In the past, vampires were considered as much a problem as witches. The Malleus Malificarum was a guidebook created by the church to deal with witches. However, it also contained information for dealing with vampires and vampirism. For an eighty-year period, vampires were declared real by the Catholic Church. Due to the overzealous reaction of various towns and villages to eradicate the vampire problem, the church renounced their claim.

All this leads to curiosity concerning how the vampire plague was spread. What created a vampire? How did others become vampires? Was it possible to spread vampirism? In the past, vampirism was caused, and spread, in numerous ways.

• From birth (and before)

A child conceived on a holy day was believed, historically, to become a vampire after death. During the pregnancy, the mother had to take care to eat, drink, and act appropriately. It was thought that if she didn’t have enough salt in her diet, her baby would come back as a vampire. Other ways to cause the baby to become a vampire were if the mother was cursed during her pregnancy, stared at by a vampire, or bitten by a vampire.

There are numerous tales concerning what days the child is born that would eventually turn them into a vampire. Holy days, new moons, or blue moons, were especially bad for the baby’s birth day. Children born with a red caul, teeth, or a third nipple were also feared. Being the seventh son of a seventh son, or seventh daughter of a seventh daughter.

• Living life

A common theory is that if a person lives their life in sin, they would later become a vampire. If they practiced witchcraft, thievery, prostitution (buying or being), or murder, was enough. Strangely, one crime in particular meant that the criminal would become a vampire: stealing the ropes used to bury the dead.

Being a werewolf in life was a sure way to become a vampire after death. Could that explain the animosity between werewolves and vampires? Possibly.

Being bitten by a vampire, and surviving, could lead to the person becoming a vampire themselves. This is only if the bite is untreated, however. Recommended treatment is to cleanse the wound with holy water, which is said to be extremely painful.

A priest who is in a state of mortal sin at the time of death could become a vampire. If he says Mass while in that state, he will definitely become a vampire.

• Death (or after)

Any violent death could cause the corpse to rise again as a blood-sucking fiend. Suicide, unavenged murder, death by vampire, and death by drowning are the most common deaths that lead to vampirism.

After death there are numerous ways for the corpse to become a vampire. An outdoor wind blowing on the corpse will cause it to rise again. The wind from the Russian Steppe is, in some locations, believed to be the only wind to do this. Animals jumping over the corpse before burial, candles being passed over the body, a shadow falling on the corpse, or even a family member sleepwalking near the deceased can cause it to become a vampire.

If the body is not buried, or has an improper burial, it can become a vampire. After burial, if the ropes used to bury the corpse are stolen, the corpse will rise again. Finally, if an animal jumps over the grave, the corpse was believed to be able to rise.

• In modern times

There are several ways to become a vampire in modern folklore. One way is to be bitten by a vampire. This leads to the death of the victim and to their return with a thirst for blood. According to various movies and books, there has to be an exchange of blood between the vampire and the victim in order for the victim to rise again.

One of the last ways to become a vampire is an unwilling or unknowing blood exchange. If a person fighting a vampire has a cut and manages to get vampire blood on the cut, they could become a vampire. 

• Conclusion

There are many ways to become a vampire. In historical folklore, many of the beliefs have since been proven to be just that: folklore. These beliefs were created during a period of high superstition and do not mean that a vampire will rise if they are born, behave, or die under unusual circumstances. Biting or exchanging blood is a more understandable theory in creating vampires.