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Travel with Rick Steves

732 Vampires of Eastern Europe; Supernatural Ireland; Haunted Europe

Oct 28, 2023
Irish writer and expert on Celtic traditions, Fintan O'Toole, discusses the role of the supernatural in Celtic traditions and Irish literature. The podcast also explores the origins of vampire legends in Eastern Europe and delves into spooky encounters experienced by listeners while traveling in Europe.
52:00

Episode guests

Fintan O'Toole

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Vampire stories originated from eastern European legends of the 'un-dead' and are deeply ingrained in Eastern European culture.
  • Ireland has a rich tradition of supernatural beings and stories, including ghosts, banshees, fairies, and zombies, reflecting their strong belief in the connection between the living and the dead.

Deep dives

The Haunting Traditions of Eastern Europe

Eastern European villages have a history of unearthing graves and searching for the cause of misfortune. They have beliefs in spirits of the dead haunting the living and bodies of the dead coming back to prey on the living. The concept of vampires originated in Eastern Europe. Plagues would prompt villagers to dig up bodies and look for vampires. These beliefs about the undead and spirits of the dead are deeply ingrained in Eastern European culture.

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