Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride

from July 21, 2008

Crossroads. Interesting places.

Centuries ago, as the superstition goes, corpses that were suspected of becoming vampires would be buried at a crossroads. The theory was that the vampire, coming out his grave, would be disoriented and confused about which way to go. Hopefully, this would make the creature easier prey for the hunters who waited for the undead to rise, usually within a fortnight after death, though sources vary widely. Anther vampire burial rite was to bury the vampire face down, so attempting to crawl out of the grave would cause the ghoul to dig downward. Suicides, not allowed to be buried in consecrated ground, would be buried at a crossroad. They were considered “wandering souls” and the many routes would keep them occupied. Witches would often be buried at a crossroads, and evil spirits were believed to dance and tempt at the crossroads. Travelers were well advised not to sleep beside or near a crossroad. They are still popular in America as strong voodoo grounds.

Crossroads are therefore very dangerous places.

Two roads. Ninety-degree angles.

Cities, Manhattan, for a prime example, are nothing but crossroads. “Crosswalks,” we call them.

Modern life has dangers aplenty at crossroads, but mostly they are pedestrian or vehicular. Dig beneath the veneer of a modern city, however. Literally. New York City is built upon ancient Indian burial grounds, slave burial grounds, and sacred sites. This is true of nearly all modern cities.

So what is modern society but a thin veneer of technology and pavement over ritual and superstition?

Tags: bmj2k, Mr. Blog, Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride, superstition, vampires