Latest news with #Blagojevic
New Straits Times
02-07-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Serbian village stakes claim to the first vampire
AT the back of an overgrown cemetery in a tiny Serbian village, a mysterious 300-year-old headstone marks the grave of the first recorded vampire. Pushing through thick scrub, local historian Nenad Mihajlovic pulls back branches to reveal the gravesite. According to locals, it is the long-lost burial site of Petar Blagojevic, known as the father of vampires. Backed by historical record, Mihajlovic and his fellow villagers hope Kisiljevo, about 100 kilometres east of the capital, Belgrade, can stake its claim as the cradle of vampires and suck in tourists. It was here, in the summer of 1725, well before Irish writer Bram Stoker made Transylvania Dracula's infamous home, that villagers exhumed Blagojevic's body, suspecting him of rising from the grave at night to kill locals. "Petar Blagojevic was found completely intact," recalled Mirko Bogicevic, a former village mayor whose family has lived there for 11 generations. "When they drove a hawthorn stake through him, fresh red blood flowed from his mouth and ears," said Bogicevic, Blagojevic's unofficial biographer. "He was probably just an ordinary man who had the fortune – or misfortune – to become a vampire. All we know is that he came from Kisiljevo, and his name appears in records from around 1700," he added, holding a copy of the Wienerisches Diarium, the imperial Viennese gazette dated July 21, 1725. The article marks the beginning of the Kisiljevo vampire. Based on accounts from Austrian doctors and military officials, it was likely a mistranslation that gave rise to the myth, said Clemens Ruthner, head of the Centre for European Studies at Trinity College Dublin. "There's an old Bulgarian word, Upior, meaning 'bad person'. I believe the villagers mumbled it, and the doctors misunderstood, writing down 'vampire' in their report," Ruthner said. The Austrians, who were dispatched to the border region of the Habsburg Empire to investigate a series of unexplained deaths, then saw blood coming from the body. "They assumed blood drinking. But that's wrong – it's not what the villagers said." Instead, people described victims dying from suffocation, detailing symptoms that closely match with a high fever caused by a serious infection, according to Ruthner. He suggested an anthrax outbreak may explain the strange deaths. "Vampirism, like witchcraft, is, in anthropological terms, a common model for explaining things people don't understand – especially collective events like epidemics." Three centuries later, few have visited Kisiljevo, a sleepy village nestled between cornfields and a lake, but some locals are determined to change that. Lost through time and superstition, Blagojevic's grave was rediscovered using a suitably arcane method, hunting for "energy nodes" with a dowsing rod. "This tomb, whose gravestone has weathered over the centuries, showed signs of something very unusual," Mihajlovic added, gesturing to the stone believed to mark the alleged burial plot. "Right next to where we are standing, something truly strange happened – the dowsing rods literally plunged into the soil. The dowser had never seen anything like it." But the alleged bloodsucker is no longer there – once dug up, his body was burned, and his ashes scattered in a nearby lake. Beyond the demonic undead, promoting other folklore has a "huge potential" to lure tourists and investors to the region, Dajana Stojanovic, head of the local tourism office, said. "Our region is rich in myths and legends – not just the story of Petar Blagojevic, but also Vlach magic and unique local customs," she added, referring to the semi-nomadic traders and shepherds who once roamed the Balkans. "Every village has its traditions." However, for Mihajlovic, it is about presenting an accurate history of his town – one he firmly believes in. "We have a fully documented account of an extremely unusual event - one officially identified as a case of vampirism," the 68-year-old history professor said. "I personally believe in the authenticity of that report." He isn't alone. Bottles of rakija – Serbian brandy – infused with garlic and chilli are still kept in a few homes around the village. Just in case.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Village where vampire panic began revives old story claiming truth about world's first vampire
In a secluded cemetery in the Serbian village of Kisiljevo, a weathered headstone hidden beneath overgrowth has become the centre of renewed fascination. Local historians believe the stone marks the grave of Petar Blagojevic, whose name appears in 18th-century documents as the subject of one of the earliest recorded cases of vampirism. The site, rediscovered using traditional dowsing rods, is now sparking interest among locals and folklorists alike, three centuries after the initial incident, according to a report by AFP. Origins of the Vampire Myth in Kisiljevo As per archival records dating back to July 21, 1725, villagers exhumed Blagojevic's body after a series of sudden and unexplained deaths . The event, documented in the Wienerisches Diarium, noted that the deceased appeared unnaturally preserved. Accounts claimed that blood was seen oozing from his mouth and ears, which, combined with local suspicions, led to the belief that he had returned from the dead to prey on villagers. To end what they believed was a string of supernatural killings, residents reportedly drove a hawthorn stake through his chest, burned the body, and scattered the ashes in a nearby lake. AFP reported Mirko Bogicevic, a former mayor and self-declared chronicler of the village's history, explained that the story has been passed down for generations, further embedding Blagojevic into local folklore. While he acknowledged Blagojevic might have been a regular man, he emphasized that the records clearly tie him to Kisiljevo and date back to around 1700. Academic Views and Medical Theories The vampire myth may have stemmed from a simple misunderstanding, says Clemens Ruthner of Trinity College Dublin. He attributes the story's origins to a miscommunication between villagers and Austrian officials sent to investigate the deaths. Ruthner noted that a mistranslation of the Bulgarian word 'upior,' meaning "evil person," might have led to it