Although few written sources, the fear of the Estries Vampires from the Jewish community in Europe in the middle ages still lingers. 

Across old European folk traditions there are many stories of night spirits that feed on life rather than blood, of creatures that stalk the living when the stars have risen and the world lies silent. Among these legends is that of the European Jewish Estries folklore from the medieval period.

The Estries vampire is a rather obscure legend for many, even the Jewish community it comes from because of its old and limited text sources discussing it. Unlike the archetypal corpse-vampire that rises from its burial place, the Estries is typically described as a being that moves freely among the living by night and hides by day while drawing life from others.

Origins in Language and Belief

The folk lore and imagery sur­round­ing them has some over­lap with that of Lilith as many succubus and life draining female demons often do. However, there are not many written down sources specifically mentioning the Estries by name. Most of the lore is traced to Sefer Hasidim, a medieval text chron­i­cling Jew­ish life and prac­tices in twelfth and thir­teenth cen­tu­ry Germany.

The Rhineland Jews and their Fears: The Estries legend emerged within the context of the Ashkenazi Hasidic movement in 12th- and 13th-century Germany, a period marked by intense external pressures from the Crusades and the onset of blood libel accusations against Jewish communities. The Hasidei Ashkenaz, or “Pious of Ashkenaz,” arose in the Rhineland following the devastating massacres of 1096 during the First Crusade, which claimed thousands of Jewish lives and instilled widespread trauma and calls for spiritual renewal. // Image: Friedrich Hottenroth – Jewish pogroms in Germany during the First Crusade led by Emich of Leiningen, 1096

The book is attributed to Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg, a descendant from a long line of Northern Italian Kabbalists and mostly writing about members of the Hasidim Ashkenazi, who were descended predominantly from two main families from Northern Italian and France.

The word Estries is derived from the French word for night owl, strix, which is in keeping with the connection between the Hasidim Ashkenazi and the French. In pagan European lore, the owl was seen as mystical, and a lot of old vampiric and magical stories center around the owl. 

Also in ancient times, the Greeks wrote about the striges and strix, a bloodthirsty screech owl. In both traditions the Estries occupies a place between human and demon. It was not simply an animal or a ghost. It was something that walked at night with intent.

Night Visitors

Key passages in Sefer Hasidim detail Estries’ behaviors and vulnerabilities. In Siman 1465, Estries are described as women “created at twilight” who can transform into animals like cats or birds, fly by loosening their hair, and sustain themselves by drinking human blood, particularly from newborns or the ill.

The Law of Parua: The Hasidim Ashkenazi lived a life of rigid self-discipline and self-deprivation. They abided by the law of parua, which requires the marital binding of hair. If a woman appeared with her hair unbound, this was grounds for divorce. The concept of a woman flying with loose hair was therefore a scandalous and horrifying thought for the Jews at this time.

They are said to feed only on the blood of Jewish men and children and can fly when they let their hair down, although her way of feeding and the practicalities about flying with her hair down is a rather vague description. 

Because the Estries was believed to have a daytime life indistinguishable from other villagers, suspicion and fear often spread through communities. People whispered that a neighbor who seemed healthy by day could still be an Estries at night. Her true nature was revealed only in the wearied bodies of others who slept nearby.

Read More: Check also out Alukah: The Vampire of Ancient Text and Folklore 

In Jewish mystical interpretations and cross-cultural retellings, the Estries was sometimes equated with demonic feminine figures who prey on men or children in their sleep. Like the Lilith and other night spirits, she represented both the danger of the unseen and the vulnerability of the sleeping body.

The Legend of Lilith:Lilith is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology. According to accounts in the Talmud she is a primordial she-demon. Lilith does not appear in the Hebrew Bible or any other biblical source, although her name is derived from a single word in the Book of Isaiah, the meaning is debated. She first appears in Mandaean and Jewish sources from late antiquity (500 AD onward). In Mesopotamian religion, lilû (Lilith) are a class of demonic spirits, consisting of adolescents who died before they could bear children. In modern day Christianity and Judaism, she is often considered demonic. // Lilith, by John Collier

The Oldest Stories of the Estries

As mentioned, there are only a few stories and sources about the Estries from the middle ages. One of the first and most telling though is how they are introduced in Sefer Hasidim:

“1465 There are women that are called Estries… They were created at sunset before the first Sabbath before creation. As a result of this, they are able to change form. There was one woman who was a Estries and she was very sick and there were two women with her at night; one was sleeping and one was awake. And the sick woman stood up and loosened her hair and she was about to fly and suck the blood of the sleeping woman. And the woman who was awake screamed and woke her friend and they grabbed the sick Estries, and after this she slept. And moreover, if she had been able to grab the other woman, then she, the Estries, would have lived. Since she was not able to hurt the other woman, the Estries died, because she needs to drink the blood of living flesh. The same is true of the werewolf. And since….the Estries need to loosen their hair before they fly, one must adjure her to come with her hair bound so that she cannot go anywhere without permission. And if a Estries is injured or seen by someone, she cannot live unless she eats of the bread and salt of the one who struck her. Then her soul will return to the way it was before.

Cleansing and Protection

Unlike many of the vampiric creatures around the world, Estries were considered undeterred by religious iconography and religious verses and chants. Estries were believed to be able to walk into holy places, and synagogues and sometimes to seek prayer for healing from unsuspecting religious people. Blessing an Estries was considered an evil act, but how did you know, and how did you fight her?.

An Estries can only fly when her hair is loose, and it was believed you could subdue her by tying her hair back. Estries were also thought to be mortal, so it doesn’t take much to hurt them. According to the “Sefer Hasidim,” striking or even looking at an Estries might kill her or at least weaken her. 

