The Truth About Vampires
"Real Vampires" -how can this be anything but a contradiction in terms? We all know about vampires. Stock characters of fiction, guaranteed box-office draws, the media vampire has been familiar to us since childhood. Generally speaking, our blood-suckers appear with a tongue planted firmly in one toothy cheek-from Bela Lugosi hamming it up in the 1950's, to last summer's teenage "vamp" movies, to Count Chocula breakfast cereal, the media seldom treat the vampire as truly fearsome. The stereotyped vampire traits are familiar to any child: vampires have big fangs, sleep in coffins, are instantly incinerated by sunlight, and are best dispatched by a stake through the heart. But the most important "fact" that we all know of course is that there are no such things.
Of course, in terms of the mythical, literary and cinematic conventions, we are correct: there are no "legions of the undead" stalking the unwary. We have explained the folklore with politics, misunderstood diseases, and hysteria, the literary and cinematic images with psychology, history, and sociology. We of the 20th century are confident that vampires could not really exist. But then, most of us are never forced to think otherwise. For a number of people, the concept of vampires becomes a critical and often lifelong concern. To live with, love, or befriend a real vampire is to encounter a set of problems which may demand expanding the boundaries of one's accepted reality. To come to terms with being a real vampire oneself is to face a lifetime's karmic challenge.
Some people reading this article already know this. The rest are probably thinking, "Real Vampires, give me a break! Sure, there are some pretty weird people out there, but all they need is a good therapist." Yes, there are people who take on all the trappings of a gothic novel: dressing in black, claiming or pretending to be "vampires" in the supernatural sense, wearing capes, sleeping in boxes, even getting their teeth capped. There are more frightening people who seek to torture or kill animals or human beings in order to gain power, emotional release or sexual thrill, and who sometimes call themselves (or are called) "vampires". But most of these individuals are troubled people who have been attracted by the cultural myths about the vampire: supernatural powers (because they feel powerless), overwhelming sexuality (because most of them have sexual issues and no true relationships), immortality (because they fear aging and death). Individuals like these are the most recent "explanation" for humanity's persistent belief in vampires. But beyond and behind all the folklore, the psychological theories, the role playing, even the traditional spiritual assumptions, lies the real truth about vampires.
The field of vampirology is complex and mysterious. There are many aspects to the vampire phenomenon, and they would require several books to fully explore. One aspect of vampirism which frequently troubles magickal, spiritual and other small groups, the most common form of vampire, is found among living people who share with us the benefits and disadvantages of physical existence on this plane, yet are not quite human. These people appear on the surface to be somewhat eccentric members of society, yet their outward idiosyncrasies only hint at how different they are from those around them.
Each of us incarnates for a lifetime with a certain way of relating to the physical world through the vehicle of our physical body. A vampire is a person born with an extraordinary capacity to absorb, channel, transform, and manipulate "pranic energy" or life force. She also has a critical energy imbalance which reels wildly from deficit to overload and back again. This capacity for handling energy is a gift, but the constant imbalance of her own system is the cause of the negative behavior patterns and characteristics which may be notable about a vampiric person.
Real vampires do not necessarily drink blood-in fact, most of them do not. Blood-drinking and vampirism have been confused to the extent that for the average person, a vampire is defined as something that drinks blood (such as a "vampire bat"). But when we look beyond casual assumptions to the details of common beliefs, we find something quite different. Throughout both folklore and literature, there is an understanding that vampires require energy or life force. Many old folktales accept that vampires suck blood, yet never describe this actually happening. The victims slowly decline and waste away, and the survivors assume that some evil fiend is draining them of blood. They know that the Bible says, "the blood is the life", and anyone who was losing their life force must be losing blood. Yet, in many instances the vampire's "attack" does not even involve physical contact. In others, it is clearly sexual energy which is exchanged.1
Fresh blood is the highest known source of pranic energy (life force).2 Human beings have practiced blood-drinking for many reasons throughout history, but drinking blood alone does not indicate that a person is a vampire. Only real vampires can directly absorb the pranic energy in fresh blood, and for this reason some real vampires are attracted to blood and find different means of obtaining it.3 However, it is a rare vampire who cannot absorb energy in much more subtle ways. This is the mechanism that causes real vampires to inflict harm on others and themselves if they fail to recognize what is happening and do conscious work on transforming their inner natures. Vampires are no more likely to be either malicious or spiritually aware than the general population, but without awareness, they can spend their lives making themselves and others unhappy, and will continue to incarnate in this pattern until they take action to change it.
There are a number of external symptoms of vampirism, but it is important to realize that some of them are found in ordinary human behavior. Real vampires are identifiable partly because they have a majority of the symptoms, not just one or two. But more significantly, real vampires are distinguished by a certain quality to the energy. While anyone reading a description of the symptoms and behavior patterns might find a few that apply to people he knows, or even to himself, real vampires have a way of standing out vividly to everyone who interacts with them. There are few people who do not know at least one vampire.
Physically, vampires are usually "night people"" on a biochemical level. They have inverted circadian rhythms, with body cycles such as temperature peaks, menstrual onset, and the production of sleep hormones in the brain occurring at the opposite time of day from most people. They have difficulty adjusting to daytime schedules and frequently work nights. They tend to be photosensitive, avoiding sunlight, sunburning easily, and having excellent night vision. Their vitality ranges widely, and they can be vigorous and active one day, depressed and languorous the next.
They frequently have digestive trouble. Even those with cast-iron stomachs have many issues with food that are rooted in their constant hunger for energy. Contrary to the image of the vampire as thin, many real vampires are troubled by obesity because of a hunger that makes them food addicts, and a system that is sluggish in processing physical food. They are also sometimes troubled by other substance addictions for the same reasons, but since their systems are tuned to pranic energy more than to processing physical substance, they may not be as sensitive to drugs and alcohol as an ordinary person would be.
Emotionally and physically, vampires are unpredictable, moody, temperamental and overwhelming. The major distinguishing characteristic of real vampires as opposed to ordinary people who share those qualities is the vampire's intensity. Vampires are extremely intense people. They are frequently given nicknames such as "the black hole." When others talk about them (usually to complain about them), vampires are often described by such terms as "needy," "attention-seeking," "grandstanding," "manipulative," "exhausting," "draining," "monopolizes the conversation," "jealous," "huge ego," and so on. A vampire's emotions are deep, fervent, and powerful, and she usually displays great psychic ability and has uncontrolled magickal and psychic experiences. Vampires are also empaths, and while they remain unconscious of their natures, they are frequently "psychic sponges" who simply absorb vibrations from everywhere, with the expected emotional instability resulting.
A "hungry" vampire -- one whose energy level is imbalanced to the deficit side -- becomes an involuntary psychic vortex, drawing all pranic energy in the area towards her. When the energy does not flow in fast enough -- and it is typical of vampires that the energy never flows fast enough for them -- she will begin manifesting behavior patterns to increase the amount of conscious attention she gets from others. For this reason, some vampires develop a pattern of being aggressively confrontational, or of constantly antagonizing people with whom they have relationships. Nearly all vampires, whatever ploys they use, have a talent for attracting (or distracting) the attention of everyone present.
Once a vampire overloads on energy, she reverses her behavior patterns. She may become morose, silent, withdrawn and introverted. Some vampires become maniacally cheerful when they are satiated, but even their good moods seem to annoy others, and it is more typical for vampires to be infamous as wet blankets. "Hungry" and "overload" phases can occur within a few minutes or last for days at a time. Vampires are commonly loners, in part because they feel so different from those around them, but also because they have a need to control the degree of contact they have with sources of energy.
Real vampires are not the demonic fiends of Christianized folklore, but as long as they refuse to accept their inner nature, their bad reputation is not undeserved. Unconscious vampires have a tendency to reach adulthood with less than the average level of social skill and general finesse, and tend to be selfish and self-centered. The demands of their own energy systems are so distracting to them that it is difficult for them to pay attention to the needs of others. Their relationships tend to be disasters. Different vampires develop different patterns according to what works best for them in their life situation, but several patterns are common. The "femme fatale" or "lady-killer" vampire forms a continuous series of sexual connections with one partner at a time, dropping each unfortunate lover as they become too exhausted (or defensive) to support the vampire's energy needs. Other vampires form a long-term relationship with a single person: either another vampire whose energy cycle complements their own, or a person who derives satisfaction from being a psychic servant or martyr. A common pattern, especially in young adults, is to continuously join social, religious, political and magickal groups and either blow them apart or end up being thrown out. Vampires may go through roommates, housing situations, magickal groups, jobs and lovers like so much Kleenex.
