Nov 05 2008
and now for something completely different
i stumbled upon this link. it's a long page, but dare i say worth reading for its hilarity. and don't miss the footnotes. it's from what appears to be BBCs version of wikipedia. i got to this page because i was looking at recipe that included pumpkin and it said something about using your pumpkins before they turn into vampires. that phrase was hyperlinked, so of course i clicked on it. here's a lil teaser for you: Non-Human Vampires
The traditions of the Roma further complicate matters, as the blood-drinking Indian goddess Kali is still revered as Sara, or 'Black Cally'. Roma folklore says that animals and objects can become vampires quite as easily as humans. For instance, any tools left outdoors under a full moon or not used for three years become animated and attack their owners to drink their blood. Even pumpkins and watermelons can be affected, if they are touched by the light of the full moon or kept after Christmas. However, they do not have teeth and are thus more a nuisance than a danger, being restricted to rolling around the house, growling at its inhabitants. They can be got rid of by boiling in holy water and then scrubbing with a broom, which must subsequently be burned.