 In Europe , where much of the vampire folklore originates , the vampire is usually considered a fictitious being , although many communities may have embraced the revenant for economic purposes . In some cases , especially in small localities , vampire superstition is still rampant and sightings or claims of vampire attacks occur frequently . In Romania during February 2004 , several relatives of Toma Petre feared that he had become a vampire . They dug up his corpse , tore out his heart , burned it , and mixed the ashes with water in order to drink it . 
