March 2010 Desktop Wallpaper Calendar!!!!!!
I’ve got a HUGE treat for everyone. If you like the art used for March’s calendar, (below) then watch for the next post where you can get it without the Calendar portion.
Now for our preview for March!!!!!!!!!!
*drum roll* please!
Also, do NOT right click and save the preview above—it will not look good on your desktop since the size is too small.
For sizes, scroll after reading info listed below…
I have been freezing my fanny off! What about you? So this month, I decided to heat things up especially since Spring Equinox will be hitting us and hopefully, bringing with it some WARMER weather!
Anyway, if you dig the fiery setting above, then you can thank Wyntress Nyght’s Supernatural Crack because I used the art that went into making her cover.
Now for the sizes:
Pick the size below that you want—click the link and you will be taken to my Photobucket album where you can RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE. Once you save it to your computer, simply go into the file you have it, right click again and choose SET AS DESKTOP WALLPAPER.
Or you click START, SETTINGS, CONTROL Panel, and go into your desktop from there, manually putting it on.
Let me know if you like these so I can make sure to create more next month (with different art of course). Oh, and you add your own calendar info to these AND can share ALL you want…just make sure to share the originals, ok? Thank you so much!
Also, if your desktop size is not below, and its a common one I’ve missed, shout at me, so I can start making those sizes.
Notice the flaming moon art announcing moon phases. I just loved those!
Also take note, since I am making so many of these now, I have made a new category for them—Desktop Wallpapers—but only this month will be under there since the category is new.
Excerpt from Bound By Blood: The Awakening & Blurb
Blurb:
The truth of the Ancients has been kept from you. For life did not begin here on Earth but in a universe known as TEŔAH.
Can you lay claim to one of their bloodlines?
Samanthŕa Lampiŕ can and this is her story…
And possibly, it is the beginning of yours.
Samanthŕa Lampiŕ is the High Priestess of twelve very powerful and ancient bloodlines. She is on the verge of her Awakening which is something every Vii before her has welcomed with absolute ease. Not Samanthŕa though, for her Awakening is prophesied to bring about the doom of her and those she loves the most, her six sisters. In secret, she undergoes dangerous rituals that’s could literally destroy her but she is more than willing to take that chance for she is no stranger to sacrifice. Despite the fatal threats of TEŔAH and the rising strengths of its enemies, she is succeeding until the night a great storm of unknowable power releases a prophecy, a revelation that will change her world, her peoples’ world, forever.
Daŕēus Dracuŕa, Father of the Blood and keeper of the 13th forgotten bloodline, is released from an age long prison that he was wrongly condemned to by traitors of his own blood and that of Evil. In a venomous rage, he learns that TEŔAH is in greater peril than anyone in it has come to realize and he is the only one that can stop it. But in order to do so, he needs the High Priestess and he needs her at her full strength and power. He needs her Awakened whether she is willing or not and despite what harm it may bring to others.
Enter a world unlike any other. Discover a past which has been kept secret until now. Find your place among a forgotten bloodline and in the end, know your true purpose.
But be forewarned now, the truth is not always what it seems and lifting the veil is not always easy. Once you begin this journey, know that it can not end until it is finished.
Ask yourself now, before you invoke the spell of this tale, what those in TEŔAH had to decide….
Are you ready to be awakened?
Because once you do, there is no turning back.
Excerpt:
The young girl started to go in but the Crone stopped her by putting her staff against her chest. She was gentle, only wishing to delay her entrance into the mysterious lair.
“I must warn you now before you enter,” she said with serious eyes. “The essence from within that room is great. Once I speak the words of power, the stories will play out before you, making them seem so real. You will not only watch them play out but you will feel all that those who lived them felt. You will be but a ghost there, unable to interfere or make change, for the things done have already come to be. You will be unseen, yet will feel and know every sensation, every emotion, and every bit of agony. You will know pain as well as happiness. Once their stories begin, there will be no stopping them until they find their end. Do you understand? Are you prepared to take such a journey?”
