The Arabic stories of the ghole spread east and were adopted by the people of the Orient, where it evolved as a type of vampiric spirit called a ghoul (“grabber”) that possesses corpses. Once it has claimed a corpse, it animates it in order to consume the other bodies in the cemetery in which it lives; it is particularly fond of the liver. In art the ghoul is rendered to look like a threeyear-old boy with reddish- brown HAIR and a mouth full of black teeth and blood. Its eyes are rendered to make it look as if it is insane.
To prevent a ghoul from taking a corpse as its own, a vigil must be maintained over the newly deceased with bells, drums, and gongs constantly sounding off. The ghoul is particularly frightened of loud noises and can be easily frightened away in this manner. Carefully woven talismans of crimson thread can be used to ward it off, as well as the use of Passover bread and metal plates with the Tetragammaton inscribed on them. Should a ghoul manage to capture a body, there is no way to remove it. To destroy it, the ghoul must be captured and burned to ash.
Source: Scarborough, Supernatural in Modern English, 158-159; Summers, Vampire: His Kith and Kin, 204; Thompson, Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia, 35-37
Covered in thick HAIR, the ghole from Arabic lore also has long tusks, one large cyclopean eye, and a long neck like an ostrich. Using its ability to shape-shift into a human of either sex, it lures lone travelers to a secluded place where it may then consume the flesh and drink the blood. On occasion it has been known to fall in love with a human, and when it does, it will capture that person and take him or her on as a mate. The offspring from such couplings produces a new type of ghole, a monstrous being that is a fast, savage, extremely effective predator that takes delight in killing and raping.
Source: Colin de Plancy, Dictionnaire Infernal; Encyclopædia Metropolitan, 70; Gustafson, Foundation of Death, 32-33; Jones, On the Nightmare, 112; Smedley, The Occult Sciences, 70; Summers, Vampire: His Kith and Kin, 204
Germany has a great number of species of vampires, about fifty, and most of them are REVENANTs. Truth be told, the vampires of Germany are fairly similar to what is considered by many to be the “traditional” vampire. They are repelled by GARLIC as well as HAWTHORN. To destroy one, a person must stake it through the heart or behead it. But that is where the similarity ends.
German vampires cannot create more of their kind, at least, not simply. To actually “make” another vampire may be beyond their capability. Generally speaking there is little evidence to suggest that they have more than basic animal instincts, if that. But if this type of vampire were so inclined to seek out a person to create as a fellow REVENANT, there would only be three ways to do so. The first would be to train someone to be a witch and enable them to live as such. The second would be to select a person and cultivate him into leading an immoral lifestyle. The third option would be to drive someone to commit suicide. Only through these methods can a person elect to become a vampire. All other methods of creation are beyond control. Children who are born with a red caul, dying before a person’s time or in childbirth, and dying without being baptized are the other creation methods.
No matter how it came into being, the German vampire is a nocturnal hunter, stalking the streets by night. By day, it chews ravenously on its burial shroud in its grave. It is amazingly simple to stop a German vampire before it can do anyone any harm. When a person dies, if there is the slightest suspicion that he may become a vampire, all that has to be done to keep him in the ground is place a rock in his mouth or tie his mouth closed prior to burial.
Source: Dundes, Vampire Casebook, 5; Leatherdale, Dracula: The Novel and the Legend, 41, 52, 95; Taberne, German Culture, 121, 126
Gello (GEL-oh)
Variation: Drakaena, Frakos, Gallu, Gelloudes, Ghello, Gillo, Gyllou, Gylo, Lamis, the Lady of Darkness.
As early as 600 B.C. the story of Gello has been with us. The ancient Greek poet Sappho mentions this earliest vampire in her poetry. By the Byzantine period (A.D.330 to A.D.1453) Gello was transformed into the demon Gylu and was written of in an ancient text entitled Apotrofe tes miaras kai akazartu Gyllus (“Averting of the wicked and impure Gylu”). The text is a story as well as a spell to be used against her.
Gello, as the story goes, was once a maiden from the Isle of Lesbos who died without leaving an heir or having any living descendants, causing her to return as a vampire who consumed female children. In direct opposition to divine law, Gello uses her willpower and magic to get her way. She plays with kidnapped girls until she tires of their company and then consumes them. If captured, she will become complacent and do whatever is asked of her, pleading for her life the whole while. The one thing she will not do willingly is tell her 121⁄2 names, for that information would have to be beaten out of her. If ever the opportunity presents itself, she would escape from her captor and flee, not stopping until she is 3,000 miles away. According to her story, it took the angels Sansenoy, Senoy, and Semangeloph to finally defeat her. First they learned her names, and then they forced her to breastfeed from the tit of a woman whose child she consumed. After the feeding, Gello vomited up all the children she ever consumed. With the children rescued, the angels killed her by stoning her to death.
