Were Diseases In The Middle Ages Confused With Vampirism?

Vampire stories are prevalent throughout European history. Some legends date back to the 12th century. It's probable that these early stories of vampires were inspired by real medical circumstances.

Porphyria

There are several kinds of porphyria. Four of the categories have symptoms of light aversion: Congenital Erythropoetic Porphyria (C.E.P.), Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT), Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP) or Protoporphyria, and Variegate Porphyria. Other symptoms comprise of hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth), red and sometimes bloody gums, and brown teeth. These symptoms coincide with many vampire stories. Yet, victims of porphyria do not crave or consume blood.

Catalepsy

Catalepsy is a sensory condition characterized by lessened sensitivity to stimuli coupled with muscular rigidity. Persons with catalepsy do not react to external stimuli. Subjects know about their surroundings but they cannot move or speak. Episodes of catalepsy last for several minutes or for a few hours or days.

In arduous cases, a person who is suffering from a cataleptic episode will appear to be dead. Indications of life can solely be identified by way of scientific medical instruments. Medieval persons with catalepsy could have been laid to rest alive. Some time later, when they regained muscular control they most definitely would have tried to free themselves from their coffins. Some vampire tales describe pounding coming from freshly buried coffins. Later, when local townspeople exhumed these graves and unlocked them, scratch marks were found on the interior, leading villagers to deduce that vampires were making an effort to escape from their graves.

Anemia

Anemia is a malady defined by the blood not having enough healthy red blood cells. Because red blood cells carry oxygen all over the body, symptoms incorporate loss of appetite, weakness, fatigue, and vertigo. These symptoms are a result of the body's organs not getting sufficient oxygen. These symptoms also mirror the symptoms of vampire victims in traditional tales. Anemia is a very common condition.

Rabies

Wolves and Bats both are oftentimes connected with vampires. They are traditional carriers of rabies. This disease has symptoms that are similar to vampirism. Hyper-sensitivity, a symptom of rabies, could result in garlic or light abhorrence. Other characteristics entail becoming nocturnal as a result of atypical sleep patterns and hyper-sexuality. The disease is passed on by biting, and victims of this disease are sometimes seen frothing at the mouth with blood.

Conclusion

Today's medical science might clarify some of history's early vampire legends. Anemia, rabies, catalepsy, and porphyria are all feasible reasons for early vampire myths. Villagers of the time who were deficient in medical knowledge would not understand these conditions and their symptoms. The result could be the vampire tales that spread throughout Europe in the middle ages.