Vampire pumpkins and watermelons facts for kids
 "Blood" forms naturally on a
few square centimeters of the outside of an aged watermelon. Another picture shows the whole melon |
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| Grouping | Folklore |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Vampire |
| Country | Various |
| Region | Balkans |
Have you ever heard of a vampire pumpkin? In the Balkans, a region in southeastern Europe, there's an old folk legend about pumpkins and watermelons turning into vampires! This story comes from the Romani people, who have many traditional vampire tales.
This idea is a bit like believing that any object left out during a full moon could become a vampire. People thought a pumpkin or melon was becoming a vampire if a tiny drop of 'blood' appeared on its skin.
Contents
Discovering Vampire Fruits
The only known record of this belief comes from a researcher named Tatomir Vukanović. He wrote about his travels in Serbia between 1933 and 1948. Years later, he shared what he learned about these unusual vampire stories.
How Pumpkins Become Vampires
Vukanović heard these stories from Romani people in Kosovo. They believed that only pumpkins and watermelons could turn into vampires. This change often happened if the fruits were kept for more than ten days.
People said that these gathered pumpkins would start to stir and make a sound like "brrrl, brrrl, brrrl!" They would even shake by themselves. Sometimes, a trace of blood was seen on the pumpkin. That's when people would say it had become a vampire.
What Vampire Fruits Do
These vampire pumpkins and melons were believed to move around at night. They would go near houses, stables, and rooms. People thought they could cause some harm, but not anything too serious. So, people weren't very scared of them.
Some Romani groups had other beliefs. In one village, people thought pumpkins kept after Christmas would turn into vampires. Another group believed it happened if a dried pumpkin, used as a syphon, stayed unopened for three years.
Getting Rid of Vampire Fruits
If a pumpkin or melon became a vampire, people had a way to destroy it. They would put the fruit into a pot of boiling water. After that, they would pour out the water. Then, they would scrub the fruit with a broom and throw it away. The broom used for scrubbing would also be burned.
Are These Stories Real?
Today, it might seem strange to believe in vampire pumpkins. But the old stories and superstitions of Romani culture are very well known. The Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society has many articles about Romani tales. These stories were often passed down by word of mouth.
Sometimes, these tales were just scary stories. Other times, they included beliefs about what would happen if you didn't respect the dead. In this way, vampire pumpkins and watermelons fit right in with other old superstitions.
Vampire Fruits in Pop Culture
This unique legend became more widely known thanks to famous books and comics.
Terry Pratchett's Books
The story was made popular by Terry Pratchett's 1998 book, Carpe Jugulum. This is a funny fantasy novel that uses many vampire legends. Pratchett said he didn't invent the vampire watermelon story himself. He found it in older records.
Other Appearances
You can find this story in other works too. Jan L. Perkowski's 1976 book reprinted Vukanović's original account. The webcomic Digger also features a field of vampire squash. These squash often look like butternut squash. Thomm Quackenbush's Night Dream series and some recent popular books about vampires also mention these unusual plant vampires.
Bunnicula Series
Vampire vegetables are very important in the Bunnicula series of children's books. These popular books were written by James and Deborah Howe. In these stories, a mysterious rabbit named Bunnicula sucks the juice out of vegetables, leaving them white!
