So here we are again detailing the further mysteries surrounding the legend of the Highgate Vampire. In the previous post I explained a brief synopsis of what the legend is, that its based around the London cemetary in Highgate village, and described the stories that lay the background to the legend.
I left stating that I would detail more information on Sean Manchester and David Farrant and the roles they had to play in the whole schenanegans (why would anybody spell schenanegans like that when we all know it should be shenanigans?) and I ahvent lied but I will get to those pesky souls a little later.
It must be noted that Highgate was an old roman settlement and that it is not far from the kicking scene of the sixties and seventies revolution in London hotspots like Camden Town, East Finchley, Regents Park and Hampstead Heath. Its true, you shouls check it out on the map of Highgate village. could it be said that our potential Dracula was hob-knobbing with the stars or even the Queen during the rocing times of swniging London. Can anyone imagine the gothic images of the dark lord, Count Dracule in the flares and spaced out sunnies of the time (a night time leisure activity obviously).
So here we come to the two that made all this famous.
David Farrant, who now denies any of this has to do with Dracula, vampyrzs or any other related mirth, although he does state it was no hoax, did kick most of this off. David was one of a member of an occult group that was frequenting the Highgate cemetary in order to undertake ritualistic practices. One night he thouht he should stay the night there (why not eh? any other normal person would do exactly the same). Whilst undertaking this crazy thought he was witness to a grey figure which he considered to be of supernatural means. He wrote a letter about this in the local rag and asked if others had seen this or similar occurance and on the 13th (anything sus there?) received several replies (all signed Vlad or E. Bathory??). Anyway the replies all said they had seen a grey ghostly figure in the cemetary or vicinity of Swains Lane but none could give the same description of the ghouls image.
Sean Manchester on the other hand wrote a letter to the same local rag, the Hampstead and Highgate Express, stating that he believed the ghostly figure to be an undead king vampire or as he better puts it, "a King Vampire of the Undead" (I like that, it possesses a certain ring to it). This King Vampire was a great nobleman from the medieval times in Wallachia (known location of the beloved, or dreaded, Count Vlad Dracule the Impaler) and Sean Manchester believed him to have arrived in London, England in the early 18th Century. Sean goes on to state that he believed occultists who were practising the dark arts in that cemetary had aroused the mysterious figure and that the body shoudl be found and staked, even though this would be illegal.
After this Sean Manchester and David Farrant had a little war of words and the hype around the Highgate cemetary and attached Swains Lane grew further until ITV covered it. A mass vampire hunt was organised to occur on the 13th day (consequently a Friday) of March 1970 of which reached a mas rally that police could not control. The village of Highgate was under attack, but this time by lots of Buffy the Vampire Slayer types, although back then maybe they were more Abraham Van Helsing types.
So how does this modern day legend fit into the history of vampyres (or wampyres as one local rag put it). Well we have already discussed Sean Manchesters theory that the vampire came from Wallachia, the home of Dracula, so could it be a descendant or the one and only Count Dracula himself. But then it could be Elizabeth Bathory related also as she herself was from the same region. Hang on a minute, I think this needs further investigation. Could they both be related???? Could this be the missing link of the history of vampires. Matbe this Legend is only just beginning. Is that the last of the shenanigans (or shall I keep spelling it schenanegans). Maybe there are more Highgate stories to tell. I shall have a look into this some more and report back very shortly. Sweet dreams.............
Wednesday
The Highgate Vampire Legend
The Vampire Legends continue with one of the most notorious modern day myths around vampirism - The Highgate Vampire.
Quite simple. Its a vampire legend based around London (thats in England, UK for all you geography buffs) and in particular the Highgate Cemetary around the 1960s & 70s. No links have been made to Dracula but Im sure it s only tiem before theres mention of Count Dracula in London. In fact I'm sure I saw Dracula only last week, or was that a dream.
The claims come from (in the main) two different sources who didnt want to remain anonymous at all and even have their own websites based on Vampires and the Highgate mystery. These two young gentleman went by the names David Farrant and Sean Manchester.
Quite frankly from what I can gather they are a couple of degenerates who heard some rumours that had started in the local vicinity and decided to hype it up some more for their own fame and fortune. There are many strange stories around this legend from many different sources but the names seem to be kept back for purposes of anonymity or quite frankly they were made up. Now let me say this. I dont believe this to be made up, but I dont believe it to be true either, however there may be some truth in it or it may have been a story concocted from a cult horror movie. Now this blog isnt here to rubbish vampire legends or support them, just merely present them in a manner I am accustomed to. Am I right for doing this so. Why not? Its good to have some objectivity on the web for once. So the next thing I need to do is tell you some of the stories.
The Legend begins in 1963 when two young (16 year olds but no report of whether they were sexy or not) convent girls were walking home late at night (very stupid thing to do as we have learnt many times from horror flicks!!). Believe it or not they walked right passed the Highgate cemetary in London (another very silly thing to do) on Swains Lane. There in front of them appeared bodies raising themselves right out of their graves and tombs. And there the story stops. We do not find out if these fair young maidens are sacrificed or escape although common sense says so as the story survives, unless of course it was reported by a witness!!
