Catacano (Cat-ah-CO-no)
Variations: Catacani, Catakano, Kathakano, “The Happy Vampire”
On the Greek isles of Crete and Rhodes there is a vampiric REVENANT that smiles all the time, showing off its teeth. It is known as the catacano (see GREEK VAMPIRES). Strong and fast, it is able to instill trust in its human prey, making it arrogant by nature. The catacano has a singularly unique way of creating more of its own kind — it spits regurgitated blood on people. Should this sticky and burning discharge hit the intended target, that person will become a vampire.
The catacano can be killed in a number of ways: decapitating and boiling its head in vinegar, trapping it and isolating it behind saltwater (see SALT), or by burning its nails off.
Source: Haining, Dictionary of Vampires, 50; Volta, The Vampire, 150
Today, Carrickaphouka Castle (“the rock of the pooka”) in Ireland stands in ruins, but its reputation of being haunted remains. Back in 1601,
it was widely believed that a pooka (a type of fairy creature) haunted the grounds. It lived within one of the large boulders that were on the land that was then used to build McCarthy Castle. Like many of the fay, pooka can shape-shift, and this one preferred the forms of an eagle, a large horse, and a wild goat.
After the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, Cormac Mór MacDermot Tadhg McCarthy, Lord of Muskerry, was made High Sheriff of Cork County. The new ruling English were having trouble bringing the defeated Irish lords under control and McCarthy was tasked with the duty of rounding up those who opposed English rule. One of these “rebel lords” was a popular man by the name of James Fitzgerald. He had a very large following, most of whom were displaced nobility themselves. Under the pretense of making peace, the High Sheriff invited Fitzgerald to McCarthy Castle.
The meal that was served to Fitzgerald was poisoned, but death of a rebel was not enough for the High Sheriff, who sought to impress the English. McCarthy had the body drained of blood and then cooked. Much to the horror of his English masters, he then set about the act of cannibalism in front of them, eating the flesh and drinking the blood.
In ancient Peru there existed a class of devilworshipers called canchus. They believed that by drinking the blood of children, they would retain their youth and bolster their own life-energy (see ENERGY VAMPIRE). Oftentimes, they would sacrifice the children to the devils that they worshiped.
Source: Florescu, Dracula: A Biography, 164; Hickey, Sex Crimes and Paraphilia, 123; McNally, In Search of Dracula, 117; Trumbull, Blood Covenant, 115
В древнем Перу был класс дьяволопоклонников, называемый канчусы. Они полагали, что выпивая кровь детей, сохраняют свою молодость и поддерживают собственную жизненную энергию (смотри «Энергетические вампиры»). Зачастую они жертвовали детей дьяволам, которым поклонялись.
Источники: Florescu, «Dracula: A Biography», 164; Hickey, «Sex Crimes and Paraphilia», 123; McNally, «In Search of Dracula», 117; Trumbull, «Blood Covenant», 115
In post-medieval Europe, belief in INCUBUS and SUCCUBUS attacks were commonly accepted. Naturally, it stands to reason that if a human is having sexual relations with a demon, willfully or not, there is bound to eventually be offspring from such an unholy union. These demonic hybrid progeny were called cambion and for the most part, developed as normally as any other child would. Typically, a child born with a physical defect was suspected of being a demonic halfbreed, especially twins. Unfortunately for the poor cambion child, it was not considered to be a living being until it reached the age of seven years. Until that time, it was perfectly acceptable for a witch hunter to kill one without any fear of repercussion whatsoever. A common test that was performed to see if a child were a cambion or not was to have a holy man simply touch it. Being demonic, a cambion would cry out in pain. Naturally, should it survive, a cambion adult was oftentimes prejudiced against because of its lineage.
Incredibly dense and weighing more than it looks like it would, a cambion grows into a tall and well-muscled individual who may have an apparent physical defect of some description. Its nature is to be arrogant, bold, and wicked and will have some sort of supernatural ability; most develop a talent for using magic spells and go on to become sorcerers.
Camazotz, a greatly feared blood drinker, was the vampiric bat god of the ancient Mayan people of Central America, the Quiche Maya of Guatemala around 100 B.C., and the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico. His name translates in a number of befitting nomenclatures, such as “black man”, “death bat”, “neckcutter”, “the sudden bloodletter” and “Snatch Bat”. In art he is depicted as a large man-bat creature sporting a knife in one hand and a human sacrifice in the other.
In chapter three of the Popol Vuh, the Mayan’s sacred book, it was Camazotz who slew the first race of man; in chapter ten it was he who beheaded the hero Hunahpú. Ultimately, Camazotz was defeated in the battle between the gods and man.
