An official investigation conducted by military officials and surgeons concluded a village housed multiple bodies in 'vampiric condition'.
If you've already binge-watched your way through the Twilight series hundreds of times, alongside Dracula, The Vampire Diaries or Wednesday and are craving your next supernatural fix, then how about a real-life suspected vampire tale to sink your teeth into?
A Serbian fighter named Arnold Paole passed away after breaking his neck in a fall in 1727 and was buried in a small town called Meduegna - however, that's not the last villagers claimed to see of him.
Advert
According to a report by regimental field marshal Fluckinger to the Belgrade High Command: [Translation] "In the 20 or 30 days after his death, some people complained that they were being tormented by the aforementioned Arnont Paule; and then four people were actually killed by him."
Villagers claimed Paole had 'often said that he had been tormented by a vampire near Cossowa in the Turkish province of Servia, and that he had eaten the earth from the vampire's grave and smeared himself with its blood in order to be rid of the torment he had suffered'.
So, in order to find out if Paole really was a vampire or not, the villagers decided to dig his grave up 40 days after he died.
Advert
Villagers reportedly found Paole 'to be completely intact and incorruptible'.
"The fresh blood had also flowed out of his eyes, nose, mouth and ears, his chin, shawl and torso were completely bloody; the old nails on his hands and feet had fallen off along with the skin, and new ones had grown in their place," the report states.
Having 'determined he was a real vampire' the villagers drove a stake through Paole's heart and he allegedly 'let out a clearly audible groan and released a lot of blood,' before burning his body.
However, the town's vampire problem didn't subside - 17 people passing away suddenly, '13 people' in the space of just 'six weeks' - and so military doctor Medicus Glaser called to the town to investigate.
Advert
According to locals, those who supposedly died 'reported the stabbing pains in the side and chest pains, as well as long-term fevers and tearing of the limbs', however, the sudden symptoms and quantity of deaths sparked suspicion in the villagers, who believed it could not be possible and that it must be a sign of vampires instead.
Ten graves were subsequently dug up to try and establish whether or not villagers' claims were true.
The doctor reported one person's mouth still being 'open' and 'bright, fresh blood flowing from her nose and mouth' with 'her body bloated and covered in blood'.
Advert
He noted 'even' he found it ''suspicious' and added he couldn't 'blame' the villagers for their theories.
Several others of the graves uncovered bodies in similar condition, however, others were decomposed how they ought to be, so a second commission was sent to investigate.
Military surgeons Johann Flückinger, Siegele and Johann Friedrich Baumgarten, alongside two officers, lieutenant colonel Büttner and J. H. von Lindenfels visited the town and their report - dated 26 January 1732 and signed by all five officials involved - stated five of the bodies were decayed but 12 were 'quite complete and undecayed' with 'fresh' blood in their bodies, 'red and vivid' skin and 'new nails'.
Advert
The report resolved the bodies were in 'vampiric condition'.
The bodies were subsequently beheaded and burned in a bid to prevent a real life Game of Thrones situation.
We now know there are many more medical conditions which doctors wouldn't have known about back then which could explain the 'vampiric condition' but hey, if you want to believe there's an Edward Cullen out there waiting to fall in love with you, then go for it.
Topics: Health, World News, History
Poppy Bilderbeck