curious. It's like an early mention of ADHD. 🤔

[@halmaralvarado3929]

It sucks that “Carmilla” is never mentioned along the vampire books. The book came before Dracula by Bram Stoker, and in my opinion Dracula has a direct influence on this book as its narrative is kinda similar. But hey… is a fun short book for those who want to check it 👍🏻

[@Embermoon91]

It sucks...no pun intended 😂😂

[@etoufee21]

Please do a story on Vlad the Impaler. Very interesting 🤔. Waiting for the rest of the series. The Enigma Channel by Christopher Everard has great information on vampires, too.

[@twylanaythias]

I've long theorized that most traditional vampire lore stems from a few real-world medical conditions which cause a person to be hypersensitive to UV radiation - Solar Urticaria, Porphyria, and Polymorphic Light Eruption for example. The severity of these conditions can vary from swift sunburn to anaphylaxis but, whether fatal or 'simply' causing severe (possibly permanent) injury, it's more than apparent that such people would go to extreme lengths to avoid exposure to sunlight. It somewhat goes without saying that such a condition would quickly become fatal for a commoner - either directly (as avoiding sunlight simply wasn't an option) or indirectly (as other people would quickly assume their condition to be a sign of evil and kill them out of fear). Hence, an individual of more affluent means (a noble or aristocrat) would be far better capable of surviving with such a condition. Additionally, the belief in the healing and/or empowering effects of consuming human blood is almost a cultural universal. From the similar (yet more gruesome) Countess Elizabeth Bathory de Ecsed (c1600 AD) who quite literally bathed in the blood of slain virgins to Scythian warriors (c700 BC) renowned for drinking the blood of their enemies, the psychological connection between blood and health/life is practically axiomatic. "Man is what he eats" was a bromide long before it was penned by Jacob Moleschott and reiterated by Ludwig Feuerbach et al. It's even possible that consuming human blood provided legitimate therapeutic benefits to people suffering from anemia, as blood is extremely rich in iron. Furthermore, human blood contains considerable proteins which can synergize with myoglobin - the key protein which affects the efficacy of striated musculature. In other words, the additional intake of elements within human blood can result in a person becoming much stronger and more agile than their build would otherwise suggest. Of course, anyone whose continued existence relied upon consuming human blood (or flesh) would be viewed as unholy. Silver, by comparison, is generally perceived as the most holy of worldly materials - this is why it was the most common metal used to create holy relics, particularly among cultures who viewed gold to symbolize materialism. It was also the primary material used to make mirrors; both the smaller metallic hand-held variety and, with improved glassmaking techniques, the larger plate mirrors which are now commonplace. (Modern mirrors use aluminum, chromium, and other baser metals for their reflective coating though it is still referred to as 'silvering'.) Additionally, traditional photography relies upon silver nitrate to produce and develop images. As silver is so holy, it most certainly wouldn't react to anything so *un*holy as a vampire. So right there are the core traits most commonly ascribed to vampires: atypically fair-skinned; injured/killed by sunlight thus typically nocturnal; sustained by drinking human blood; exceptional strength; repulsed by and vulnerable to silver; no reflection in a mirror; cannot be photographed; most typically from a noble/aristocratic background.

[@aischengoldworm1182]

This is in an incredible comment! Definitely deserves more attention

[@twylanaythias]

@@aischengoldworm1182 I was rather pleased when Hotel Transylvania 2 came out. Mavis (and Dracula) don't show up in the wedding photos during the opening, but they can video chat using their phones and the video camera at the convenience store picks up Mavis just fine. (As modern digital cameras don't rely upon silver to capture/process images.)

[@12368784]

Bathory bathing in blood is not necessarily true and mainly a bad rep, arguably to discredit and disown her. Historians have argued already 20 years ago that these stories are mainly based on sexism, as women were thought of being vain and not capable to torture for torture itself. (I believe the book about her was simply called "Bathory", in which the Lore and actual history would be compared) There are now even historians who argue that she never actually did torture these women (there was a full episode of noble blood about it) and that she mainly had was doing the work of a physician, if i remember right. In general, as all the tales from her bathing in blood and torturing the noble girls came from the confessions of her and her servants those can be taken as serious as any other confession under torture, as similar to the witch trials people would confess anything just to make the pain stop....

[@twylanaythias]

@@12368784 Fair enough, though the point remains - belief in the restorative powers of another person's blood (particularly in regards to gaining attributes of the individual - the strength and prowess of a warrior, the youth and beauty of a maiden, or even just health in general) is almost universal to the human condition. Hundreds (if not thousands) of lesser-known individuals have indeed been proven to have done as Lady Bathory was purported to. I named her simply because she is the best-known example of such behavior.