The young one nodded from underneath the hood of her cloak. “What about the ones that I have ties to and my birthright? Will I find them in this room? What happened to them?”
“You will know your birthright and so much more, child. It takes a strong heart to survive this journey you face now. Are you ready?” the Crone asked again, and the girl nodded.
“So be it.” The Crone led her into the room.
Its walls were high, slick, and brown like the rest of the cavern. Moisture dripped from above them. Embedded in the walls were large crystals. They were clear, flawless, and powerful. The soft light was coming from inside their sparkling depth.
The Crone raised her staff and called out in an ancient language. While she spoke, the light from the crystals became even brighter.
“Bound by blood,
By blood we are bound.
By my blood I say awaken now.
By the one of blood I bring,
Show unto her the truth of things.
Let the past now sing.
Now comes the time of her awakening.
Open her eyes
Set this knowledge free.
So Mote It Be.”
A blinding light shot forth throughout the room, causing their eyes to sting. The ground beneath them seemed to rumble slightly as the door behind them shut and sealed.
A mist of many colors swirled around them and rocketed into the darkness above. Sparks of energy fell upon their faces. Before them a veil lifted and a strange vision unfurled. A sheet of transparent silver hovered over the crystals. The silver turned to a watery glass. The vision was reflected from there.
Silence fell as both grew still, with nothing in motion but the sparks of light falling gently upon them. Time seemed to freeze. It did not exist here. The coldness of the room became warm while a moment locked into an eternity. They found themselves staring at a woman sleeping. The watery glass rippled a bit but became clearer. The girl standing beside the Crone nearly swooned with awe.
She was beautiful, the young one thought as she traced every detail of her with her starving eyes. Long raven hair flowed like a silk garland, softly lingering upon a comforter the color of wine. The woman in the vision was dreaming and her dreams seemed peaceful for now. The chamber around her was medieval and made of stone. A castle, the young one could see. And she heard something whisper, many voices all at once, whispers which said,
“You of the blood who call to us,
Beckoning the echoes of past truths be shown.
Here we give unto you what your heart dotht ask…
Now watch as we bring to life, what is written in the stone…”
Coming Soon by Dark Roast Press!
Written by C.H. Scarlett
Behind Publishing’s Wednesday of the Long Knives
As the publishing industry reels the day after announcements of layoffs by major publishers, you can expect lots of ink to be spilled about the underlying reasons. I doubt if they will drill down to what’s really at the heart of these upheavals.
I’m going to ask you to read my comments twice. When you get to the end you’ll understand why.
Richard Curtis
********************
The American trade book industry is undergoing the most serious recession in its history, and though it has rebounded from other down cycles in the past, anyone who thinks it will return to boom times is living in a fool’s paradise.
Trade book publishing has been in decline since the end of World War II. Industry boosters cite increased sales volume over that period to support the view that all is well, but much of the growth can be attributed to normal population increases and inflation. For the real story, one has but to look at the long roll call of publishers that have been forced to sell themselves to conglomerates, merge with larger publishing houses, or go out of business entirely. I am not speaking about mom-and-pop publishers operating on a shoestring; I’m referring to giants like Simon and Schuster, Doubleday, Bantam, Putnam, Macmillan, Scribner, Penguin, St. Martin’s Press, and Harper and Row. Today, we are left with only seven or eight major trade book combines. Presumably, in this publisher-eat-publisher jungle, these survivors are the fittest. But are they any healthier than the weaklings they acquired?
To read more of this article
Hard Times For Writers
Every single writer, published or unpublished, knows how hard it is to make it in this profession. Even when someone does make it, they quickly learn that the money they make, isn’t nearly close to making the rent. Sometimes it isn’t even enough to put gas in the car.
How many times have you heard someone say, “The professional writing industry is one of the lowest paid out there.” In fact, how many writers can even lay claim to making something as low as minimum wage if they make anything at all? Not many.
