The Blood Thirst of the Departed: Vampires in Hungary

In the remote corners of Hungary, where the border of civilization blurs into wilderness, there is a story that shakes one to the marrow of the bones. It is a story passed down from generation to generation, whispered in hushed tones by the light of flickering hearth fires, a story that, despite its age, has lost none of its power to unsettle and disturb. It is the story of the revenants, the Hungarian vampires.

The story begins, as many stories do, with a death. A soldier quartered in the humble dwelling of a peasant from the Haidamagne found himself in the company of a stranger. This stranger, whom the master of the house did not know, sat down at the table with them and his presence cast an ominous shadow over the room. The soldier, who did not know the local lore, was puzzled by the fear that gripped his host. But the next day, when the host was found dead, the soldier began to understand the terrifying truth.

The stranger was no ordinary man, but a ghost, the spirit of the host's father, who had been dead and buried for a decade. His appearance was a harbinger of death, a curse that had been fulfilled with the demise of the host. The soldier, startled by this revelation, reported the incident to his regiment. The news reached the officers, who ordered an investigation into this macabre incident.

The investigation, led by Count de Cabreras, revealed a startling fact. The ghost was not an isolated phenomenon. There were others who had been dead for a long time and were now haunting the living. One such ghost had killed his own brother and son, drained them of their blood, and left them lifeless. When the corpses of these ghosts were dug up, they were found to be uncannily well preserved and their blood was still liquid, as if they were still alive.

In a desperate attempt to rid the village of these horrors, the ghosts were subjected to a cruel ritual. A large nail was driven into their temples, a brutal act designed to prevent their return. But the fear remained, a constant reminder of the thin veil that separates the living from the dead.

This story, a chilling account of vampires in Hungary, is a haunting reminder of the horrors that lurk in the shadows. It is a story that still haunts the quiet hills and streams of Hungary, a story that reminds us that sometimes the dead do not rest easily.

Reference: Calmet, A. (1850). Phantom world: the history and philosophy of ghosts, apparitions, &c. &c. Philadelphia: A. Hart, Late Carey & Hart.