Many people find that they feel "creepy" or "weird" around a vampire. This is usually due to the effects of one's own life force being drawn towards the vampire's vortex. Most people feel uncomfortable and distracted when their energy is pulled away from themselves. In addition to this, a common result of such an energy drain is for the aura to pull in tightly towards the body, and this causes a prickling sensation on the skin -- the "creepy-crawlies."
It is no more common for vampires to be psychopaths or killers than it is for any random person on the street. However, a prolonged, or very involved, relationship with a vampire can put a severe strain on the emotional and psychic energy systems of an ordinary person. Folklore suggests that victims of a vampire become vampires themselves. In reality, people who have been seriously "drained" -- that is, have had their own energy pulled off balance into a deficit -- also become psychic vortices which pull life force away from other living things. However, they are never as powerful as a true vampire, and unlike vampires, quickly recover and stabilize. True vampires are born the way they are -- no one can be "turned into a vampire." However, years of energy depletion can lead to health problems ranging from depression and malaise to a suppressed immune system and susceptibility to serious illnesses. Most people will break off the relationship before it gets that far.
Many vampires are attracted to magickal paths. In a magickal working group, their ability to wreak havoc is increased because of the psychic openness and trust that exist there. But there can be a benefit, as well. Some vampires become aware of their true natures and choose to undertake serious work to transform themselves. As soon as they begin doing so, they become more acceptable working partners and companions. Once in control of their capacity for handling energy, they become extraordinary magicians and healers. Their ability to hold the attention of others gives them the potential to be fine leaders and teachers. Ultimately, the purpose of vampires is not to plague the universe but to facilitate its healing. Vampirism is the dark, or unfocused, side of a certain kind of psychic talent, one which has been developing for many lifetimes. It is destructive only when a vampire either refuses to face the truth about herself and work with her abilities, or when she chooses to play out a sinister role because of the illusion of power it gives her.
Because of this, many of the vampire characteristics described above are far less evident in the most powerful vampires, the ones who have done considerable work on their inner selves. Many of these are poised, pleasant, competent individuals, with great personal power. They have come to terms with who and what they are, and no longer exhibit the negative qualities associated with "psychic vampirism." 4 Unfortunately, unconscious vampires are far more common than evolved ones, and it is these troubled souls who more usually appear in magickal groups.
There is no "generic advice" to give those who believe they may be dealing with a real vampire. Those who are so inclined might try to help a friend or fellow group member explore their inner nature and come to terms with their destructive behaviors. Those who feel victimized can choose to end the relationship. Each case is different, and can only be judged by the individuals concerned. But it is important for anyone involved in magickal or psychic work to understand that vampires are a real phenomenon, and that, like all perils, they should not be greeted with fear or anger. Nothing is evil by nature -- only by choice. Terror of discovery (followed by ridicule or rejection) inhibits the self-development of many real vampires. When they reach out for friendship, they are often reaching out for help.
A person who believes she may be a real vampire herself has a long and difficult process ahead of her. The most important step on her path is complete self-awareness: of her relationships, patterns, energy levels, and all other personal qualities. The most challenging work may often be summarized in the simplest of terms. Knowledge, awareness, and control are the lessons real vampires must learn in order to harness their abilities. If real vampires are not the immortals of fiction, they can at least be confident of one thing: for better or worse, they will keep the qualities they develop for many lives to come.
Of course, in terms of the mythical, literary and cinematic conventions, we are correct: there are no "legions of the undead" stalking the unwary. We have explained the folklore with politics, misunderstood diseases, and hysteria, the literary and cinematic images with psychology, history, and sociology. We of the 20th century are confident that vampires could not really exist. But then, most of us are never forced to think otherwise. For a number of people, the concept of vampires becomes a critical and often lifelong concern. To live with, love, or befriend a real vampire is to encounter a set of problems which may demand expanding the boundaries of one's accepted reality. To come to terms with being a real vampire oneself is to face a lifetime's karmic challenge.
Some people reading this article already know this. The rest are probably thinking, "Real Vampires, give me a break! Sure, there are some pretty weird people out there, but all they need is a good therapist." Yes, there are people who take on all the trappings of a gothic novel: dressing in black, claiming or pretending to be "vampires" in the supernatural sense, wearing capes, sleeping in boxes, even getting their teeth capped. There are more frightening people who seek to torture or kill animals or human beings in order to gain power, emotional release or sexual thrill, and who sometimes call themselves (or are called) "vampires". But most of these individuals are troubled people who have been attracted by the cultural myths about the vampire: supernatural powers (because they feel powerless), overwhelming sexuality (because most of them have sexual issues and no true relationships), immortality (because they fear aging and death). Individuals like these are the most recent "explanation" for humanity's persistent belief in vampires. But beyond and behind all the folklore, the psychological theories, the role playing, even the traditional spiritual assumptions, lies the real truth about vampires.
The field of vampirology is complex and mysterious. There are many aspects to the vampire phenomenon, and they would require several books to fully explore. One aspect of vampirism which frequently troubles magickal, spiritual and other small groups, the most common form of vampire, is found among living people who share with us the benefits and disadvantages of physical existence on this plane, yet are not quite human. These people appear on the surface to be somewhat eccentric members of society, yet their outward idiosyncrasies only hint at how different they are from those around them.
Each of us incarnates for a lifetime with a certain way of relating to the physical world through the vehicle of our physical body. A vampire is a person born with an extraordinary capacity to absorb, channel, transform, and manipulate "pranic energy" or life force. She also has a critical energy imbalance which reels wildly from deficit to overload and back again. This capacity for handling energy is a gift, but the constant imbalance of her own system is the cause of the negative behavior patterns and characteristics which may be notable about a vampiric person.
Real vampires do not necessarily drink blood-in fact, most of them do not. Blood-drinking and vampirism have been confused to the extent that for the average person, a vampire is defined as something that drinks blood (such as a "vampire bat"). But when we look beyond casual assumptions to the details of common beliefs, we find something quite different. Throughout both folklore and literature, there is an understanding that vampires require energy or life force. Many old folktales accept that vampires suck blood, yet never describe this actually happening. The victims slowly decline and waste away, and the survivors assume that some evil fiend is draining them of blood. They know that the Bible says, "the blood is the life", and anyone who was losing their life force must be losing blood. Yet, in many instances the vampire's "attack" does not even involve physical contact. In others, it is clearly sexual energy which is exchanged.1
Fresh blood is the highest known source of pranic energy (life force).2 Human beings have practiced blood-drinking for many reasons throughout history, but drinking blood alone does not indicate that a person is a vampire. Only real vampires can directly absorb the pranic energy in fresh blood, and for this reason some real vampires are attracted to blood and find different means of obtaining it.3 However, it is a rare vampire who cannot absorb energy in much more subtle ways. This is the mechanism that causes real vampires to inflict harm on others and themselves if they fail to recognize what is happening and do conscious work on transforming their inner natures. Vampires are no more likely to be either malicious or spiritually aware than the general population, but without awareness, they can spend their lives making themselves and others unhappy, and will continue to incarnate in this pattern until they take action to change it.
There are a number of external symptoms of vampirism, but it is important to realize that some of them are found in ordinary human behavior. Real vampires are identifiable partly because they have a majority of the symptoms, not just one or two. But more significantly, real vampires are distinguished by a certain quality to the energy. While anyone reading a description of the symptoms and behavior patterns might find a few that apply to people he knows, or even to himself, real vampires have a way of standing out vividly to everyone who interacts with them. There are few people who do not know at least one vampire.
Physically, vampires are usually "night people"" on a biochemical level. They have inverted circadian rhythms, with body cycles such as temperature peaks, menstrual onset, and the production of sleep hormones in the brain occurring at the opposite time of day from most people. They have difficulty adjusting to daytime schedules and frequently work nights. They tend to be photosensitive, avoiding sunlight, sunburning easily, and having excellent night vision. Their vitality ranges widely, and they can be vigorous and active one day, depressed and languorous the next.
They frequently have digestive trouble. Even those with cast-iron stomachs have many issues with food that are rooted in their constant hunger for energy. Contrary to the image of the vampire as thin, many real vampires are troubled by obesity because of a hunger that makes them food addicts, and a system that is sluggish in processing physical food. They are also sometimes troubled by other substance addictions for the same reasons, but since their systems are tuned to pranic energy more than to processing physical substance, they may not be as sensitive to drugs and alcohol as an ordinary person would be.