There was another incident down Swains Lane when a lady reported seeing a hideous figure hovering behind the North Gate of the cemetary. Apparently its face had an expression of tremendous terror. And another incident of similar stature was reported a few weeks later. Now as far as Im concerned that sounds like a pretty good zombie trick by some drunken students from nearby college or university. It would be interesting to find out the time of year these sightings occurred. Any where near Halloween I wonder. To go with these stories blood drained animal bodies were found in the vacinity and then the Vampire link was made.
In 1971 a young 'maiden' reported seeing and being attacked by a vampire. This seems very unlikely to me as I imagine not surviving a vampire attack or even if I did I would be 'turning'. Apparently a car turned up just at the right moment and the vampire disapeered. Oh yeah, there was a report of a man being hypnotised by something that had approached him from behind. A tall dark figure is how he was described. Hmmm let me think about this. A London cemetary late at night, a man being approached from behind by another man in the middle of a time of sexual awakening!!! Im not going to draw any conclusions from this but I think it paints it own pretty picture dont you!?!?
One story even went so far as to state that the vampire of Highgate was seen sucking on the neck of the Queen as she went for a midnight walk (OK, that one I made up and I can categorically state that it is totally unfounded, but it would've been a better story than some of those reported).
There is more to this Highgate vampire legend but I'm going to leave it for now and entice you all with a follow up some time in the very near future. No doubt it will contain som information on the young (at the time) scruffians, Sean Manchester and David Farrant. Until then, sweet dreams.........
So Whats the Highgate Vampire?
Quite simple. Its a vampire legend based around London (thats in England, UK for all you geography buffs) and in particular the Highgate Cemetary around the 1960s & 70s. No links have been made to Dracula but Im sure it s only tiem before theres mention of Count Dracula in London. In fact I'm sure I saw Dracula only last week, or was that a dream.
The claims come from (in the main) two different sources who didnt want to remain anonymous at all and even have their own websites based on Vampires and the Highgate mystery. These two young gentleman went by the names David Farrant and Sean Manchester.
So who are David Farrant and Sean Manchester?
Quite frankly from what I can gather they are a couple of degenerates who heard some rumours that had started in the local vicinity and decided to hype it up some more for their own fame and fortune. There are many strange stories around this legend from many different sources but the names seem to be kept back for purposes of anonymity or quite frankly they were made up. Now let me say this. I dont believe this to be made up, but I dont believe it to be true either, however there may be some truth in it or it may have been a story concocted from a cult horror movie. Now this blog isnt here to rubbish vampire legends or support them, just merely present them in a manner I am accustomed to. Am I right for doing this so. Why not? Its good to have some objectivity on the web for once. So the next thing I need to do is tell you some of the stories.
So what Stories Surround the Highgate Vampire?
The Legend begins in 1963 when two young (16 year olds but no report of whether they were sexy or not) convent girls were walking home late at night (very stupid thing to do as we have learnt many times from horror flicks!!). Believe it or not they walked right passed the Highgate cemetary in London (another very silly thing to do) on Swains Lane. There in front of them appeared bodies raising themselves right out of their graves and tombs. And there the story stops. We do not find out if these fair young maidens are sacrificed or escape although common sense says so as the story survives, unless of course it was reported by a witness!!
There was another incident down Swains Lane when a lady reported seeing a hideous figure hovering behind the North Gate of the cemetary. Apparently its face had an expression of tremendous terror. And another incident of similar stature was reported a few weeks later. Now as far as Im concerned that sounds like a pretty good zombie trick by some drunken students from nearby college or university. It would be interesting to find out the time of year these sightings occurred. Any where near Halloween I wonder. To go with these stories blood drained animal bodies were found in the vacinity and then the Vampire link was made.
In 1971 a young 'maiden' reported seeing and being attacked by a vampire. This seems very unlikely to me as I imagine not surviving a vampire attack or even if I did I would be 'turning'. Apparently a car turned up just at the right moment and the vampire disapeered. Oh yeah, there was a report of a man being hypnotised by something that had approached him from behind. A tall dark figure is how he was described. Hmmm let me think about this. A London cemetary late at night, a man being approached from behind by another man in the middle of a time of sexual awakening!!! Im not going to draw any conclusions from this but I think it paints it own pretty picture dont you!?!?
One story even went so far as to state that the vampire of Highgate was seen sucking on the neck of the Queen as she went for a midnight walk (OK, that one I made up and I can categorically state that it is totally unfounded, but it would've been a better story than some of those reported).
There is more to this Highgate vampire legend but I'm going to leave it for now and entice you all with a follow up some time in the very near future. No doubt it will contain som information on the young (at the time) scruffians, Sean Manchester and David Farrant. Until then, sweet dreams.........
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