Joshua Dowidat

Dracula Museum

Hello Everyone,

As many of you may recall I did a whole month or two long segment about vampires. Why? Because the fascinate me. Not so much the actual creature but the myth, legend, origins, or truth behind the tales.

When we think vampires we often think blood sucking, bat morphing, creatures of the night with a hint of seduction in most tales. If I asked any of you to name a vampire, of course maybe not the Twilight crowd, many of you would say Dracula as your immediate response. Trust me I asked a few people and this was the results. Dracula or the main character from Twilight was what came up and it was a generation difference in the answers. I am sure the character, forgot the name, from Twilight was good but in my mind no one can ever replace the vampire who brought vampire folklore to Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: Jure Grando

Hello Everyone,

Well here it is. My last vampire one for a while. I must have done close to a dozen of them now and had this one last mysterious vampire tale to tell before I move on to another creature. Or creatures, who knows. Anyways this is some basic information on the vampire Jure Grando.

Who, Where, When:

He was a villager from the region of Istria known today as Croatia. When…well it depends. The facts say he dies in 1656 but he was around for sixteen years after that. According to legend anyways. This may be one of the oldest known tales of vampirism in the world, depending on the accuracy of the date in comparison with others. Once again it was in a small village in an older time which brings that eerie feeling all around for me. Mainly because of the lack of knowledge in those Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: Sava Savanovic

Hello Everyone,

I know I’ve done a lot of vampires so far but there are two more I want to share some thoughts on and one is the Serbian tale of Sava Savanovic, or is it a tale?

Sava:

From being the possible owner of the mill down by a river it is told that Sava used the mill to lure in the “millers” when they came to mill their grains. Then he would perform his typical vampire duties of drinking their blood and well…killing them. I wonder if the river would run red after his midnight feasts. Maybe another good little story there.

The Popularity of the Case:

Sava Savanovic’s tale came to be around or just later than another Serbian vampire I mentioned not too long ago by the name of Peter Plogojowitz. Perhaps the tales are one in the same vampire legend somehow morphed together because if Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: The Alnwick Castle

Hello Everyone,

Happy Friday the 13th.

First off I know I’ve been doing a lot of segments lately about vampires. It just so happens I was looking at a castle that I have always admired this week named the Neuschwanstein Castle. This castle was built in more modern times compared to other castles of the dark ages. Actually started construction in 1869 making it a beautiful yet young castle. One day I hope to venture there and fulfill a dream I once had of that place. Anyway I found another castle that possesses a darker feel to it. One could maybe say it’s eerie.

The Alnwick Castle:

This castle was built in 1096 but was not recognized until it was overtaken by Scotland. The castle was almost destroyed at one point but survived leaving it to intrigue our imaginations into the present times filling in the background in notable movies Continue reading →

Eerie for Thought: Peter Plogojowitz/Blagojevich

Hello Everyone,

Peter is sometimes referred by one of the two alternate last names depending on the form (Serbian-German) from what I understand. He was a Serbian born peasant who apparently killed nine fellow villagers after his death. This was apparently done in the fashion of what people declared as vampirism.

When and Where, How?

1725 was the year of Peter’s death in the Serbian town of Kisilova. Within eight days of his death the nine other villagers died of various causes, but it was on their death beads that they declared some type of encounter with Peter just prior to the illness. (Reports from sources say different causes). Long story short, the body of Peter was eventually exhumed and it showed signs of new growth, fingernails, beard length, new skin, etc. These signs were enough to convince the villagers of vampirism and then they drove a stake through its Continue reading →