Vampire Killing Kits

Since it's so close to Halloween, I thought I'd do a super spooky entry, which isn't hard to accomplish with Victorians. As you may know, vampire myths date back to early Mesopotamia and can be traced in the folklore of many cultures. The gothic-loving Victorians were no different. In 1897, Bram Stoker penned Dracula, probably the most well-known vampire novel, based on Vlad the Impaler. (I did a social studies project on this guy in middle school, and my teacher didn't even let me participate in the history fair because she didn't consider it pertinent... Pfft!)

There are other lesser known vampire tales of this era that came up in my research, including Varney the Vampire and a lesbian vampire story called Carmilla (1871), pictured beneath. When I have time to read outside of class, I'd like to take on some of these...

Who knows how long vampire killing kits have existed, but suffice it to say they were still in use in the 1800s. Usually homemade, these kits consisted of holy water, a crucifix, silver weapons, a prayer book, wooden stakes, and various vials. Vampire killing kits still show up for auction today, though many of them are fakes. This one looks pretty legit to me.

In 2008, this kit (circa 1800) below sold for nearly $15,000 in Natchez, MS.



It's pretty bizarre that vampires were still considered a threat at this time, but, considering the fact that there were few reliable news resources available to the masses, you can't blame really them.