Vrykolakas

A vrykolakas (Greek: βρυκόλακας or βρικόλακας, pronounced [vriˈkolakas]) is a harmful undead creature in Greek folklore. Similar terms such as vourkolakas (βουρκόλακας), vourvoulakas (βουρβούλακας), vorvolakas (βορβόλακας), vourvolakas (βουρβόλακας), and vourdoulakas (βουρδούλακας) were also used for the creature.

It shares similarities with numerous other legendary creatures, but is generally equated with the vampire of the folklore of the neighbouring Slavic countries. While the two are very similar, a vrykolakas eats flesh, particularly livers, rather than drinking blood, which combined with other factors such as its appearance bring it more in line with the modern concept of a zombie or ghoul.

Etymology

The word vrykolakas is derived from the Bulgarian word върколак (vǎrkolak). This term for werewolves in Slavic mythology is attested in other Slavic languages and cognates can be found in other nearby languages such as Lithuanian and Romanian. The term originally meant "werewolf"; it still has that meaning in the modern Slavic languages, and a similar one in Romanian. However, the same word (in the form vukodlak) has come to be used in the sense of "vampire" in the folklore of Croatia and Montenegro while the term "vampir" is more common in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Apparently, the two concepts have become somewhat mixed. Even in Bulgaria, original folklore generally describes the vǎrkolak as a sub-species of the vampire without any wolf-like features.