Also Called Dashnavar, Dachnavar Category CategoryVampires | Location Armenia | |
The dakhanavar is a vampire in Armenian folklore who protected the valley from intruders, first reported in Baron August von Haxthausen's account in his 1854 publication “Transcaucasia: Sketches of the Nations and Races Between the Black Sea and the Caspian”. The Dakhanavar follows travelers until they stop for a rest, stalking their every move. When they finally stop, the vampire attacks them in their sleep, typically going for their feet. The local legend would often attack travelers in the night, sucking blood from their feet. In one legend, he was outsmarted by two men who had already heard of the vampire's habits and slept with their feet under the other's head. The vampire, thinking that they were one being with two heads and no feet, ran from the valley and was never heard from again.