VAMPIRE

Vampire, in folklore, a corpse that rises from the grave during the night, often in the form of a bat, and, for nourishment, sucks the blood of sleeping humans. Various talismans and herbs supposedly avert vampires, but, according to tradition, they can be destroyed only by cremation or by stakes driven through their hearts. Belief in vampires originated in ancient times and was especially widespread among the Slavs. The novel Dracula (1897) by the British writer Bram Stoker tells the story of the Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula, who became one of the most popular subjects of horror films.