April 11, 2007 (wired news) -- Auction hounds are snapping up "vampire killing kits" and "vampire hunting kits" manufactured by a nineteenth century quack named Ernst Blomberg. The kits, which have been found in Australia and sold by at least two auction houses (including Southebys, reportedly for $12,000), include silver bullets, a wooden stake, holy water, and other important vampire-destroying items.

Back in 2003, Gunbroker.com auctioned off one of the kits, and posted a transcription of the instructions that came with the original box:

Vampire Killing Kit

The accoutrements for the destruction of the Vampire

This box contains the items considered necessary for the protection of persons who travel into certain little known countries in Easter Europe where the populace are plagued with a peculiar manifestation of evil, known as Vampires... Professor Ernst Blomberg respectfully requests that the purchaser of this kit carefully studies his book. Should evil manifestations become apparent, he is then equiped to deal with them efficiently... Professor Blomberg wishes to announce his grateful thanks to that well known gunmaker of Liege, Nicholas Plombeur, whose help in compiling of the special items, the silver bullets,etc., has been most efficient. The items enclosed are as follows...

1. An efficient pistol with its usual accoutrements
2. A quantity of bullets of the finest silver
3. Powdered flowers of garlic (one phial)
4. Flour of Brimstone (one phial)
5. Wooden stake (Oak)
6. Ivory crucifix
7. Holy Water (one phial)
8. Professer Blomberg's New Serum

One wonders most about item #8. A "new serum"? Everything else seems perfectly reasonable, at least to this avid watcher of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm guessing that these vampire killing kits were all over the place in junk shops of the nineteenth century, and that they're coming to our attention now mostly because browsable auction sites make it easier for the general public to see the crazy shit that routinely gets auctioned off to antiquarians.

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Posted by Vladimir Thu, 04/12/2007 - 17:37

 

Alone

Cold autumn evenings,
looking out a window at the fading light,
winter seeping into weary bones,
thoughts turn to friends empty, pity filled hugs,
wondering if that is all that is left for me.

Only wanting to love, to be close to someone
but I get only to watch others walk hand in
hand, seperated, as if I'm in a glass cage.

Helpless, unknowing how to deal with all these
pain filled feelings.

Trying to keep hope but always losing sight.

Looking around and seeing friends full of love

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I await eagerly for my vampire mate, So together we can spend eternity,fate.

Regret

There I sat, droopy and depressed, This is all there is, I should've guessed.

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The Vampire in History

They swept across the Bosphorus and into Eastern Europe with a vengeance, conquering the squabbling Slavs with ease. With them, they brought their middle eastern civilization, and some of their beliefs, but mostly they brought suffering. Suffering in the form of syphilis, leprosy, smallpox, tuberculosis... and God Himself seemed to turn against them, sending flood, earthquakes, and plague.

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A Game of Love ... Blood

Set my mentor, Egyptian God of evil and darkness,
Has given me the dark gift,
A prisoner of the night am I,
A rich Dacian merchant in ancient Rome,
It was there that I met my fair Olivia.

In the early hours of twilight she emerged from the Coliseum,
More beautiful than a Carpathian rose that blooms in the early Spring,
Her essence, naive, sweet and pure,
I looked into her eyes,
Suddenly I was aware,
That it was only for her that my heart did beat!

For centuries the joy of love had evaded me!

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