[@12368784]

@@twylanaythias there is definetely a lot of lore and stories, oftentimes also in combination with ritualistic / magical belief. And albeit we can never be sure how many of those stories are truth and rumours, the fact that people make up those rumors shows that the belief into the power of blood persisted. (When it comes to confessions and historical "proof" of rituals, bloodsacrifices etc i tend to be quite sceptical. Sometimes murder is just murder and people try to make up things to see a deeper meaning in it, possibly because they need to explain away why somebody would be so cruel) About Bathory: i needed to make a point there because tbh its a compelling story, but somewhat annoying to hear it constantly repeated, especially as none of the "eyewitnesses" of her crimes ever stated that she did, the rumor started 100 years later to show the dangers of following the lutheranian belief...

[@rachaelknudsen8801]

As a kid, I read this book called Real Vampires from the library repeatedly. I've had an interest in vampires since elementary school. This reminded me of several cultures I learned about then and makes me want to do more reading on the folklore surrounding them. Thank you. I look forward the the next video in this series.

[@TitularHeroine]

....I think I've heard of that! One I found browsing the University library was "The Encyclopedia of Vampirism". Pretty interesting stuff!

[@Larka661]

I was always interested in the monsters found in history and mythology.

[@wolfgang4697]

God bless you and whoever reads this, Jesus loves you

[@youngin145]

Aye, Soucoyant made the list. Really cool to see something from the Caribbean mentioned. Would love to see a mini series on Caribbean folk lore.

[@dkidads2148]

Yep, and in most places, it's pronounced 'suu-coo-yah', more French if anything.

[@youngin145]

@@dkidads2148 correct. It stems from islands that have a strong French influence and speak a French Creole like Dominica and St. Lucia.

[@naomilewis1458]

@@dkidads2148 Yess, it took me a few seconds to realize that's what he was talking about lol. A Caribbean folk lore would be so great😁

[@lunahix4815]

No vampire can ever be more messed up than the Twilight Vampires.

[@LOUDMOUTHTYRONE]

But he's cute. 🥰

[@glamorgirl911]

next video twilight werewovles only part 1 remember jon shot first

[@Revanbzn]

Pissed me off that the vampire society was randomly like the old ones but dumber.

[@vixxxenfoxxx3660]

Stay far, very far, away from fanfiction. Somehow they get worse. So much worse. I'm talking magic abilities to make their penises grow and shoot rainbow 'stuff'. That's one of the more docile things. It gets pretty messed up. At first I was like, okay, I guess I have to give credit for imagination but after a few more stories I was needing a good eye and brain bleaching. Don't get me started on the shapeshifters & ware creatures. It's worse. Definitely some furry fetish fantasies going on.

[@jjgandthatsenough]

Baby u mean niklaus mikaelson that man has ISSUES

[@JoshuaJomalStClair]

As someone from the Caribbean I am glad to see you made mention of the Soucouyant, also known as Ol' Higue. Fun fact one of her weaknesses is grinding the skin she sheds with salt and or pepper, this would burn her and cause her great pain.

[@DieezahArts]

In my island it's also said using hot pepper (the small bell-shaped ones) in the skin of the Soukougnan can neutralize them, preventing them to return to their skin...

[@shanellejames_]

Yup or sprinkling salt along your windows and doors so they don't come inside while you sleep.

[@SaiseiSekiVA]

YES! Im so psyched that you mentioned Penanggalan (both Malaysian AND Indonesian folklore actually), it's one of our more notorious creatures in our folklore and one that we most certainly dont wanna face. Shes more often a by-product of practicing black magic where she hunts pregnant women to keep herself pretty (as one does i guess). Also to counter/protect yourself from one, you have a few ways to go about it: one of it is to stuff broken glass shards in her neck hole so she cant get back to her body. and since back in the days most houses are on stilts and have spaces underneath em, you can plant pineapples underneath so that if one tries to attack you, her entrails will definitely get stuck on the prickly pineapple leaves 👁

[@Revanbzn]

I imagine the myth started because they couldn’t explain miscarriages and stuff. I wonder why is the head detaching

[@nitrokid]

Those things mostly found in the region of Kalimantan and Bali, Indonesia. Although people called it by different name. In Bali they are called Leak (for non Indonesian, it's pronounced, lay-uck). In Kalimantan, it's Kuyang. My friend that lives in Samarinda, East Kalimantan told me he more than once spotted a Kuyang eating rabbits in his neighbor's yard. So when the night comes, the thing would prowl for food, like a predator. The story says that Kuyang or Leak 'curse' or some say, 'power' can be inherited by the Kuyang's children.

