 It is difficult to make a single , definitive description of the folkloric vampire , though there are several elements common to many European legends . Vampires were usually reported as bloated in appearance , and ruddy , purplish , or dark in colour ; these characteristics were often attributed to the recent drinking of blood . Indeed , blood was often seen seeping from the mouth and nose when one was seen in its shroud or coffin and its left eye was often open . It would be clad in the linen shroud it was buried in , and its teeth , hair , and nails may have grown somewhat , though in general fangs were not a feature . Although vampires were generally described as undead , some folktales spoke of them as living beings . 
