Vampire Myths- Armenia/Dakhanavar

Armenia is an ancient land in the region of Asia Minor (between Turkey and Russia).It has long been known for it’s in depth history of constant turmoil and strife. It was also the first land to proclaim Christianity as its state religion. The Armenian faith is quite similar to the Eastern Orthodox, but did not adapt to the practices of the Orthodox faith from the fifth to seventh centuries. In the late nineteenth Century, Armenia became the center blood field of many slaughtering massacres by the occupying Turkish soldiers. For the majority of the of the twentieth century it was part of the Republic in the Soviet Union until it’s fall in the early part of the 90’s decade.

The most dominant vampire myth amongst this region, according to locals, was the Dakhanavar. It’s history delves from an account of vampirism documented in 1854 by Baron August von Haxthausen and has been made mention by then leading occult research figure, Montague Summers (1880-1947). According to legend, there was a vampire, Dakhanavar, who resided in the mountains of Ultmish Alto-tem. He was very protective and did not like anyone intruding in around his residence amongst the mountains or valleys. If one did, he would attack them in the night and kill them by sucking the blood from the soles of the intruders feet.

However, it is told that two travelers outwitted Dakhanavar by sleeping with their feet tucked up under another’s heads. Perplexed by this, Dakhanavar ranted of his journey through 366 valleys of the mountains to only come across someone with two heads and no feet. With that, the creature left the region never to be heard of again.

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