A dhampir is a being that is half-vampire and half-human, born from a vampire father and a human mother. In some beliefs, the vampire father is the deceased husband of the widowed mother. Dhampirs, in comparison with normal human beings, are unusually adept at killing vampires. The word "dhampir" is associated with folklore of the Roma people of the Balkans.
In the Balkans it is believed that vampires have a great desire for women, so a vampire will return to have intercourse with his wife or with a woman he was attracted to in life. Throughout the area the term dhampir refers to the offspring of a vampire and a human; terms for such a being that are used in various subregions include vampijerović, vampirić ("little vampire"), and lampijerović; in some regions the child is named "Vampir" if a boy and "Vampiresa" if a girl, or "Dhampir" if a boy and "Dhampiresa" if a girl. In other areas it is believed that the offspring of a vampire will "be slippery like jelly, and cannot live" (Vukanovic 1957-1959, pt. 3, p. 112).
Among all Balkan peoples it is believed that the child of a vampire can see and destroy vampires. Among some groups, the ability to see vampires is considered exclusive to dhampirs. The powers of a dhampir may be inherited by the dhampir's offspring. Various means of killing or driving away vampires are recognized among peoples of the region, but the dhampir is seen as the chief agent for dealing with vampires. Methods by which a dhampir kills a vampire include shooting the vampire with a bullet, transfixing it with a hawthorn stake, and performing a ceremony that involves touching "crowns" of lead to the vampire's grave. If the dhampir cannot destroy a vampire, he may command it to leave the area.
A dhampir is always paid well for his services. The amount of money varies, but there is never dickering over the price. Standard pay for a dhampir may also include a meal or a suit of clothing. Sometimes a dhampir is paid in cattle.
In the Balkans it is believed that vampires have a great desire for women, so a vampire will return to have intercourse with his wife or with a woman he was attracted to in life. Throughout the area the term dhampir refers to the offspring of a vampire and a human; terms for such a being that are used in various subregions include vampijerović, vampirić ("little vampire"), and lampijerović; in some regions the child is named "Vampir" if a boy and "Vampiresa" if a girl, or "Dhampir" if a boy and "Dhampiresa" if a girl. In other areas it is believed that the offspring of a vampire will "be slippery like jelly, and cannot live" (Vukanovic 1957-1959, pt. 3, p. 112).
Among all Balkan peoples it is believed that the child of a vampire can see and destroy vampires. Among some groups, the ability to see vampires is considered exclusive to dhampirs. The powers of a dhampir may be inherited by the dhampir's offspring. Various means of killing or driving away vampires are recognized among peoples of the region, but the dhampir is seen as the chief agent for dealing with vampires. Methods by which a dhampir kills a vampire include shooting the vampire with a bullet, transfixing it with a hawthorn stake, and performing a ceremony that involves touching "crowns" of lead to the vampire's grave. If the dhampir cannot destroy a vampire, he may command it to leave the area.
A dhampir is always paid well for his services. The amount of money varies, but there is never dickering over the price. Standard pay for a dhampir may also include a meal or a suit of clothing. Sometimes a dhampir is paid in cattle.
Great little post, Sue. I learned some things I didn't know. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI aim to please! :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading anything on vampire mythology and found this really interesting. Did you find anything out about female vampires becoming pregnant? I know in your novel it is the human females who have children to vampire fathers is that because in mythology this is the case?
ReplyDeleteI'm researching that out. Yeah, I wanted my novel to be somewhat of a mythology also, putting a twist on things. The sequel gets better, I've put a bigger twist on the whole Dhampire thing.
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