 Vampires proper originate in folklore widely reported from Eastern Europe in the late 17th and 18th centuries . These tales formed the basis of the vampire legend that later entered Germany and England , where they were subsequently embellished and popularized . One of the earliest recordings of vampire activity came from the region of Istria in modern Croatia , in 1672 . Local reports cited the local vampire Jure Grando of the village Khring near Tinjan as the cause of panic among the villagers . 
