The Blood-Drawing Ghost: An Irish Vampiric Folktale

The Blood-Drawing Ghost is an Irish folktale present in “Tales of the Fairies and of the Ghost World”) (1895) collected and transcribed by Jeremiah Curtin, an Irish-American scholar amongst others.

John has three sweethearts however can solely marry one. He hides his blackthorn strolling stick within the haunted church graveyard, promising to marry whichever lady retrieves it. Kate agrees to go. As she nears the stick, a corpse in an open grave requires assist. Beneath its spell, Kate helps the corpse, which climbs onto her again and orders her to hold it by means of city.

The Blood-Drawing Ghost: An Irish Vampiric Folktale

THERE was a younger man within the parish of Drimalegue, county Cork, who was courting three women at one time, and he didn’t know which ones would he take; they’d equal fortunes, and any of the three was as pleasing to him as every other. At some point when he was coming dwelling from the honest along with his two sisters, the sisters started:

‘Properly, John,” stated one in all them, “why don’t you get married. Why don’t you’re taking both Mary, or Peggy, or Kate?”

“I can’t inform you that,” stated John, “until I discover which ones has the very best want for me.”

“How will you understand?” requested the opposite.

“I’ll inform you that as quickly as any particular person will die within the parish.” In three weeks’ time from that day an previous man died. John went to the wake after which to the funeral. Whereas they had been burying the corpse within the graveyard John stood close to a tomb which was subsequent to the grave, and when all had been going away, after burying the previous man, he remained standing some time by himself, as if pondering of one thing; then he put his blackthorn stick on high of the tomb, stood some time longer, and on going from the graveyard left the stick behind him. He went dwelling and ate his supper. After supper John went to a neighbour’s home the place younger individuals used to fulfill of a night, and the three women occurred to be there that point. John was very quiet, so that all seen him.”What’s troubling you this night, John?” requested one of many women.

“Oh, I’m sorry for my stunning blackthorn,” stated he.

“Did you lose it?”

“I didn’t,” stated John; “however I left it on the highest of the tomb subsequent to the grave of the person who was buried to-day, and whichever of you three will go for it’s the girl I’ll marry. Properly, Mary will you go for my stick?” requested he.

“Religion, then, I can’t,” stated Mary.

“Properly, Peggy, will you go?”

“If I had been and not using a man for ever,” stated Peggy, “I wouldn’t go.”

“Properly, Kate,” stated he to the third, “will you go for my stick? Should you go I’ll marry you.”

“Stand to your phrase,” stated Kate, “and I’ll convey the stick.”

“Imagine me, that I’ll,” stated John.
Kate left the corporate behind her, and went for the stick. The graveyard was three miles away and the stroll was a protracted one. Kate got here to the place finally and made out the tomb by the recent grave. When she had her hand on the blackthorn a voice referred to as from the tomb:

“Go away the stick the place it’s and open this tomb for me.”
Kate started to tremble and was enormously in dread, however one thing was forcing her to open the tomb–she couldn’t assist herself.

“Take the lid off now,” stated the useless man when Kate had the door open and was inside within the tomb, “and take me out of this–take me in your again.”

Afraid to refuse, she took the lid from the coffin, raised the useless man on her again, and walked on in the best way he directed. She walked concerning the distance of a mile. The load, being very heavy, was close to breaking her again and killing her. She walked half a mile farther and got here to a village; the homes had been along with the street.

“Take me to the primary home,” stated the useless man.

She took him.

“Oh, we can’t go in right here,” stated he, after they got here close to. “The individuals have clear water inside, and so they have holy water, too. Take me to the following home.”
She went to the following home.

“We can’t go in there,” stated he, when she stopped in entrance of the door. “They’ve clear water, and there’s holy water as nicely.”
She went to the third home.

“Go in right here,” stated the useless man. “There may be neither clear water nor holy water on this place; we will cease in it.”
They went in.

“Convey a chair now and put me sitting along with the fireplace. Then discover me one thing to eat and to drink.”
She positioned him in a chair by the fireplace, searched the home, discovered a dish of oatmeal and introduced it. “I’ve nothing to offer you to drink however soiled water,” stated she.

“Convey me a dish and a razor.”
She introduced the dish and the razor.

“Come, now,” stated he, “to the room above.”
They went as much as the room, the place three younger males, sons of the person of the home, had been sleeping in mattress, and Kate needed to maintain the dish whereas the useless man was drawing their blood.

“Let the daddy and mom have that,” stated he, “in return for the soiled water”; that means that if there was clear water in the home he wouldn’t have taken the blood of the younger males. He closed their wounds in the best way that there was no signal of a reduce on them.

