Romanians, in particular, have many names for a variety of vampires. For example: the most common term, "strigoi" (or the feminine form, "strigoaica"), is an evil creature who sleeps during the daylight hours; flies at night; can change into animal form such as a wolf, dog, or bird; and sucks the blood from sleeping children. The female is more dangerous than the male. She can spoil marriages or harvests, stop cows from giving milk, and even cause fatal disease or death.
-Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu, from In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires, 1994 ed.
A companion piece to Strigoi Lord, I’ve been flattered by many comments about her captivating eyes. One person commented, “You might get into bed with her, but you probably wouldn’t make it back out.”
Charcoal on paper, 2011