What was difficult before is now bordering on the impossible. ‘Getting published’ makes writing the book seem like a trip to the candy store. And now that the top publishers are in trouble, well now may very well be the time that writers search out other options. And with that being said, there are plenty of them out there.
You would think that given the bad times the world is facing that people would want to escape into a book much more so than ever before. There exists the break in the ice though. They are too busy working, trying to make those bills and what little money they earn, something so small as the cost of a book is too much of a splurge for now.
The answer? I really don’t have one and I don’t think anyone does. I can say that for those writers who are trying to get their foot in the door or for those who have, hang in there. Your not only facing the challenge of selling your work or having it accepted but you are facing the challenge of surviving a recession. Don’t give up, don’t give up. The world needs your story and your imagination…even if they don’t know it yet.
C.H. Scarlett
Helpful Tips for Struggling and Unpublished Writers…
I will be the first to admit that getting here was a collision of nerves and unexplainable struggle. Every writer who ever decides to make themselves professional will soon walk a very difficult, long and unimaginable line. I say ‘line’ because its not wide enough for a path nor is it as easy to walk.
The moment you decide that you want to be a professional writer, you are going to have to swallow some very hard things.
#1. If your out to be the next Nora Roberts or Steven King—get over yourself (laughs). It may happen and I am not trying to kill your dreams but you have to accept that it might not happen. Meaning, you will not find yourself rolling in a pile of money no matter how great a masterpiece you have. Every writer must struggle and realize that they have just hit the pavement of one of the most underpaid professions out there. So if money is your agenda—then sit down and figure out another reason why you are doing this because you are going to need it.
&
#2. You will have to work your butt off, figure out how to do things which you never thought you would have to do; such as creating blogs, writing even when you don’t feel like it, working with an editor (more on that later) and selling yourself to the public by creating book trailers, advertising and soooooo much more!
So, I can not tell you what you HAVE to do but I can tell you what I have learned along the way.
A. Find someone who will give you constructive criticism concerning your work. This means you need to find someone you can trust and that someone needs to be able to tell you bluntly good or bad. THAT also means you need to simply swallow and accept what they say. I have had people ask me for my opinion and I have commenting on something as little as their grammar, finding them loosing their minds afterwards. I had one person scream at me, “I will not change or compromise my work!” After I praised his/her story and only mentioned that they forgot to insert a ‘period’.
You MUST develop a thick skin. If you ask for help, then respect the one who gives it and do not attack them after doing so. WHICH is why you need to find someone you trust—make it easier for you to swallow. You still need that thick skin though because if you are published, you will have plenty of people who look at your work and will rip you apart, not just praise you. Accept the good and bad.
B. Make connections—either purposely or grab onto the ones who just happen your way. I had a few published writers help me allot. They mean the absolute world to me, particularly one, Christopher C. Newman, who continues to help me to this day. That fabulous horror writer will never know how much I appreciated that. So never take for granted anyone who gives you advice and so forth. Leave the vanity at the door.
C. Stop using words like: I cant, I don’t want to, I don’t have time. You made the choice to make this your career. No one scooped you up and made you do it. So when opportunity knocks on your door, leave the lame excuses under the rug.
I can’t tell you how many people say those things to me and it really throws me for a loop. There are certain things that a publisher expects from you, that you must do just because you want to get your name out there whether your published or not and those things are being done by nearly every other professional writer…creating blogs, writing articles, doing reviews, joining groups, networking, building web sites, etc, etc, etc. Nearly every single writer I know has children, families, full time jobs, after school activities, school, and the list goes on and on. But every single one of them find the time, no matter what to write and do the endless list of other things that they must do. So put your big boy or big girl bloomers on and get over it. It has to be done.
