How did the old legends about a vampire's OCD-like obsession with counting poppy seeds / rice get started?

Question

After admittedly minimal research, it is clear that the Chinese, Hungarians, Poles and a number of others believe that the best way to escape a pursuing vampire is to scatter poppy seeds on the ground and it has to pick them up. Similarly the Chinese believed that filling a casket with rice would prevent the creature from rising at night because it would never finish grain counting before sunrise. (I am assuming you have heard that vampires have to get out of the light during the day.) I'm trying to figure out the root of this superstition and why this bizarre counting belief seems to exist in geographically separate communities. Even the character on sesame street was made to count so I've got to figure the legend is both widespread and based on something historical.

Answer 1

Apparently, the blood disorder known as porphyria was mistaken for vampirism in the old days. Some forms of porphyria have been associated with neurological disorders. Therefore, psychiatric problems, which might explain the OCD.



It might also explain why The Count from Sesame Street likes counting so much. Ha Ha!

Answer 2

the superstition I believe started from the hungarians, with the idea that a vampire, being undead would naturally feel attracted to things of the living. once these seeds were scattered with total disregard, the vampire would notice this appalling fact in his/her subconscious and out of reverence for its beauty, pick the grain up. the counting part, is the fact that the supernatural always are in a higher state of mind where all things must be orderly or they are unfunctional. its a respect thing for the earth. also, the grain is sacred to life, one yearns, for that which one cannot have. that once they could.

Answer 3

Vampires feed off of life and energy to survive and perpetuate their existence.



Can you think of any more Life Energy than by a seeding plant by the dozens or hundreds?

Answer 4

I think it's in the Dracula novel