[@SaiseiSekiVA]

@@nitrokid thanks for the insight! Ive heard about Leak briefly but i dont really know enough i guess? Coz mostly i grew up with the general myth about Penanggalan and stories i read as far as i can remember (some Malaysians dont like to delve into it, understandably), so its good to know there are other similar variations too 0v0

[@cherrydragon3120]

Creepy

[@drstari2299]

I absolutely love that one and the one just before it. I run a DnD campaign that is currently on a continent of horrors known as the Ashlands, and I wanna use these for my players to solve mysteries 😀

[@nashontelwilliams201]

I am from Guyana and here we have our form of vampire known as the old higue, an old woman by day and by night she strips her skin and grinds it in a mortar and transforms into a fire ball similar to the one you mentioned in the video. It is said in order to ward her off you must put rice on all entrances of your house. I really enjoy watching your videos.

[@jcaaata7338]

This was interesting, personally id love a Dracula episode

[@danielraiber3639]

From what i know, the disease that was going around Peter's village that made them think he was a vampire has been speculated as being TB. And I thought that the belief that garlic repels vampires came from noticing that mosquitoes are repelled by the smell of garlic.

[@MissCaraMint]

Garlic is also a pretty strong anti microbial agent. It was used a lot before antibiotics were discovered. So the garlic being used to cure disease becoming tied together with vampirism which superstition is rooted back to disease is very logical all things considered.

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

@@MissCaraMint this one makes sense

[@Revanbzn]

And the fact the tb stopped killing after they desecrated a poor corpse was pure coincidence. Or they stopped making that connection

[@deathangel7335]

@@MissCaraMint I'd forgotten about the actual scientific angle of garlic, as it applies to vampire myths, but yes. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@toy5965]

@@MissCaraMint also because garlic prevents blood clots lmao

[@tothboy01]

in Sumerian mythology, there is the vampiress Lamashtu. You should feature her in one of your videos. Also, regarding Sekhmet, after she drank all that beer, she transformed into Hathor, a cow goddess. It's interesting, because cows are herbivores, so it's kind of like saying that Sehkmet was drinking blood like a vampire, and then she "converted to veganism", similar to the modern idea of vampires who don't drink human blood.

[@Revanbzn]

I remember that one from vampire the masquerade bloodlines

[@jilomohammad8078]

That always makes me think of the vampire cows from the movie Little Vampire 😂

[@havinbasanmay1798]

I had subscribed to you when you had around 200,000 subscribers. It's nice to know that I am a sort of OG watcher

[@AnimeAngel88]

One thing I have noticed with a lot of vampiric creatures all over the world and from more ancient times is the fact that pregnant women and babies were often the target of these bloodsucking creatures. One theory I heard was this was because that with pregnant women, the vampire would essentially be getting nourishment from not only the mother but the unborn child as well. A two for one deal. Now, on a more logical note, this was probably to explain the dangers of childbirth and the infant mortality rates of the time and place, but it does make you stop and think about things in my opinion.

[@cherrydragon3120]

That makes sense

[@nagasrinivas-fg5lh]

This explains the pregnant women obsession.

[@Ixbran]

The mention of Sekmet in this video suddenly explains the inclusion of the goddess in Castlevania Nocturne.

[@crimsonvoid1595]

You missed two Vampiric weaknesses. Silver and Decapitation. And before people jump on me by saying “Silver only affects Werewolves!” It’s listed as a weakness in Gargoyles, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, The Librarian Curse of the Judas Chalice and the series Moonlight which is about a Vampire who works as a P.I. Also you mispronounced Strigoi. The oi at the end makes the oy sound and they can be categorized as feral vampires. Also the old English spelling of Vampire is Vampyr.

[@sstrykert]

Silver always warded off bad spirits which the older vampires of lore were close to.

[@c_lee_]

I appreciated your glow up joke, well done Mr. Vampire (1985) is a great Chinese film I grew up on. It showed all sorts of methods to deal with vampires and was a campy blend of comedy, action, romance, vampires, ghosts, and so much more! Def worth watching!

[@SleepingDreamer16]

Love your videos Jon! And I loved that you referenced my culture! I just wanted to add that the soucouyant (pronounced suuu-coo-yah) or ol'higue was definitely something that used to terrify us as children because, in my island, they usually have a particular taste for children's blood. Any time a child wakes up with a questionable bruise and no evidence as to what caused it, it was pretty standard to blame it on the village soucouyant. They were usually incredibly old and reclusive women who allegedly made a deal with the devil. Also a way to tell if someone is a soucouyant (at least on my island) is to try to walk past them on their left side - for some reason, they will not budge and will remain frozen in place. And the best way to stop a soucouyant is to find her jar in which she stores her skin and add salt to it (she can't reattach her skin and the sun usually kills her as a result) OR put a pile of rice or sugar or salt in front of your front door and she will stop and count every grain until the sun comes up and kills her. There is a lot of lore associated with it but thanks a ton for touching on it!

[@JonSolo]

woah that is super interesting! makes me want to do a whole episode about her even more :D thanks for sharing!

