Some Transylvanian traditions about vampires and related phenomena

[undyingking]

'Tis the season and all that, so I thought it might be nice to share these with you. Courtesy of ar_boblad, about 15 years ago now I guess it must have been. Où sont les vampires d'antan?

• A crossbow bolt through the heart will stake a vampire.
• Cut off the feet of someone killed by undead, and they will not be able to walk if they become undead themselves.

Comments

[metame]

If you see a black cat spit on it or bad luck will be yours.

It's not been a great year, but I don't think I can bring myself to start doing this to Zen yet...

[undyingking]

We've got a neighbour one who keeps trying to come in the back of the house, but he moves too fast. Water-pistol might be the job.

[metame]

There was a neighbouring cat who got into the habit of bashing at my bedroom window at night to annoy the Cleo sleeping on my bed (and incidentally also me). I took to sleeping with a tiny waterpistol (presumably an ex-cracker "fancy") on my bedside table and after a couple of interactions the cat got the message.

Not sure it is a universal solution (there's a chemistry joke here somewhere) as my two seem to love getting wet through. Fortunately, they also love being wrapped up in towels.

[undyingking]

Of ours, one is of that water- and towel-loving type, the other definitely not. Maybe it's a genetic heritage thing.

[bateleur]

He who drinketh of alcohol then partaketh in the potato will surely suffer.

Well yes, because they both dehydrate you. How is this "related" to vampires?

[lnr]

*Potatoes* cause dehydration? First I knew of it!

[bateleur]

Not to imply there's anything chemical about it. It's purely that they're capable of soaking up large quantities of water. same as any other dense, relatively dry food.

[rotwang]

Not to mention the large amount of salt that usually comes with the potato recipes generally associated with drinking alcohol...

[undyingking]

Nice, I like that one. Suggests a moral dimension as well as a practical one.