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    Believe it or not: Female vampire's remains discovered in Poland, say reports

    Synopsis

    According to archaeologists, the sickle and other restraints were placed to prevent the alleged female vampire from rising from the dead, media reports said.

    ​RemainsAgencies
    The stories of demons in the form of humans, who feed on human blood, have been around in the times of many civilisations. But it seems now the evidence for those demonic figures has come to the fore. It might sound like some scene from a grisly television series or movie about a vampire, but it may be true, as per media reports. The remains of an alleged female ‘vampire’ of the 17th century have been revealed in Poland, the reports said.


    What is the discovery of an alleged 'female vampire' in Poland all about?

    The skeleton was uncovered by the team headed by Nicholas Copernicus University Prof. Mr Dariusz Poliński. The archaeological digging was performed in a Polish graveyard and the skeleton of a female was found having a sickle across her neck to prevent her ascension from the dead.
    The skeleton was also wearing a silk cap, and with a bulging front tooth. The sickle was laid in a way, that if the dead try to wake up, the head would get chopped off or injured. The sickle could also consist of a spell or witchcraft to prevent her from rising from the dead.


    What is the history of vampire-related events in Europe?

    According to Smithsonian magazine, the people in Eastern Europe in the 11th century described the fears and terror of vampires. So, they started burying their dead with some anti-vampire rites believing that the dead would rise again as blood-sucking demons, who would terrorise their habitats.
    As per the Science Alert report, by the 17 century, such practices became common throughout Poland to deal with the occurrence of vampires. During the 18th century, such sightings became rampant across Europe, with frequent diggings and the killing of potentially undead. This era was known as the 18th-century Vampire controversy. According to Poliński, there were also other methods to stop their ascension, such as severing their head or legs, burning or smashing their heads with a stone or placing their face down towards the ground.
    Although other common ways of burial included hammering a metal rod through the skeleton, the female skeleton remains were found with the sickle around the neck and toe padlocked with the left foot to restrain her. These padlocks were used during burial ceremonies, denoting the impossibility of rising from the dead.

    FAQs

    Who discovered the skeleton of alleged 'female vampire' in Poland?
    The remains of alleged female vampire skeleton was uncovered by the team headed by Professor Dariusz Poliński from Nicholas Copernicus University.

    How old are the remains of the skeleton?
    The remains of the alleged female ‘vampire’ discovered in Poland are said to be of the 17th century, as per reports.


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    ( Originally published on Sep 06, 2022 )
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