The Medieval Podcast Medieval Vampire Epidemics with John Blair
Oct 30, 2025
Join historian John Blair, Emeritus Fellow of Queen's College, Oxford and author of *Killing the Dead*, as he explores the chilling world of medieval revenants. Discover how these restless corpses differ from modern vampires and the societal fears that sparked their mythos. Blair discusses the rituals used to restrain the dead, the role of community in exhumations, and how disasters like plagues influenced corpse epidemics. You'll also learn why mummification prevents undead beliefs and how the cultural perceptions of revenants evolved over time.
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Dracula Is A Fictional Outlier
- Bram Stoker's Dracula misrepresents most historical vampire beliefs by exaggerating and fictionalizing them.
- Medieval revenants were often recent, unsophisticated, and not aristocratic bloodsuckers.
Global Context Reveals Patterns
- Vampire beliefs show broad worldwide patterns but the evidence dates vary hugely by region.
- Comparing global evidence gives context that pure European study would miss.
Processing The Body Reduces Fear
- Mummified or cremated bodies are often excluded from dangerous-dead beliefs because they're 'processed' and inert.
- Transitions from cremation to burial frequently increase fear of the restless dead.
