Conde Estruch, aka Count Estruch (sometimes referred to as Estruc or Estruch), was a Catalan nobleman of Central European origin, who was transformed into a vampire (although at that time that term did not yet exist). His name was Guifred Estruch (sometimes his name appears adapted as Guifredo Estruga). He lived in the twelfth century in the service of El Rey Alfonso II of Aragon.
Legend[]
The legend dates back to the second half of the 12th century. In the area of the Pyrenees of the county of Ampurias (which today would be Alt Ampurdán) news arrived that paganism still survived there and heretical cults and witch covens were held. To put an end to this, Alfonso II and his tutor, the Bishop of Barcelona Guillermo de Torroja, decide to commission Conde Estruch to put an end to this by ceding the castle of Llers to him.
From there El Conde, who was already a very old man, distinguished himself by the persecution of witchcraft and paganism, executing many heretics. For this repression that he carried out, the old count was cursed by a witch, who also ended up being executed.
El Conde died around the year 1173, apparently murdered, and as a consequence of the curse, Estruch was reborn rejuvenated, but now turned into a living dead person who sucked the blood of peasants and their animals and who seduced and raped marriageable girls. who became pregnant giving birth to monstrous deformed beings who died shortly after birth.
He terrorized the nearby population for several years until he was destroyed. According to some versions, it was an old nun who killed him while others were a Jewish hermit who made him rest with rites related to the Kabbalah.