10. Abhartach
Abhartach, an Irish chieftain from County Derry, is renowned in folklore for his tyrannical rule and alleged practice of dark magic. After his death, he was buried upright, a traditional chieftain’s burial. However, he reemerged, demanding blood from his subjects. A neighboring chieftain, Cathán, consulted a druid, who advised that Abhartach was a ‘neamh-mairbh’ (undead). To permanently defeat him, Cathán used a yew wood sword, buried Abhartach upside down, surrounded the grave with thorns, and placed a heavy stone atop it (guardianlv.com). This tale is considered by some scholars as an early inspiration for vampire legends, including Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’.
