a whiter shade of pale (1st of 5 parts)

"throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons,

there is no figure so terrible,

no figure so dreaded and abhorred,

yet dight with such fearful fascination,

as the vampire,

who is himself neither ghost nor demon,

but yet partakes the dark natures

and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both."
[rev montague summers]

ADZE
a vampire spirit that dwells in tribal sorcerers among the Ewe, a people inhabiting parts of southeastern Ghana and southern Togo in Africa. the ADZE flies around in the form of a firefly but, if caught, changes into a human. it drinks blood, palm oil, and coconut water, and preys on children, especially handsome ones.

ALGUL
an Arabic vampire, when translated means horse leech, or a bloodsucking jinn. this form of vampire is traditionally a female demon that feasts upon dead babies and inhabits cemeteries.

ALP
a German vampiric spirit associated with the boogeyman and the incubus, normally tormenting the dreams of women. long connected with nightmares, the ALP is considered to be the spirit of a recently deceased relative, most often, an actual demon. children can become an ALP when a mother uses a horse collar to ease childbirth. during the Middle Ages, the ALP was said to appear as a cat, pig, or bird, including a lecherous demon dog seen in Cologne, thus linking the werewolf in with this legend. in all its manifestations, the ALP is known to wear a hat, and its spirit can fly like a bird, ride like a horse, and is credited with a certain gallant attitude, rarely forcing itself on its prey. the ALP drinks blood from the nipples of men and children, but prefers the milk of women.

ASANBOSAM
a vampire found in Africa, known among the Ashanti of southern Ghana and by people in areas of the Ivory Coast and Togo. the ASANBOSAM is believed to reside in deep forests, most often encountered by hunters. it is of general human shape, but with two exceptions: its teeth are made out of iron, and its legs have hook-like appendages. anyone walking by the tree in which it resides will be scooped up and killed.

ASWANG
a vampire from the Philippines, believed to be a beautiful female by day, and a fearsome flying fiend by night. the ASWANG lives a normal life at daytime, but at night, however, it is led to the houses of its victims by night birds. its nourishment is blood, and prefers to feed on children. the creature is recognized by its swollen form after feeding, which looks almost pregnant. if the ASWANG licks a person's shadow, it is believed that the person will die soon afterwards.

BAJANG
a Malaysian vampire, assumed to be male, appearing as a cat and normally threatens children. the BAJANG can be enslaved and turned into a demon servant, and is often handed down from one generation to the next within a family. it is kept in a tabong (bamboo vessel) protected by various charms. while imprisoned, it is fed with eggs, and if not enough food is provided, will turn on its owner. the master of such a demon can send it out and inflict harm on his/her enemy, who usually dies of a mysterious disease soon after. according to tradition, the BAJANG came from the body of a stillborn child, coaxed out of it by incantations.

BAOBHAN-SITH
a Scottish vampire that normally disguises itself as a beautiful maiden and lures its victims to their deaths. in fairylore, the BAOBHAN-SITH usually appears to be dressed in green.

BEBARLANGS
a tribe found in the Philippines that has members who practice a form of psychic vampirism. they apparently send out their astral bodies and feed on the life forces and vitality of their victims.

BHUTA
a vampire from India, created due to the violent death of an individual. the BHUTA is found in cemeteries or in dark desolate places, eating excrement and intestines.

BRAHMAPARUSH
a vampire from India that drinks the victim's blood through its skull, eats the brain, and proceeds to wrap the victim's intestines around its body and performs a ritual dance.

BRUXSA
a female vampire from Portugal transformed by witchcraft. she leaves her home at night in the form of a bird and torments weary lost travelers. she is said to appear as a beautiful maiden and leads a normal human life by day, bearing children, which in general becomes her regular form of food.

CHORDEWA
a witch found among the Oraons, able to turn her soul into a vampire cat. it is said that if the cat licks a person's lips, he/she will die soon after.

CHUREL
a vengeful ghostlike vampire found in India, normally a woman who died while pregnant during the Dewali Festival. she is said to hate life, with her greatest spite being kept for her relatives. the CHUREL is said to be vile in appearance, possessing pendant breasts, thick ugly lips, a black tongue, and unkept hair.

CIVATATEO
a witch-vampire found among the Aztecs. it is said to be a servant of various moon deities, and assumed to be noble women who died in childbirth. children are their favorite victims, dying soon after an attack of a wasting disease. they are said to appear with white faces, their hands covered in white chalk, and with crossbones drawn on their clothing.