AtoZ Day 12: L is for Lemon, Loogaroo (Soucouyant), Lifeforce

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Lemon

Everyone knows how garlic is used to ward off vampires, but did you know that in Saxon regions of Germany lemon was also used? It was placed in the mouth of suspected vampires to prevent them rising from the grave. The particular breed of vampire vulnerable to this method is called a Neuntoter and is a plague carrier.

What do you think is the most exciting method of vampire disposal: Sunlight, a stake through the heart, decapitation, nailing into the coffin or something else?

Creature Feature:

Loogaroo (Soucouyant)

She's not a nice lady is the Loogaroo of Haitian Folklore. Also known as a Soucouyant in other parts of the West Indies she is a witch who trades blood for supernatural powers with the devil or a demon.

According to Wikipedia and Vampire Underworld she takes off her skin at night and flies around like a fireball, entering people's houses and taking their blood so they wake up fatigued and lethargic. However, according to Monstrous.com that's the Granada version and in Haiti she takes off her skin and grows wings with flames shooting from her armpits and anus. She then transforms into a cockroach or other insect to enter a home. She's still after blood though.

'Loogaroo' is derived from the French 'loup-garou' which actually means werewolf.

Movie Recommendation:

Title: Lifeforce
Rating:18
Summary: A long range mission comes into contact with unknown life forms in a comets tail and the female and two males are brought back to Earth. They turn out to be some form of vampire and turn London into a battle field of creatures who must suck the life from others every two hours.
Why you should watch this: These are psychic vampires and in places the film is a little bit over done, but the kind of vampire and the effects of their life draining abilities is so interesting. There's also something of a twisted love story going on and I just love the film. I think it is very underrated.

Legends 

(#12 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Not wanting to take her new hellhound puppy out just yet, Ianthe invited Cal over to her place for a change. Usually she avoided it, because, as much as she enjoyed Alex's disapproval, sometimes she preferred not to antagonise him too far.

"Did you know in some legends lemons can be used to ward off vampires?" Cal asked as she handed him a gin and tonic with a slice of lemon floating in it.

"I hadn't heard that one," she admitted, sucking her own piece of lemon between her teeth to prove the point.

"It's German," Cal said, grinning at her.

"Not the most ridiculous legend out there I have to admit," she said and sat down.

Lilith immediately put her head in Ianthe's lap, so she scratched the puppy behind the ear.

"You're spoiling her I see," Cal observed, "good for you."

Lilith looked pleased by that if the way her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth was anything to go by.

"Of course I am," she replied while giving Lilith's head a good ruffle. "She deserves spoiling."

They fell into a companionable silence. That was one of the things Ianthe really liked about Cal; sometimes they could just sit. However, her mind was moving and she couldn't help herself.

"Talking of legends, what's the most ridiculous one about werewolves?" she asked.

"Has to be silver," Cal replied without even having to think about it. "Silver bullets just make us money once we dig them out."

He laughed even as Ianthe winced.

"And how many times have you done that?" she had to ask.

"Three," was the honest answer.

"And how old are you again?"

Cal just smiled; damn werewolves were as cagey about their ages as some of the older vampires. Unlike vampires where bloodline counted for a lot more than age, werewolf power definitely seemed to come with experience.

"What is your favourite vampire legend?" Cal countered without answering.

"Coffins," she decided, "definitely coffins. I even grew mushrooms under my bed for a while pretending it was grave earth. Alex nearly blew a gasket."

"One day you will push him too far," Cal said and rolled his eyes.

"Nah, I know where the real lines are. Besides which I am embarrassing enough just for existing, if he actually failed to make me into a half decent vampire he'd die of mortification."

Cal didn't look so sure.

"I hung garlic flowers all round his door once," she revealed.

"You didn't!"

"I did."

Cal almost fell off his chair laughing. Ianthe grinned; it was good to have friends

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A few of us discovered that we all had supernatural themes for the AtoZ so we got together and did a mini list. If you also have a supernatural theme (ghosts, monsters, witches, spells etc), please feel free to add yourself to the list.

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