I didn’t know how to make a book trailer but my publisher needed one—so guess what, I learned. I have a hard time managing life, kids, family, and every other chore of my ‘real’ mundane life but I still find the time to see to my writing career. I am not trying to be cruel but I am trying to show tough love because believe me, no one who is taken seriously in this profession is going to baby you or look for excuses. And if they don’t, be thankful for it because they will bring out the very best in you!
D. Listen to your editor, publisher, PR people, and or agent.
THEY know what they are doing and you have to have faith and trust in them. Why? Because if you don’t look good and do good then they are out their investment. They can also get word spread around pretty quickly about how difficult you are—and there slams a big stain in your career.
1. Editors—I was very blessed to have received a hard core, no play editor. Helgaleena of Dark Roast Press. If she has a problem with something then she says so, flat out. Now I may explain why it is that way but if she says, nope, wont work—then its gone and I create something I hope is better. If it isn’t better—then we go right back to it. SHE LETS ME KNOW!!! She is the expert concerning words, grammar and everything else. I trust her because so far she has only brought out the best of me. Editors (good ones) can pick up what you may not see in yourself. They home in on what you are capable of and demand nothing less. So respect them. Don’t fight them if you have a good one. Your work will shine because of it.
2. Publishers and Agents– They took your work on and before you signed with them you should have had belief in them as they will now have belief in you. So don’t fight them either. Let them do their job.
3. PR people–if they tell you to write a BLOG and articles, then do it. If they tell you to submit to a reviewer, then do it and do it right. Again, this is their area of expertise so work with them and not against them.
E. Remember how much of a challenge it was to write that book? Well once your published, that will be considered the easiest thing you did (laugh). Again, touching base on what i have previously said, You are entering the world of the lowest paid profession out there and the amount of work you do for virtually no income is tremendous. So prepare yourself and focus on another award other than money.
F. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!!! If you came into this business thinking you are going to land a $100,000.00 advance deal with one of the biggest New York publishers, then think again. get that out of your mind right now and choose a more realistic starting point. There are tons of options, Other publishers, E-publishers, small presses, magazines, etc. Choose one that is right for you. I chose a smaller press that does Epublishing/Ebooks. Next year sometime or another, they will go to print but right now, I am hooked on Ebooks because we live in an electronic age. I went with a smaller press that will probably be HUGE one day only because the woman who owns it knows her stuff and has the degrees to prove it. I wanted one on one attention and I get that. Reality in my mind was, I will have to start at the bottom and work my way up—just like all other writers do. I wanted to be somewhere that would grow with me, believe in me, praise me and scold me if needed. So decide what’s realistic for you.
***
Again, I am not out to frighten you but prepare you in the same way people prepared me. I wouldn’t complain at all and haven’t because this is what I wanted. EVERY DAY I am challenged and I am eating it up. Every day I am thankful no matter how hectic my world is now. For my children I did this…and for them I keep going.
C.H. Scarlett
Types of Vampires: Strigoii, Strigoi Part 1
The Strigoii or also spelt Strigoi are one of my favorite types of Vampires to write about or discuss aside from one more which I won’t reveal just yet. They are the most popular and common species of Romania and believe it or not, have been the foundation for the imagination of many writers and their novels. There are two types of Strigoii, living and dead. We will be discussing both.
Males are called Strigoii, Strigoi which come from the Latin word Strix. (Striges–plural) These types of vampires can change or Shape-shift into a flying mammal. (Now we know how Dracula turns into a bat. Is it possible that he was a Strigoii?)
Dead Strigoii were those who died unforgiven of something, sins but usually by parents. Those who died before they wed were also high candidates to become Strigoii. If a cat walked over a dead body or the person died filled with pain or having regrets, they to became Strigoii. Precautions had to be taken which are as thick and heavy of a list as ways to become one. But you could bet your bottom dollar a priest would have to be involved, some form of decapitation and cremation.
