Obour

(Oh-BOUR)

Variations: Opiri, Opyri, Oupir

In Bulgaria, there is a vampire called an obour that starts its reign of terror as a vampiric spirit and then develops into a vampiric REVENANT. It is created when a person is murdered and his spirit leaves the body suddenly and then tries to return, but the body is already deceased. Nine days after the body is buried, the spirit leaves the grave looking like a CORPSE CANDLE (a ball of light) and roams the community using its telekinetic ability to cause mischief. For 40 days it will harass whomever it can by biting into the udders of cows to drink blood and milk, causing shadows to move independently and look as if they are doing lewd things, making loud noises, smearing feces on holy artifacts and walls, or any number of minor acts of vandalism. If the obour becomes too troublesome or dangerous, a DJADADJII can be hired to bottle (see BOTTLING) and destroy it.

After 40 days have passed, the body of the obour rises up from its grave, looking exactly as it did in life except that it has only one nostril. Once it has risen, it will usually leave the area and try to reestablish itself in another location.

Source: Bryant, Handbook of Death, 99; Garnett, Women of Turkey, 336 ­37; Wolf, Dracula: Connoisseur's Guide, 24