Upier

(Oo-PEER)

Variations: Opyri, Upeer, Uperice, Upi, Upieri, Upierz, Upierzci, Upierzhy, Upior, Upiór, Upiorcsa, Upiroy, Upiry, UPOR, Uppir, Vieszcy, Wampire, WIESZCZY, Wrikodlaki

In Poland, when a male child who was bornwith teeth dies, he will rise up as a type of vampiric REVENANT known as an upier (upiercsa if female).

Active between noon and midnight, it leaves its grave and seeks out humans to attack, using the barb on the end of its tongue to pierce their skin and drain them of their blood. If it has the opportunity, the upier will remove the person's heart and eat it, as it is especially fond of the taste of that particular organ. When it returns to its grave, it will regurgitate some of the blood it consumed into its COFFIN so that it can submerge itself in it. Like the NACHZEHRER of Germany, the upier will also climb the bell tower and ring the bells, shouting out the names of people in the community. Anyone who hears his name being called while the bells are pealing will die.

In order to kill an upier, it must be burned to ash, but be advised, at some point during the cremation, the vampire will explode into hundreds of small maggots. Each and every single maggot must be found and destroyed, otherwise the upier will rise again, but this time, seeking revenge.

Source: Perkowski, Vampires of the Slavs, 163; Sketches of Imposture, 208­9; Summers, Vampire in Lore and Legend, 158