If the name Strigoii is referred to someone who is living then it would mean that person was a witch, wizard and or made this their means of employment. Funny enough, much of what I have read on these creatures, it seems that some lore suggests that the living Strigoii were a good thing. In fact, they could use their magic to protect humans, particularly children, from being harmed by a dead Strigoii. But every source has its own meaning or version. In some, a living Strigoi was a witch who did favors for a dead Strigoii by way of magic and sooner or later, would become Vampire for their services.
In Romania, a female is called a Strigoica or Strigoaica. She can be either dead or living. If she is living then she is a witch, can shape-shift and has great power. During life, she takes power from anything having life so when she dies, she then turns into a dead Vampire. Priests often warned women to harness this ability they easily had or else after life, they would be severely punished for it by becoming a vampire.
The stories seem rather silly but it seems these women (living) were obsessed with milk and cows. They would suck all the milk from these cows so that no one else had any.
In one story, a Strigoica had no cow of her own so she got herself a wooden one. With her magic she would milk this wooden cow and the milk from everyone else’s cow would magically come through hers. She was so obsessed with milking her wooden cow that neighbors started to complain to the local priest. He investigated the matter and found the woman milking her wooden cow morning, noon and night. So the priest had the girl make butter from the milk she had bewitched from the wooden creature. He then told her to go out into the forest one morning and throw the butter on a tree.
“In three days,” he told her, “Go back to that tree and tell me what you find.”
She did what the old priest said and in three days was horrified by what she found. When she returned to the tree she saw different kinds of serpents and all kinds of horrible creatures slithering around and eating up the butter. When she ran back to the priest, frightened nearly to death, he warned her what would happen if she continued her naughty ways. “If you keep stealing the life from this world then those creatures will suck your blood for all eternity in the next!.” He warned. And that seemed warning and moral enough to frighten many a congregation.
![Victoria_Frances_Contest_intrinsic666_Su_nombre_es_Favole[1]](http://chscarlett.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/victoria-frances-contest-intrinsic666-su-nombre-es-favole1.jpg)
Something even more interesting in these stories is that Vampires, Evil Witches, Werewolves or whatever else that went bump in the night, were not forced to return to their graves at dawn but rather at 3 am in the morning.
So those of you who awake at 3 am each night for no reason in your beds…are you returning to your mortal bodies which just might be the form of your graves in this life? (Insert Vincent Price evil laughter here—Muahahahahahahaha!)
Who knew this particuliar Vampire would be so popular that we would need a …
Types of Vampires: Strigoii, Strigoi Part 2 <—- Click for it!
Vampire Myths & Lore: DHAMPIR, dhampir
Written by C.H. Scarlett
DHAMPIR is a very interesting race. It’s so interesting that I used the term and created my own version of its meaning for Bound By Blood: The Awakening. However, these articles I am writing aren’t really based on ‘my’ definitions. They are based on the actual myths and lore that gave them life and meaning in the first place.
The legends about those who are DHAMPIR reminded me of the Van Helsings we read about or the Vampire hunter stereotypes which are used in many works of fiction despite what name they have or are given. One example is the movie and character, Blade. Read further and then lets see what you think.
DHAMPIR, dhampir, or dhampires (plural) comes from Slavic myths and or lore. According to Gypsy or Roma lore, he was the chief slayer of Vampires. He was considered to be the partner of the devil and even though that seems like a frightening title, it brought people peace of mind because he was the one who protected humans from what was considered evil.
I can’t tell you how many debates I have witnessed by those who argue that a vampire, based on legend, can not be party to the conception of a child. If we look at the actual myths and lore though of other cultures and even some ancient ones, we can see something quite different. Not only are their various types of vampires out there but some of them can indeed become pregnant or impregnate.
The dhampir, however, had a very important part to play in history. He was believed to be a magician who had the gift of seeing what others could not see, the Vampire. He also possessed the ability to destroy this fearsome creature of the night when no one else could.
So why would a person need a dhampir and his special sight to see a Vampire?