[@nobleojoe247]

Omg yes! he could totally make a video on caribbean folklore! 🇹🇹

[@angeloedwards4053]

🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹 I'm from Arima in Trinidad and not even i have heard about the walking on the left part of the folklore. I was so terrified of the soucouyant when i was young. I know people to claim they've seen them in real life.

[@creatifrankenstein]

Vampire lore is also traced back to different terrifying desease outbreaks, such as Anthrax. Also interesting is on one hand their "modern" role as seducer, and similarities to mental illness (one has to invite them in, they cast no shadow nor reflection = maybe are "not really there" and their obsession to count displays similarities to obsessive compulsive disorder).

[@anitatereszczuk3967]

In Slavic folklore, we have a bunch of different creatures that would supposedly either turn every night into bloodsucking creatures or would raise from their graves to do just that. Their names, ways in how they are created, ways to stop them and exact powers, tho, pretty much change from village to village. For example, in one version Zmora would be a woman who wasn't properly baptised (the priest used incorrect formula) and she would then either turn into a creature or an animal at night to sit on their victim's chest and use her long tongue to drink your blood. Your best way to fight her was to put your legs where you normally have your head, so her tongue wouldn't go to your mouth but to your ass. In other versions, she is always the seventh daughter, a daughter born with another soul (that can also be a Strzyga, tho) and many more

[@ibytepopsicles2312]

Lol to your ass? Someone might have liked that

[@07jjmusic]

Is this like a script for a porno or something.

[@kinahloce]

How would it be to cover some more of those Wiedergaenger? like the headles knight or the humpback? Just because vampires are told to be in this specific group of returning corpses (also the chewing ones, that never leaves their graves)

[@johnson6099]

Ok, I have nothing but respect for Jon with the names of some of these creatures of folklore. The information is just gold 🥇 👏 and I think Gunther enjoyed it too.

[@virustheglitch9836]

Dracula also made contributions to werewolf lore too. In the book Dracula shifts into a wolf and has control over real wolves (though they apparently don’t like him). The moon featured quite a bit too which is likely how werewolves were connected to the moon in pop culture

[@Wolfbane382]

Vampires are my favorite type of creature. The first vampire movie I ever saw was Interview with the vampire and I read the book, not long afterward.

[@radagast7200]

My favorite Vampire has got to be Cas from Preacher.

[@TitularHeroine]

@@radagast7200 He was a great character for a long time, but that stuff with Tulip when they believed Jesse was dead was.... Too much. His redemption at the series and, though, was satisfying enough. Edit: I meant the comics, not the Amazon show, to avoid confusion. I only saw the first season and he was pretty great.

[@radagast7200]

@@TitularHeroine I've yet to read the comics. Always meant to. I think it was a TNT show though, not Amazon.

[@tiba2603]

Same me too I am obsessed over this movie .

[@wacktastic1]

As a child I wanted to be a vampire hunter due to the anime, "vampire hunter D" Then as I got older I found out I am a coward and sometimes I jump at my own shadow and my reflection

[@cassandrajohnson8988]

I am glad that Sekhmet was mentioned and I can see why She is seen as a vampire. I'd like to add that depending on the source you read She was angry with humanity for disrespecting her father so when Ra told her to teach them a lesson she did and the rage consumed her. Ra called on the other gods and Thoth gave the idea to dye beer red and spike it with herbs. While Sekhmet was sleeping priestesses poured spiked drink around her and when she awoke Sekhmet consumed it all. In doing so, she realized the terror she had caused and became the Goddess Hathor, and in some versions, Bastet. This is where she learned Fierce Compassion and became the Guardian of Ma'at and of the pharaoh who was on charge of keeping maat in balance. However this a wonderful book, Vampire: The Curse of Sekhmet, that uses her as the source of Vampirism that I found interesting even though its fictional. Great information as always and i enjoyed the video!

[@ryankwon8785]

Sekhmet is the main antagonist of Castlevania Nocturne. Her avatar is Countess Erzsebeth Bathory, the niece of Dracula.

[@aysiskyle9458]

Hi, from the island of Barbados, i was surprised that you gave the socouyant a mention, my mum would tell me and my siblings stories of those and other St.Lucian/Caribbean folklore creatures. Superstition ran high from my granddad she said. Loved this vid. ❤❤

[@xanimeragex365]

The ultimate vampire in my opinion is Alucard from Hellsing

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

Sekhmet, huh? Know it’s unlikely, but it would be amazing if the writers of a certain streaming service’s animated vampire project just happened to watch this video and were inspired by that concept…

[@manda-panda84]

I loved not only the video but am also really diggin' the shirt!!💀👕

[@Tribalfan88x]

Hey Jon, after telling us about Sekhmet, how about an episode (I wouldn't mind if you did more) about the two faces of egyptian gods? For example, Sekhmet and Bastet are two sides of the same goddess: the wild lion on one hand and the tame cat on the other

[@shadevixen217]

OMG! I loved this video! Thank you for this Jon!!! I hate the modern vampire, so never really cared to find out the myths about them, but I never realized how cool old school vampires were! Happy October and early Halloween!!!!!!! Also nice shirt

[@yhwach4312]

Have you seen hellsing ?

