The old english way of spelling "Vampire." It's also the title of the first vampire story written in the english language; which was published in 1819. Seventy-nine years before the publication of Bram Stoker's vampire novel "Dracula."

During the year without summer (1816) in which Mary & Percy Shelly, Clair Clairmont, Lord Byron, and John Polidori were gathered at the Villa Diodati, Switzerland; Lord Byron suggested, on one night, that each should write a horror story.

During that night, Polidori began writing a short tale which would become the first vampire story ever written in the english language, titled: "The Vampyre."

It should also be noted that during that same night, Mary Shelley started working on a story which would later evolve into the famous novel "Frankenstein."