tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.comments2023-06-08T00:30:34.180+10:00Diary of an Amateur VampirologistAnthony Hogghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-34216297455222190472011-09-18T20:24:43.754+10:002011-09-18T20:24:43.754+10:00Great work on Croglin - you've gone further do...Great work on Croglin - you've gone further down this particular rabbit hole than anyone I think.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-5222974411439277302011-09-09T16:03:38.933+10:002011-09-09T16:03:38.933+10:00Cheers bs!
I could devote several blog entries to...Cheers bs!<br /><br />I could devote several blog entries to show where the FVZA has taken their images from. lol<br /><br />But I won't.<br /><br />I did see that fake vampire kit, too. Clearly, it's based on other fake kits being auctioned off for exorbitant amounts.<br /><br />But I wrote this particular entry as a bit of a PSA. It really disheartens me to see how many people take the FVZA seriously. Their stuff's even starting to slip into non-fiction vampire books like Cheung's and Montagu's. <br /><br />All it took me to uncover this stuff was a basic grasp of history, as well as a few Google searches. Not hard.<br /><br />What <i>really</i> disappointed me was seeing Ludovico's name pop up in several vampire timelines, that mingle actual vampire stuff (for want of a better term) with this (deliberately) fictional stuff. The FVZA could very well be the wellspring of modern day legends and conspiracy theories by people who haven't bothered to check the source.<br /><br />With due credit to the FVZA, their homepage makes it <i>very clear</i> that their stuff is fictional.Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-49042122486996879702011-09-08T21:46:16.345+10:002011-09-08T21:46:16.345+10:00Nice bit of BS History there Tony :)
I think I me...Nice bit of BS History there Tony :)<br /><br />I think I mention in one of my vampire kit posts that the FVZA's kit is a photoshopped version of the Surnateum's. <br /><br />One fictional organisation borrowing from another!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-80263674778541391382011-09-07T14:05:48.303+10:002011-09-07T14:05:48.303+10:00G'day Doc,
Thanks for the kind words! It cert...G'day Doc,<br /><br />Thanks for the kind words! It certainly interests me to see how people find my blog and my Feedjit does a good job of telling me. My coverage of fake antique vampire killing kits is a popular one. So's my features on the FVZA. Oh, and Twilight porn...<br /><br />I'm certainly familiar with the connection between vampires, witches and werewolves, but I also think it's an example of homogenizing diverse 'strains' in folklore to create a central vampire image, as it were.<br /><br />That said, such a blend could very well have lead to the creation of vampires, especially if we view the development of the striges, or strix and parallel them with the stryges of <i>Mercure Galant</i>.<br /><br />I may very well do a write up on the subject, as per your suggestion, so stay tuned!Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-29458231892432955672011-09-07T12:55:28.801+10:002011-09-07T12:55:28.801+10:00I just wanted to say that I enjoy your blog. I stu...I just wanted to say that I enjoy your blog. I stumbled upon it while googling "Ojai Vampire". I cited your blog entries for my blog's entry on the Ojai Vampire.<br /><br />Perhaps I may suggest a new blog entry for you?.....the fluidity between vampires, witches, and werewolves. That's a subject that I do enjoy discussing, how we seem to think that the three are distinct but in reality they flow one into another. In superstition witches become vampires upon death and curse other people into werewolves, as well as become werewolves themselves. Then we have the witches who feast on the blood of humans, often while transforming into bird-like monsters. Not to mention that vampires can also transform into wolves. Just thought I would suggest that. I like vamps but I'm more of a witch guy myself. Witches have always fascinated me. <br /><br />Again, great blog!<br /><br />-DocConjure<br />TheDemoniacal.blogspot.comDoc Conjurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08569054730270980353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-31427310364300102962011-09-05T03:32:32.001+10:002011-09-05T03:32:32.001+10:00I'm certainly looking forward to see what you&...I'm certainly looking forward to see what you've written! Long or short. :)<br /><br />Cheers for clarifying the edition mystery, also. Much appreciated. I'm surprised that no such commentary is mentioned in the website, however. Ah wells. I presume the changes were relatively minor; not enough to earn it a 'new edition' tag.Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-47555768543789408342011-09-03T13:27:37.539+10:002011-09-03T13:27:37.539+10:00Alright! I've started writing but it might tak...Alright! I've started writing but it might take me the weekend to finish (between it and other things), I'll send it your way when I'm done. My problem is i write waay too much information (usually irrelevant tangents) and it takes me ages to edit. but long or short it is forthcoming.<br /><br />And I asked Prof Garza about the "edition mystery" -- one is a revised edition. The table of contents is the same, except for 5 new songs added to the appendix. he fixed some typos and errors in his translation, and basically took back his earlier statement about "photocopying two essays" and told me either edition is perfectly fine for the course. so that's that! i think, anyhow.Little Sockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08872597370388421893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-54142302193529617202011-09-02T08:05:50.340+10:002011-09-02T08:05:50.340+10:00That'd be great!
