The Source:
Klaus Hamberger
"Mortuus Non Mordet"
Verlag Turia & Kant, Vienna, 1992
The Case
According to Klaus Hamberger, this story can be found in:
"Der Europäischen Niemand" vol.XI, Leipzig, 1719.
This, more or less, is what is supposed to have happened:
"In the town of Lublov, a man called Michael Caspareck had died. His coffin,
covered with red silk, was buried on 20 February 1718. Soon the dead man
was seen again, going around and talking to people. He even sat down with
them to have a meal or a drink. Then one day he showed up at a wedding
and told the wedding-guests that he wanted to eat fish. But they would not
let him in and locked the doors. But the dead man banged on the doors and
threatened to do horrible things so they let him in. When they refused
to give him a drink, he got angry and smashed all the drinking glasses.
When they had given him a drink and brought him some fish to eat, he
climbed back on his horse and disappeared. He also went to see his widow
and managed to make her pregnant. He did the same to four other women.
After Sunday Jubilate (the 3rd Sunday after Eastern) he wasn't seen for
3 weeks. During this period he had gone to Warsaw to take care of some
financial business. On the 26th of April, they opened up his grave and
decapitated and cremated his body. But the dead man came back again and
set fire to several houses. One time when he visited his widow, she asked
him why he would not stay in his grave. He told her that he wasn't welcome
in heaven nor hell, because at his cremation they had burnt someone else's
heart instead of his own. Therefore he had to stay in the world for
seven more years."
The Date:
We have been given the exact dates for Michael Caspareck's burial (20 February 1718) and for his decapitation and cremation (26 April 1718). Add another 7 years, and we know when his reign of terror was supposed to end.
The Place:
The town of Lublov, now called Stara Lubovna, can be found in the NorthEast of Slovakia, not very far from the Polish border.
Possible Follow-Up:
Obviously, you will have to read Klaus Hamberger's excellent source book. There is much more information about the case than I have given you here. And there is also Klaus Hamberger's source that might be of interest. We have been given the name of the vampire, which also offers the possibility of further research. It might also be interesting to visit Stara Lubovna and see if there is anything to be found over there.
© 2007 by Rob Brautigam - NL - Last changed 03 October 2007
