Vampires: The Origin of the Myth

In June 2015, a 21-year-old Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania man was arrested on charges of “bloodletting” and sexual assault. He allegedly not only convinced several underage victims to slice their wrists so he could drink their blood, he also engaged in intimate acts with a minor while they bled on each other from self-inflicted lacerations. It's a shocking case for a Pennsylvania town that's about as inclined to believe in vampires as it is the tooth fairy. But, it's a case that also, remarkably, demonstrates the eternal life of the vampire myth.

In this episode, Stephanie tells the story of the surprising origins of vampiric legends and how they've changed through the centuries.

*** NOTE! The first 41 seconds of this episode may not be suitable for very young listeners. ***

To read Stephanie's feature article, on which this episode is based, visit this page:
https://www.hauntinglypa.com/history-of-vampires.html

For more information on this podcast on Stephanie's books, visit StephanieHoover.com. Or join the conversation in one of her new Facebook groups:
~ Old Fashioned Crime
~ Ghosts, Monsters & Myths

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The following music and sound effects (or edited pieces thereof) were used in this episode:
     Churches of Ohrid 2 by cms4f (FreeSound.org)
     Hamer.wav by escortmarious (FreeSound.org)
     Creeking Door by visualasylum (FreeSound.org)
     Horse Whinny Close A by InspectorJ (FreeSound.org)