Emotionally and physically, vampires are unpredictable, moody, temperamental and overwhelming. The major distinguishing characteristic of real vampires as opposed to ordinary people who share those qualities is the vampire's intensity. Vampires are extremely intense people. They are frequently given nicknames such as "the black hole." When others talk about them (usually to complain about them), vampires are often described by such terms as "needy," "attention-seeking," "grandstanding," "manipulative," "exhausting," "draining," "monopolizes the conversation," "jealous," "huge ego," and so on. A vampire's emotions are deep, fervent, and powerful, and she usually displays great psychic ability and has uncontrolled magickal and psychic experiences. Vampires are also empaths, and while they remain unconscious of their natures, they are frequently "psychic sponges" who simply absorb vibrations from everywhere, with the expected emotional instability resulting.
A "hungry" vampire -- one whose energy level is imbalanced to the deficit side -- becomes an involuntary psychic vortex, drawing all pranic energy in the area towards her. When the energy does not flow in fast enough -- and it is typical of vampires that the energy never flows fast enough for them -- she will begin manifesting behavior patterns to increase the amount of conscious attention she gets from others. For this reason, some vampires develop a pattern of being aggressively confrontational, or of constantly antagonizing people with whom they have relationships. Nearly all vampires, whatever ploys they use, have a talent for attracting (or distracting) the attention of everyone present.
Once a vampire overloads on energy, she reverses her behavior patterns. She may become morose, silent, withdrawn and introverted. Some vampires become maniacally cheerful when they are satiated, but even their good moods seem to annoy others, and it is more typical for vampires to be infamous as wet blankets. "Hungry" and "overload" phases can occur within a few minutes or last for days at a time. Vampires are commonly loners, in part because they feel so different from those around them, but also because they have a need to control the degree of contact they have with sources of energy.
Real vampires are not the demonic fiends of Christianized folklore, but as long as they refuse to accept their inner nature, their bad reputation is not undeserved. Unconscious vampires have a tendency to reach adulthood with less than the average level of social skill and general finesse, and tend to be selfish and self-centered. The demands of their own energy systems are so distracting to them that it is difficult for them to pay attention to the needs of others. Their relationships tend to be disasters. Different vampires develop different patterns according to what works best for them in their life situation, but several patterns are common. The "femme fatale" or "lady-killer" vampire forms a continuous series of sexual connections with one partner at a time, dropping each unfortunate lover as they become too exhausted (or defensive) to support the vampire's energy needs. Other vampires form a long-term relationship with a single person: either another vampire whose energy cycle complements their own, or a person who derives satisfaction from being a psychic servant or martyr. A common pattern, especially in young adults, is to continuously join social, religious, political and magickal groups and either blow them apart or end up being thrown out. Vampires may go through roommates, housing situations, magickal groups, jobs and lovers like so much Kleenex.
Many people find that they feel "creepy" or "weird" around a vampire. This is usually due to the effects of one's own life force being drawn towards the vampire's vortex. Most people feel uncomfortable and distracted when their energy is pulled away from themselves. In addition to this, a common result of such an energy drain is for the aura to pull in tightly towards the body, and this causes a prickling sensation on the skin -- the "creepy-crawlies."
It is no more common for vampires to be psychopaths or killers than it is for any random person on the street. However, a prolonged, or very involved, relationship with a vampire can put a severe strain on the emotional and psychic energy systems of an ordinary person. Folklore suggests that victims of a vampire become vampires themselves. In reality, people who have been seriously "drained" -- that is, have had their own energy pulled off balance into a deficit -- also become psychic vortices which pull life force away from other living things. However, they are never as powerful as a true vampire, and unlike vampires, quickly recover and stabilize. True vampires are born the way they are -- no one can be "turned into a vampire." However, years of energy depletion can lead to health problems ranging from depression and malaise to a suppressed immune system and susceptibility to serious illnesses. Most people will break off the relationship before it gets that far.
Many vampires are attracted to magickal paths. In a magickal working group, their ability to wreak havoc is increased because of the psychic openness and trust that exist there. But there can be a benefit, as well. Some vampires become aware of their true natures and choose to undertake serious work to transform themselves. As soon as they begin doing so, they become more acceptable working partners and companions. Once in control of their capacity for handling energy, they become extraordinary magicians and healers. Their ability to hold the attention of others gives them the potential to be fine leaders and teachers. Ultimately, the purpose of vampires is not to plague the universe but to facilitate its healing. Vampirism is the dark, or unfocused, side of a certain kind of psychic talent, one which has been developing for many lifetimes. It is destructive only when a vampire either refuses to face the truth about herself and work with her abilities, or when she chooses to play out a sinister role because of the illusion of power it gives her.
Because of this, many of the vampire characteristics described above are far less evident in the most powerful vampires, the ones who have done considerable work on their inner selves. Many of these are poised, pleasant, competent individuals, with great personal power. They have come to terms with who and what they are, and no longer exhibit the negative qualities associated with "psychic vampirism." 4 Unfortunately, unconscious vampires are far more common than evolved ones, and it is these troubled souls who more usually appear in magickal groups.
There is no "generic advice" to give those who believe they may be dealing with a real vampire. Those who are so inclined might try to help a friend or fellow group member explore their inner nature and come to terms with their destructive behaviors. Those who feel victimized can choose to end the relationship. Each case is different, and can only be judged by the individuals concerned. But it is important for anyone involved in magickal or psychic work to understand that vampires are a real phenomenon, and that, like all perils, they should not be greeted with fear or anger. Nothing is evil by nature -- only by choice. Terror of discovery (followed by ridicule or rejection) inhibits the self-development of many real vampires. When they reach out for friendship, they are often reaching out for help.
A person who believes she may be a real vampire herself has a long and difficult process ahead of her. The most important step on her path is complete self-awareness: of her relationships, patterns, energy levels, and all other personal qualities. The most challenging work may often be summarized in the simplest of terms. Knowledge, awareness, and control are the lessons real vampires must learn in order to harness their abilities. If real vampires are not the immortals of fiction, they can at least be confident of one thing: for better or worse, they will keep the qualities they develop for many lives to come.
Vampire Dictonary
Dictionary/ Terms All the medical words you need to know that are related to vamprism.
Haematodipsia- A sexual thirst for blood.1
Hedonism- Excessive devotion to pleasure.
Hemat(o)- [Greek] Prefix meaning blood; see also words beginning with hem, hemo, or haemat(o).
Hematemesis- The vomiting of blood.
Hematidrosis- Excretion of bloody sweat. (I have seen this happen to a vampire in at least one novel.)
Hematophageous- Subsisting on blood.
Hematoporphyria- (see porphyria).
Hematospermia- Blood in the semen; hemospermia. (Again, I have seen this as a vampire characteristic in a novel.)
Hemeralopia- Day blindness; defective vision in a bright light.
Hemogeneic- Pertaining to production of blood.
Hemotherapy- The use of blood in treating disease.
Lust murder- The sexual act after the murder.1
Necro- [Greek] Prefix meaning death.
Necrocytosis- Death and decay of cells. (I.e. the medical term for "rotting.")
Necrogenous- Originating or arising from dead matter.
Necrolysis- Separation or exfoliation of necrotic tissue. (This has more application in the accounts of bodies dug up in the middle ages-- and later-- where witnesses testify to ruddy or "new" skin on the supposed vampiric corpse, which later medical persons denote as being skin slippage, or necrolysis-- a normal occurrence in a decomposing body. Find out more about this in Step 5.)
Necromania- (see necrophilia).
Necrophagous- Feeding on dead flesh.
Necrophagy- Parts of a mutilated corpse are eaten.1
Necrophilia- 1.) Sexual attraction to corpses.1 2.) Sexual intercourse with a dead body.
Necrophobia- Morbid dread of death or dead bodies.
Necropsy- Examination of a body after death; autopsy.
Necrostuprum- Body-stealing.1
Porphyria- A genetic disorder characterized by a disturbance in porphyrin metabolism with resultant increase in the formation and excretion of porphyrins or their precursors. (Step 5 has a layman's explanation of this disease.)
1From the book: The Natural History of the Vampire
By Anthony Masters
G. P. Putnam's Sons, pub.
New York, © 1972
All other information provided by: Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Third Edition
By Dr. Benjamin F. Miller and Claire Brackman Keane
W.B. Saunders Company, pub.
Philadelphia, © 1983.
One must crawl before they can walk. So here are the terms that you will most likely encounter throughout this site.
