In the midst of border disputes between the English and Scots and the threat of plague, a recent monster began to lurk in a murky alley. The Vampire of Berwick is one of the oldest vampire stories from Britain.
Berwick was besieged more often than any other city in the world except Jerusalem, changing hands 13 times between England and Scotland and as a cultural identity there was no agreement as to who they were between them. It also contains more than one vampire story, one from a time before the term vampire even existed.
In the shadow of the antique ramparts and along the foggy streets of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the sinister tale of the Berwick Vampire unfolds. Although much less known than its Eastern European counterparts, this chilling account has earned a place in folklore as one of the earliest recorded vampire encounters in Britain.
A city haunted by blood and death
The story takes us back to the medieval period, when Berwick was a common victim of the border wars between England and Scotland in the 12th century. Life was brutal and death was her constant companion. Among the many stories of plagues, battles and sorcery that circulated during these turbulent centuries, the legend of the bloodthirsty specter gained prominence.
As the story goes, a local man of ill repute – sometimes described as a wealthy landowner or merchant – died suddenly, his life taken by an unspecified disease or vice. It is sometimes said that everyone believed him to be an sincere citizen and that his misdeeds and corruption were only discovered after his death.
This is why he was denied burial on consecrated ground when he died of the plague. Death gave him no peace. A few days after his burial, villagers began to whisper about a pale figure wandering the streets after murky. Farm animals were found drained of blood, and children complained of nightmares and unexplained bruises upon waking.
The reign of terror of the vampires
It didn't take long for these sightings to take a darker turn. Residents claimed to have encountered a corpse-like figure of a man lurking in cemeteries and near the city walls. Those who stood in his way reported feeling intense, unnatural chilly and a sense of impending doom. It is also said that two children were missing and everyone believed it must have been him.
As he ran down the street, a pack of howling dogs followed him, keeping all the residents awake. He shouted: “Until my body is burned, you, the people of Berwick, will have no peace!“
Vampire hunting
The villagers gathered and decided to fight the vampire after being forced inside after murky for several days. Ten youthful farmers were selected to dig up his body, cut it into pieces and burn it.
So they did, but that wasn't the end of their misfortunes. After burning it to ashes, the plague returned and took away half of Berwick's population. As the dead were being buried, the villagers insisted that they heard the sounds of a vampire being followed by his pack of dogs.
The Legacy of the Berwick Vampire
Berwick's legend also highlights that vampire hysteria in the Middle Ages and early current period was often accompanied by outbreaks of disease and unexplained deaths as communities attempted to explain misfortune by supernatural causes as well as border disputes. Something that many of the vampire legends we have from William Newburgh share, like the story of the Berwick Vampire.
Today, Berwick-upon-Tweed is a picturesque town known for its Elizabethan walls and seaside charm. But for those who listen carefully, especially as the fog rolls in from the North Sea, elderly stories still remain. Locals still recall the antique tale of the Berwick Vampire – a reminder of a time when the veil between life and death seemed dangerously lean and the dead were not always content to be buried.
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The Berwick Vampire: The blood-soaked legend of Berwick-upon-Tweed
In the midst of border disputes between the English and Scots and the threat of plague, a recent monster began to lurk in a murky alley. The Vampire of Berwick is one of the oldest vampire stories from Britain.
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Vampires from the borders of Scotland and England | MJ Wayland
The Vampires of Berwick and Melrose
The Vampire of Berwick upon Tweed
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