It’s folklore and was probably first told among people who had only a shaky grasp on anatomy, but a firm grasp on what organs were considered very important in stories. Think about it: The modern zomby is killed by destroying the brain. This fits our common folk knowledge of anatomy much better than the heart. We consider the heart as nothing more than a blood pump and the brain as the centre of what we are. In former times the heart was seen as much more important, dating back to acient Greek lore who thought the brain was just a cooler for our blood.
Science has the answer!
Hawthorn is supposedly especially dangerous for the undead according to Balkan folklore. Stakes for dealing with the undead would have been specifically made from hawthorn for its magical properties, although I think that little tidbit has been phased out in modern depictions.
When Petar Blagojevic, an infamous Serbian vampire, was staked, it was said that “when they drove a hawthorn stake through him, fresh red blood flowed from his mouth and ears”, so I assume it could also have the effect of bleeding out whatever blood it consumed.
As a side note, I find it interesting how vampires (weird bloated corpses that could fit through small holes like some weird gelatinous creature) have become more like dhampir (their half-human offspring) in modern media.
No, you must use a turnip, not a steak. This is a common misunderstanding
Good thing is not potato. Because I do not have potato.
Po-ta-toes. Peel 'em, shape 'em, stick 'em in their heart.
They still need to pump blood, it’s just not their blood anymore, hence why they need to drink every few days. They wouldn’t be able to do much without blood circulation. Explains why they don’t eat, their digestive system is completely changed. At least, that how I always imagined it.
Magic.
Actually, Its Magnets.
Same thing, really.
Wooden magnets? Now you’ve got to be making this up…
Did you hear about the wooden car with wooden wheels, wooden mechanicals and a wooden engine?
It wooden go.
How do they work?
I think originally, it wasn’t actually about killing them. I think the heart is still a source of power for them in a metaphysical way, but they were just severely weakened by it or put into a sort of stasis. Because in Dracula, it’s not just a stake through the heart but staking Dracula into the coffin that they then nailed shut before burying. Clearly not expecting the stake to be enough on its own.
I remember reading this in a few different books too. The stake immobilized them and then you killed them with fire or a priest wielding a flamethrower or something.
What a freaking process.
That was the premise used in Blade 2 for some types of vampires. Also, traditionally, believed vampires were often beheaded (not sure if it was to kill them or after killing them) and buried with their head between their legs, presumably to stop them from healing and becoming active again. It was very effective, mostly because vampires aren’t real.
As I recall, its based on traditional burial methods. Vampires are considered undead and would rise again, so any method to stop them from rising and feeding was the goal. This also included decapitation, staking them to the ground, burning them, etc.
You’d have to ask Brahm Stoker about that. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s undead so it might be a bit difficult to ask.
Only tangentially related, the reason they don’t have a reflection is because old mirrors were lined with silver
A stake through the chest was meant to physically prevent the dead from rising out of their coffins. Why it would also make them double dead if they’re already risen, idklol.
how come a steak thru the heart kills them
Too much LDL - they actually die of a heart attack.
A lot of people get this wrong and try and put a stake through their heart which ends up turning out bad for them…
In a similar manner, a lot of people believe vampires have a fear of garlic. And in a similar manner, this is also a mistake.
The true subject of vamperic anxiety is garlic butter, and they fear it in the same way you or I fear facing the scale after a particularly sumptuous holiday feasting season.
“A moment on the lips, an eternity on the hips,” as Dracula is wont to say.
Terry Pratchett? Is that you?
If only.
Dude, it’s a fictional creature.
Don’t criticize please, [email protected] is intended for this stuff too
If you’re searching for a logical answer prepare to don’t have any
Why dont they have a reflection ?
Some people are incapable of introspection. They suck the blood out of society, while giving nothing back. They are active at night, commanding legions of their brain dead followers. The true menace is that the vampiric gene lives on, dormant, waiting to re-emerge as another plague upon us all. Though the orange skin and red caps have replaced the capes and goth aesthetic.
Because at the time they were made of silver