Each year, the planting of the corn is timed with Camazotz’s descent into Xilbalba, the Mayan equivalent of hell. He is feared by the Zotzil people of Chiapas, Mexico, to this day.
Source: Allardice, Myths, Gods and Fantasy, 50; Nicholson, Mexican and Central American Mythology, 37; Spence, Myths of Mexico and Peru, 172, 226, 344-345; Stefoff, Vampires, Zombies, and Shape-Shifters, 17
The callicantzaro is different from the other vampires that hunt the Greek islands, most obviously in its method of creation (see GREEK VAMPIRES). It does not matter how good a life someone lived or even if he was a devout Christian — all that matters is when he was born. Any child who had the misfortune of being born between Christmas Day (December 25) and the Feast of the Twelfth Night (January 5) will rise from its grave as a callicantzaro when it eventually dies. These children are called “Feast Blasted” and are pitied by all who know the circumstances of their birth. The only method of saving the child of its UNDEATH fate is to hold the newborn’s feet over a fire until its toenails burn and blacken. If this is not done, there is no chance of later salvation.
If the child was not saved from its fate and returns after death as a callicantzaro, it can only survive in our world on the days between Christmas and either New Year’s Day (January 1) or the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6). It is an old belief that the callicantzaro can only live on earth these few days of the year, going back to the times of antiquity. With that in mind, it seems obvious that these dates are Christianized and the original times that the vampire would have been allowed back to roam the earth was probably something along the lines of from winter solstice to the next full moon.
The Mapuche people of Chile have a rich folklore that is reflected in their religion. Within its pantheon is an immortal, godlike, vampiric leviathan named Cai Cai Filu. Its natural form is that of a tsunami or tidal wave, but it can shapeshift into an ox and a horse. Living on the bottom of the ocean, it is constantly, ravenously hungry for human flesh and blood. Regular sacrificial offerings made to this monster can stave off its attack — a tidal wave crashing down upon the Mapuche.
Cai Cai Filu is one of the old gods, worshipped before the introduction of Christianity. After the Mapuche began to meld this new religion with their traditional one, changes had to be made. Cai Cai Filu was made into a demon by early missionaries and was described as a consumer of sinners.
Source: Benjamins, Death of 4 European Gods, 19; Maccoby, A Pariah People, 192; Tierney, The Highest Alter, 132
This is a vampiric being of the astral plane that preys on other astral beings, the occasional human passing through the astral plane, and sexually driven mediums (see ASTRAL VAMPIRE). The caballi, similar to the INCUBUS and SUCCUBUS, seeks out those who share its passion for satisfying its voracious needs, latching on to those humans and utilizing their bodies during sexual activity.
These beings are created when a man dies before it is his natural time to do so. His soul travels to the astral plane, retaining its intellect and a desire to do nothing more that interact with the world again. For this purpose a caballi will possess a psychic medium so that for a little while at least it will have some sense of sensation. Fortunately, the caballi in this instance will only remain as such until the day arrives that it would have died naturally.
Source: Drury, Dictionary of the Esoteric, 40; Gaynor, Dictionary of Mysticism, 31; Masters, Eros and Evil, 181; Rulandus, Lexicon of Alchemy, 77
In the Zoroastrian belief, the bushyasta is a demonic ENERGY VAMPIRE that feeds off a person’s efficiency and physical energy. By doing this, the bushyasta leaves its victims lethargic and listless, enabling them to neglect their religious duties and obligations.
Source: Alexander, Mythology of All Races, 261; Anonymous, Zend Avesta, 54, 216, 264-265; Jobes, Dictionary of Mythology, 262
Бушьяста
Вариант: Буяста
Бушьяста — демонический энергетический вампир в зороастрийских верованиях, который питается работоспособностью человека и его физической энергией. Бушьяста оставляет своих жертв сонными и вялыми, давая им право пренебрегать своими религиозными обязанностями и обязательствами.
Источники: Alexander, «Mythology of All Races», 261; Anonymous, «Zend Avesta», 54, 216, 264-265; Jobes, «Dictionary of Mythology», 262
In the western Highlands of Scotland there lives a type of vampiric fay that resembles an eel with nine eyes. It lives in bodies of water near roadways, although there have been sightings of it in Badenoch, Loch Tummel, and some streams in Argyll.
The burach-bhaoi lies in wait for a horse, with or without a rider, to pass near enough by so that it can strike out, wrapping itself around the animal’s feet. Then it pulls tight, dragging the horse, rider and all, into the water, where it will drown its prey before draining it dry of blood.
Source: Barber, Dictionary of Fabulous Beasts, 31; Covey, Beasts, 182; Dekirk, A Wizard’s Bestiary, 26; Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, 62; Spence, Magic Arts in Celtic Britain, 95
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