Dr Šarkić said: “Unlike the aristocratic vampires known for their pale skin and slender figures, vampires from Balkan folklore were often described as bloated, long-nailed, and having a ruddy or dark complexion.
Neighbouring Serbia offers another example – Petar Blagojević, who died in 1725, and whose body was staked through the heart, and burnt as a suspected vampire.
“According to tradition, a vampire is often seen as an angry spirit with the desire to harm others,” said Dr Šarkić.
THE grave of a “vampire” whose body was decapitated to stop it rising from the dead has been discovered in a medieval fortress.
Archaeologist Nataša Šarkić said: “Even though he initially was buried in accordance with Christian doctrine, his remains were later relocated in a strange arrangement.
