You might say somebody had a stake in the auction's outcome...

Brought to my attention by the wonderful and magical world of Dark Roasted Blend: a recent estate auction featured a pretty cool and allegedly authentic antique vampire hunting kit from the 19th century:



It indeed appears to be pretty thorough and in order, including:

...stakes, mirrors, a gun with silver bullets, crosses, a Bible, holy water, candles and even garlic, all housed in a American walnut case with a carved cross on top....


You have to wonder: somebody's serious kit, rigged out for a night of slaying, or someone's idea of a rich (and pretty cool) joke? If the former... wow. If the latter... did they even have geeks in the 1800s?

I mean, this is exactly the kind of thing I or a lot of my friends would own or consider owning as a helluva awesome conversation piece, and I know if I saw it sitting in a friend's home I'd think it was pretty freaking slick. Oh yeah, I know the silver bullets are for lycanthropes, but vamps and werewolves tend to run together, so it doesn't hurt to be prepared.... And then I'm sure everybody would be in the mood for a go at Fury Of Dracula. Hell, just looking at the picture just put me in the mood for a game.

The article doesn't tell us who spent the $14,850 on the vampire kit, but in my heart of hearts I'm pretty sure it was a magical redhead, formerly of California and now living in England, who expense-accounted it to the secret organization she's presently working for as a birthday present for her best friend from high school. Call it a hunch.


Comments

That garlic looks suspiciously fresh.
mattw said…
Michelle, it is obviously garlic that has been blessed by a priest of the highest order, and part of that process means that the garlic is pure and would therefore never succumb to rot or decay of any kind.
Jim Wright said…
So, undead garlic then?


Also, wouldn't garlic powder be a better choice? Lasts longer, easier to deploy (think blow gun).


Dark Roasted Blend, one of my very favorite sites.
Would garlic power really be the same Jim?

It's think garlic *oil* would work better.
Jim Wright said…
Well, that's what I'm asking here. Maybe garlic oil in a squirt gun - or holy water in a super soaker? What about a fire truck pumper loaded with holy water and galic oil based foam?
mattw said…
Oh, I'm sure a vampire hunter would love to have a fire truck pumper loaded with holy water and galic oil based foam, but your average vampire hunter doesn't have those kind of resources, and what if you've hunted the vampire down into the sewers? Now the super soaker/squirt gun angle might work, but they would have to be reinforced to withstand the abuse they would undoubtedly receive on the average vampire hunt.
So here's a stupid question.

How do you fend off Jewish and Hindu vampires?

Garlic and a stake through the heart seem like they'd work universally, but if you're a Christian vampire, can you just move to the middle east to make life safer?
Eric said…
How do you fend off Jewish and Hindu vampires?

Jewish vampires are harmless because blood isn't kosher (cf. Leviticus 17:10).

I'll have to think about Hindu vampires a little more. ;-)
Jewish vampires are harmless because blood isn't kosher

1. Once someone has been made into a zombie, I'm not sure that they're going to be too concerned about keeping kosher.

2. According to my extensive five minute internet research, there may be debate as to whether human blood is treyf or not. Additionally, kosher laws are (I believe) traditionally suspended if it is a life or death circumstance. If vampires can survive only on blood, then in theory, it should be kosher for them to dink blood as long as they do not kill the creature from which they are drinking.

3. Kosher rules are for living humans. As vampires have died and then risen again, would they remain bound by kosher rules?
ACK!
Once someone has been made into a vampire.

Damned zombies.

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