What are the Different Kinds of Vampires in Folklore?
While the bulk of vampire lore hails from Eastern Europe and the surrounding areas, folklore traditions from around the world feature various forms of blood-sucking monsters. Some similar creatures drain their victims of psychic or sexual energy, health, or qi (life essence). A few of the most well known types of vampires are discussed below. In Europe, most legend regarding vampires is the legacy of Slavic cultures. Vampire lore flourished among the Romanized inhabitants of Eastern Europe, the Romanians, and was further informed by the beliefs of the Gypsies in the area. India, The ancestral homeland of the Gypsies, also features extensive traditions regarding vampires. Perhaps the most well known form of vampire, popularized by fiction and film in the Western world, is the nosferatu. This Romanian vampire is the illegitimate child of two illegitimate children, and he engages in bloodsucking and sex with mortal women. According to legend, a woman thus impregnated will give birth to a
