First Vampire Poem – Der Vampir
The poem Der Vampir is believed to be the first poem about vampires. Written over 250 years ago in 1748 by poet Heinrich August Ossenfelder, the poem is not bloody and violent as you might expect it might be considering how vampires were thought to be at the time, but rather it talks about the kiss of a vampire. Here is the complete poem, translated from it’s original version:
Der Vampir (The Vampire)
by Heinrich August Ossenfelder
My dear young maiden clingeth
Unbending. fast and firm
To all the long-held teaching
Of a mother ever true;
As in vampires unmortal
Folk on the Theyse’s portal
Heyduck-like do believe.
But my Christine thou dost dally,
And wilt my loving parry
Till I myself avenging
To a vampire’s health a-drinking
Him toast in pale tockay.
And as softly thou art sleeping
To thee shall I come creeping
And thy life’s blood drain away.
And so shalt thou be trembling
For thus shall I be kissing
And death’s threshold thou’ it be crossing
With fear, in my cold arms.
And last shall I thee question
Compared to such instruction
What are a mother’s charms?
(And here is the German version)
Der Vampir, By: Heinrich August Ossenfelder
Mein liebes Mägdchen glaubet
Beständig steif und feste,
An die gegebnen Lehren
Der immer frommen Mutter;
Als Völker an der Theyse
An tödtliche Vampiere
Heyduckisch feste glauben.
Nun warte nur Christianchen,
Du willst mich gar nicht lieben;
Ich will mich an dir rächen,
Und heute in Tockayer
Zu einem Vampir trinken.
Und wenn du sanfte schlummerst,
Von deinen schönen Wangen
Den frischen Purpur saugen.
Alsdenn wirst du erschrecken,
Wenn ich dich werde küssen
Und als ein Vampir küssen:
Wenn du dann recht erzitterst
Und matt in meine Arme,
Gleich einer Todten sinkest
Alsdenn will ich dich fragen,
Sind meine Lehren besser,
Als deiner guten Mutter?








I like that poem. Its quite interesting. It has a reference to romania in it that most people may not notice. It mentions drinking tockay, which may be tokay, a type of alcoholic drink found thereabouts.
Most of the orginal stuff about vamps was actually considered to be pornographic.
@Dynomutt: Thats actually quite funny hehe
@Aconissa:
Very.
ok i cannot understand lol XD