Vampires are so interesting in that they still appear in our entertainment culture today. I wonder what first inspired them. I'm assuming people actually believed in them at one point? Was there a creature or event that brought about the belief and idea of vampires?
OP, you might be interested in my previous answer on vampires, which covers both Slavic vampire folklore and the earliest western European literature that appropriated vampires for gothic and horror fiction.
Feel free to ask any follow up questions you might have. 🦇