Medieval “Vampire” Corpse Unearthed Wearing Bizzare Device Meant to Disable Her Resurrection [Images]
Josh Korngut
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The remains of a 17th-century woman were recently found during an archaeological dig at a Polish cemetery in the village of Pien. The skeleton, which is being dubbed a vampire, was unearthed wearing a sharp sickle across her neck. Nicholas Copernicus University professor Dariusz Poliński claims the device was implemented to “protect against the return of the dead.”
However, the neck device was not the only contraption installed to safeguard against the alleged vampire’s resurrection. One of the dead woman’s toes was also found padlocked, another attempt to prevent her posthumous rising, according to the Daily Mail.
When Professor Poliński was asked about the neck trap, he shared insight into its possible usage.
‘Ways to protect against the return of the dead include cutting off the head or legs, placing the deceased face down to bite into the ground, burning them, and smashing them with a stone … The sickle was not laid flat but placed on the neck in such a way that if the deceased had tried to get up most likely the head would have been cut off or injured.
The Nicholas Copernicus University educator added that the toe padlock represented “the closing of a stage and the impossibility of returning.”
Check out images of the alleged “vampire” here:
It isn’t uncommon for bodies to be exhumed in a similar fashion in the surrounding Eastern European region. Not unlike the witch hunt hysterics seen across history, fear of vampires was also rampant in medieval Europe, sometimes leading to executions and torture. Individuals who died of unusual circumstances, such as suicide, were buried with similar precautionary measures to ensure the dead didn’t rise.
This particular woman’s body is not the only one in the Polish region to be found wearing anti-vampire contraptions. The remains of a man and another woman were also found with sickles placed across their necks.
Lastly, what do you think? Could medieval vampires really have been stalking Eastern Europe? Or was this all cruel superstition? Let us know on Twitter via @DreadCentral. We’re always around to discuss all things horror IRL!
Categorized:Horror IRL News
