‘This book is not about ghosts. It is about corpses: corpses that get up from under the earth and walk around, or lie in their graves in a state of unholy incorruption…’ – John Blair
‘Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics From Mesopotamia To The New World’ by John Blair is an absolutely fascinating read. Blair traces the folkloric threads of the vampire, historical events that may have contributed to belief in the undead, epidemics (both of belief and of disease), as well as, anthropological and archaeological remains throughout the ages. And he does this in a unique way, not from the belief that vampires, in the mythological pop culture way. But by analyzing the causes of belief and how that changed over time. What narratives had the most influence, what cultural ruptures spearheaded belief, and how fear and loss can come together as powerful influences in what we do and how we act.
Inside the book you’ll find photographs, maps tracing the spread of vampire beliefs, poetry, and depictions of burial practices at various archaeological sites. While some of my favorite bits were references to humoral medicine and an analysis of the demonization of women via anxieties around vampires and witches. This book goes so much further than just these few examples and breakdowns the types of deaths, burials, interventions, power struggles, and belief’s in corruption that may cause the dead to rise again. All in all, John Blair’s book is an examination of the human psyche and how our stories and our fears affect our reality and have sometimes changed us in unimaginable ways. …