[@lucasfiggy467]

There is no early Halloween in October

[@TitularHeroine]

@@lucasfiggy467 You're right, and it needed to be said.

[@lucasfiggy467]

@@TitularHeroine i guess 🤣

[@cosmicdoggo9296]

@@yhwach4312 Alucard to op boring

[@kendellstewart2090]

Thank you for mentioning the Caribbean - the soucouyant also has to count spilled rice and if the sun rises before they get back to their skin they die. Or, you could rub salt in the discarded skin.

[@TheRealVenna]

I heard about the Kisilova vampire scare recently on Ask a Mortician. I don't know if you are familiar with her, or she with you, but the two of you research similar things for your videos. It would be great to see a collab with the both of you. I would be interested to see what you could come up with!

[@nikishaollivierre5343]

The Caribbean one. Where I'm from in the Caribbean we actually pronounce it as Sue-coo-yah. Spelt the same way you spelled it just pronounced differently. Not sure if everyone else in the Caribbean pronounces it the same but in St. Vincent and the Grenadines that's how we say it. Awesome video by the way I learned so much about vampires that I didn't know before. Thank you for teaching me something new.

[@soulessjaymurray8789]

Glad to know that a vincention is here

[@LuinTathren]

My mother is from Trinidad. She pronounces it the same way as you do. Much love to fellow Caribbean folk.

[@DieezahArts]

In Martinique and Guadeloupe we say Soo-koo-nyan (no t sound at the end but the nazalized han is similar to how John said it). Fun fact, there one of the much older songs from the band Kassav called Soukougnan (not sure they spelled it like this as back then no official spelling guidelines existed and musicians were more or less the only ones trying to write the language for their song lyrics... Many followed French spelling inspirations back then...).

[@ScenariosOfDrea]

I'm so glad you mentioned Romanian lore as a Romanian American also Vlad Tepes who was the king of Romania was also known as Vlad the Impailer is another one that perpetuated the Dracula myth since his nick name was Dracul meaning the Dragon. If you go to Bran's castle in Romania you'll see everyone trying to hand out vampire dolls. Also glad you mentioned the Strigoi

[@gamerstheater1187]

Dracula Untold and Castlevania are the best iterations of Dracula

[@radagast7200]

*laughs in Dracula 3000*

[@TitularHeroine]

I heard Castlevania was cool. I literally could not get through Dracula Untold.

[@TheCourtsOfLove]

Dracula in The World Of Darkness is the best, the dude can fleshshape people into furniture in his estate being a Tzimisce.

[@gamerstheater1187]

@@TheCourtsOfLove I mean in terms of character

[@TitularHeroine]

@@TheCourtsOfLove That's.... kind of gross. And awesome. And gross.

[@braxtonbaum974]

I remember reading a book about Elizabeth Bathory as a child and it also covered stories on Dracula’s origin as Vlad the impaler, and other stories that I forget on vampires. But it always stuck with me. Loved the video and the work you put into them! Was hoping for maybe werewolves this October?

[@Bored0720]

Yes! Wereolves next! Love learning about monsters and their origins! I had no idea you had done others so I'm going to binge watch those now!

[@lyndsycarson8302]

The beast of gevaudon! Bedtime stories on youtube does a great job at covering the story! highly recommend!

[@cetterus]

Please don't. This is clown research.

[@angryvigilante9018]

Honorable mention to Carmilla, which incorporated many supernatural elements into vampire lore

[@lisapop5219]

My dreams are haunted by my anxiety over how far The Count will go once he reaches 10. He must be stopped at all cost!

[@Maximara]

Per Theresa Bane's 2010 _Encyclopedia Of Vampire Mythology_ which lists and describes 600 different types of mythical vampires I would say 2:08 should be _majority_ rather than than "almost all": *Bruja (Spain), Penanggalen (Malay), Kephn (Berma), Aswang Mannananggal - not undead *Algul (Arabic lore) and Gaki (Japan) - do not feed on blood. Side note: Penanggalen is the basis for SCP-1060.

[@vinceibarretz7583]

I remember my grandparents telling me stories about the Manananggal. It scared the shit out of me. But growing up I now know why they tell these stories. It's supposed to scare children so that non of them will play or roam around the town at night.