If the story is being told from the later Byzantine era, the three angels are changed to three saints: Sines, Sinisius, and Sinodorus; otherwise, the story is exactly the same.
A vampiric spirit from India, the gayal, whose name means “simple”, is created when a man dies and has no sons to properly perform his funeral rites or when someone dies with a great wrong committed against them. When the gayal returns, it will start attacking the sons of the people it knew in life, eating their flesh and drinking their blood. It is especially fond of attacking pregnant women. It enters into a woman’s body when she opens her mouth to eat. Then, from within, the gayal drains away her and her child’s life-energy until they both die (see ENERGY VAMPIRE).
When not assaulting people, the gayal can be found in cemeteries eating the flesh off corpses at night and hiding in its grave during the day. Young boys can be saved from a gayal attack by wearing a necklace of coins. A gayal cannot be destroyed, but it can be made less aggressive if someone performs the proper burial rites for its body, a process that involves cremation. To keep the gayal from rising from its grave, place cups filled with a combination of milk and water from the Ganges River around it. Placing burning lamps around the grave at night may trick the gayal into thinking it is daytime and keep it in its grave.
Source: Asiatic Society of Bengal, Bibliotheca Indica, 415; Briggs, The ChamIrs, 131; Crooke, Introduction to the Popular Religion, 69-70, 72, 168-171
A VAMPIRIC WITCH from France, the gaukemares assaults sleeping people. The witch shapeshifts into an INCUBUS or SUCCUBUS and drains its prey of their life- energy and sexual energy a little each night (see ENERGY VAMPIRE and LIVING VAMPIRE). The victims will be weak and have leg cramps at night, growing more and more tired as the nightly assaults continue; if the witch is not stopped, the victims will eventually die. Placing SALT under one’s pillow and saying prayers at night keeps the witch away.
Humans have cultivated garlic for at least 10,000 years. It has been theorized that it originated in southcentral Asia and northwestern China. Some anthropologists speculate that it was most likely the very first plant product intentionally cultivated by mankind. Sanskrit writings dating back 5,000 years refer to garlic as the “slayer of monsters,” because its odor warded off evil creatures. The ancient Egyptians said it could increase a person’s physical strength. In Transylvanian lore, placing garlic and a silver knife under one’s bed would keep vampires away.
It has been speculated that vampires, generally speaking, have two universal consistencies: they will always prey upon what their specific cultural
people consider most valuable and they will always be repelled by an inexpensive and common item. Considering how widespread and accessible garlic has always been, it is small wonder that vampires from all over the world and from every time period have been thwarted by this remarkable herb.
Source: Barbe, Vampires, Burial, and Death, 48, 63, 100, 131-132, 157-158; McNally, In Search of Dracula, 120-122; South, Mythical and Fabulous Creatures, 243, 246, 277; Summers, Vampire: His Kith and Kin, 187-188
In the Hindu religion there is a vampiric demigod named Gandarva (“ecstatic” or “music”). He preys only on a very specific type of women — those who married for love without the permission of their family or a proper ceremony; and then, he only attacks when they are home alone and asleep. Extremely stealthy, he sneaks into their bedrooms, raping and draining them of their blood.
Legends of Gandarva go back more than 2,000 years, making him at least as old as the PISACHA vampire.
Source: Barber, Dictionary of Fabulous Beasts, 64; Greiger, Civilization of the Eastern Iranians, 45-46; Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, 132; Turner, Dictionary of Ancient Deities, 186
Gaki are doggedly persistent vampiric spirits from Japan that are created when an exceedingly greedy person dies. They are returned to earth and forced to wander with an unquenchable thirst for blood. Gaki are described as having a cold body, hollow features, and pale skin. A gaki’s stomach is enormous but its neck is narrow. Although they can shape- shift into mist, gaki enjoy attacking people in one of the physical forms they can assume, that of an animal, a red- skinned humanoid with horns, or a specific person.
Gaki need not physically assault their prey; just being near them is enough to drain them of blood. They chatter incomprehensibly up until the point they actually attack. Once they do, the gaki enter into a feeding frenzy, completely fixated on their target.
The gaki are impervious to damage in mist form unless attacked by weapons especially designed to affect a ghost. Although such a weapon will cause harm, it will not destroy a gaki. The only way it can be destroyed is while it is in a physical form. The best chance of success is to attack while it is feeding, as it will not have the presence of mind to defend itself.
There are several species of gaki and each has a specialized diet. The most dangerous gaki consumes flesh, human blood, and souls. Another dangerous type feeds on a person’s thoughts while they meditate. Other gaki feed on samurai topknots or tattoos. Still others eat incense, paper, sweat, or tea. These less dangerous gaki can be saited by Zen monasteries making small offerings of food to them.
Source: Ashley, Complete Book of Vampires; Covey, Beasts, 96; Davis, Myths and Legends, 388; Smith, Ancestor Worship, 41
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