“Combine this now with the meal, get a dish of it for your self and one other for me.”
She bought two plates and put the oatmeal in it after mixing it, and introduced two spoons. Kate wore a handkerchief on her head; she put this beneath her neck and tied it; she was pretending to eat, however she was placing the meals to cover within the handkerchief until her plate was empty.

“Have you ever your share eaten?” requested the useless man.

“I’ve,” answered Kate.

“I’ll have mine completed this minute,” stated he, and shortly after he gave her the empty dish. She put the dishes again within the dresser, and didn’t thoughts washing them. “Come, now,” stated he, “and take me again to the place the place you discovered me.”

“Oh, how can I take you again; you might be too nice a load; ’twas killing me you had been after I introduced you.” She was in dread of going from the home once more.

“You’re stronger after that meals than what you had been in coming; take me again to my grave.”
She went in opposition to her will. She rolled up the meals contained in the handkerchief. There was a deep gap within the wall of the kitchen by the door, the place the bar was slipped in after they barred the door; into this gap she put the handkerchief. In going again she shortened the street by going by means of a giant discipline at command of the useless man. After they had been on the high of the sector she requested, was there any treatment for these younger males whose blood was drawn?

“There is no such thing as a treatment,” stated he, “besides one. If any of that meals had been spared, three bits of it in every younger man’s mouth would convey them to life once more, and so they’d by no means know of their demise.”

“Then,” stated Kate in her personal thoughts, “that treatment is available.”

“Do you see this discipline?” requested the useless man.

“I do.”

“Properly, there’s as a lot gold buried in it as would make wealthy individuals of all who belong to you. Do you see the three leachtans [piles of small stones]? Beneath every of them is a pot of gold.”
The useless man appeared round for some time; then Kate went on, with out stopping, until she got here to the wall of the graveyard, and simply then they heard the cock crow.

“The cock is crowing,” stated Kate; “it’s time for me to be going dwelling.”

“It’s not time but,” stated the useless man; “that could be a bastard cock.” A second after that one other cock crowed. “There the cocks are crowing a second time,” stated she. “No,” stated the useless man, “that could be a bastard cock once more; that’s no proper chicken.” They got here to the mouth of the tomb and a cock crowed the third time.

“Properly,” stated the lady, “that should be the proper cock.”

“Ah, my lady, that cock has saved your life for you. However for him I’d have you ever with me within the grave for evermore, and if I knew this cock would crow earlier than I used to be within the grave you wouldn’t have the data you’ve now of the sector and the gold. Put me into the coffin the place you discovered me. Take your time and settle me nicely. I can’t meddle with you now, and ’tis sorry I’m to half with you.”

“Will you inform me who you might be?” requested Kate.

“Have you ever ever heard your father or mom point out a person referred to as Edward Derrihy or his son Michael?”

“It’s usually I heard inform of them,” replied the lady.

“Properly, Edward Derrihy was my father; I’m Michael. That blackthorn that you simply got here for to-night to this graveyard was the fortunate stick for you, however in the event you had any considered the hazard that was earlier than you, you wouldn’t be right here. Settle me rigorously and shut the tomb nicely behind you.”

She positioned him within the coffin rigorously, closed the door behind her, took the blackthorn stick, and away dwelling with Kate. The night time was far spent when she got here. She was drained, and it’s good purpose the lady had. She thrust the stick into the thatch above the door of the home and rapped. Her sister rose up and opened the door.

“The place did you spend the night time?” requested the sister. “Mom will kill you within the morning for spending the entire night time from dwelling.”

“Go to mattress,” answered Kate, “and by no means thoughts me.”

They went to mattress, and Kate fell asleep the minute she touched the mattress, she was that drained after the night time.

When the daddy and mom of the three younger males rose subsequent morning, and there was no signal of their sons, the mom went to the room to name them, and there she discovered the three useless. She started to screech and wring her fingers. She ran to the street screaming and wailing. All of the neighbours crowded round to know what bother was on her. She instructed them her three sons had been mendacity useless of their mattress after the night time. Very quickly the report unfold in each route. When Kate’s father and mom heard it they hurried off to the home of the useless males. After they got here dwelling Kate was nonetheless in mattress; the mom took a stick and started to beat the lady for being out all of the night time and in mattress all of the day.

“Stand up now, you lazy stump of a woman,” stated she, “and go to the wake home; your neighbour’s three sons are useless.”
Kate took no discover of this. “I’m very drained and sick,” stated she. “You’d higher spare me and provides me a drink.”
The mom gave her a drink of milk and a chunk to eat, and in the midst of the day she rose up.