Blood Fetish- The need or want to drink, taste, or "bathe" in blood. Usually conducted in a sexual situation. People who drink blood may or may not call themselves "vampires."
Blood Lust- The overwhelming desire to feed. A vampire in blood lust knows no bounds. The vampire will act as if possessed and cannot restrain him or herself until their appetite is sated, even if it means killing where they would not normally. Blood lust is often characterized by a reddening or glowing of the eyes, possible showing or elongation of fangs, drooling, growling, or any other animal-like behavior. Also simply called "the lust."
Child(e)- The offspring of a vampire. Pl., Childer.
Embrace- To make one a vampire; siring.(The specifics of this will be covered in a later page.)
Embracee- One who is being made into, or who has become embraced; childe.
Folkloric/ Historical Vampire- Specifically an animated corpse that has risen from its grave to drain the blood from animals or humans.
Fictional/ Literary Vampire- This vampire, unlike the folkloric vampire, has less limitations on it. Again, it may be an animated corpse feeding on blood, but "vampire" in literature is also used to refer to other creatures of the dark who are predators, such as ghouls or incubi, and it often does not feed solely on blood. Fictional vampires may act as psychic vampires, feeding on energy or emotional states, or may feed on other things, such as sex or flesh.
Ghoul- An animated corpse that sustains its own life by eating, most usually, the flesh of other corpses, but which can also eat humans.
Incubus/Succubus- This creature is something akin to a spirit or demonic entity, and sexually predates on men and women while they are asleep in their bed. Though it is not clear if the incubus prolongs its life by feeding from these sexual energies-- making it a type of vampire-- the victim does die from the incubus's attentions. It is linked to vampires, often confused as one, but because it is not an animated corpse, it is not wholly a vampire, at least historically. Pl., Incubi, Succubi.
Kindred- Vampires.
Living Vampires- This term refers to those people who are very much alive, but who practice vampiric acts, such as blood drinking, to satisfy an emotional need. Some claim, however, they do need to drink blood to sustain their health. People who choose a vampiric lifestlye often also opt to dress in black clothing or formal attire, sleep in coffins, and advoid the sunlight. "Living vampire" is usually applied only to those who wish to call themselves such- people who have only a blood fetish may take offense at being labeled a vampire. Being a living vampire may be labeled as a "club or weekend hobby," a "lifestyle," "occultism," or a "religion."
Psychic Vampire- Specifically a living being that sustains its life, way of life, or own emotional state by draining or feeding from the energy, emotions or life of another being, almost always a human.
Sire- The vampire who embraces another person; the maker of another vampire; parent vampire. (Female vampires can also be called "sires.")
Siring- The act of turning one into a vampire; embracing.
Vampire- 1. An animated corpse that drinks blood to sustain itself indefinitely. 2. A human, creature, spirit or other entity that drains any manner of thing-- blood, energy, etc.-- from humans or animals to sustain its way of life; psychic vampire.
Vampire Demi-god- I use this term to refer to entities who are neither a demon nor a spirit. Demi-gods, or lesser gods, are often god hybrids or low ranking gods. Unlike demons and spirits, they traditionally do not interact with the mortal population, unless it is in legend. (Hercules and the Titans are commonly known demi-gods.) A vampire demi-god is a figure in religion/ mythology that acts in a manner consistent with folkloric vampires. These lesser gods are, I believe, the beginnings of the figure of the vampire, who eventually de-evolved from a god-- splitting then, perhaps, into the other related forms of spirits and demons-- to a very tangible, and formally mortal, corpse.
Vampiress- A female vampire. (Though a "vampire" may refer to either sex.)
Witch/Warlock/Wizard- Accroding to popular belief during the middle ages, witches are the human servants of the Devil. They are either under his direct control, with no will power of their own, or they have entered into a pact with the Devil to do his bidding in return for personal favors. Unlike popular notions of witches (such as at Halloween), witches were not necessarily believed to be ugly or otherwise obvious. The most obvious sign of a witch nearby was a continual string of bad luck in a village, or to a particular family, disease-- especially among livestock-- and unusal events or certain individuals acting strangely. Originally "witch" could refer to either males or females, although most who were burned at the stake were women. Later, it became more common to refer to male witches as warlocks or wizards. (Note, this is a medieval definition of a witch. This is in no way related to the modern definition of a witch as a practitioner of pagan or earth-related rituals, like the Wiccans.)
Zombie- Like a ghoul, this being is an animated corpse, but unlike a ghoul, it is controlled by a witch or witch doctor. It is used as a slave or made to suffer out of revenge by the person controlling it. Traditionally, a zombie does not attack others-- unless ordered to-- and it does not drink blood or eat flesh. It, especially in horror movies, is often confused with a ghoul. The ghoul, zombie and vampire are closely linked, and are often interchanged with each other in folklore.
Other TermsWhite Wolf- The supposed be-all and end-all of vampire knowledge. I will try not to get into their stuff too much, as they have many, many books on vampires and role playing in bookstores, and many people have WW web pages. They have done a lot to bring about a new interest in vampires, keeping the tradition of the myth alive, but they have done it in such a convincing way, and have such a fanatical following, that people think that's all there is to know and that the WW myths are the true historical accounts. "Oh, I read all of the WW books, what else is there?" The same with Anne Rice. Just because you read Anne Rice doesn't mean you know all there is to know about vampires. This web page centers on the historical vampire, and the vampires of literature-- based on the trait characteristics from many writers, not just one.
Haematodipsia- A sexual thirst for blood.1
Hedonism- Excessive devotion to pleasure.
Hemat(o)- [Greek] Prefix meaning blood; see also words beginning with hem, hemo, or haemat(o).
Hematemesis- The vomiting of blood.
Hematidrosis- Excretion of bloody sweat. (I have seen this happen to a vampire in at least one novel.)
Hematophageous- Subsisting on blood.
Hematoporphyria- (see porphyria).
Hematospermia- Blood in the semen; hemospermia. (Again, I have seen this as a vampire characteristic in a novel.)
Hemeralopia- Day blindness; defective vision in a bright light.
Hemogeneic- Pertaining to production of blood.
Hemotherapy- The use of blood in treating disease.
Lust murder- The sexual act after the murder.1
Necro- [Greek] Prefix meaning death.
Necrocytosis- Death and decay of cells. (I.e. the medical term for "rotting.")
Necrogenous- Originating or arising from dead matter.
Necrolysis- Separation or exfoliation of necrotic tissue. (This has more application in the accounts of bodies dug up in the middle ages-- and later-- where witnesses testify to ruddy or "new" skin on the supposed vampiric corpse, which later medical persons denote as being skin slippage, or necrolysis-- a normal occurrence in a decomposing body. Find out more about this in Step 5.)
Necromania- (see necrophilia).
Necrophagous- Feeding on dead flesh.
Necrophagy- Parts of a mutilated corpse are eaten.1
Necrophilia- 1.) Sexual attraction to corpses.1 2.) Sexual intercourse with a dead body.
Necrophobia- Morbid dread of death or dead bodies.
Necropsy- Examination of a body after death; autopsy.
Necrostuprum- Body-stealing.1
Porphyria- A genetic disorder characterized by a disturbance in porphyrin metabolism with resultant increase in the formation and excretion of porphyrins or their precursors. (Step 5 has a layman's explanation of this disease.)
1From the book: The Natural History of the Vampire
By Anthony Masters
G. P. Putnam's Sons, pub.
New York, © 1972
All other information provided by: Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Third Edition
By Dr. Benjamin F. Miller and Claire Brackman Keane
W.B. Saunders Company, pub.
Philadelphia, © 1983.
One must crawl before they can walk. So here are the terms that you will most likely encounter throughout this site.
Blood Fetish- The need or want to drink, taste, or "bathe" in blood. Usually conducted in a sexual situation. People who drink blood may or may not call themselves "vampires."
Blood Lust- The overwhelming desire to feed. A vampire in blood lust knows no bounds. The vampire will act as if possessed and cannot restrain him or herself until their appetite is sated, even if it means killing where they would not normally. Blood lust is often characterized by a reddening or glowing of the eyes, possible showing or elongation of fangs, drooling, growling, or any other animal-like behavior. Also simply called "the lust."
Child(e)- The offspring of a vampire. Pl., Childer.
Embrace- To make one a vampire; siring.(The specifics of this will be covered in a later page.)
Embracee- One who is being made into, or who has become embraced; childe.
Folkloric/ Historical Vampire- Specifically an animated corpse that has risen from its grave to drain the blood from animals or humans.
