Chapter 9

''Thesis about the appearance of angels, demons and ghosts, as well as the appearance of vampires in Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia (1746)''

Chapter 9

The popular belief about thunderstruck So-called BRUKOLAKAH. The Story of BRUKOLAKE ON THE ISLAND OF MICS.

Some have speculated that thunderstruck not perish. This view Zaccai. Pare and Komine, who believed as the imperishable thunderstruck, felt that they covered and penetrated, and they zip through the sulfur and replaces the salt in the body.
In 1727, in a pit near a hospital in Quebec, were discovered intact body of nuns who have died from five to twenty years ago, in which, despite the fact that they were covered with lime, blood flowed from the open seats.
Quite a common opinion was that the dead under the curse father or mother were often lively day and night, talking with them, called and harassed them. Leo Allyatsius tells many such facts. In connection with these events, he, among other things, notes that residents of the island of Chios, when he heard the first time of calling their voice, do not respond out of fear that it is a spirit or ghost. If the call is repeated, they say, it does not brukolak, that is not a ghost in their own language, but if the answer to the first and second call, the ghost disappeared, but said definitely dying.
To get rid of the evil geniuses, it was customary for the rule: to dig up the corpse of a person appears before the commission and certain rites burn it. After that, they believed, the phenomenon of ghosts will not happen again. I also believe that the dead are criminals and villains left their graves, that the phenomenon they had seen for fatal or answered them, and that the demon is their bodies so that with their help to scare the living and to deprive them of life.
In addition, the Greeks claim that these deaths are walking at night, their food is prepared and eaten. G. Rico in its history on the current status of the Greek Church wrote about the many dead bodies, healthy and red, the veins that after forty days after death the blood was just as fresh and as young people with the choleric temperament. It is so well known that one can recollect many such facts in full detail. G. von Tournefort says even on the so-called rite of digging on the island brukolaka Miko (in the Greek archipelago), where he attended on Jan. 1, 1701. Here are his words:
"I was an eyewitness on the island Miko horrendous act perpetrated on one of the dead, who, according to the islanders, are after the burial. The man in question, the islander, by nature morose and cantankerous. It is found in a field killed by someone unknown and manner. Two days later, after he was buried in the town church, a rumor spread that the dead appear during the night, part of the house, overturning the dishes, puts out the fire, enough people behind their backs, etc.
At first laughed at, but things took a serious turn when they started to complain and and respectable people. Many people enjoy the trust and respect among the inhabitants of the island, confirmed the authenticity of which lay scattered rumors, and, of course, not without reason. Even during the commission of the liturgy in the church, which was buried this dead, he did not abandon their antics and thought reform. After a long debate by the representatives of the city, the priests and monks have decided to ancient custom, which was not known to me, wait for the end of the first nine days after the burial.
On the tenth day in the church, where it was buried the body, made the liturgy, to exorcise the demon, to settle, as they thought in the body. After Mass, dug out the body, to do it rite expelled the demon. We decided to remove a dead heart, and the city butcher, decrepit and scratchy, began by saying that instead of exposed breasts and belly for a long time digging in the guts, finding the unknown. Finally he was told that you have to cut the diaphragm and the heart finally removed. The body issued a strong smell, and so lit incense, but the smoke mingled with the fetid odor, has stepped up a stink.
Human imagination, brought the spectacle, began to be a vision. We thought that the foul-smelling smoke emanates from a corpse, constantly saying that the tomb lies brukolak, one whose name was capable of shaking the vaults of the church, many of those present found the blood of this unfortunate fresh and red. Butcher swore that the blood is very warm. It concluded that the devil supported in a dead life, and this conclusion is in close connection with the submission of brukolake. Many swore they noticed, as if the body is the same as soft as before, when he was transferred from the field to the church for burial, which, consequently, he brukolak. I stood near the corpse and could therefore correctly observe, smell my heavily suffered from the terrible stench of the corpse. The question that I think about the deceased, answered, that I believe in the ordinary corpse.
Wanting to moderate their darkened imagination, or at least weaken the excitement, I said: it is not surprising that the butcher felt a certain warmth, and fumbling in her guts already decayed; stink as usual, as the dung when it razroyut. As for the red blood cells, which can be seen on his hand dead - is not something else, like a foul-smelling filth.
Then decided to go to the shore and there burn the heart of the deceased to stop brukolaka, who beat people, break down doors, broke windows, tore her dress in women, wasted mugs and bottles. From the latter shows that the dead man suffered greatly from thirst. It was strange that the house of the consul, in which we lived, was spared brukolakom. This fact only proves the sad state of mental development of the islanders. Imagination was all painful, disordered, whole families to escape snares brukolaka, left their homes and carried off the bed on the outskirts of the city for the night. The attack every night meet general lamentation, and even sensible people fled from their homes. On the general prejudices, I decided not to speak, not words, and it avoided the danger of being recognized by non-believers, as well as caustic ridicule. His behavior I do not blame the fact that it was impossible to explain to the people of his mistake. Consider that I doubt the truth of the fact of presence in the city brukolaka, came up to me and talk me in my unbelief. They wanted to assure me that the deceased brukolak, according to the butcher and missionary P. Richard, was a Jesuit. "This is a Catholic - they said - therefore, you should believe him." I would rather continue to bother if I was rejected and this is the last, so convincing, in their opinion, the proof. Each morning comes repeating one and the same comedy: we were treated to stories about new tricks, which practiced a corpse, and complained of being committed by their outrage.
