Highgate Vampire
Episodes of alleged vampire activity reported in Highgate Cemetery in north London. The case reached a peak in the media in the early 1970s, but reports of vampire activity continued for years.
Consecrated in 1839, Highgate Cemetery is famous for its Victorian crypts and tombs, which lend it a spooky atmosphere. Rumours of ghosts and dark figures moving about the Cemetery at night are a permanent part of its
history.
The Highgate Vampire case began around 1967 with reports of a phantom figure seen gliding about the older, western side of the cemetery at dusk. Dead animals, mostly foxes and other nocturnal creatures, began to appear in nearby Waterlow Park and the cemetery. The animals reportedly were lacerated around the throat and drained of blood. In February 1970, the local press speculated on the presence of a vampire, and suddenly the “Highgate Vampire” was a sensation.
A mass vampire hunt by self-proclaimed Vampire Hunters was organized for the night of Friday, March 13, 1970. Hundreds of vampire hunters invaded the cemetery, armed with wooden STAKES, GARLIC, and CROSSES. No vampire was found, but the cemetery suffered vandalism and theft damages amounting to £9,000 to £10,000. The vandals left behind graffiti and the exhumed remains of a female CORPSE, and stole lead from COFFINS.
As lurid stories fueled more interests, vampire hunters and the curious continued to enter the cemetery at night. In 1974, a group of vampire hunters claimed they had found the vampire and had destroyed it, but others disputed this.
In October 1975, the Friends of Highgate Cemetery was formed to protect the interests of Highgate Cemetery as a national monument and historical burial ground, to represent the interests of grave owners, to secure public access to the grounds and to sponsor conservation of the cemetery. To discourage occult activity and vandalism, the cemetery was closed at night and access was severely restricted.
From 1977 to 1980, mysterious animal deaths were reported in the areas near Highgate Cemetery. The bodies of pets and various small wild animals were found with wounds in their throats. It was speculated that dogs or wild animals were the culprits, but the “vampire theory” also stayed in circulation.
SEE ALSO:
FURTHER READING:
- Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. Vampires Among Us. New York: Pocket Books, 1991.
- Slemen, Thomas. Strange But True: Mysterious and Bizarre People. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1998.
SOURCE:
The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters – Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley – Copyright © 2005 by Visionary Living, Inc.