A visual basis for the apotropaic properties of garlic against vampires?

In keeping with the paradigm of fighting fire with fire, it is suggested that the resemblance of garlic cloves to oversized teeth may help to underpin the legendary efficacy of garlic against the bite of the vampire. The argument casts a wide net – topics range from the fangs of prehistoric predators to the perceptions of garlic in ancient Egypt, Rome and Persia; from the Balkan nezhit to the Middle Eastern nazar; and from biomedical data to comparative linguistics.