Blut Aussauger

(BLOOTAUS-ah-gr)

Variations: Blautsauger, BLUATSAUGER, Blut-Sauger, Nachtzutzler, Totbeißer

A vampiric REVENANT, the blut aussauger ("drinker of blood") comes from the folklore in the countries of Bavaria, Bosnia, and Germany. Although similar to the BLUATSAUGER in some respects, this vampire differs in enough ways that it is clearly a separate species (although they may share a common ancestor).

Like the bluatsauger, the blut aussauger cantrans form a person into a vampire by force-feeding or tricking someone into eating dirt from its grave. However, a person could also become this type of vampire if he eats meat from an animal that a wolf killed, commits suicide, dies unbaptized, dies a witch, leads an immoral life, or if a nun walks over his grave.

With pale, waxy skin and large eyes, and being slightly hairier than the average person, the blut aussauger leaves its grave every night in search of human blood to consume (see HAIR). Combined with its supernatural strength and the fact it has no skeletal system to hinder the movements of its body, a blut aussauger can attack from nearly any location or angle. It can also shape-shift into a bat, dog, rat, snake, and wolf.

Repelled by GARLIC and sunlight alike, as one may expect, the blut aussauger has the curious fear of black dogs that have eyes drawn in white paint on the top of their heads. Smearing GARLIC paste or hanging HAWTHORN on the windows will bar the vampire from entering, but planting hawthorn around the house will keep it off the property altogether.

GARLIC plays a heavy role in the destruction of this vampire. If someone can force-feed or trick it into eating GARLIC, the blut aussauger will be weakened enough to allow him to stake it through the heart. Then, GARLIC and holy water must be put in its grave while burning incense. Long-term exposure to direct sunlight will also destroy it, as long as GARLIC is placed in the mouth of the remains.

Source: Dundes, Vampire Casebook, 10­11; Mc Nally, In Search of Dracula, 117; Petzoldt, Demons, 161; Summers, Vampire: His Kith and Kin, 315