We have all heard of vampires. They are supposed to be the undead, men who are technically dead but are alive as well. Such characters can arise only at night and must rest in the day in a coffin. They also need to have fresh human blood as a source of nourishment, preferably of the opposite sex.
Vampires are heard of only in Europe and Bram Stoker created a legendary character in Count Dracula in his Novel'dracula'. But one condition that perhaps gives sustenance to the legend of a vampire is the extreme cold climate in Europe and the fact that bodies are buried in a vault or a grave in a coffin. In India and the east on the other hand the climate is hot and the bodies are cremated, burnt to ash and bones.
Thus the basic ingredient of becoming a vampire is defeated in case the body is burnt or cremated. It follows that vampires can only be Christians. Also even if the body was buried, the hot climate would make the body decay very fast unlike in the cold climate of Europe.
The legend of the Vampire is thus confined to Europe. But I have my doubts as to any such character really exists. There appears no sustenance to the view that Vampires move about in the countryside and cities. But it is an interesting phenomena and one that merits further study. As far as the east is concerned , a Vampire has never been heard off. Perhaps it is like the werewolf which again is more talked about than seen
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