New Books in Literary Studies John Blair, "Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Oct 30, 2025
In this intriguing discussion, John Blair, a medieval historian and author of "Killing the Dead," delves into the eerie world of vampire epidemics, exploring how beliefs in dangerous corpses have spanned from ancient Mesopotamia to modern-day Haiti. He explains the psychological triggers behind these terrifying phenomena, linking them to societal crises and gender dynamics. The conversation also uncovers how historical vampire imagery evolved and how contemporary tales continue to thrive, revealing our enduring fascination with the undead.
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Global But Episodic Corpse Beliefs
- Belief in walking corpses recurs globally but is not universal and often follows crises or social change.
- John Blair traced parallels from 12th-century England to 21st-century Romania showing transmission across time and place.
Mapping A 'Vampire Corridor'
- Blair mapped recent centuries and found a broad 'vampire corridor' stretching from NW Europe through the Balkans into Asia.
- He noted sparse evidence in southern Europe and most Indigenous American societies over the past 300 years.
Corpse Beliefs As Tangible Scapegoats
- Dangerous-corpse beliefs need a cultural predisposition plus triggers like war, plague, or social upheaval to erupt.
- Corpses offered tangible scapegoats people could identify and physically attack, unlike ghosts.