Not all species of Vampires were visible. You have to remember that ones like the Mullo were vampire spirits, who became so after their physical bodies died. They were not solid forms of flesh like you and I. The only one who seen these spirits were the victims but only if the Mullo wished them to. I think this only added to the fear factor where Vampires were concerned. After all, a Vampire in full view could be frightening but a Vampire that you couldn’t see? Now that’s horrifying especially when you live in a time where people had great fear of spirits, devils, evil and anything else that their superstitions made them weary of.
Now as for his ritual….if you lived in those times and witnessed the actions of a dhampir, it might go something like this:
He arrives and makes a big show by sensing the invisible Vampire. His highly attuned senses can smell a horrible stink even if the villagers can not. He even takes his shirt off, holds it up and looks through the sleeve of it as if its a telescope or some viewing device, claiming that he can see the Vampire in this way. Sometimes he might even allow a villager to look who can then see what they could not see before. This is the magic of the dhampir.
Once he finds the Vampire, he is given a gun or some sort of weapon. The hunt begins. He never goes alone either. He needs villagers to go with him to witness the slaying. But there are rules to follow. They must be completely silent and they must do everything the dhampir says. The hunt can go on for a very long time, during which the dhampir will set up traps. Once the Vampire is dead though, the dhampir must then record everything in detail for the records of the township or village. He has to present evidence, is searched to make sure he didn’t use anything to fake the death or create a ruse that there was a Vampire to start with. He has to describe what the Vampire looked like, species, gender, lair, who he or she was in life and any other detail you could possibly think of. So it seems that the village might have welcomed him easily into their community in the beginning but in the end, before they paid one cent, they were much more stern and demanding.
In most legends or lore, the dhampir could pass on his powers to the sons he bore, so this became a family tradition or business. Most importantly, it kept the magic and power of that bloodline going so people always had someone to rid them of their vampire problems. Even in modern times, there are claims that dhampires live and breathe. So if you ever have a problem…..
Written by C.H. Scarlett
Types of Vampires: Baital
I have been researching vampires and other creatures for about twenty–plus years and it never ceases to amaze me that the more I read about different ones, the more obvious it becomes as to where movies and writers get their inspiration from. I think your going to have a taste of that here as we review Baital.
Baital is an Indian term for vampire. The word used before Baital was VETALA. It was believed to be an evil, spirit of mischief that possessed and brought a dead corpse back to life. Somewhat like how a demon possessed the Vampires in the Anne Rice books—or that’s what this reminded me of.
Now if this bad spirit wasn’t taking over a person’s dead flesh and you happened to catch it in its true form, it would look like half a man and half a bat including wings. His skin is very tough and iron-like which means he is hard to kill. He is also known for being very clever. Think about Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Love Never Dies—when Dracula is with Mina in the insane asylum and is interrupted—he takes the form of a bat–like man with huge wings before he explodes into a bunch of rats and disappears.
The Baital is known to ‘hang out’ where he finds his corpse in most cases. If the dead person was hanged then maybe the Baital will be hanging upside down from that very spot. So, if you finally had enough of your next door neighbors loud music and throwing trash in your yard and decided to off him, but now he is fumbling around by your windows at night looking pretty scary — I’d suggest you go looking in the Out House where you dumped the body come the light of day. It’s going to be a nasty job but it’s a lot better than being his midnight snack. (wink)
Written By : C.H. Scarlett
,Baital,Anne Rice,Bram Stoker,dead,bad spirits,bats,man,were-bats,were-men,possession,demons,C.H. ScarlettTypes of Vampires : Baobhan Sith
By C.H. Scarlett
In Scottish Lore these are Vampire Fairies. They take the image of young, beautiful women who are noted to wear green. Its interesting because Baobhan Sith happens to be a Highland term for a Banshee and is normally used towards deadly, evil SUCCBI. The legends tell that the Baobhan Sith find men and dance with them until the men are so exhausted that they can’t fight or just pass out. It is then that the Vampire Fairies feed on them.
Weaknesses: Iron –really the only thing that I have found that will kill them. In some stories it explains that they fear sunlight but it does not say as to why or the effects the sun has on them.
