wow, I think that’s only the second time I’ve ever heard that bit of lore. Nicely done, nicely done indeed. ( I await the vampire farming impliments with great anticipation.)
YES! VAMPIRIC VEGETABLE LEGENDS! In one of Fate’s stranger twists laid out for me, this past semester I ended up in China teaching university commerce students about vampire folklore around the world.
They were particularly confused and awed by the vampire squash of the Balkans. Almost as much as the children-hunting fireflies of West Africa and the toe-nail eating ramanga of Madagascar. Before you get to worrying about the sanctity of your feet, normal people would be safe, as these vampires would only feast on the blood and toe-nail clippings of NOBILITY.
The mythology also states that Pumpkins and squash left in the field past Christmas turn.
Last winter when i came home to visit my parents for Christmas Dad told me that he had some dead, unharnessed plants in the veg patch he wanted me to clear. I said I’d do it. Christmas eve, about 2230 I found out two were Squashes and promptly went out at 2300 hours on Christmas eve to cut them from the pant and put them on the compost heap. I then tried to post a comment on digger but couldn’t remember my graphics-smash password (it was dad’s computer). No one in my family understood why when I said I had to do it right then rather than waiting until boxing day, so I explained. They looked at me as if wondering if the men in white with the big butterfly nets can make house calls in the holidays.
The next day I had to explain why the Christmas presents included a print of Wombat and Gears … http://www.redwombatstudio.com/wpg2?g2_itemId=693
No one seemed to “get” it as a picture. It was the goldfish.
Ever since then I’ve had to argue the point with my family that Ursula is not deliberately spreading insanity via the internet.
BunnyRock, I think you might be wrong. I think Ursula might just be spreading insanity via the Internet. Not sure about the deliberately part, though.
I just wish she’d do it faster. There are too many “sane” people around here, and they scare me.
At least I know that I can always go to the Digger comments to see some real spirit.
I used the power of the Internet Archive to locate some of the old commentary.
The one for this page is:
“Seriously. There’s a legend that if you leave any squash, melon, or pumpkin for ten days or after Christmas, it becomes a vampire. An Alert Reader sent me a link to this particular legend, and I said “Dude. That is SO going in ‘Digger.'”
I’d furthermore like to promise to my readers that this is the only case where vampires will come up in “Digger.” But you just can’t let a thing like that go by. “
I usually avoid plugging my site. My name has a link, and that’s good enough, but this prompt was directly inspired by this comic strip, so I felt it was worth mentioning: http://wp.me/p1OvvK-31
I cannot stop laughing, and I’m sick and coughing and spewing tea on my monitor…and I don’t care. HA!
wow, I think that’s only the second time I’ve ever heard that bit of lore. Nicely done, nicely done indeed. ( I await the vampire farming impliments with great anticipation.)
It is hilarious! sorry you’re sick, Kez.
Really, this is one of the best parts of the comic. Very Pratchett. Weird things happen and people react to them in believable ways. Really great.
And funny as all get out.
It’s like an inverse Bunnicula!
“Back y’ cursed veggie” great line!
I love the Balkans! And Vampire Squash!!
It’s amazing that this myth was even thought of. It’s so spectacularly absurd. 😀
*putting Balkins in the list of “Places I should visit sometime or other unless I have more entertaining things to do”
So *that’s* why Balkan peasants arm themselves with pitchforks when the undead are in the offing.
Watching Buffy I got to wondering whether a cow could be a vampire. You’d think Drusilla would at least try it with a puppy.
ROFL – I guess with my procrastinating habits I’d better not grow squash next year 😉
Hee hee, Rune Factory 2 has a ‘legend’ in which unharvested turnips left out of season rise as monsters…
YES! VAMPIRIC VEGETABLE LEGENDS! In one of Fate’s stranger twists laid out for me, this past semester I ended up in China teaching university commerce students about vampire folklore around the world.
They were particularly confused and awed by the vampire squash of the Balkans. Almost as much as the children-hunting fireflies of West Africa and the toe-nail eating ramanga of Madagascar. Before you get to worrying about the sanctity of your feet, normal people would be safe, as these vampires would only feast on the blood and toe-nail clippings of NOBILITY.
The mythology also states that Pumpkins and squash left in the field past Christmas turn.
Last winter when i came home to visit my parents for Christmas Dad told me that he had some dead, unharnessed plants in the veg patch he wanted me to clear. I said I’d do it. Christmas eve, about 2230 I found out two were Squashes and promptly went out at 2300 hours on Christmas eve to cut them from the pant and put them on the compost heap. I then tried to post a comment on digger but couldn’t remember my graphics-smash password (it was dad’s computer). No one in my family understood why when I said I had to do it right then rather than waiting until boxing day, so I explained. They looked at me as if wondering if the men in white with the big butterfly nets can make house calls in the holidays.
The next day I had to explain why the Christmas presents included a print of Wombat and Gears …
http://www.redwombatstudio.com/wpg2?g2_itemId=693
No one seemed to “get” it as a picture. It was the goldfish.
Ever since then I’ve had to argue the point with my family that Ursula is not deliberately spreading insanity via the internet.
I just noticed – the squash “grawed” just like another creature later on in the story (trying not to be spoiler-ish)
BunnyRock, I think you might be wrong. I think Ursula might just be spreading insanity via the Internet. Not sure about the deliberately part, though.
I just wish she’d do it faster. There are too many “sane” people around here, and they scare me.
At least I know that I can always go to the Digger comments to see some real spirit.
I used the power of the Internet Archive to locate some of the old commentary.
The one for this page is:
“Seriously. There’s a legend that if you leave any squash, melon, or pumpkin for ten days or after Christmas, it becomes a vampire. An Alert Reader sent me a link to this particular legend, and I said “Dude. That is SO going in ‘Digger.'”
I’d furthermore like to promise to my readers that this is the only case where vampires will come up in “Digger.” But you just can’t let a thing like that go by. “
Potatoes are carnivorous
I usually avoid plugging my site. My name has a link, and that’s good enough, but this prompt was directly inspired by this comic strip, so I felt it was worth mentioning: http://wp.me/p1OvvK-31