When an Estries is hurt, in the stories, most often by being observed in her demonic state and weakened, she can heal herself by consuming bread and salt. while Siman 1467 depicts a more merciful Estries who permits her victim to obtain the bread and salt, sparing her life and highlighting their potential for good. 

The Monsters from the Tower of Babel:According to Rabbi Menahim Zioni, a Kabbalist from the 14th century, Estries, giants, werewolves, dybbukim came from those who had built the Tower of Babel, cursed by God for their hubris. Some say that Estries are the children of Lilith. Others say they were created on the twilight of the sixth day of creation and left unfinished by God and is why they’re able to change form and lack souls.

The most reliable way to kill one is to bury her and shove a stake through her mouth, pinning her to the coffin/dirt. When a broxa or an Estries is being buried, one should notice whether or not her mouth is open; if it is, this is a sure sign that she will continue her vampirish activities for another year according to the Rabbi Eliezer Rokeah. Her mouth must be stopped up with earth, and she will be rendered harmless.

Testament of Solomon and the Ancient Vampires

But how old are the biblical vampires? Are the Estries’s more of a jewish version of the European vampire myth or the other way around. Perhaps it is both? 

The first explicit reference occurs in Late Antiquity and is from the Testament of Solomon. In this book, the story is told of a boy loved by the king. But day by day, the boy grows thinner. When King Solomon asks why, the boy says that each night he is visited by a demon. It takes his money, his food and sucks the life force out of him while sucking on the boy’s thumb. Because of this, King Solomon fashions his famous ring and uses it to enslave the demon.

What name the demon goes under is perhaps of less importance. Estries, Lillith Akuha, there are many names, many leading back to the same figure. A seductive and deadly woman, praying and hunting down the blood of the innocent and the good. 

Newest Posts

• 

  Utne Hotel and the Watchful Spirit of “Mor Utne”21. May 2026

  In one of the oldest hotels in Norway in the serene Hardangerfjord, Mother Utne is said to still be running things. After working 70 years at Hotel Utne, management at the hotel claims that she is still the one in charge. 

• 

  Brogans Bar: The Secret Passage to the Past20. May 2026

  Said to house both piles of Guinness, the Brogan’s Bar in Dublin is also said to house a few ghosts. Visitors and staff have long talked about the strange things that go down at the pub after the final call has been rung. 

• 

  The Watchful Spirits of Bårdshaug Manor19. May 2026

  The old manor house at Bårdshaug in Norway is said to be haunted by some mysterious women that sometimes appear in the house, now operating as a hotel. Who are these female spirits lingering, and what do they want?

• 

  The Beautiful Queen Lamia Who Became a Vampire Monster Ghost Stories18. May 2026

  The Lamia was a feared bloodsucking monster that worked as the boogeyman of ancient Greece. Many will say that her tale has helped shape the vampire legends in Europe, but before that, she was said to have been the beautiful Queen of Libya. 

• 

  Sennentuntschi: The Terrifying Swiss Legend of the Shepherd’s Doll Come to Life14. May 2026

  One of the horrid creatures from the alps is the seemingly innocent Sennentuntschi doll. Being made by male herders alone in the mountains, she has to endure their abuse and use until she comes to life and comes for revenge. 

• 

  Bull and Castle Pub: The Melancholy Ghost of James Clarence Mangan13. May 2026

  Said to haunt his former childhood home that is now the Bull and Castle Pub in Dublin, the ghost of the melancholic writer James Clarence Mangan is said to linger. 

• 

  The Haunted Legends of Stenberg Gård, Hoff Church and Toten Legends12. May 2026

  Deep in the farmland of Norway, Toten has a lot of ghost stories lingering on the old farms and buildings. Who were the priests said to haunt the Hoff Church and rectory, and who are the ghosts said to linger at the old Stenberg Manor?

• 

  Estries: Vampiric Spirits the Ashkenazi Jewish Folklore11. May 2026

  Although few written sources, the fear of the Estries Vampires from the Jewish community in Europe in the middle ages still lingers. 

• 

  The Lady of the Stairs Haunting Ardgillan Castle8. May 2026

  Outside of Dublin overlooking the Irish sea, a white lady is said to be haunting the premise. Seen coming up from the beach and wandering on the castle grounds, the ghost that is called the Lady of the Stairs is just one of the ghosts said to linger at Ardgillan Castle. 

• 

  The Church of San Giuseppe: A Sacred Place Where Rain Still Falls7. May 2026

  In the woodlands on the Hill of the Dead, the Sanctuary of Somazzo or Church of San Giuseppe has been the place of a strange pilgrimage for ages. According to legend, praying to the three girls said to be entombed alive in the church is said to bring rain in times of drought. 

• 

  The White Lady of Duino Castle: A Haunting Beneath the Cliffs by the Castle Ruins6. May 2026

  Frozen in all eternity as a stone below the old castle of Duino on the cliffs. It is said to be haunted by the Lady in White, the former lady of the castle, thrown off the cliffs by her jealous husband. Now she returns to the castle to watch over her child she left behind. 

• 

  The Cursed Forest and Poltergeist of Finnskogen at Välgunaho5. May 2026

  Bordering Norway and Sweden, the mysterious Finnskogen forest, with its deep rooted trees holds ghosts, curses and lingering spirits. Like the poltergeist like ghost at Välgunaho farm, who drove its residents away and left it abandoned for over a century. 

References:

Estriess – Wikipedia

https://www.heyalma.com/the-history-of-Estriess-aka-jewish-vampires

(PDF) From Dracula to the Motmindam: The Evolution of the Jewish Vampire

Jewish Magic and Superstition: 3. The Powers of Evil | Internet Sacred Text Archive

https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/469622?lang=bi