We live today in a society where superstition has been pushed off to the fringes. Accepted thought is such that the everyday person scoffs at the idea of supernatural influence in the world - at least in public.
There are, however, curious incidents littered throughout history that contradict that thin façade. As many have said, reality is often stranger than fiction, and humans frequently play into events that give credence to that statement. Even in contemporary times, it is easy to see how legends and tall tales are born amongst curious and fearful human populations. True to form, a cemetery in London played host to more than one strange occurrence in 1970.
Highgate Cemetery is located In London, England and possessed a reputation for holding the rich and famous in ages past. Its most famous occupant happens to be Karl Marx, who rests underneath a large bearded bust in his likeness. He rests beside many notable people. However, after the late 1800s, the cemetery fell into a disreputable state.
As neglected graveyards often do, the now moss covered Highgate began to generate speculation as to certain undead residents. Many with interest in the paranormal staked claims of ghosts and other creatures prowling the grounds. In the late 1960s, there were reports of a tall man in a hat, an ominous gray figure, a white woman, a cyclist, pale gliding forms, ringing bells, and calling voices.
The stories quickly gained publicity due to the press and word of mouth, quickly evolving into a vampiric theory. Reportedly, a nobleman of old Wallachia, Romania who practiced black magic was brought to England in his coffin during the early eighteenth century by his followers. The rumors that circulated held that modern day Satanists had roused the “Vampire King from Wallachia” from his slumber. In fact, the paper headlined “Does a Vampyr King walk in Highgate”.
Europe is of course the birthing ground for the modern western vampire myth. There is a rich history of the “wampyr” from across the continent. The story of the “Vampire King” echoes the story of Nosferatu and Dracula where the evil count that hails from middle Europe must transport his coffin across the water to a populated place in England. He then of course, begins to feed on the innocent people there. This story plays well on cultural legends and fears, but also gained notoriety around the time of the release of The Exorcist. The movie was infamously a cultural fear-shock juggernaut. People were enraptured and scared of what lurked in the dark. So much so that events in reality were set into motion. In 1968, Tottenham Park Cemetery sees one its graves desecrated. The coffin is exhumed and staked with a cross straight through the door and into the body. The public perception was clearly escalating.
Two men came at odds during this time, and even dubiously took their feud to the media, announcing their “official” vampire hunt” would take place on Friday the 13th of March 1970.
Both self-described monster hunters, Sean Manchester and David Farrant made public statements about the cemetery and its now infamous resident. Farrant was one of the first to report a gray figure in the cemetery, while Sean Manchester commented on the legend of the “Vampire King”. Both men claimed the other was a “charlatan” and denounced one another publically. Each swore they would slay the vampire beast before the other.
Unfortunately, that night in modern Europe 1970, a vampire mob did form. The group overpowered police officers and smashed their way into the cemetery. The men and women carried garlic, stakes, and crosses. No vampires were found, but real graves were desecrated, corpses were piled, staked, and even beheaded. The monsters so it seemed, had just that night occupied the graveyard.
David Farrant received a jail sentence for vandalism and damaging the remains of those buried there. The two never relinquished their feud, and to this day there has never been a confirmed sighting of the “Vampire King of Wallachia”.
Highgate will most likely remain a hotbed of sightings, and a point of interest for those interested in the paranormal. For with the insight to see there are darker things at work than folk monsters. Perhaps in fact there is also a good deal of imagination. There is the fundamental human need to tell stories as well. In the meantime, we can appreciate this strange story as both and interesting bit of history, but also as a cautionary tale.
