Nachzehrer: The Shroud Eater
The Lazy Vampire
The Nachzehrer ("After-Devourer") is a unique vampire from German folklore (Silesia, Bavaria). Unlike modern vampires that prowl the night, the Nachzehrer is a lazy, sedentary monster. It never leaves its grave. It wakes up in the coffin, driven by hunger. Trapped in the earth, it begins to feast on the only thing available: its own burial shroud. Later, it eats its own fingers and arms.
Sympathetic Magic
The Nachzehrer kills through sympathetic magic. As it devours its shroud, the life force of its surviving family members is drained.
- The Bite: Every time the corpse chews, a relative gets weaker.
- The Symptoms: The family turns pale, tires easily, and eventually dies of a wasting disease (often likely tuberculosis or plague). It is a horror metaphor for contagion, where the dead continue to kill the living.
The Diagnosis
Villagers knew a Nachzehrer was active by sound. Patrolling the graveyard, they would press their ears to the soil. If they heard a grunting, chewing, or sucking sound coming from six feet under, the grave was marked.
The Cure
To stop the curse, the chewing had to stop. The grave was exhumed. If the corpse was found with a chewed shroud or fresh blood on its lips, it was "treated."
- The Stone: A large stone or brick was jammed into the mouth to prevent the jaw from closing. (Many archaeological finds show skulls with bricks in their mouths).
- The Coin: A coin placed under the tongue.
- Decapitation: For extreme cases, the head was removed.
The Final Warning
Silence in a graveyard is good; noise is bad. If you hear the sound of eating coming from below the grass, do not ignore it; put a brick in its mouth.
