The documentary traces the path that the professor followed, tracking down information about this real 18th century bohemian princess named Eleonore von Scharzenberg who was suspected of vampirism. She died in 1741, wasted and pale from a mysterious illness and with very unusual behavior before her death.
Eleanore was a big hunter at the time, but wolves, which were shot on sight in most places, were on her "do not shoot" list. She raised wolves and drank their milk as a way to enhance her fertility, as she had been unable to bear an heir during her marriage. At age 41, she finally gave birth to a son — it had been worth the risk, even though it was considered either a miracle or witchcraft. Wolves were associated with the devil and evil, so even though Eleanore did eventually bear a son, the howls from the castle as the wolves were milked ensured that the princess wasn't helping her image among the people.
After her husband's death in a hunting accident, she began suffering from an unknown affliction. She used all sorts of odd, expensive homeopathic remedies and occult practices to try and manage her pain. Many of the odd treatments used were fanciful medications, such as crayfish eyes and unicorn horn, which were all early homeopathic remedies and magical potions. These obsessions must have further damaged her reputation among the nobility.
It's thought, based on written evidence, that she suffered from porphyria, which gave her the appearance of a vampire. She was extremely sensitive to light, giving her a pale, shrunken appearance. And as if that painful affliction wasn't enough, during the autopsy after her death, it was found that she may have also had a large tumor in her abdomen.
Though the family crypt was in Vienna, she had her body interred back in Cesky Kumlov at the church. Her burial place was discovered inside the church, under a heavy tombstone and under a layer of concrete.
Were these burial precautions because she too wondered about vampirism? Was this woman the origin of the vampire myths? Did she inspire Bram Stoker?
It's a very intriguing documentary, with a great deal of information and historical re-enactment. Narrated by Brad Abelle, this 52 minute film is an informative work from the Smithsonian Channel just in time for Halloween. Though there really were no extras on the DVD, it has some promos for other Smithsonian series that look very intriguing.
Check Vampire Princess out on the Smithsonian Channel or on DVD!
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