NEW-YORK TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 21, 1878
A recent event—it may be said several recent events of a like character—have brought two words into frequent use. We hear a great deal of Vampires and Ghouls. It is so generally understood that these represent something so highly horrible, that we hasten to say that both are fabulous creatures. A vampire is a person who, having died and been regularly and decently buried, leaves the tomb to disturb the living, to create a noise in their homes and to kill them by sucking their blood. When a vampire was suspected, measures were taken to prevent him from vacating again his narrow house to which he always returned. A ghoul is a Persian or Arabian monster who feeds on human flesh, and robs the grave to satisfy its appetite. Resurrection-men, therefore, may properly be called ghouls, but not vampires; but it is just as well to call them something else, as they usually reside in cities, whereas ghouls were supposed to be rural monsters. There is an interesting poem called “The Vampire,” written by Dr. Polidori, in Bryon’s time, and attributed to his lordship when published. Fortunately it is now scarce, for it is an extremely disagreeable production, which it is to hoped nobody will take occasion to reprint.
From— New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]), 21 Nov. 1878. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