Fictional/ Literary Vampire- This vampire, unlike the folkloric vampire, has less limitations on it. Again, it may be an animated corpse feeding on blood, but "vampire" in literature is also used to refer to other creatures of the dark who are predators, such as ghouls or incubi, and it often does not feed solely on blood. Fictional vampires may act as psychic vampires, feeding on energy or emotional states, or may feed on other things, such as sex or flesh.
Ghoul- An animated corpse that sustains its own life by eating, most usually, the flesh of other corpses, but which can also eat humans.
Incubus/Succubus- This creature is something akin to a spirit or demonic entity, and sexually predates on men and women while they are asleep in their bed. Though it is not clear if the incubus prolongs its life by feeding from these sexual energies-- making it a type of vampire-- the victim does die from the incubus's attentions. It is linked to vampires, often confused as one, but because it is not an animated corpse, it is not wholly a vampire, at least historically. Pl., Incubi, Succubi.
Kindred- Vampires.
Living Vampires- This term refers to those people who are very much alive, but who practice vampiric acts, such as blood drinking, to satisfy an emotional need. Some claim, however, they do need to drink blood to sustain their health. People who choose a vampiric lifestlye often also opt to dress in black clothing or formal attire, sleep in coffins, and advoid the sunlight. "Living vampire" is usually applied only to those who wish to call themselves such- people who have only a blood fetish may take offense at being labeled a vampire. Being a living vampire may be labeled as a "club or weekend hobby," a "lifestyle," "occultism," or a "religion."
Psychic Vampire- Specifically a living being that sustains its life, way of life, or own emotional state by draining or feeding from the energy, emotions or life of another being, almost always a human.
Sire- The vampire who embraces another person; the maker of another vampire; parent vampire. (Female vampires can also be called "sires.")
Siring- The act of turning one into a vampire; embracing.
Vampire- 1. An animated corpse that drinks blood to sustain itself indefinitely. 2. A human, creature, spirit or other entity that drains any manner of thing-- blood, energy, etc.-- from humans or animals to sustain its way of life; psychic vampire.
Vampire Demi-god- I use this term to refer to entities who are neither a demon nor a spirit. Demi-gods, or lesser gods, are often god hybrids or low ranking gods. Unlike demons and spirits, they traditionally do not interact with the mortal population, unless it is in legend. (Hercules and the Titans are commonly known demi-gods.) A vampire demi-god is a figure in religion/ mythology that acts in a manner consistent with folkloric vampires. These lesser gods are, I believe, the beginnings of the figure of the vampire, who eventually de-evolved from a god-- splitting then, perhaps, into the other related forms of spirits and demons-- to a very tangible, and formally mortal, corpse.
Vampiress- A female vampire. (Though a "vampire" may refer to either sex.)
Witch/Warlock/Wizard- Accroding to popular belief during the middle ages, witches are the human servants of the Devil. They are either under his direct control, with no will power of their own, or they have entered into a pact with the Devil to do his bidding in return for personal favors. Unlike popular notions of witches (such as at Halloween), witches were not necessarily believed to be ugly or otherwise obvious. The most obvious sign of a witch nearby was a continual string of bad luck in a village, or to a particular family, disease-- especially among livestock-- and unusal events or certain individuals acting strangely. Originally "witch" could refer to either males or females, although most who were burned at the stake were women. Later, it became more common to refer to male witches as warlocks or wizards. (Note, this is a medieval definition of a witch. This is in no way related to the modern definition of a witch as a practitioner of pagan or earth-related rituals, like the Wiccans.)
Zombie- Like a ghoul, this being is an animated corpse, but unlike a ghoul, it is controlled by a witch or witch doctor. It is used as a slave or made to suffer out of revenge by the person controlling it. Traditionally, a zombie does not attack others-- unless ordered to-- and it does not drink blood or eat flesh. It, especially in horror movies, is often confused with a ghoul. The ghoul, zombie and vampire are closely linked, and are often interchanged with each other in folklore.
Other TermsWhite Wolf- The supposed be-all and end-all of vampire knowledge. I will try not to get into their stuff too much, as they have many, many books on vampires and role playing in bookstores, and many people have WW web pages. They have done a lot to bring about a new interest in vampires, keeping the tradition of the myth alive, but they have done it in such a convincing way, and have such a fanatical following, that people think that's all there is to know and that the WW myths are the true historical accounts. "Oh, I read all of the WW books, what else is there?" The same with Anne Rice. Just because you read Anne Rice doesn't mean you know all there is to know about vampires. This web page centers on the historical vampire, and the vampires of literature-- based on the trait characteristics from many writers, not just one.
Pre-Vampire Entities
Incubus/ Succubus In many cultures around the world, it is believed that are evil spirits who do harm to people. There are a wide variety of names for these spirits–too many to list here–and a wide variety of attacks. In Europe they are sometimes referred to as mora, mare, mara or any host of other names, but the must widely recognized and universal name is "incubus" for male spirits and "succubus" for female spirits (pl. incubi and succubi respectively). These spirits differ from vampires in that they have no corporeal form, and thus are not dead and would seem to be impervious to a victim's defenses. Evil spirits in general predate the vampire by millennia–they seem to have always been around in human culture–but it is unclear whether the vampire or the incubus specifically came first. John Milton1 gives a good description of the form of incubi/ succubi in Paradise Lost1: With these came they, who, from the bordering flood
Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts
Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names
Of Baalim and Ashtaroth, those male,
These feminine; for spirits, when they please,
Can either sex assume, or both; so soft
And uncompounded is their essence pure,
Not tied or manacled with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but, in what shape they chose,
Dilated or condensed, bright or obscure,
Can execute their aery purposes,
And works of love or enmity fulfill.
(Ll. 419-31)
In Milton's description, there is no difference between an incubus or a succubus, because the spirits can assume either or both sexes at once (for convenience's sake, I shall refer Milton's androgynous spirits collectively as "incubi"). These incubi are able to achieve this because "...their essence [is] pure...," meaning that they are non-corporeal. In this bodiless form they are able not only to be either sex but they may have any form as well--be it small or large, obvious or hidden. In such a way they can do as they please "...[a]nd works of love or enmity fulfill." This conforms to folkloric tradition which holds that incubi plague mankind by either draining their victims of energy through nocturnal sex (love) or by sitting on their victim's chest and thus smothering the victim to death (enmity). In the setting of Paradise Lost, these incubi are ranked as fallen angels, thus making them a type of demon.
Though incubi and demons are mentioned in separate contexts in the Middle Ages, leading one to believe them to be separate entities, there is actually little to no difference in the characteristics between the two. Both spirit and demon derive their power from Satan, although incubi attack people directly and demons, while able to do likewise, tend to have someone do the leg work for them, suchas witches. Demons are almost always depicted in art or described in literature as being in one form or another (humanoid or animal), while incubi do most of their business as something less tangible, such as mist or a ball of light. Demons are capable of doing anything, such as possessing people or souring a cow's milk, while European incubi (note the specific kind; this is not a universal trait of malicious spirits) are fairly consistent in their methods of attack, namely to people while they sleep. The last major difference is one of gender: demons are usually, if not always, male (while their minions, witches, are almost exclusively female), while the true sex-spirit is almost always female (there is more gender equality when it comes to the spirits who prefer to attack by suffocation).
While incubi are similar in form to any number of other demons and spirits around the world, there seems to be a fairly good hypothesis on how the incubi came to be in Europe. J. Gordon Melton 2offers the following explanation:
The incubus seemed to have originated in the ancient practice of incubation, where a person went to the temple of a deity and slept there overnight. During the course of the evening, the person would have contact with thedeity. Often that contact involved sexual intercourse, either in a dream of with one of the very human representatives of the deity. Christianity, which equated the Pagan deities with devilish demons, viewed the practice of intercourse with the deity as a form of demonic activity. Although this is a good theory and probably has some basis in fact, it cannot be the whole basis of the incubi myth. Namely, a Greco-Roman religion followed by Christianity didn't happen everywhere in the world, yet there are similar incubi creatures found everywhere. The most probable reason for the creation of the incubi myth is the need to explain sexually-oriented fantasies and wet dreams. Priests taught people that sex was to be used merely for procreation–not for pleasure. The ideal Christian (e.g. priests and nuns) was not supposed to engage in sex at all. For people who tried very hard during the day to be good Christians, uncontrollable dreams of a sexual nature at night were a horror. The incubi myth may simply spring up anywhere there are people who have to suppress their sexuality. It is much easier to live with yourself if you can blame your "bad" deeds/ thoughts on a demon. It's the classic "The Devil made me do it."
Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts
Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names
Of Baalim and Ashtaroth, those male,
These feminine; for spirits, when they please,
Can either sex assume, or both; so soft
And uncompounded is their essence pure,
Not tied or manacled with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but, in what shape they chose,
Dilated or condensed, bright or obscure,
Can execute their aery purposes,
And works of love or enmity fulfill.
(Ll. 419-31)
In Milton's description, there is no difference between an incubus or a succubus, because the spirits can assume either or both sexes at once (for convenience's sake, I shall refer Milton's androgynous spirits collectively as "incubi"). These incubi are able to achieve this because "...their essence [is] pure...," meaning that they are non-corporeal. In this bodiless form they are able not only to be either sex but they may have any form as well--be it small or large, obvious or hidden. In such a way they can do as they please "...[a]nd works of love or enmity fulfill." This conforms to folkloric tradition which holds that incubi plague mankind by either draining their victims of energy through nocturnal sex (love) or by sitting on their victim's chest and thus smothering the victim to death (enmity). In the setting of Paradise Lost, these incubi are ranked as fallen angels, thus making them a type of demon.
Though incubi and demons are mentioned in separate contexts in the Middle Ages, leading one to believe them to be separate entities, there is actually little to no difference in the characteristics between the two. Both spirit and demon derive their power from Satan, although incubi attack people directly and demons, while able to do likewise, tend to have someone do the leg work for them, suchas witches. Demons are almost always depicted in art or described in literature as being in one form or another (humanoid or animal), while incubi do most of their business as something less tangible, such as mist or a ball of light. Demons are capable of doing anything, such as possessing people or souring a cow's milk, while European incubi (note the specific kind; this is not a universal trait of malicious spirits) are fairly consistent in their methods of attack, namely to people while they sleep. The last major difference is one of gender: demons are usually, if not always, male (while their minions, witches, are almost exclusively female), while the true sex-spirit is almost always female (there is more gender equality when it comes to the spirits who prefer to attack by suffocation).
While incubi are similar in form to any number of other demons and spirits around the world, there seems to be a fairly good hypothesis on how the incubi came to be in Europe. J. Gordon Melton 2offers the following explanation:
The incubus seemed to have originated in the ancient practice of incubation, where a person went to the temple of a deity and slept there overnight. During the course of the evening, the person would have contact with thedeity. Often that contact involved sexual intercourse, either in a dream of with one of the very human representatives of the deity. Christianity, which equated the Pagan deities with devilish demons, viewed the practice of intercourse with the deity as a form of demonic activity. Although this is a good theory and probably has some basis in fact, it cannot be the whole basis of the incubi myth. Namely, a Greco-Roman religion followed by Christianity didn't happen everywhere in the world, yet there are similar incubi creatures found everywhere. The most probable reason for the creation of the incubi myth is the need to explain sexually-oriented fantasies and wet dreams. Priests taught people that sex was to be used merely for procreation–not for pleasure. The ideal Christian (e.g. priests and nuns) was not supposed to engage in sex at all. For people who tried very hard during the day to be good Christians, uncontrollable dreams of a sexual nature at night were a horror. The incubi myth may simply spring up anywhere there are people who have to suppress their sexuality. It is much easier to live with yourself if you can blame your "bad" deeds/ thoughts on a demon. It's the classic "The Devil made me do it."
Vampire Creation Myths
Cain and Lilith Enter Lilith: This myth begins at the very creation of man. Lilith, according to Hebrew/ Jewish texts, was the first woman created for Adam.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it.
Genesis 1:27-28
Many have made her a model for feminism, because when Adam demanded that she always be on the bottom for... um... sleeping purposes, she grew angry. "Why must I always be on the bottom? I was made of the same stuff as you. I should be on the top equally." When Adam would not relent in his domination of her, she grew so angry that she uttered the holy name of God and vanished. God then had to make Eve for Adam, making her of his rib bone, rather than wholly dust, so that she would be attached to him and not leave as Lilith had done.
Lilith went out to the Red Sea, where she made a bargain with the angels who had been sent to fetch her back to Adam. She was allowed to stay out on her own, as a witch, mother of all demons. She was allowed to kill infants up until their naming day (I believe 7 days for girls and 8 days for boys), unless they had a charm over their sleeping place with the names of the angels on them. Then, she promised, she would not kill them. (This story is usually explained as being an explanation for SIDS-- sudden infant death syndrome.) Lilith killed human children in retaliation for the thousands of her own demon children who were killed in the wars between good and evil.
Enter Cain: Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. He was banished, with a mark, from the land of his parents because he killed his brother in a jealous rage.
10 What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crith unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold. And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him shall kill him."
Genesis 4:10-15
According to vampire legend, Cain wandered until he found Lilith by the Red Sea. She took him in and showed him the power of blood. (My religion teacher put it that the tree of life is represented in blood. Thus why Jewish persons staunchly drain all blood away from their meat before cooking and eating it. And thus why drinking blood/ being a vampire is such a big deal in a religious context.)
From Cain and Lilith came a host of demons and vampires in the vague myths. Cain is mentioned in the Bible as having a number of legitimate children, with an unnamed woman/ wife. Some of his children are even highly regarded, as they are listed with their inventions, such as the harp and metal working. But, past Gen. 4:26 there is no more mention of Cain's children or his line. Cain himself is referred to only twice more, in the New Testament, as "the prototype of the wicked man."
From what there is presented in the Bible, there is little to go on with the myth of Cain and Lilith. Lilith herself appears only in Jewish apocrypha texts-- she is in neither the Torah or the Bible. But what is interesting is Cain-- and it might be inferred Lilith too-- appears in the epic poem Beowulf, and with much more mention than he ever receives in the Bible.
...Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend,
Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild
Marshes, and made his home in a hell
Not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime,
Conceived by a pair of those monsters born
Of Cain, murderous creatures banished
By God, punished forever for the crime
Of Abel's death. The Almighty drove
Those demons out, and their exile was bitter,
Shut away from men; they split
Into a thousand forms of evil-- spirits
And fiends, goblins, monsters, giants,
A brood forever opposing the Lord's
Will, and again and again defeated.
(Ll. 101-114)
...Cain had killed his only
Brother, slain his father's son
With an angry sword, God drove him off,
Outlawed him to the dry and barren desert,
And branded him with a murder's mark. And he bore
A race of fiends accursed like their father...
(Ll. 1261-1266)
How intriguing is that? Where does the author's venom for Cain come from? Yes, he's a sinner, but in the Bible it seems that he goes off and does the best he can, building the city of Enoch, and having a lineage of creative descendants. In the other references to him, he is used as an example of a sinner, but without malice. But the author(s) of Beowulf seems to heap undue vileness onto Cain. There is simply no place in the Bible that speaks of Cain in such a hate-filled regard.
What's even more interesting is that Grendel's forefathers are referred to as a pair. "The Almighty drove/ Those demons out" when there is clearly no mention of God driving anyone out of Eden but Cain. The only other time we see sin in (around) Eden is when we look at the legends of Lilith. It was she who said the holy name of God and vanished out from Eden. And Lilith, in the Jewish tradition, has always been seen as the mother of demons. So for there to have been demons, Lilith must have conceived them (Cain's wife was busy having good children). I think the original author of Beowulf must have known of this Lilith legend (it certainly isn't obscure) and implied this in his writing, because the audience otherwise knows that there was no one expelled but Cain, and that, in the Bible, he stays a legitimate person, not a bearer of monsters.
To further drive home the point that the author knew what he was talking about, Beowulf was first written down and preserved by monks-- who were the only literate people in their time. The tale originated somewhere in the 600's in England, and was thought to have been written down at a later time (it was a bard's tale before that, made to be sung). As monks have a notorious reputation for adding God and His works into things as they write, we would certainly expect to find more references to Christianity than would have probably been present in the newly-Christian world that the poem was composed in. So it can only be concluded that the author knew what he was talking about and wrote down something that had meaning to his audience at the time, but which has been lost to us since. At the time of the composing of the poem, and during the later years when it was written down, the Bible of choice was the Vulgate, of Jerome's Latin Bible. I have attempted to look through the Latin text of this Bible, and have searched for Cain references, but it appears to have no more to say about Cain than does the later (and most popular) version, the King James Version (which most all of usknow). The origin of the Cain = monstrous evil myth is well obscured and lost, which allows us to speculate even more as to where monsters-- in particular, vampires-- came from.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it.
