WWW.SHROUDEATER.COM - Vampire of Damian

The Source:

anon :
"Villagers Burn Woman's Heart to Halt Ghost"
in: The Wisconsin State Journal, April 7, 1934

The Case:

First allow me to express my gratitude to Transatlantic vampire expert Michael E. Bell. I think we can safely say that without his much appreciated help I would never have found this interesting case. Here it is, taken straight from the front page :

"Villagers Burn Woman's Heart to Halt Ghost"

"Bucharest, Roumania - (U.P.) - Fifty fearful villagers of Damian burned the heart of a woman suicide and scattered the ashes as the only mean of preventing her ghost from haunting them. It was revealed today with the arrest of the persons concerned. The suicide was Mrs. Stephan Safta. Her husband complained that her ghost haunted him. Other villagers began to see the ghost. They moved - the entire population - into one large room but the ghost continued to appear, and the burning of the suicide's heart was decided upon. The body was exhumed and the heart taken out."

The Date:

The newspaper report dates back to April 1934.

The Place:

Damian is a small village in Romania. It can be found South of Craiova, slightly to the East, not far from the Bulgarian border. It is within walking distance of several other "vampire villages".

Possible Follow-Up:

It is always interesting to find confirmation of the old fears regarding suicides. So what can we do ? First find back this item in the source that I have given. The newspaper article originates from a press agency. It seems likely that it also has appeared in European, not to mention local newspapers. Go find them and see what else you can learn about this case.

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