John Blair

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.

John Blair, a medieval historian and author, delves into the eerie world of vampire epidemics in his new book. He discusses how beliefs about dangerous corpses span cultures from Mesopotamia to modern Haiti. Blair explores the social crises that trigger fears of animated corpses and links these phenomena to witch hunts. He investigates the psychological and cultural contexts that give rise to such beliefs and even traces the evolution of vampire lore in Europe. His insights reveal the timeless fear of the dead that still influences society today.

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.