Vampires are the most enduring creatures that man has ever devised. The mass illnesses that plagued our ancestors played a role in creating the myth of the “servants of the night”.
Diseases were frightening phenomena before the development of modern medicine. Plague and other epidemics appeared without any warning and caused death and misery.
People turned to superstition in despair.Mass illnesses have contributed to the creation of the myth of vampires as immortal beings. Vampires are believed to have "awakened" at night and risen from their graves to feed on the blood of the living. According to historical data, the myth of vampires dates back to the time of ancient Greece.
People who lived at the time of mass epidemics, in the absence of a scientific explanation, very often believed that the causes of mass deaths were supernatural.
The best example of this is porphyria, an inherited disease that causes itching, rashes and blisters whenever the skin is exposed to the sun. In rare cases of this disease, the jaw changes shape, so the canines become more pronounced, and the sensitivity of the skin to sunlight becomes even greater. All of the above led people to believe in the existence of vampires.
