27. In German folklore, Nachzehrer chewed on their burial shrouds
A Nachzehrer (‘night-waster’) is a vampiric creature from Germany. Legend has it that a Nachzehrer is created when a coin is not placed in a dead person’s mouth. Other explanations say a Nachzehrer is the first victim of a plague. The creature remains undead, chewing its burial shroud and sending its spirit out to harm the living. When the shroud is consumed, the Nachzehrer‘s family dies. They sometimes leave the grave physically to eat the dead bodies surrounding them. Vampire shroud-eating is grounded in reality. Mouth bacteria often decayed the burial shroud, which thus looked like the corpse had nibbled it.