[@samanthawright9589]

Point. Lots of old stories are to teach us lessons to stay on the good path. I don't like these type of cryptids, they're evil.... & Harm the innocent

[@TryssemTavern]

A note about Bram Stoker's, "Dracula". Every time Dracula is outside, he is described as wearing a large brimmed woman's hat. It doesn't say what happens if he is exposed to sunlight, but does seem to indicate that he is sensitive to it, at the very least. The fact that he boldly walks around though, is indicative that he knows it isn't going to kill him. Van Helsing was such a McGuffin in the book! 😶‍🌫 (Dracula could also turn into a dog, per the news report of the ship in the story)

[@radagast7200]

Elizabeth Bathory is one of the creepiest historical figures.

[@sammydee1241]

Elizabeth balthory lore is now thought to have been propaganda. Local nobility wanting to take the lands and wealth from her after the death of her husband. Many of the things in the log books she kept were remedies from her homelands.

[@mr44mag]

An old woman who feeds off the youth and hard work of young women probably has existed since the beginning of our species.

[@omnivore6607]

Elizabeth's story had been faked by her enemies

[@radagast7200]

@@omnivore6607 I'm aware of that narrative, but as far as I can tell that is just a claim. Do you have any more evidence than a handful of historians that claim that 'it just makes sense she didn't do these things'. Otherwise I'm gunna stick to the witnesses closer to the event.

[@entelechy00]

As for counting, there is also the practice of leaving a broom or jar of sand outside your front door, as evil creatures (vampires included) had to count each bristle or grain of sand before entering.

[@lynnettecape9688]

Great episode. Loved hearing all about vampires. And I adore the way you explain everything. So glad I found your channel.

[@turnage_michael]

Vampires weren't just zombies, there was a demonic intelligence behind the reanimated corpse. Vampires in folklore also had many abilities, they could spread plagues and even target specific people at a remote distance. They could get inside peoples heads, walk in their dreams, hypnotize and even possess their victims. Vampires had talon-like nails that could rend human flesh like butter. In one report it purportedly took up to twelve grown men just to restrain one, with significant injuries on their part, all the while the creature maliciously mocked them, seeming fine despite having been stabbed by multiple stakes in major spots. It faded in neither strength nor ferocity. Vampires were believed to have eyes that gleamed eerily in the dark, a predator's nocturnal vision. They could also change shape or assume phantom qualities such as hovering, walking through walls, traveling through keyholes and mysteriously vanishing. The notion that demons could possess corpses is no recent innovation. Ice age vampire burials, some dating to tens of thousands of years have been discovered by archaeologists across Europe and the Levant. As well as a number of staked burials between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age and well into the Roman period. Experts agree that these were attempts to keep the dead from reanimating and molesting the living, carrying many significant traits found in Slavic vampire customs. So this actually goes as far back as 10,000 BC apparently. In ancient India there is the Vetala which is pretty much identical to the Slavic vampire. A vetala is a blood sucking demonic spirit that is drawn to burial grounds and corpses. Some times a vetala will assume a corpse as a body, creating a fanged sanguivorus undead ghoul which can, of course, teleport among various other powers. So this seems to actually be a very primitive belief, perhaps even going back to mankind's most primeval beginnings.

[@anniessalaurent452]

As a Caribbean person I have never heard of the story of the Sacouyant but I can say it reminds me of the Sucwia alsooo can you PLEASE make a video of Caribbean folklore I would love to see my culture represented 💓

[@dary0097]

Same , I live in Puerto Rico and I never heard of that

[@LuinTathren]

My mother is from Trinidad. She often teases me that the soucouyant bit me whenever I get a bruise. There's a Caribbean folklorist on KZbin who has a video on the soucouyant. And, of course, there's a Wikipedia page. It's really a fascinating bit of folklore. I encourage you to read about it.

[@anniessalaurent452]

I live in Dominica and I know there are great tails out there such as the the woman that turned into a great snake (there is a creole translation of that but I forgot) and I think that it is not being represented so I would love it if more people talked about it also I will look for that Caribbean folklorist thanks for the suggestion 😊

[@Stainlessgamer]

I don't know what's scarier, the history of vampires in folklore, or the fact that this channel just shared info that shows a photograph of a guy that died 101years before photography was invented... Then again there is the fact that this channel, like some random webpages, claims Petar Blagojevic is the first historical account of a vampire in folk lore, when there were stories about Vlad the Impaler circulating in the 15th century... This video was a "longgg time coming" yet you couldn't even bother to do any decent research. I'm half surprised you didn't include any mentions from the National Inquirer, circa 1992, concerning the "Bat Boy" scientists supposedly captured in a cave, 2 miles underground.

[@hippiblue]

I've been selling the wooden stakes made from ironwood at the fleemarket. They work on ZOMBIES TOO. Locally, the Vampire at the coffee shop was the first person to die of Covid. I remember LOST BOYS was a movie that taught VAMPIRES to come out in the daylight.

