276. The Vampire Didn’t Rise in Transylvania – The True Origins of the Undead with Nick Jubber

The vampire didn’t rise from Transylvania — it crawled out of the Balkans.Forget Count Dracula — before Stoker’s gothic horror came centuries of chilling folklore, blood-soaked superstition, and very real vampire panics. In this spine-tingling episode, travel writer and award-winning author Nick Jubber joins Paul Bavill to rage against the myth that vampires were born in Transylvania.From Serbian graveyards and Croatian legends to the age of Enlightenment and Hammer Horror, Nick traces how fear, politics, and imagination turned the undead into one of history’s most enduring monsters. Discover how the printing press helped spread vampire hysteria, how priests profited from graveyard rituals, and why monsters mirror humanity’s deepest desires and darkest fears.Whether you’re a folklore fan or just love a good supernatural tale, this episode will have you rethinking everything you thought you knew about the vampire myth.🎙️ In This EpisodeThe real Balkan origins of the vampire legendHow Enlightenment science and superstition collidedWhy Bram Stoker didn’t invent Dracula’s fangs — he borrowed themWhat connects Byron, Polidori, and the birth of gothic horrorWhy monsters never die — they just evolve with us👤 Guest: Nick JubberNick Jubber is a writer, traveller and author of Monsterland, a journey through history, folklore, and our fascination with monsters. His work has taken him across continents exploring how stories shape societies.📚 Buy his book: Monsterland: A Journey Around the World’s Dark Imaginationhttps://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781915590299 🌐 Website: www.nickjubber.com 📸 Instagram: @NickJubber💥 Support History RageIf you’re loving History Rage — help keep the rage alive!Ad-free listening: from just £3/month on Apple Podcasts or Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/historyrageAll-access membership: £5/month gets you early releases, bonus episodes, and the coveted History Rage mug ☕Or simply tell a friend — the best way to support independent history podcasting.🔗 Follow History Rage📲 Twitter / X: @HistoryRage 📸 Instagram: @HistoryRage 🌍 Website: www.historyragepod.com 💬 Email: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.