This issue, I decided to amuse myself and write an article on vampires. In his recent book "Fright Favorites" David Skal mentions in his synapsis of the classic horror film Black Sunday that in the folklore tradition of Eastern Europe they did not make a sharp distinction between malevolent supernatural beings. Thus vampires, werewolves, fairies, and witches are often the same thing.

But for this to happen the occupant of the home would have to respond to them. (This reminds me of the horror story "The Monkey's Paw".) If the Vrykoloka is ignored it will give up and move on to another potential victim. The Vrykolaka will sometimes attack a person by lying on its intended victim’s chest and making it hard for the victim to breathe. (Remember Fuseli's famous painting “The Nightmare?" If left to its own devices, the vampire will grow in strength and power. So destroying the monster was of great importance. Usually the villagers would have to wait until Saturday when the Vrykolaka is at its most vulnerable. So the standard practice of pinning the corpse to the ground with a stake or cremation was usually implemented. Lifting the curse of ex-communication also was said to put the angry deceased to rest as well. It was also suggested to bury the suspected vampire on a desert island. The Greek island of Santorini was just such an island. There is even a phrasing of "taking the vampires to Santorini.” This island is said to be so vampire-haunted that this has caused the antiseptic nature of its soil. This keeps the dearly departed in a state of what appears as unusual purification. The inhabitants there are said to have a special knowledge of dealing with the undead. And so it goes.