No worries about the exam st...That'd be great!<br /><br />No worries about the exam stuff (all the best with 'em, by the way). No rush. I'd love to hear (well, read) your impressions and experience of studying under Prof. Garza. It'll give an idea of what one undertakes in such courses.<br /><br />No word counts, no limits. You write whatever you want to. :)<br /><br />As to how it works, easy. You e-mail me your post and I post it to my blog. You'll find my e-mail addy in my Blogger profile.Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-29379059052960200582011-09-01T15:28:02.402+10:002011-09-01T15:28:02.402+10:00Sure! I like to write, I like vampire stories, wha...Sure! I like to write, I like vampire stories, what could be better? ... although, I may get unreliable around mid-september, and it will be because of huge exam-oriented stress (GRE = . Just a warning. But the class is only tues & thurs and I could easily write a quick something-or-other about it. only question I have is... <br /><br />how does a guest blog work?Little Sockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08872597370388421893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-90414404814206103342011-09-01T07:17:57.125+10:002011-09-01T07:17:57.125+10:00Hmm, that's odd.
The only reference I've...Hmm, that's odd. <br /><br />The only reference I've seen to another 'edition' of his work, is 'Introduction to Slavic Civilization "The Vampire in Slavic Cultures' (2007), <a href="http://www.example.com" rel="nofollow">as listed on Amazon</a>.<br /><br />The '2009' and '2010' editions are clearly the same work.<br /><br />Perhaps his reference concerns a reader circulated in the uni, itself. Or, he's got his dates mixed up. Or maybe he's referring to a reprint.<br /><br />I think I might have to chase this one up for you, Ms. Socks!<br /><br />I can sympathise with Mr. Garza's plight. However, it also means he's cutting out a lot of his audience (that said, I'm still gonna get his book!). <br /><br />What I'd <i>really</i> like to see from him, though, is his own book on the subject. If he's been teaching the course for 13 years, then surely he'd have something to write about the subject, himself. He'd be following in the footsteps of Jan L. Perkowski, whose 1976 book, <i>Vampires of the Slavs</i> was actually a university reader, too, before he cut loose with many of his own writings, most notably, <i>The darkling</i> (1989).<br /><br />I just had an idea, Ms. Socks.<br /><br />Would you be interested in submitting a guest blog on what it's like to be a student of Prof. Garza's class?Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-55333546125928158772011-08-31T09:48:38.772+10:002011-08-31T09:48:38.772+10:00What a conundrum! I was under the impression of th...What a conundrum! I was under the impression of there being two editions - but not because of the copyright/publisher dates. In class I asked Professor Garza if - seeing as he had been teaching this course for 13 years - if there was an older edition that would be acceptable to buy used. He said there was the "2009" edition and that it would be fine to use for the course as long as I photocopied the two essays included in the newer edition not found in the older. So when I saw the '2009' and '2010' dates around the net, i just assumed they were the two editions.<br /><br />Perhaps if your book is anthology or textbook you can make changes to it without calling it a new edition? Perhaps the publisher failed to update the sample pdf? Prof Garza told us to buy the text from the publisher, so they clearly have the most recent. Whether or not it's considered a new edition or not - beats me! I confess to having very little knowledge about book publishing.<br /><br />On a side note, Prof Garza did mention the high price of his text is an unfortunate side-effect of having a great deal of copyrighted material included in the book. Apparently from 97-08 he had the material in a course packet, and price rose so high ($200+) that it actually became cheaper to have it as a book.Little Sockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08872597370388421893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-67912655306887394642011-08-29T05:03:31.686+10:002011-08-29T05:03:31.686+10:00Cheers for the head's up, Ms. Jane.