[@henrikaugustsson4041]

I imagine garlic actually made people feel warded from evil because it’s very healthy to eat. I don’t know if it’s actually true that eating garlic makes bloodsuckers like ticks avoid you more, but I grew up on food made with a lot of garlic, and I didn’t get a single tick until I was around 19-20. My friends and I were almost always outside, so it wasn’t for lack of exposure, I think…

[@johnburnside7828]

By the way, today (Oct 20, 2022) is Bela Lugosi's 140th birthday! And no offense meant, but "Ruthven" is pronounced "Rivven". You know how British names are.

[@anothercitizen-k1n]

Correction: It's pronounced BlaGojević, as it's written, like Gordon, guide, God etc., not Blahojević.

[@daviddo658]

It's KZbin videos like this that smart TVs are made for.

[@kennycar5683]

that picture you put up was Peter Kurten. the monster of Duesseldorf. An extremely brutal and prolific German serial killer, executed in 1931. I assume you actually used it because obviously there are no photographs of Peter Blagojevich. But if that's the case you should make it clear. While I believe the majority of viewers of this type of content would at least be familiar with Kurten there could still be some with no knowledge of him.

[@Eddieavina123]

Love your video Jon solo

[@Danny-pk6lk]

Caribbean kid here. My grandmother was a very private old lady who picked local dried Areca nuts and shelled them one by one to sell for religious use. In the days before electricity, she spent evenings and nights reading by the light of her old kerosene hurricane lamp. So, from our neighbors' point of view, she was a short, quiet old woman who spent her days picking and methodically sorting through seeds and grains, living in a curtained-off house surrounded by tall woods, and at night, a fiery orange light would shine through the window of her room in an otherwise dark house. Basically everyone thought she was a Souyouyant (18:12). No one bothered her.

[@detectivepancakes3095]

Damn it Jon, I had tickets to go see Nosferatu literally on Saturday

[@MrDragonslayer21]

Very few people realize there are five things most cultures on earth have some form of myth or legend of. #1 vampires #2 ghosts #3 shape shifters(aka were beasts, skin walkers) #4 dragons #5 winged humanoids ( aka angels, demons and the Faye )

[@proffxxl]

I'm not going to get demonetized by watching this am I?

[@Firstgenamerican21]

That’s a nice shirt. Also, who else thought Akasha when he said “A certain Egyptian Goddess that could be considered a vampire.”? Just me?? Ok..

[@mohammadbashammakh]

Finally it’s here , thank you so much for doing this Jon, much appreciated brother

[@nmoney6655]

As someone who’s been very close to death before I actually don’t think that Peter escaped his grave and was killing people here’s what I actually think happened: he may have been in a comatose state that people just assumed was dead because again due to lack of medical technology back then it’s very possible he was alive but he got buried alive because they thought he died

[@grapeshot]

I don't know why nobody's made a historical movie about Vlad the Impaler. That would be a gore fest and there would be no need for anything supernatural.

[@tusharroymukherjee3370]

Indian mythos also has some really dark Gods. Narasimha, sn avatar of the God Vishnu was said to be bloodthirsty, but never explicitly mentioned as consuming blood. We do make sacrifices of blood to 2 Goddesses though - one of them is Kali ( I forgot the name of the other, can someone kindly remind me?)

[@oaadnvs8616]

A pleasant birthday morning surprise thank you ❤️

[@heatherturner2366]

Happy birthday

[@williamking3301]

Whoa-whoa-whoa! Flag on the play @ 3:08! Since photography did not exist until the 1830s, why is there a photo of a man who, as stated in the video, died in 1725??!!

[@arnold-shortsnigga]

Imagine only being known for your one moment of weakness, poor Sekhmet 😭

[@euthanizemyself6972]

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu (A vampire book older, & better than, Dracula, published in 1872) is my favorite book. I encourage any girlies that see this to read it.The gothic & decadent energy is to die forrrrrrr. Carmilla sleeps in a room with a tapestry of Cleopatra offing herself -girl bye.

[@calmingnight3376]

I like sekhmet. As a pagan i find her as another face of Hathor. When you hurt her children or worshippers, it's basically, angry protective vampire momma ready to defend her children. I like vampiric goddesses because it plainly shows that goddesses are not all love and light, but have darker faces to them I also like Empusa. We don't know if she is a entity of greek mythology or a face of Hekate, but either way she's pretty cool. And then all the greek vampires are interesting as well, like strix and lamia

[@pyronuke4768]

I love these folklore monsters explored! I hope werewolves are next?

[@Logged1n-i4p]

Alright so you did get somethings wrong with Dracula, so first of all he had to return to the earth in which he was buried in everyday or he would died, I think that dieing part was correct, also I believe that Dracula inspired modern day Werewolves, not lycanthropes mind you but people that has a wolf spirit inside and apart of them (sometimes) and can transform into said wolf because Dracula could indeed turn into a wolf, the best example I can think of is Twilight with there Werewolves. Just thought I should say what I remember about the book

[@_TheMoMo]

Love these! So sad Carmilla wasn't mentioned as it pre-dates Dracula lore. 😭 Love your stuff though!

