29 November: Vampire Night

It's Vampire Night! Vampires are said to rise from their graves on this night in Romania. Here are ten things you might not know about Vampires:

1. Most modern vampire myths originate in Eastern Europe, but the idea of a blood-sucking demon has been around for millennia. The Persians told such tales, evidenced by creatures attempting to drink Blood from men depicted on excavated pottery shards. The Mesopotamians, Hebrews, Ancient Greeks, and Romans had similar tales.
2. Vampires were known as shtriga in Albania, vrykolakas in Greece and strigoi in Romania.
3. What makes a vampire? Being bitten by one is probably the most common way in modern mythology, but historical folklore has also included an animal, especially a Dog or Cat, jumping over the corpse, or not treating the wounds on a corpse with boiling Water. In Russia, it was believed that Witches or people who rebelled against the Russian Orthodox Church would turn into vampires when they died.
4. So you have a dead body. How do you stop it from turning into a vampire? Folklore has come up with numerous safeguards like burying a corpse upside down, severing the tendons in the knee, or placing sharp metal objects like scythes or sickles in the grave (in some traditions, vampire bodies bloat and piercing them is the way to destroy them). Placing a wax cross and a piece of pottery with the inscription "Jesus Christ conquers" was thought to be effective in Greece.
5. In some traditions vampires are thought to have a type of OCD in which they are compelled to count things - so placing a sack of Rice, poppy seeds, or sand near the grave would mean the emerging vampire would feel the need to count the grains before going on the rampage and this would keep them occupied all night.
6. How can you tell if a given grave contains a vampire? One way would be to dig it up - if the corpse looks healthy it could be a vampire. Holes in the grave are another sign. To be sure, you need a virgin boy and a virgin Horse (ideally Black, although in Albania the horse should be White). Put the boy on the horse and lead it through the graveyard. If the horse baulks at the grave, you've found your vampire. When the vampire is up and about, you can try pointing a mirror at it - vampires are said to have no reflections or shadows because they have no souls.
7. So you've found your vampire - how do you get rid of it? They can be kept away with Garlic, wild rose or Hawthorn, or by sprinkling Mustard seeds on the roof of your house. A crucifix, rosary, or holy water will also keep them away. It's said a vampire cannot walk on consecrated ground or cross running water. More permanent solutions include the obvious stake through the Heart, which should be, depending on the local culture, Ash, Oak, hawthorn or aspen (because it was believed Christ's cross was made from aspen). Alternatively, cut the vampire's head off and bury the head away from the rest of the body, pour boiling water on the grave or burn the body.
8. A rumour circulated in 1970 that a vampire was haunting Highgate Cemetery in London. Local author Sean Manchester claimed to have destroyed a whole nest of vampires in the area. More recently, in 2005, an urban myth circulated that a vampire was roaming the streets of Birmingham and attacking people.
9. Collective nouns for vampires include coven, house, nest or basement.
10. No need to fear, though, as according to a physics professor at the University of Central Florida, it is mathematically impossible for vampires to exist. If they did, and fed once a month, the entire human population of the time would become vampires within two and a half years. We are not all vampires, therefore, they don't exist.

What happens when superheroes get together for Christmas! My latest novel. Paperback just £5! No vampires, though.

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

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