12. Much European folklore links vampirism to suicide
Suicide is still a cultural taboo today, despite our greater understanding of mental health issues. Centuries ago, people weren’t as empathetic. Suicide is a Christian sin, and older Christianity explicitly states that people committing suicide go to hell. Thus it isn’t surprising that in much vampire folklore people who commit suicide return as vampires. After all, the vampire in these legends nearly always has an axe to grind or sins preventing them from rotting. It’s little wonder therefore that people feared those who committed suicide would come back to wreak havoc on earth.
