Stuart GouldenThe Militaria & Ethnographica auction at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, has a rather exciting item listed for the next auction on Friday 22 June: a rare 19th century Vampire Slaying Kit.
The kit is said to be inspired by Bram Stroker’s 1897 novel Dracula and contains a crucifix, pistol, wooden stakes and mallet, as well as glass bottles containing holy water, holy earth and garlic paste. It also contains a handwritten extract from the Bible, which reads: “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
The auction couldn’t be more timely with news of discovery of the graves of suspected vampires in Bulgaria coming to light earlier this week. During excavations of a monastery in the city of Sozopol, two skeletons were unearthed with signs the deceased had been stabbed through the heart with an iron rod to prevent them for rising and attacking the living. The discovery has caught the attention of the media worldwide and is set to be a tourism goldmine for Bulgaria.
The Vampire Slaying Kit is expected to reach £2,000 and live bidding can be viewed at www.the-saleroom.com