Legend tells us that they love hunters and any young man who is found wondering around after dark. One folktale of Scottish descent speaks of four young hunters who didn’t return home once the moon rose. Like most stories in days which the IPOD or CD player didn’t exist, they began to entertain themselves while one of the Hunters played music. The other three hunters began to dance around a small fire when one of the three actually wished he had a female partner to dance with.
Out of nowhere his wish took flight and four very beautiful women appeared. Three of them danced while one stood quietly by the music maker. When the one who made the music noticed blood falling from his three friends; he panicked and ran away hiding himself among their horses. The vampire fairy encircled him until dawn unable to claim her prey because of the iron shoes the horses wore on their feet. The angry Baobhan Sith was forced to disappeared for the sake of her life. The hunter returned to the place he and the others took shelter and was horrified by what he found. There was his three friends dead and drained of all their blood.
Moral of the story? Who really knows if there is one? Why do these stories exist? Were there really Baobhan Sith lurking about under the cloak of night waiting to find some poor man who easily fell for her charms?
Maybe these stories were created by women who wanted to make sure their husbands remained faithful and thought twice before they decided not to return home. Maybe too many women were fed up watching their men leave at dawn to hunt only to return some days after having no kill to show for it. Those women later hearing rumors that they spent those days at the local brothel, perhaps?
Or maybe the Baobhan Sith existed and were a human woman’s means to rid of her cruel husband or a lover who had tossed her to the side? Maybe the Baobhan Sith cared nothing for human women at all and thought of men as cattle. The possibilities are endless as are the theories, but in the end….only you can decide.
,Fairies,Baobhan Sith,baobhan sith,Scottland,Lore,Myths,ScottishWritten by C.H. Scarlett
Types of Vampires: Mullo
Every culture has their own collective tales concerning the supernatural or better said, what goes bump in the night.
One of my favorite places to explore is Romania even though you will see me ramble away in the future concerning much more ancient of cultures such as Egypt.
Romania has built a historical empire on the vampire though. I doubt there is a need to name famous writers who based their vampire novels on this fertile, Gothic haven. But we have to sooner or later realize that there was something more than interesting being whispered upon the trembling lips of villagers for so many to seize this golden writing opportunity. So that is my goal here. To drag you along every wondrous avenue of information that I went down myself especially since this is my chocolate—where all these dark and delicious creatures stem from. I didn’t want to base my novels on what writers’ created though. I wanted to base my characters on actual myths and lore and build from there. After all, Bram Stoker did not give birth to the vampire as I like to say. The Vampire gave birth to him. So in this article I will discuss the Mullo who is a vampire based on Roma (Gypsy) belief and lore.
Interestingly enough, Mullo means ‘living dead’. They are restless spirits who rise up from their damp and darkened graves to either avenge their own deaths or have sexual encounters with those they couldn’t have or were obsessed with in life. If a person died who didn’t like you and then became a Mullo, well you could most certainly expect to see them wrecking some horrid havoc where you’re concerned.
The Mullo seem to be invincible except where their lovers are concerned. They have a sexual desire that is insatiable. The Mullo have been known to ask their lovers to join them in the grave or to marry them. Legend has it that the lovers have even been left weak or have become ill by their encounters with them. That’s how truly powerful their passion can be. In fact, women have been known to become pregnant which is where the term ‘DHAMPIR’ comes from. In some lore, a DHAMPIR can only be a male.
In order to destroy a Mullo, one must scream a Romanian curse at it. “God send you burst!” Or you can strike them in the tummy with an iron needle or throw some Holy Water. A DHAMPHIR has the power to kill them by shooting them or knifing them with a dagger. Black Dogs, Black Cocks or White Wolves can also kill a Mullo.
In order to destroy a Mullo though, it has to be done 40 days — 3 to 5 days after burial. After that, they are indestructible.
Written by C.H. Scarlett
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