vampire.names
What's in a name?
A list of some different names for vampires and where they originate:
Africa
Obayifo- Identified more as a witch than a vampire, this magic-made (not hereditary) being left its body at night, in the form of a glowing ball, and attacked people, especially children, and sucked them of their blood. Might also suck the juice from fruits and vegetables. (Ashanti tribe)
Asia, India, Pacific Islands and Australia
Aswang- A witch-woman who appeared as a beautiful maiden when she rubbed herself with a certain ointment. She would fly, at night, to the roof of a house and send down her long tongue to prick the throat of her sleeping victim, then she would drink the blood. When fully fed she appeared as a pregnant woman. (Philippines)*
Bhuta- A person who died in an untimely fashion, and arose to wander the land at night. This demi-vampire, in its wanderings, would reanimate dead bodies of others, who then in turn attacked the locals, eating them as ghouls did. (Western India)*
Pontianak- Yet another female vampire who attacks infants and drinks their blood. Pontianaks also seduce young men, in the form of a maiden. (Java) Also known as a Langsuyar in Malaysia.*
Rakshasas- (Rakshasas, m. Rakshasis, f.) These are demi-gods in that they don't appear to interact directly with the populace, but their exploits, instead, are given in legends. Like vampires, though, they wandered at night, had fangs, drank blood and preferred to attack infants and pregnant women. (India)
Central and South America, Caribbean
Asema- An vampiric old man or woman who took the form of a ball of light and traveled at night to drink the blood of people asleep in their houses. (South America)*
Cihuateteo- A demi-god, this vampiric woman, like so many in other parts of the world, was depicted killing and drinking the blood of infants. Interestingly enough, like many of the vampires in the West, they are said to meet at crossroads and only wander at night, as sunlight will kill them. (Aztecs, Mexico)
Europe and the United Kingdom
Dhampir- Vampire's son. Sometimes thought to be the only person who could see a vampire and kill it. Up until the 17th and 18th centuries, people would hire themselves out as vampire killers under the guise of being a Dhampir. (Serbia) Also known as a vampirdzhija (Bulgaria)
Djadadjii- This was a specific kind of vampire hunter, who "bottled" vampires. The hunter would first bait a bottle with a favorite food of the rascally vampire. He would then use a picture of a saint, or Christ or Mary as an icon, and would drive the vampire from his hiding place, and straight into the bottle. The hunter then corked the bottle and disposed of the vampire by throwing it, bottle and all, into a fire. (Bulgaria)
Neuntöter- Vampire that spreads plague. (Germany)
Strigoiu- Vampire that lives in abandoned houses. (Slavonic country?)
Middle East
Dakhanavar- A vampire that lived in the wild and attacked travelers at night by sucking blood from their feet. Two men outwitted it by sleeping so that their heads rested on the other's feet. The vampire was frustrated by the thing with two heads and no feet, and ran away and was never seen again. (Armenia)
A Vampire by any other name...
Albanian- Kukuthi, lugat
Bulgarian- Opyri/ opiri, vipir, vepir, vapir
Filipino- Danag, Mandurugo
Gaelic/ Celtic- Craitnag folley (perhaps "blood bat"), sooder folley (literally "blood sucker")+ German- Bluatsauger (Literally "bloodsucker"), Nachttoter (Literally "night killer"), Neuntoter (Literally "killer of nine")
Greek- Vrykolakas, empusai, nosophoros (Literally "plague-carrier")
Gypsy- Mulo/ Mullo (pl. mulé) (Literally "one who is dead")
Hebrew- Aluka (Literally a leech, it seems to be synonymous with vampirism or vampire)
Hungarian- Pamgri
Indian (Sanskrit, I believe)- Asra-pa/ Asrk-pa (Literally "drinkers of blood"), vetalas, betails
Irish- Dearg-due (Literally "red-blood sucker")
Japanese- Kyuketsuki
Latin/ Roman- Strix
Magyar- Vampir
Polish- Upiór, upier, m./ upierzyca, f., opji or wupji, vjesci or vjeszczi, njetop
Romanian- Strigoi, m./ strigoaica, f.; Moroi, m./ Moroaica, f.
Russian- Upir, Vieszcy, Uppyr, or Upierczi
Serbo-Croatian-Vampir, Vampiri, Tenac, Vukodlak (werewolf), Upirina
Slavonic- Oupire (Literally "blood sucker"), Nosufur-atu
Ukrainian- Upyr, Upiribi, Upior, m./ upiorzyca, f.
Yittish- Dybbuk (Literally something like "drinker of blood.")
