Upiór. Historia naturalna

Is it possible for a work of literary history to match the allure of a bloodcurdling horror novel? Of course, but under one condition: that it is penned with the brilliant style and staggering erudition with which Łukasz Kozak has written his masterful work on the upiórs – the primeval Slavic vampires who have haunted Polish literature and history for centuries. Drawing from an immense range of archival curiosities and excerpts from the press, Kozak leads us through centuries of Polish history to introduce us to the figure of the upiór. Legendary creatures commingle with those who are only too real and whose macabre deeds exceed the bounds of humanity. Upiór begins with early Slavic folk beliefs dating to the Polish nation’s origins and ends in the present day with its lingering traces of bygone myths.

With Kozak as our guide, we visit courtrooms where the trials unfolded of criminals so inhuman that they were declared to be upiórs. We encounter folk methods for combatting supernatural threats that can endanger anyone at any time and in any place, be it a Polish city or the Ukrainian steppe. We are also treated to the author’s speculations about the obsession with upiórs that swept over the great bards of Polish Romanticism and its far-reaching influence on Polish culture and spiritual life.

Accompanying the book are fantastic illustrations by the acclaimed Polish painter Aleksandra Waliszewska, whose scintillating images of the demonic and occult capture the upiór-haunted psyche. The inquisitive reader eager to expand their knowledge of Poland’s vampire-upiór lore has much to gain from this rich range of source materials compiled and explored by Kozak.