Halloween Special: The Vampire and the Devil

Greek folk horror stories

These folktales are direct translations from authentic Greek folklore collections. The stories were recorded from oral retellings in the late 19th century. I have not edited nor added to them; they are presented “as-is.” Scroll to the bottom to read more about the source.

1. The Vampire and the Devil (from Zakynthos)

Ilisos monthly journal from 15 March 1870, containing a study on ‘Superstitions about Vampires’ presented at the Parnassos Literary Society in Athens.

A vampire stood outside a chapel every night. All night he would run a little way, and then stand outside the church. But he wouldn’t sit down. Sometimes he had his head in the grave where they’d buried him, sometimes he had his feet in the grave and his body outside, and he’d shout that the demons were squeezing his feet. Nearby there was a demon’s nest, and he’d come out and beat up the vampire.

Someone saw the demon telling the vampire to mow the fields of a bad landowner and set it on fire; someone else saw him digging in…