being interpreted as 'vampire.' He suggested the real cause of the deaths might have been anthrax, a serious infection known to cause symptoms like suffocation and fever. Such outbreaks, he explained, were often attributed to supernatural forces in pre-modern societies lacking medical knowledge. From Myth to Tourism Opportunity Despite doubts from the academic community, local historian Nenad Mihajlovic insists on the authenticity of the written accounts and believes the grave's discovery adds weight to Kisiljevo's claim as the birthplace of the vampire legend. He described the dowsing rods dramatically plunging into the earth during their search — an event he and others found unusually compelling. The region is now hoping to capitalise on the tale to attract visitors. Dajana Stojanovic, who heads the local tourism board, sees potential in blending myth with cultural heritage. She pointed to other local traditions, including folklore involving Vlach magic and ancient customs, as valuable elements to promote. Vampire Lore Through the Ages The Kisiljevo case predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by over 150 years and is considered by some to be the earliest documented case of vampirism. While vampire fiction has romanticised the undead, early legends were rooted in fear and efforts to explain unknown illnesses. In Slavic regions especially, vampire stories evolved as communities grappled with disease and death without scientific explanations. Historically, conditions such as tuberculosis and porphyria were misunderstood and contributed to vampire myths. In later centuries, similar panics occurred in New England, where families performed rituals on the dead to halt disease, a phenomenon now linked to tuberculosis outbreaks. Today, Kisiljevo is a quiet farming village surrounded by cornfields and lakes, but its link to one of the earliest vampire stories is gaining renewed attention. Some households even continue to keep bottles of garlic-and-chilli-infused rakija — just in case the legends have any truth. For Mihajlovic and others, it's not just about folklore or tourism. It's about preserving a documented chapter of their village's past — one that, centuries later, still stirs curiosity and wonder.
France 24
30-06-2025
- France 24
Serbian village stakes claim to the first vampire
Pushing through thick scrub, local historian Nenad Mihajlovic pulls back branches to reveal the gravesite. According to locals, it is the long-lost burial site of Petar Blagojevic, known as the father of vampires. Backed by historical record, Mihajlovic and his fellow villagers hope Kisiljevo, about 100 kilometres east of the capital, Belgrade, can stake its claim as the cradle of vampires and suck in tourists. It was here, in the summer of 1725, well before Irish writer Bram Stoker made Transylvania Dracula's infamous home, that villagers exhumed Blagojevic's body, suspecting him of rising from the grave at night to kill locals. "Petar Blagojevic was found completely intact," recalled Mirko Bogicevic, a former village mayor whose family has lived there for 11 generations. "When they drove a hawthorn stake through him, fresh red blood flowed from his mouth and ears," said Bogicevic, Blagojevic's unofficial biographer. "He was probably just an ordinary man who had the fortune -- or misfortune -- to become a vampire. All we know is that he came from Kisiljevo, and his name appears in records from around 1700," he added, holding a copy of the Wienerisches Diarium, the imperial Viennese gazette dated July 21, 1725. The article marks the beginning of the Kisiljevo vampire. Drinking blood Based on accounts from Austrian doctors and military officials, it was likely a mistranslation that gave rise to the myth, said Clemens Ruthner, head of the Centre for European Studies at Trinity College Dublin. "There's an old Bulgarian word, Upior, meaning 'bad person'. I believe the villagers mumbled it, and the doctors misunderstood, writing down 'vampire' in their report," Ruthner said. The Austrians, who were dispatched to the border region of the Habsburg Empire to investigate a series of unexplained deaths, then saw blood coming from the body. "They assumed blood drinking. But that's wrong -- it's not what the villagers said." Instead, people described victims dying from suffocation, detailing symptoms that closely match with a high fever caused by a serious infection, according to Ruthner. He suggested an anthrax outbreak may explain the strange deaths. "Vampirism, like witchcraft, is, in anthropological terms, a common model for explaining things people don't understand -- especially collective events like epidemics." Three centuries later, few have visited Kisiljevo, a sleepy village nestled between cornfields and a lake, but some locals are determined to change that. Lost through time and superstition, Blagojevic's grave was rediscovered using a suitably arcane method, hunting for "energy nodes" with a dowsing rod. "This tomb, whose gravestone has weathered over the centuries, showed signs of something very unusual," Mihajlovic added, gesturing to the stone believed to mark the alleged burial plot. "Right next to where we are standing, something truly strange happened -- the dowsing rods literally plunged into the soil. The dowser had never seen anything like it." But the alleged bloodsucker is no longer there -- once dug up, his body was burned, and his ashes scattered in a nearby lake. Reviving the legend Beyond the demonic undead, promoting other folklore has a "huge potential" to lure tourists and investors to the region, Dajana Stojanovic, head of the local tourism office, said. "Our region is rich in myths and legends -- not just the story of Petar Blagojevic, but also Vlach magic and unique local customs," she added, referring to the semi-nomadic traders and shepherds who once roamed the Balkans. "Every village has its traditions." However, for Mihajlovic, it is about presenting an accurate history of his town -- one he firmly believes in. "We have a fully documented account of an extremely unusual event — one officially identified as a case of vampirism," the 68-year-old history professor said. "I personally believe in the authenticity of that report." He isn't alone. Bottles of rakija -- Serbian brandy -- infused with garlic and chilli are still kept in a few homes around the village. Just in case. © 2025 AFP
