October 30, 2009

Bloody marvelous. Sink your teeth into the vampire legend with these sharp facts.

• Vampire lore can be traced back to ancient Babylonian and Sumerian chronicles.
• Early stories of blood-suckers never described them as sexy or alluring. Vampires can only sail into a port at high or low tide – never in between.
• Not only do vampires have no reflection in mirrors, they traditionally cast no shadow.
• Other ways to kill a vampire, besides a stake — boiling it in vinegar, pounding a nail through its navel or tossing birdseed over its tomb.
• You must invite a vampire into your home, before it enters.
• A number of vampire inspired ballets have been commissioned. Many traditional sources have vampires making their mark, not on the neck, but over the heart on the breast.
• It’s said not only can you stuff garlic into the mouth of a staked vampire, but a fresh rose works as well.
• Some believe Cain, cursed by God for killing his brother Abel, was the world’s first vampire.