[@DarkZ19]

While that may be so, Carmilla barely had any impact on the Vampire Mythos, and there's also way more to it than simply predating Dracula, and while we're there The Vampyre by John Polidori predates both

[@wgfu2003]

From a Christian stand point, in the book of Enoch, we learn the nefilim (the giants, children of the fallen angels, egragori) had a bloodlust, after the food of man could not sustain them. Also they experimented with life creating species they wished. Like the ancient people, called Amalekites. Amalekite means vampire like demon

[@toxicqueen5777]

This is so interesting already

[@bigodio]

Here kn Brasil we have a monster that is like a mix betwen vanpires and werewolves. It is called Capelobo, and the legend says that some natives may be cursed to turn into a Capelobo, it is a antropomenphic creature with a anteater heand and charp claws. He sprint into camps during the night and kill whatever is in his sight, after that, he drinks the blood out of his victons hith his sharp thonge

[@Dbikgiizis]

Vampire should only sparkle like they do in Blade- as they disintegrate

[@nmoney6655]

I have a theory about the whole Peter story: what if he wasn’t actually dead just comatose think about it even if you shine a light in the eyes of a comatose victim you would never receive a response from them and since back in the day they didn’t know how comas worked they just thought he was dead

[@JaTaunPratt]

YES!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG! I LOVE JON! I LOVE SOLO FAM! I LOVE SPOOPY SEASON!!!!

[@slicklink9131]

Edward isn't a true vampire cause real vampires don't sparkle. However in anime and manga my vampire waifu named moka akashiya is still counts as a true vampire cause when the anime shows sparkles its just background effects to show how beautiful she is and it's not on her body like how Edward would have it

[@mikaylaxn.c1d2]

I really liked this informative video. But I was honestly kinda disappointed that I didn't see my favorite vampire series mentioned😭!!! I personally dislike the movie Vampire Academy, but the VA book series is a real page turner🤩📚!!! I felt like there were more historical references in the VA series to the Twilight series. But anyway. Happy Halloween Month🧛🏻‍♀!!!

[@lyndsycarson8302]

OMG I absolutley LOVE Richelle Mead!!! I have the VA series and the alchemist one, Soundless is my favorite book of hers. For sure recommend!!!! Also did we get strigoi wrong or did Jon? lol 🤷🏻‍♀️ so happy to see someone mention it because Richelle brings in so many elements of folklore into her worlds. I also read the older succubus series but it wasn’t as god as her newer stuff… that being said i did finish the series 😊

[@mikaylaxn.c1d2]

@@lyndsycarson8302 Richelle Mead really seemed to do her historical research😁👍🏼! Yes... there are modern-day themes, but she definitely kept more of the original vampiric stories within her stories. And we got strigoi right. He miss pronounced it. Even my math teacher pronounce strigoi correctly without being a vampire fan... I just showed him the word😊. I read the Alchemist series too... but I didn't get that into it because it's main story revolved around a human alchemist instead of vampires🧪🧛🏻‍♀️. Also, it's cool that Richelle Mead also brings in the idea of a modern vampire society. Not just rogue vampires breaking off from a medieval type cult thing. No offense to the Twilight fans🥺. I've never read the succubus series but that sounds interesting🧐! And I think it would benefit Jon to have more than one type of historical Vampire... Strigoi, Dhampir, Moroi. And each one was explained perfectly or close to perfect by Richelle Mead🤩!!

[@arionclarke6078]

in some parts of the caribbean i dont know about all but we pronounce soucouyant as SAC-OO-NIA and best believe these are real I've seen the fire ball and alot of my relative and people in my neighbourhood were sucked by one

[@chr0nicler843]

A most fascinating video. I had not expected these infamous icons of horror we have such a complicated back story with ties to both folklore and historical events. And hearing of the many vampiric equivalents from various cultures was very interesting. The only one I was familiar with before this video was the legend of Ambrogio. A lesser-known tale from the Mediterranean about an Italian adventurer who, through a series of blessings and curses was transformed into the very first vampire. It's an interesting tale of love and tragedy you should check out should it pique your interest. But regardless, thank you for this excellent video and I look forward to see what unusual origins you shall enlightened us of next.

[@deespaeth8180]

Great episode as always Jon! I knew most of what you mentioned in this episode. Sekmet was news to me. Love the shirt BTW. Thanks for all your hard work. I always enjoy your episodes. Happy Halloween 🎃

[@redspec01]

Jon, I couldn’t help but notice that in a few hours you smashed your thumbs up goal.