Peter Plogojowitz
This case of vampirism took place in a section of Serbia that later became
part of Hungary. The hunters in this account converyed their feelings to an
impartial observer, who then prepared a record of the incident in a thorough
manner. The amount of evidence present in the case makes a strong argument for the
existence of immortal blood drinkers if viewed alone. However, as in the other
cases in this chapter, the possible non-occult explanations weaken the case. Some
of the characteristics of this incident are similar to those of the previous one.
The incident took place in the village of Kisilova around the mid-1720s. It
should be noted, before proceeding, that the facts are taken from the eyewitness
report of the Imperial Provisor of the region. He was present, along with the
Gradisk parish priest(called a pope), at the exhumation of the "vampire."
Whether that makes the information any more reliable than accounts of other
incidents remains to be seen. Unfortunately, the victims' accounts of what happpened
were not recored in a manner that lends them credibility(there are no surviving
quotes from any of those attacked, although one of the victims was identified).
Peter Plogojowitz, the alleged vampire, died(it's not clear of what) and was
buried. He was in his grave for about then weeks when the villagers reported seeing
him at night. They claimed that he came to them while they were in their bed
and attacked them(it is Plogojowitz's alleged materializations in the houses of
others that made him a phantom-like vampire). Some victims indicated that
the vampire suffocated them. Overall, nine people died within a week.
The general panic worsened when Plogojowitz's wife claimed to have seen her
husband. She said that he came to her asking for his shoes(it was a common
belief in Europe that vampires desired certain earthly possessions). The woman
was so terrified by the encounter that she left the village. After that, the people
decided to exhume Plogojowitz's body to dispose of him as a threat once and for all.
The Imperial Provisor who reported the incident was at first against the idea
fo the vampire hunt, but he saw that the people could not be discouraged. So he
and the parish priest went to the graveyard. When the body was exhumed, the fist
thing they noticed was that it was odor-free. They also noticed that the body was
not decomposed and was whole, except for the nose, which had fallen away. Also,
Plogojowitz's skin had fallen away, and new skin was growing. The same was true
for his nails. Finally, there was blood flowing from his mouth.
To destroy the body, the traditional stake was used. When it was driven through
the "vampire," plenty of what was believed to be fresh blood issued forth from the
body. The body also displayed some "wild signs" which were not made clear in the
report. After the staking, the body was burned and the village was no longer
troubled.
To avoid repetition, it should be noted that several of the preceding observations
can be explained with the arguments presented in the last case. As for the lack
of odor, that could depend on a number of factors. It is not clear during what time
of year the incident took place. However, if it were winter, it is hard to imagine
someone detecing the scent of an exhumed body amid a crowd of people who lived in a
less-sanitary time, and who were probably carrying torches. Finally, the condition
of the corpse's nose should be noted. Because the nose is shaped by cartilage
alone, it is easy to imagine what would happen to that shape after a body had
bloated.
As you might have notied, the similarities between the last two cases resulted
in a need for fewer necessary "rational" explanations in the latter one. However,
some cases in this chapter seem to defy rational explanation. The next one is a good
example. It also takes place in Hungary(we will, of course, deal with cases from
other areas of Europe, but for now, keeping tales from related areas together
serves as a means of comparison).
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