Bats have been featured in countless scary stories over the years.  They have most commonly starred in tales about witches and vampires, but some cultures around the world have other superstitions about bats as well.

The most well-known horror story involving bats is likely Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.  Throughout the book, Stoker's powerful nobleman Count Dracula terrorizes his neighbors and abducts beautiful young women.  When Professor Abraham VanHelsing arrives on the scene, it is not long before he discovers the truth.  The Count is actually a malevolent creature of the night known as a vampire.

VanHelsing reveals the identifying characteristics of a vampire, their weaknesses, and how to defeat them.  He cautions his friends that vampires can change form and appear as bats, wolves, or even mist.  They have no reflection in a mirror, fear crucifixes, and are especially repelled by the strange herb known as wolfsbane.  In the end, VanHelsing and his friends destroy Dracula once and for all by driving a wooden stake through his heart.

While vampires may not be real, the superstitions surrounding bats remain.  It is said they bring bad luck and are messengers of death.  With all these spooky characteristics, it is no wonder bats are one of the most common decorations at Halloween.