Genesis 1:27-28
Many have made her a model for feminism, because when Adam demanded that she always be on the bottom for... um... sleeping purposes, she grew angry. "Why must I always be on the bottom? I was made of the same stuff as you. I should be on the top equally." When Adam would not relent in his domination of her, she grew so angry that she uttered the holy name of God and vanished. God then had to make Eve for Adam, making her of his rib bone, rather than wholly dust, so that she would be attached to him and not leave as Lilith had done.
Lilith went out to the Red Sea, where she made a bargain with the angels who had been sent to fetch her back to Adam. She was allowed to stay out on her own, as a witch, mother of all demons. She was allowed to kill infants up until their naming day (I believe 7 days for girls and 8 days for boys), unless they had a charm over their sleeping place with the names of the angels on them. Then, she promised, she would not kill them. (This story is usually explained as being an explanation for SIDS-- sudden infant death syndrome.) Lilith killed human children in retaliation for the thousands of her own demon children who were killed in the wars between good and evil.
Enter Cain: Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. He was banished, with a mark, from the land of his parents because he killed his brother in a jealous rage.
10 What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crith unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold. And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him shall kill him."
Genesis 4:10-15
According to vampire legend, Cain wandered until he found Lilith by the Red Sea. She took him in and showed him the power of blood. (My religion teacher put it that the tree of life is represented in blood. Thus why Jewish persons staunchly drain all blood away from their meat before cooking and eating it. And thus why drinking blood/ being a vampire is such a big deal in a religious context.)
From Cain and Lilith came a host of demons and vampires in the vague myths. Cain is mentioned in the Bible as having a number of legitimate children, with an unnamed woman/ wife. Some of his children are even highly regarded, as they are listed with their inventions, such as the harp and metal working. But, past Gen. 4:26 there is no more mention of Cain's children or his line. Cain himself is referred to only twice more, in the New Testament, as "the prototype of the wicked man."
From what there is presented in the Bible, there is little to go on with the myth of Cain and Lilith. Lilith herself appears only in Jewish apocrypha texts-- she is in neither the Torah or the Bible. But what is interesting is Cain-- and it might be inferred Lilith too-- appears in the epic poem Beowulf, and with much more mention than he ever receives in the Bible.
...Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend,
Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild
Marshes, and made his home in a hell
Not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime,
Conceived by a pair of those monsters born
Of Cain, murderous creatures banished
By God, punished forever for the crime
Of Abel's death. The Almighty drove
Those demons out, and their exile was bitter,
Shut away from men; they split
Into a thousand forms of evil-- spirits
And fiends, goblins, monsters, giants,
A brood forever opposing the Lord's
Will, and again and again defeated.
(Ll. 101-114)
...Cain had killed his only
Brother, slain his father's son
With an angry sword, God drove him off,
Outlawed him to the dry and barren desert,
And branded him with a murder's mark. And he bore
A race of fiends accursed like their father...
(Ll. 1261-1266)
How intriguing is that? Where does the author's venom for Cain come from? Yes, he's a sinner, but in the Bible it seems that he goes off and does the best he can, building the city of Enoch, and having a lineage of creative descendants. In the other references to him, he is used as an example of a sinner, but without malice. But the author(s) of Beowulf seems to heap undue vileness onto Cain. There is simply no place in the Bible that speaks of Cain in such a hate-filled regard.
What's even more interesting is that Grendel's forefathers are referred to as a pair. "The Almighty drove/ Those demons out" when there is clearly no mention of God driving anyone out of Eden but Cain. The only other time we see sin in (around) Eden is when we look at the legends of Lilith. It was she who said the holy name of God and vanished out from Eden. And Lilith, in the Jewish tradition, has always been seen as the mother of demons. So for there to have been demons, Lilith must have conceived them (Cain's wife was busy having good children). I think the original author of Beowulf must have known of this Lilith legend (it certainly isn't obscure) and implied this in his writing, because the audience otherwise knows that there was no one expelled but Cain, and that, in the Bible, he stays a legitimate person, not a bearer of monsters.
To further drive home the point that the author knew what he was talking about, Beowulf was first written down and preserved by monks-- who were the only literate people in their time. The tale originated somewhere in the 600's in England, and was thought to have been written down at a later time (it was a bard's tale before that, made to be sung). As monks have a notorious reputation for adding God and His works into things as they write, we would certainly expect to find more references to Christianity than would have probably been present in the newly-Christian world that the poem was composed in. So it can only be concluded that the author knew what he was talking about and wrote down something that had meaning to his audience at the time, but which has been lost to us since. At the time of the composing of the poem, and during the later years when it was written down, the Bible of choice was the Vulgate, of Jerome's Latin Bible. I have attempted to look through the Latin text of this Bible, and have searched for Cain references, but it appears to have no more to say about Cain than does the later (and most popular) version, the King James Version (which most all of usknow). The origin of the Cain = monstrous evil myth is well obscured and lost, which allows us to speculate even more as to where monsters-- in particular, vampires-- came from.
How Vampires Are Made
Where do vampires come from?
The Natural History of the Vampire* gives these examples as possible people who might become vampires in death, as according to old legends:
Dead wizards
Werewolves
Heretics
Outcasts
Illegitimate offspring of illegitimate children
Anyone killed by a vampire
Suicides
Unavenged deaths
Untimely/ unhappy deaths
Witches
Murderers
Excommunicants
Robbers/ villains
Accursed
An unburied body which has had sun or moonlight fall upon it (Specifically in China)
An unburied body that has been leapt over by a cat
Those without full rights before death (Slavonic)
Children born or conceived on a great Church holiday. (Slavonic)
Still born children and unbaptised children (Rise as vampires 7 years after their death, Slavonic)
Any animal (including cat) that has passed over an unburied body (Slavonic)
Anyone who has eaten the flesh of a sheep killed by a wolf (Slavonic)
Perjurers, liars
7th sons
Man born with a caul (a piece of the placenta that may become stuck to the child's head as it is born. Easily wiped off, but many cultures have interpreted it as sign, some good, some bad, of what that child will be like when grown.)
A pregnant woman who has been looked at (especially after her 6th month) by a vampire, her child as a great risk of becoming a vampire.
A shadow of a living man falling upon an unburied body.
A nun stepping over an unburied body. Any of those things cover you? Admittedly, there are a lot of things there that define who might become a vampire when they are dead and/ or buried, but not all of them come from the same places. Though I tired to include specific countries or regions with their myths, when possible, so many of them have been shared and obscured that it is hard to tell where they come from. It is much easier to separate things out by regions, such as Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, though by far the largest collection of vampire lore is centered in Europe. Most scholars seem to agree that this is because of the plagues and many famines that swept repeatedly across Europe. Where there were no answers, an illness could easily be blamed on a superstitious belief. Where people were starving and quiet acts of cannibalism were taking place, it was easier to create a myth of something that arose from beyond the grave to do horrible mutilations to other bodies, rather than own up to one's deeds. Or perhaps you could even go so far as to say that vampires were born out of the nightmares induced by the horrors people were facing. Or perhaps... it's none of the above, but truth that has been obscured by myth.
The Natural History of the Vampire* gives these examples as possible people who might become vampires in death, as according to old legends:
Dead wizards
Werewolves
Heretics
Outcasts
Illegitimate offspring of illegitimate children
Anyone killed by a vampire
Suicides
Unavenged deaths
Untimely/ unhappy deaths
Witches
Murderers
Excommunicants
Robbers/ villains
Accursed
An unburied body which has had sun or moonlight fall upon it (Specifically in China)
An unburied body that has been leapt over by a cat
Those without full rights before death (Slavonic)
Children born or conceived on a great Church holiday. (Slavonic)
Still born children and unbaptised children (Rise as vampires 7 years after their death, Slavonic)
Any animal (including cat) that has passed over an unburied body (Slavonic)
Anyone who has eaten the flesh of a sheep killed by a wolf (Slavonic)
Perjurers, liars
7th sons
Man born with a caul (a piece of the placenta that may become stuck to the child's head as it is born. Easily wiped off, but many cultures have interpreted it as sign, some good, some bad, of what that child will be like when grown.)
A pregnant woman who has been looked at (especially after her 6th month) by a vampire, her child as a great risk of becoming a vampire.
A shadow of a living man falling upon an unburied body.
