history
One Serbian word entered many world languages The story of how it originated has been retold for centuries
The word vampire is a Serbian word that originated in the 14th century after a terrifying legend and entered many world languages
TL;DR
- The word 'vampire' originates from Serbia and is linked to ancient Slavic beliefs.
- It stems from the old word 'upir,' referring to a deceased person believed to return to the living.
- Ancient Slavs practiced cremation due to fears of the unburied becoming vampires.
- Beliefs about vampires were so prevalent they were mentioned in the Serbian Dušan's Code in 1349.
- The legend of Petar Blagojević, a Serbian hajduk, in 1725 significantly contributed to the word's global spread.
- The story involved villagers claiming Blagojević attacked them after his death, leading to his exhumation where fresh blood was found in his mouth.