Where did the legend come from that bats turn to vampires?”
with the specifics changing somewhat with each culture. Because of this, various vampire lore and legends can be contradictory. Ancient Roman “striges” could change into owls and drink the blood of babies. In medieval Eastern European countries, folklore of vampires as well as vampire slayers was common. The vampire legend may have been fed in 14th and 15th century Europe with the brutal deeds of Vlad Tepes Dracula and Countess Elizabeth Báthory. Bram Soker’s 1897 novel Dracula reinforced some vampire lore by putting it into mass print, and became vampire “canon” for all works to follow. Becoming a vampire Vampires are dead beings that come back to life. In some legends the vampire becomes a vampire only after death. In other legends the vampire is born a vampire. To be born a vampire the child may be the child or grandchild of a vampire. A child may be born a vampire if it has a caul or alternately a dark caul. People usually become vampires by being bitten, but not killed, by a vampi
