Vampiiri

Vampiiri is the Finnish term for vampire, a legendary creature found in folklore and in contemporary fiction. The word vampiiri is borrowed from the Swedish vampyr or German Vampir, and was incorporated into Finnish during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Across European folklore, vampires are revenants—dead individuals who return to life to feed on the living. They are typically described as nocturnal beings related to illness and misfortune, and many local traditions include ways to deter or destroy them, such as garlic, crosses or holy symbols, consecrated earth, and wooden stakes.

Modern literary and media portrayals vary, but common features include immortality or extended lifespan, enhanced physical powers, and a need to feed on blood. Depictions differ on vulnerabilities: some insist on sunlight or religious symbols as weaknesses, while others portray vampires as resilient or even day-active.

In Finnish culture, vampiiri appears in traditional stories as well as in contemporary novels, film, and games, mirroring global vampire motifs while sometimes drawing on local folklore.