Vampyre - A Historic Reference

The term 'vampire' was not popularised until the early 18th century after an influx of speculation in western Europe. The vampire modern culture is used to seeing wasn't born until 1819 with John Polidori's publication 'The Vampyre' the work was arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century. Although the most famous vampire book to change the face of modern horror fiction was Bram Stokers novel 'Dracula' it is this novel that has made vampires name in horror history.
The word 'Vampire' first arrived in the English dictionary in 1734 after being used in a travelogue titled 'Travels of Three English Gentlemen' published in 1745, now a lost manuscript. The English term vampire is believed to have arrived for the french 'vampyre' or the German 'vampir' in the early 18th century from Serbain. Theory has said the term was borrowed from Turkic term 'tatar' meaning 'witch'.
The first form of old Russian term 'Upir'. Manuscript 'Book of Psalms' written by a priest who transcribed the book, the priest sign the book with his name 'Upir' Likhyi' meaning translates into 'Wicked Vampire' or 'Foul Vampire' this has been cited as an apparent nickname.

Common descriptions of a 'vampire'

• bloated
• dark in colour, usually a ruddy purplish colour - usually put down to the diet of blood
• blood seeping from the nose of mouth when 'sleeping' in their shroud of coffin
• also 'sleeping' usually with the left eye open
• it is said they would be dressed in the shroud they were buried in
• finally the teeth, nails and hair may have grown, although in general fangs where not a feature.

These simple descriptions come from most European legends of the vampires.