Some townsfolk believed that full security is not performed a substantial part of the rite. In their view, ought to make a Mass once be pulled at the heart of the accident. Only if this precaution, they thought, the devil certainly would have been expelled and, no doubt, no longer would be able to return back to the corpse. And as the ceremony began the liturgy, the devil has had ample time to leave and then return to the body of the deceased.
Despite the fact that so many thought, it has not improved. They gathered in the mornings and evenings, argued, the processes of three days and three nights, priests, parishioners were forced to fast, at home and doors are sprinkled with holy water and poured it into the mouths of the poor brukolaka. Frequently visiting the municipal government, I have always insisted that the well-ordered state in such cases, ordered the night guard strictly observe all that happens in the city. I finally followed the Council and on the first night seized several vagrants, who apparently took part in the night disturbances. Two days later, the tramp, when they were released from prison and resumed their antics, considering them a reward for suffering in prison: emptying a jug of wine in their homes, left for the night. Citizens again all attributed to brukolaku and resorted to prayer.
One day, after prayers stuck a few swords into the grave of the deceased, which in that day, at the request of relatives, dug up and buried back three or four times. Was at the time on the island Albanian argued that in such cases is absurd on the part of Christians to use the sword. "You are blind, you do not see, - he said - that the sword at the point of contact form a cross and thereby impede the devil out of the corpse." Adoption of the educator did not have, however, success. Brukolak does not repaired, and all were in terrible distress, and did not know how to get rid of him, when suddenly, as if by common agreement, decided to burn brukolaka. This, of course, is better than to leave the island, as some think. In fact, many families packed up their belongings with the intention to go to the island Cyr or Tina in the Greek archipelago.
By order of the municipal authorities of the deceased's body was moved to the top of the mountain on the island of St. George, where he laid out a large fire of pine wood, so that the corpse was consumed slowly. The remains of the unfortunate engulfed flames. It was January 1, 1701. Then stop complaining about brukolaka, said that the devil has cleverly deceived, sang songs and cursed the devil.
All the inhabitants of the archipelago were of the opinion that the devil can only revive the dead-Greeks. Residents of Santorini is very afraid of persecution Latin bishop as much and brukolaka. The fact that the island of St. George, they did not invite any priest when burned corpse, out of fear that the bishop would require money for what they are without his permission, dug up and burned the corpse. "All the above is sufficient for our purpose of the story, the background Tournefort.
Thomas Bartholin said: ancient northern people were convinced, as if the dead were often in his youth, clothed in his body, and gives many examples of this kind. To this he adds that some fought with ghosts, who harassed and insulted people, and about their graves planted trees. Thus, Gretter, apeared after death, decapitated, the bodies of other dead dug their stakes, and then buried in the ground.
Frequently snatched the dead from their graves and burned. So done, for example, with a ghost Gardusom, which found the cause of all miseries occurred during the storm.
According to William Malmesbyuri, the British thought that the evil of the soul after death, return to the bodies of those to whom they belonged in life, through the demon, which gives them the necessary movement.
William Neybrizhsky, who lived in the second half of the XII century, said: man, buried in Berwick, every night rose from the grave and caused great concern whole neighborhood. Another known that he supposedly boasted that he would bother to live as long as it does not burn. For this operation, have chosen ten brave, strong young men who dug it, hacked to pieces and burned at the stake. Once a corpse was dug, one of the gravediggers said: Dead Man's impossible to burn until until he plucked up heart. His proposal was accepted and the corpse thrown into the fire, turned into ash and was not more.
The ancient pagans believed that the dead bodies in general are deprived of rest and not protected by spells as long as they are not affected by the flame or rot in the ground.
Laplander tell about the many ghosts, who were the local inhabitants against their will, forced them to speak and eat with them. When Laplander have made sure that the souls of deceased relatives worried about them, then burned the body, believing that the only way they can get rid of troublesome visitors. Laplander generally were of the opinion that the souls of the dead are dangerous for living as long as they do not pass into other bodies. Demons and ghosts wandering around the mountains, rocks, lakes and rivers in Lapland, paid homage to the same respect, what the Romans paid homage fawn, forest gods, nymphs and tritons.
Thus, we find the instructions on the dead, who after the burial back to life, even before the XII century and in other countries, especially the northern ones. However, these sagas are too far from our subject: Vampires, of which we have referred, almost have nothing to do with all this.