What might have driven the medieval Polish communities to assert that vampires existed?

The assertion of vampire existence in medieval Polish communities can be closely tied to the fear linked to mutilated skeletons. During this period, various practices arose surrounding death and burial, including the discovery of bodies that showed signs of having been unearthed or disturbed. These skeletons often displayed unusual characteristics, such as severe decay, damage, or the positioning of bones in ways that did not conform to typical burial customs. This could have incited fear and speculation about the individual's post-mortem behavior – whether they could return to harm the living.

In a society steeped in superstition and folklore, such findings could easily foster belief in the existence of vampires or other undead beings considered malevolent. The combination of these unsettling discoveries with existing folklore fueled the community's narratives surrounding vampires, contributing to the assertion that such creatures were present and active.

In contrast, while hidden diseases identified through autopsy or supernatural events linked to plagues might have contributed to a general climate of fear, they do not directly relate to the specific phenomena surrounding the bodily remains that precipitated vampire beliefs. Similarly, religious teachings about the afterlife, although impactful on general views of death and the undead, do not specifically address the tangible evidence of physical remains that could ignite fear