The Dearg-Diulai, a vampire from Irish lore.
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Introduction
The Dearg-Diulai is a vampire from Irish lore. The name, when translated, means “red blood sucker.” This vampire takes the shape of a beautiful woman. She waits on travelers in unpopulated areas. It was believed that the spirit could not rest in peace until she finds a female to take her place. In Waterford, there is a specific Dearg-Diulai legend where a dearg-diulai would lure men by offering sex, then sucks their blood.
The Evil Man
The Dearg-Diulai doesn’t necessarily have to be a female, there is one legend of a male that comes from the county of Derry. A man named Abhartach was said to have performed many evil deeds on local residents. After hearing stories from several of these people, the village chieftan killed him and buried Abhartach standing up (which was how they buried people in Celtic tradition).
The Next Day
The next day his spirit rose up from the grave and drank blood from the people in the village. He was killed again by the chieftain and was reburied. He reappeared the following night and once again drank blood. The chieftain, receiving advice from a Druid, stabbed Abhartach with a sword made of yew. After he died for the third time, they buried him upside down and weighted him down with a massive rock that was covered in mountain ash, which was thought to repel evil. After that occurrence, Avhartach was not seen again.
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