The Charm Against the Oupire

Follows the purchase and use of a protective charm from a mountebank, which provides a false sense of security against the vampire.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Mountebank's Visit

A Colorful Character The Hunchback's Performance A grotesque mountebank enters the courtyard with a fiddle, a magic lantern, and a dog. He performs a lively dance and then offers his wares, including amulets against the oupire. He claims the vampire is "going like the wolf" through the woods and that his charm is infallible. A Bold Insult The mountebank points directly at Carmilla and comments on her sharp, pointed tooth, offering to file it down. Carmilla is furious, but Laura is amused. The encounter highlights the mountebank's uncanny perception and foreshadows the revelation of Carmilla's nature.

Buying the Charm

A Superstitious Purchase Carmilla's Acquisition Despite her anger, Carmilla buys one of the charms, and Laura buys one as well. The charms are slips of vellum with cabalistic diagrams. Carmilla's purchase seems ironic, given that she is the vampire, but it may be a gesture to appear normal. Laura, however, takes the charm seriously. A Symbol of Protection Laura later pins the charm to her pillow, and it seems to prevent her nightmares for a few nights. The charm provides a sense of control, even if it is ultimately ineffective against the real vampire. Its presence in the story underscores the theme of superstition vs. reality.

The Charm's Apparent Effect

A False Sense of Security Laura's Dreamless Sleep After using the charm, Laura experiences several nights of deep, dreamless sleep. She feels a sense of lassitude and melancholy but not the terror of the earlier nightmares. She begins to believe that the charm is protecting her, and her fears subside. Carmilla's Explanation Carmilla explains that the charm is fumigated and acts as an antidote against malaria, not evil spirits. She insists that the nightmares were caused by a fever passing by, not by a supernatural entity. Her rational explanation lulls Laura into a false sense of security, even as the vampire continues to feed on her.

The Charm's Failure

The Dream of Blood Laura's Vision of Carmilla Despite the charm, Laura has a terrifying dream in which she sees Carmilla standing at the foot of her bed, bathed in blood from chin to foot. She wakes screaming and finds Carmilla missing from her room. The charm, which she had pinned to her pillow, did not prevent this vision. The Limits of Protection The charm, though it seemed to work for a time, ultimately fails. It represents the insufficiency of folk remedies against a real supernatural threat. Only the direct intervention of the General and the discovery of the vampire's tomb can truly end the danger.

The Charm's Aftermath

A Relic of the Past Laura's Reflection After the events, the charm is likely discarded or kept as a memento. Laura's attitude toward superstition may have changed; she now knows that the vampire was real, and the charm, though ineffective, was a symbol of her attempt to protect herself. The charm's story highlights the theme of human vulnerability and the search for protection against the unknown.

one afternoon, during Carmilla's stay

during the mountebank's visit

the nights following the purchase

during the night of Laura's second dream

after the vampire's destruction