to baby strigoli, with love

"In Romanian mythology, Strigoi are the troubled souls of the dead rising from the grave. Some of the properties of the Strigoi include: the ability to transform into an animal, invisibility, and the propensity to drain the vitality of victims via blood loss. They are most often associated with Vampires or Zombies.

If a person dies before they are married they are at risk of becoming a vampire. The corpse is wed to another unmarried person to prevent them returning from the grave but if this fails, Strigoi will return to have sexual intercourse with the spouse and will attack family members.

One remedy against Strigoi is to bury a bottle of whiskey with the corpse. The Vampire will drink it and not return home.

If the Strigoi can go undetected for seven years, it can travel to another country or place where another language is spoken and become human again. Once human, the Strigoi can marry and have kids, but they will all become vampires when they die."
—excerpted and summarized from Wikipedia by Jessica Bender.

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Jessica Bender, to baby strigoli, with love, felt, leather, found buttons, ring boxes, whiskey, "blood," 2009. For sale: $66.6

To learn more about strigoi, watch Across the Forest, a documentary by two American filmmakers who travel through Transylvania collecting stories from villagers about vampires, werewolves and forest spirits.

The Olympia Film Festival is also showing a movie about strigoi on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 10:15 pm. Check here for the most recent info: www.olympiafilmfestival.org/movies/strigoi.
"Forget everything you thought you knew about vampires. Strigoi is an intriguing glimpse of post-communist Romania deftly mixed with an ancient myth of wronged souls who return from the dead with enhanced appetites and a hunger for blood."

Jessica Bender lives in Gig Harbor, she wants to be a vampire.

Undead is a group exhibition inspired by braineaters and bloodsuckers. On view from October 7 - 31, 2009 in the Telephone Room Gallery. Viewable by appointment almost anytime—don't be scared, email us at thetelephoneroom@gmail.com.