From Book Two of the Eyrbyggia Saga: There were once two great Icelandic warriors, Aswid and Asmund. They were not only the greatest of generals, but they were also blood brothers. One of them suggested, as they grew older, that they should make a death pact -- that when one of them died, the other would go to the grave with his friend. They both agreed to this and swore on their blood.

It came to pass that Aswid grew ill and died. All of the people mourned, and there was many days of funeral rites and feasting, to commemerate the fallen hero. True to his oath, Asmund followed his friend to the grave, despite the protests of other close friends and advisors. Asmund was sealed alive in the tomb with the body of his friend and many other tributes to entertain the dead in the afterlife, such as food, horses, Aswid's favorite dog and weapons.

Before Asmund had decided how best to kill himself, Aswid awoke from his death sleep. Rising as a vampire, he first consumed the body of his dog, then of the horses. He then turned his attention on his friend, and attacked him with a demonic fury. Taking up a sword, Aswid fought off his former friend.

Some three hundred years later, several daring young men set off to the tomb of the famous warriors. Despite warnings of the tomb being haunted, and of the religious implications of disturbing the dead, the brave young men went to the grave and opened it. Hearing sounds of struggle, one man volunteered to go down into the tomb. Lowering him on a rope, he went down to investigate. The friends called to him after several minutes, then were met by a great tug on the rope. They pulled the rope up, only to find an old-fashioned armored warrior at the end of it. Trying to catch his breath, Asmund told them of the story of Aswid rising as a vampire and trying to kill him. He had been fighting for his life for three hundred years, and had succeeded only when the young man had appeared, offering a distraction. With that, he fell over dead.

The young men, realizing the bravery of the warrior Asmund, buried him in the tomb with full honor, their companion beside him. They took the decapitated body of Aswid out and burned it, scattering his ashes to the wind.

Posted by Dracula's Guest Thu, 05/24/2007 - 10:45

 

Chapter 11

The music of Reginald Clarke's intonation captivated every ear. Voluptuously, in measured cadence, it rose and fell; now full and strong like the sound of an organ, now soft and clear like the tinkling of bells. His voice detracted by its very tunefulness from what he said. The powerful spell charmed even Ernest's accustomed ear.

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The End

The sky is so deep, so dark

The light of the stars is so damn stark

When I look into the heavens, I fill with fear

If all we have, is what lies hear

in this lonely world, this troubled place

With cold dead stars and empty space

I see no reason to persevere

No reason to laugh nor to weep

None to sleep or ever to wake

No promises to keep or none to make

And so at night, I still look upon the heavens

To study the clear, but mysterious skies

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Dracula

Countless killers during the 20th century have been inspired by the predatory and seductive manner of the most famous vampire in fiction and film, Count Dracula. Published in 1897 in England, the novel Dracula has never been out of print. According to vampire scholar Martin V. Riccardo, of the approximately 300 vampire movies made since Bela Lugosi played the bloodsucker on the silver screen in 1931, a third have been about the character of Dracula.

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Kristy Swanson beats up non-vampire

June 18, 2007 (dose.ca / Kat Angus) -- It's been 15 years since she starred in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but Kristy Swanson is still kicking some ass. People reports that Swanson, 37, was arrested Saturday night (June 16) for allegedly assaulting Marcia O'Brien, the ex-wife of Swanson's boyfriend, figure skater Lloyd Eisler.

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The Kiss of Death

The nefarious activities of Bela Kiss started with his wife's infidelity. In Czinkota, Hungary, Bela Kiss married a pretty woman 15 years his junior. She took up with a neighbor, and in 1912 they both disappeared. Kiss said that she'd run away.

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