The Amazo...Cheers for the head's up, Ms. Jane.<br /><br />The Amazon prices for the book have been quite appalling, especially as the book (from what I've seen of its contents) is a bunch of extracts and such, reprinted from elsewhere.<br /><br />Regardless, it's still on my 'to-get' list, and hopefully I'll score a comparatively cheap copy like you did.Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-10719918714893564562011-08-26T09:57:28.337+10:002011-08-26T09:57:28.337+10:00I know this is two years later, but I just enrolle...I know this is two years later, but I just enrolled in Garza's "Vampire 101" course at UT and thought you might like to know he has a 2010 edition now, and you can actually get it a little cheaper (US$129) at the publisher's website (cognella.com) - it's even pictured on the main page! and to think amazon's price has gone up even more, to $163! however, i just found a used copy of the 09 ed on cheapbooks for only $90 - that's the one for me! <br /><br />sorry for the oversharing, but every semester i get very excited over textbooks and trying to find ways out of paying my kidneys for them, and just have to share :)Little Sockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08872597370388421893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-36127286238647317882011-08-26T03:15:01.926+10:002011-08-26T03:15:01.926+10:00You've done your research! Nice ;)
I've y...You've done your research! Nice ;)<br /><br />I've yet to read a copy of F. Clive-Ross' article. But I can tell you that the article appeared in <i>Tomorrow</i> (Spring 1963), a paranormal mag which Clive-Ross also edited.<br /><br /><i>Tomorrow</i> was a predecessor of <i>Studies in Comparative Religion</i>.<br /><br />While Googling some stuff to write this reply, I actually found a copy of the mag on Amazon! Put it on order. Might do a write-up on the Cranswell mystery after I get it.<br /><br />However, let's say I have my suspicions. Firstly, the earliest known (written) account of the Croglin Vampire, was in Hare's <i>Story of my life</i>, vol. 4 (1900), which you'll be able to find on the Internet Archive.<br /><br />The source of the tale, one Capt. Edward Fisher, does not give his 'characters' names. Neither does Summers, neither does Harper. Both were relying on Hare's re-telling. <br /><br />Indeed, Rogo took a punt at tracking the name, himself, and came to a dead-end.<br /><br />If the name <i>was</i> used locally (I'll find out once the mag arrives), it's also possible that it was influenced by Dyall's article. <br /><br />Dyall does not mention from where the names were obtained (and even fudges the story, by saying the vampire was staked, as well as burned). But most telling, Dyall notes:<br /><br />'There are discrepancies in these three versions [Hare, Harper, Summers], but they do not necessarily militate against the essential truth: dates and names are uncertain, and beyond doubt details have been embellished for the sake of shudder and thrill, but to the fair-minded researcher the main facts are clear' (p. 99).<br /><br />Methinks Dyall doth protest too much!Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-89037169116635142642011-08-18T04:59:49.641+10:002011-08-18T04:59:49.641+10:00I'd be interested to know re the Cranswell cla...I'd be interested to know re the Cranswell claim possibly being in Dyall's article. I have a note to self to the effect that the name was given to Clive-Ross by local people during his 1962 visit, but I didn't leave myself a reference and consequently can't trust myself!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-22827952489832482792011-08-18T04:23:38.978+10:002011-08-18T04:23:38.978+10:00Thanks for the kind words, Fra...or should I say, ...Thanks for the kind words, Fra...or should I say, Mr. Frye? ;)<br /><br />Ah, yes, the staking of Slobbo! Can't believe I forgot about that one. <br /><br />I've a feeling they staked him as a bizarre form of protest, but nonetheless, it shows that the vampire belief - and manifestations of it - are still out there. Cheers for the link. :)Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-33042908799638647022011-08-17T22:14:15.865+10:002011-08-17T22:14:15.865+10:00Congratulations for the third year of life of your...Congratulations for the third year of life of your blog Anthony! <br />An interesting article,about beliefs in vampires in modern times a little odd news:in 2007 in Serbia a man Miroslav Milošević tried to stake the corpse of the serbian dictator Slobodan Milošević because he believes that Slobodan was a vampire. <br />http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/06/milosevic_staked/ <br />Very strange!Fra Morettahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07678455141478397180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-76957839695071858362011-08-17T00:11:39.212+10:002011-08-17T00:11:39.212+10:00Haha no worries. I actually came across it in the ...Haha no worries. I actually came across it in the midst of our lil discussions, funnily enough.<br /><br />I've got a lotta stuff littering my HD, too. Sometimes, it's served me well. I was lucky I had a spare copy of that source for the 'nosferatu' blog article lying about!Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-72549611330996566172011-08-15T06:12:58.691+10:002011-08-15T06:12:58.691+10:00Thanks for digging this out (ha). Turns out I had ...Thanks for digging this out (ha). Turns out I had a copy on my HD but must not have read it. All too easy to forget what you've saved for later.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-28674540434583875762011-07-29T05:43:11.250+10:002011-07-29T05:43:11.250+10:00Brilliant, thank you Niels.Brilliant, thank you Niels.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-1883224651318546172011-07-28T15:32:32.524+10:002011-07-28T15:32:32.524+10:00I admit that the definition of vampire gets decide...I admit that the definition of vampire gets decidedly murky the more one tries to define it.<br /><br />But that's also because our modern use of it, over 250 years from its original use, has been diluted somewhat from the original.<br /><br />As you - and Barber - have pointed out, the term is generally used for convenience's sake. I could also apply that to revenant, itself. After all, the French use may have referred to a specific kind of being before it became a 'catch-all', too.<br /><br />I will say this, though, it's obvious - even within the Slavic cultures that used the term - that there were variants in what a vampire was/could do. For instance, a standard trope is the vampire's ability to infect its victims with vampirism, in kind, as per the Paole case. However, this phenomena does not occur, nor is it mentioned, in the Plogojovitz case.<br /><br />At best, we can only look for 'clues' in these early reports, to get some idea of what extant lore there was. The Paole case mentions that to prevent infection, one should smear themselves with the vampire's blood and eat earth from its grave. This lore isn't found in the Plogojovitz case.<br /><br />Since those reports were recorded, who knows how often the vampire tag was 'misused'. The early English accounts from the 12th century certainly didn't use the term, yet, occasional translations do. Funny thing is, they weren't described as drinking blood, but I can see where the confusion's arisen, especially as in one case, 'The young men, however, spurred on by wrath, feared not, and inflicted a wound upon the senseless carcass, out of which incontinently flowed such a stream of blood, that it might have been taken for a leech filled with the blood of many persons.'<br /><br />Note 'might have been taken', with no explicit link to blood-drinking throughout the rest of the account. See: '<a href="http://www.shroudeater.com/anewburg.htm" rel="nofollow">William of Newburgh on Vampires</a>'.<br /><br />Looking forward to your follow-up piece on VKKs. I do have an e-mail addy, yeah. I'll contact you. :)Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-30175483160972329042011-07-28T14:59:09.450+10:002011-07-28T14:59:09.450+10:00Niels,
Great find, mate! Thank you! And it's ...Niels,<br /><br />Great find, mate! Thank you! And it's great to see it mentioned in Daniela Soloviova-Horville's book. I gotta get it, pronto!<br /><br />bshistorian,<br /><br />Hahaha! No worries! I know what it's like to lose track of stuff - caffeine or otherwise. I appreciate your contributions, regardless. ;)Anthony Hogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08647370834507823458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-47731894436267564012011-07-28T06:53:30.160+10:002011-07-28T06:53:30.160+10:00Yes, of course you're right. I had that noted ...Yes, of course you're right. I had that noted down. I need stop reading up on things so late at night. The names and dates begin to swirl about in my caffeine-addled brain!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-74774791459792748692011-07-28T06:51:17.854+10:002011-07-28T06:51:17.854+10:00I think it's that latter phenomenon that has m...I think it's that latter phenomenon that has me so interested in what is/isn't a vampire. I feel cheated every time I discover that a given 'vampire' tale isn't really one at all. Yet at the same time, for those interested in the 'real' thing, the blood-drinking can be considered almost irrelevant, with 'vampire' a synonym for 'revenant' as Barber semi-concedes. It's only really with respect to pop culture that a lack of blood-guzzling becomes a glaring difference between the two.<br /><br />Ah well, back to my kits - I'm waiting on a valuable contact to finish off my latest bit of research. <br /><br />Do you have an email address you can post publically? If not drop me a line at bs.historian@yahoo.com.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149307856443561797.post-70492002611436945462011-07-26T22:15:06.517+10:002011-07-26T22:15:06.517+10:00The February 1694 issue of Mercure Galant issue ca...The February 1694 issue of <i>Mercure Galant</i> issue can be found <a href="http://books.google.dk/books?id=R2RBAAAAcAAJ" rel="nofollow">here</a>. <i>Sur les stryges en Russie</i> begins on page 13. A few people have written about this, e.g. <b>Daniela Soloviova-Horville</b> in <i>Les Vampires: Du folklore slave à la littérature occidentale</i>. I will probably post a bit on my blog about that within a couple of days...Niels K. Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10136109970711449111noreply@blogger.com