Reddit mentions of Introduction to Folklore: Traditional Studies in Europe and Elsewhere

It is, perhaps, a matter of modern folklore that there is a basis in reality for every legend. One need not chase what is "behind" the stories that have been told to be believed, because people tell stories regardless of what reality might dictate. Real things can reinforce tradition, but they are not necessarily the cause of them - otherwise all cultures would have basically the same traditions. All people live in the real world and all people tell stories about the supernatural or the extraordinary that are intended to be believed. As proof of those stories, people seek evidence in reality to reinforce belief, but that proof is not necessarily the cause of the tradition.

I suppose type 1 diabetes might have reinforced a belief in blood-sucking walking dead (I have not seen a discussion of this possibility, but it may be out there). Certainly the after-death functions of decomposition reinforced the tradition also: bodily fluids erupting from the mouth, the tightening of the mouth and other tissues to make it seem that the dead's teeth have grown, and other attributes of a decaying corpse would have reinforced the idea that the dead had been walking around eating blood.

At the core of the eastern European vampire tradition is the idea that the dead can, indeed, get up and walk around. This is wrapped up with an ongoing cultural debate as to when exactly death has occurred. For many cultures death was a gray zone rather than a specific moment, and because people saw this as an ambiguous transition, the dying could be in touch with the dead, and those whom we would identify as dead could cling to behaviors we see as the exclusive privilege of the living: namely, the dead could walk, talk, eat, have sex, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. That is why many cultures have strict codes about how a body must be properly handled and disposed of, and when proper ritual does not seem to do the trick, then there were specific things that needed to be done at the grave or with the unearthed corpse to put things to right. We cannot look for a specific disease as the source of these sorts of traditions; rather a disease can reinforce a belief if it seems to fit in to what is going on as seen through the cultural lens of folklore.

The following is an excerpt from my Introduction to Folklore that may help:

>Ceremonies associated with death were perhaps most endowed with ritual and magical practices. Death was an opportunity to ensure the eternal well-being of a friend or relative. It could also provide the living with a powerful supernatural ally. Burial practices in Western Europe generally reflect positive attitudes toward the dead. The farther to the east in Europe one looks, one finds cultures increasingly concerned with the possibility of the dead walking after death. People regarded the deceased as malevolent and dangerous. These generalizations can be easily challenged by contrary examples from various regions; the diversity of humanity is key even though there are regional trends.

>There is archaeological evidence of feelings toward the dead. In Western Europe, Neolithic societies buried the deceased in collective mounds where the bones accumulated. People made seasonal gifts at the entrances to these chambers apparently to procure continued good will from the otherworld and to ensure that departed loved ones would have a comfortable existence. In the east, prehistoric burials were typically solitary. It is not uncommon to find remains that were tightly bound in a fetal position. Individuals who seem to have inspired the most concern had rocks shoved into their mouths and large stones placed above their burials. These were apparently intended to keep the dead from talking and from walking from the grave. This sort of archaeological evidence can also be found in burials from historic periods. Again, any effort to see these contrasting traditions as rigidly defined by geography is called to question by exceptions.

>The Eastern European tradition of the walking dead has diffused into North America thanks to the literary and cinematic use of the Nosferatu, the vampire. That said, the idea of walking corpses cannot be regarded as entirely an eastern phenomenon: the animated dead also played an important role in medieval Icelandic sagas. Here, the aptrganga maður – the “after walking man” – was especially troublesome and required the bravery and strength of a great hero to end its reign of terror. Chopping off the head of the corpse and placing it between the body’s legs was one of the only ways to put these monsters to rest.

>Throughout European peasant society, there was also a great deal of concern about determining when a person had “passed over.” In modern times, it may seem obvious that death occurs when the heart stops. Even today, however, the line between life and death can be vague, occasionally requiring a judicially-determined definition. And even this can become the subject of political squabbling. In the modern world, death can be defined as brain-dead, but then there can be a question about whether it is appropriate, ethical, or legal to “pull the plug” to stop the heart from beating when the brain ceases to function. In traditional European society, the line between life and death was far more ambiguous. A person still living by today’s standards could cross over into the domain of death because of a disease, immense old age, or because of a curse. A large catch of fish or some other extraordinary circumstance might also signal the transition even when dealing with a healthy, young person.

>In the Icelandic sagas, these people were feigr, or “fated to die.” This is echoed in the archaic English word “fey” as in “he had a fey look about him.” In other words, the person was destined to die, and somehow the shadow of death had already descended over him even though his heart continued to beat. A person who had made this transition withdrew from normal society and activities, preparing to die. Society regarded the person as essentially dead.
In the same way, the dead could do almost as much as the living.

>Medieval stories tell of the dead walking, talking, eating, and having sex. Obviously, such occurrences were to be feared and there were many rituals and forms of magic intended to keep the dead in the peaceful quiet of eternal sleep. In contrast, there was also a wide variety of magical practices available for the brave few who would call upon the dead to do their bidding.

Beginning initially with Celtic Studies, I tracked into Early Irish Literature and Language (involving what might be popularly thought of as mythology, primarily study of Otherworld motifs in early Irish-language narratives) before later also side-tracking into a degree in Folklore within the auspices of the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin, also with a focus in diachronic study of Otherworld motifs in modern and medieval contexts. Though I am a lapsed Celticist-stroke-Folklorist at this stage.

While there are a number of programs available throughout the world, depending on what areas of study are of interest, if you are American I would suggest looking into the Folklore Institute at Indiana University Bloomington, which has numerous folklore luminaries amongst her alumnae and emeriti. /u/itsallfolklore would be better able to offer suggestions and guidance regarding options within the American domain, though I would pre-emptively recommend his ready-on-hand and excellent, Introduction to Folklore. Richard Dorson's Folklore and Folklife (University of Chicago Press, 1972) is another classic, if somewhat more aged, general introduction.

If you are European, or have European-contexted interests, I can offer some further suggestions for programs and institutions.

Folklore and/or Ethnology are relatively small fields, and have a disproportionate number of independent scholars in their ranks in part due to the comparative lack of avenues for formal training or professional support. It can be an expensive and challenging area, depending on the resources available, to pursue purely within the academy. Study of folklore or mythology, to some measure or definition, within the context of other disciplines, is not uncommon, though I couldn't comment with experience in that regard.

If your particular interests lay outside the American- or Anglo-spheres, I would strongly recommend developing your language skills immediately in regards to your preferred area. In addition to your preferred L2s, German and Swedish would also be exceptionally valuable in terms of Folkloristic scholarship.

Within my means to do so, I would be happy to assist you if you have any particular questions.

Also please see this comment by /u/itsallfolklore (at the time of writing further below). He is your best resource to consult in this regard.