Dracula the Un-Dead

Nicolae Padararu passed away on May 4, 2009.  For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Padararu, he was the founder of both the Transylvanian Society of Dracula and the Company of Mysterious Journeys, a group focused on Dracula-themed tours of Romania.  Before becoming heavily involved in Dracula-related work, he worked for the Romanian Ministry of Tourism.

Nicolae Padararu

Mr. Padararu was more than influential in spreading the lore about Dracula, as key figures behind DTU can attest.  He passed away at the age of 72 after a long battle with cancer.  We share our sympathies with his family during this time, and we thank Mr. Padararu for his dedication to sharing the story of Dracula.

The obituary is available here, via CESNUR.

Scientists have discovered evidence of vampiric precautionary measures undertaken during the Plague years in Europe.  Specifically, they have found a skull in Venice with a brick in its mouth, which was usually ddone to prevent the “vampire” from chewing through its shroud and raising up to spread more of the plague.  Of course, there are some scientific skeptics (aren’t there always?), but this certainly makes for an interesting chapter in the history of vampires!

Read the full article here.