“Tis a disgrace for you to not be on the wake home but,” stated the mom; “hurry over now.”
When Kate reached the home there was an amazing crowd of individuals earlier than her and nice wailing. She didn’t cry, however was wanting on. The daddy was as if wild, going up and down the home wringing his fingers.

“Be quiet,” stated Kate. “Management your self.”

“How can I do this, my pricey lady, and my three high-quality sons mendacity useless in the home?”

“What would you give,” requested Kate, “to the one that would convey life to them once more?”

“Don’t be vexing me,” stated the daddy.

“It’s neither vexing you I’m nor trifling,” stated Kate. “I can put the life in them once more.”

“If it was true that you may do this, I’d offer you all that I’ve inside the home and outdoors as nicely.”

“All I would like from you,” stated Kate, “is the eldest son to marry and Gort na Leachtan [the field of the stone heaps] as fortune.”

“My pricey, you should have that from me with the best blessing.

“Give me the sector in writing from your self, whether or not the son will marry me or not.”

He gave her the sector in his handwriting. She instructed all who had been inside within the wake-house to go exterior the door, each man and girl of them. Some had been laughing at her and extra had been crying, pondering it was mad she was. She bolted the door inside, and went to the place the place she left the handkerchief, discovered it, and put three bites of the oatmeal and the blood within the mouth of every younger man, and as quickly as she did that the three bought their pure color, and so they appeared like males sleeping. She opened the door, then referred to as on all to come back inside, and instructed the daddy to go and wake his sons.

He referred to as every one by identify, and as they woke they appeared very drained after their night time’s relaxation; they placed on their garments, and had been enormously shocked to see all of the individuals round. “How is that this?” requested the eldest brother.

“Don’t you understand of something that came to visit you within the night time?” requested the daddy.

“We don’t,” stated the sons. “We bear in mind nothing in any respect since we fell asleep final night.”
The daddy then instructed them every part, however they may not consider it. Kate went away dwelling and instructed her father and mom of her night time’s journey to and from the graveyard, and stated that she would quickly inform them extra.
That day she met John.

“Did you convey the stick?” requested he.

“Discover your personal stick,” stated she, “and by no means converse to me once more in your life.”
In every week’s time she went to the home of the three younger males, and stated to the daddy, “I’ve come for what you promised me.”

“You’ll get that with my blessing,” stated the daddy. He referred to as the eldest son apart then and requested would he marry Kate, their neighbour’s daughter. “I’ll,” stated the son. Three days after that the 2 had been married and had a high-quality wedding ceremony. For 3 weeks they loved a nice life with out toil or bother; then Kate stated, “This is not going to do for us; we should be working. Include me to-morrow and I’ll give your self and brothers a lot to do, and my very own father and brothers as nicely.”

She took them subsequent day to one of many stone heaps in Gort na Leachtan. “Throw these stones to 1 aspect,” stated she.
They thought that she was dropping her senses, however she instructed them that they’d quickly see for themselves what she was doing. They went to work and stored at it until they’d six toes deep of a gap dug; then they met with a flat stone three toes sq. and an iron hook in the midst of it.

“Positive there should be one thing beneath this,” stated the boys. They lifted the flag, and beneath it was a pot of gold. All had been very pleased then. “There may be extra gold but within the place,” stated Kate. “Come, now, to the opposite heap.” They eliminated that heap, dug down, and located one other pot of gold. They eliminated the third pile and located a 3rd pot stuffed with gold. On the aspect of the third pot was an inscription, and so they couldn’t make out what it was. After emptying it they positioned the pot by the aspect of the door.
A few month later a poor scholar walked the best way, and as he was entering into on the door he noticed the previous pot and the letters on the aspect of it. He started to review the letters.

“You should be a superb scholar in the event you can learn what’s on that pot,” stated the younger man.

“I can,” stated the poor scholar, “and right here it’s for you. ‘There’s a deal extra on the south aspect of every pot.”

The younger man stated nothing, however placing his hand in his pocket, gave the poor scholar a superb day’s rent. When he was gone they went to work and located a deal extra of gold on the south aspect of every stone heap. They had been very pleased then and really wealthy, and purchased a number of farms and constructed high-quality homes, and it was supposed by all of them within the latter finish that it was Derrihy’s cash that was buried beneath the Ieachtans, however they may give no right account of that, and positive why want they care? After they died they left property to make their youngsters wealthy to the seventh era.

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