A nun stepping over an unburied body. Any of those things cover you? Admittedly, there are a lot of things there that define who might become a vampire when they are dead and/ or buried, but not all of them come from the same places. Though I tired to include specific countries or regions with their myths, when possible, so many of them have been shared and obscured that it is hard to tell where they come from. It is much easier to separate things out by regions, such as Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, though by far the largest collection of vampire lore is centered in Europe. Most scholars seem to agree that this is because of the plagues and many famines that swept repeatedly across Europe. Where there were no answers, an illness could easily be blamed on a superstitious belief. Where people were starving and quiet acts of cannibalism were taking place, it was easier to create a myth of something that arose from beyond the grave to do horrible mutilations to other bodies, rather than own up to one's deeds. Or perhaps you could even go so far as to say that vampires were born out of the nightmares induced by the horrors people were facing. Or perhaps... it's none of the above, but truth that has been obscured by myth.
Medical Information
The "Dracula Disease"
This rare disease known as the "vampire" or "Dracula" disease, or by it's proper medical name, porphyria (pronounced por-fer-e-ah, or por-fi-re-ah) is thought to be one of, or the reason for the vampire scares throughout time, in cultures around the world. It is very hard to describe it out of a nurse's dictionary-- it's a lot on the technical side-- but I'm going to try my best to put it in layman's terms.
First of all, porphyria is a genetic disease. Because it is hereditary, it can't be caught by blood or other fluid exchange. There shoots down all those old legends of vampires biting someone and they become a vampire themselves. If having porphyria makes you a vampire, then you cannot give it to others. You cannot make other vampires. You cannot "embrace" anyone. I'm not sure to what percent it is that it gets passed from parent to child, i.e. I'm not sure if 100% of children of a porphyritic (making up a word here) parent gets it or if 50% of them do, or if it passes more readily into one sex or another or if grandchildren are more likely to get it than children (as is sometimes the case with hereditary diabetes). The only sure thing is you can't get it through blood or bodily fluid transfer. Sorry if that ruins your evening plans of a little... necking.
Porphyrins (hence the lack of them gives you the name of the disease), combined with iron form hemes in the blood. Heme is what makes blood red. If you don't have the right porphyrin content, you don't have the right heme contents, and then things start to go bad. Prophyria imbalance can cause the following:
Quick facts about Anemia, Catalepsy and Porphyria:
Catalepsy
This is "a condition of diminished responsiveness usually characterized by a trance-like state and constantly maintained immobility. The patient with catalepsy may remain in one position for minutes, days and even longer."
Back before there were laws governing certificates of death and coroners who made sure you were dead, the science of declaring someone dead was not very precise, to say the least. It's not that catalepsy was so common as comas and near death phases were. After a traumatic accident, one may be breathing shallowly and the heart slowed. The person could go into a catatonic state, but not be dead. With monitors and such now, that's just part of being in critical condition; we know the person is alive. but in rural areas, miles and miles from medical help, often the person diagnosing death was a family member, friend, stranger, but too often not a doctor. Sometimes people knew how to check a pulse, which is your heart was still beating pretty well and they could take a good pulse, you were okay. But sometimes people couldn't take a pulse at all. The best you got was an ear pressed to the chest or close to the nose for sounds of a beating heart or breathing. Either of those too shallow for detection and you were pronounced dead. While wakes gave you roughly 24 hours to improve or die, you usually didn't have longer. Sometimes less, seeing how people did not have embalming and/or funeral homes with an air conditioner cold enough to frost the windows back in those days, funerals held in the heat of summer were often very, very quick. they wouldn't leave a body out long enough to see if it started to smell and was truly dead. Needless to say, many comatose people were buried alive in this fashion.
When you have people buried alive, you can easily see where vampire myths came from. "Partially eaten shroud" was often a sign of vampires. More often than not, it probably came, if not from bugs or natural deterioration, from people buried alive and hungry. Muffled sounds from graves and scratching in coffins on dark nights could have been those people wanting out, audible in the quietness of evening. Fresh bodies and blood and even screams as the heart of an unearthed vampire were staked can all be explained as comatose victims still alive in the grave, not undead. Because the fear of being buried alive was so great, some people went to great lengths to avoid it, stipulating in their wills to be laid out for three days to make sure they were really dead, not be buried until pronounced dead by a certified physician, to be exhumed three days after burial to make sure the body was dead, or some even had elaborate bell systems devised to ring on the surface if they moved their hand below.2
Well, enough proving vampires non-existent. Let's just say they do exist. Let's say you'd like to get bitten. But, oh, what to offer? Or if you're a writer, like me, where to have your vampire bite? Since we're already on the medical topic, let's go on and include this next section in it:
So many veins, where to begin?
Starting with the head down, I'll cover all the best places to "get a bite."
The external carotid artery-- This is the most common place of all to have a vampire bite. This is the artery in the side of your neck where you take your pulse, closest to the surface between the jaw, slightly under the earlobe and forward, and the collarbone.
The jugular vein-- This vein is a big no-no to bite. Extending on either side of the trachea (the throat), following down the neck from the chin to the collarbone, this vein is very dangerous to pierce. The jugular leads directly down into the heart and carries all the blood from the brain. The jugular vein is much larger than the carotid artery, and so carries much more blood. Very few people in the world have survived a severed jugular vein (we're talking single digits). So, unless your vampire has... um... fangs of steel and a very still victim, a jugular bite could be potentially deadly. The obverse side to that is it is very easy and quick to kill someone that way. Ripping out the throat, by either severing the jugular vein, puncturing the trachea (the windpipe), or both, causes a very quick death.
The median cubital vein-- This vein is the one in the elbow where, if you've ever had blood drawn, that is where they stick you. Hey, if a hospital can use it, so can a vampire.
The ulner artery-- This is the artery in the wrist. After the neck it seems to be the second favorite place for vampires to bite. Remember this though, the vein lies under some tendons (unlike the medial cubital which is right under the skin in the elbow), so that could pose a problem with biting.
The greater saphenous vein-- This vein runs along the inside of either thigh. The vein is large and deep; it would take a big bite to get down into it, but its location makes it a nice... foreplay move, if you have such an amorous vampire.
The femoral vein-- This vein is the one at the back of the knee. Like the median cubital in the elbow, this vein lies close to the skin and is an easy bite if you have a victim face down and willing to not kick or unable to kick.
This rare disease known as the "vampire" or "Dracula" disease, or by it's proper medical name, porphyria (pronounced por-fer-e-ah, or por-fi-re-ah) is thought to be one of, or the reason for the vampire scares throughout time, in cultures around the world. It is very hard to describe it out of a nurse's dictionary-- it's a lot on the technical side-- but I'm going to try my best to put it in layman's terms.
First of all, porphyria is a genetic disease. Because it is hereditary, it can't be caught by blood or other fluid exchange. There shoots down all those old legends of vampires biting someone and they become a vampire themselves. If having porphyria makes you a vampire, then you cannot give it to others. You cannot make other vampires. You cannot "embrace" anyone. I'm not sure to what percent it is that it gets passed from parent to child, i.e. I'm not sure if 100% of children of a porphyritic (making up a word here) parent gets it or if 50% of them do, or if it passes more readily into one sex or another or if grandchildren are more likely to get it than children (as is sometimes the case with hereditary diabetes). The only sure thing is you can't get it through blood or bodily fluid transfer. Sorry if that ruins your evening plans of a little... necking.
Porphyrins (hence the lack of them gives you the name of the disease), combined with iron form hemes in the blood. Heme is what makes blood red. If you don't have the right porphyrin content, you don't have the right heme contents, and then things start to go bad. Prophyria imbalance can cause the following:
- gastrological problems (stomach cramping, nausea)
- neurological and psychological disorders (you get crazy)
- photosensitivity (intolerance to sun or bright lights)
- pigmentation of the face (skin changes color, usually getting lighter, losing color)
- anemia (blood deficiency) with enlargement of the spleen (an organ acting as a reservoir for blood)
- and excessive amounts of porphyrins are excreted in the stool and urine, giving it a dark red, bloodish color.
Quick facts about Anemia, Catalepsy and Porphyria:
Catalepsy
This is "a condition of diminished responsiveness usually characterized by a trance-like state and constantly maintained immobility. The patient with catalepsy may remain in one position for minutes, days and even longer."
Back before there were laws governing certificates of death and coroners who made sure you were dead, the science of declaring someone dead was not very precise, to say the least. It's not that catalepsy was so common as comas and near death phases were. After a traumatic accident, one may be breathing shallowly and the heart slowed. The person could go into a catatonic state, but not be dead. With monitors and such now, that's just part of being in critical condition; we know the person is alive. but in rural areas, miles and miles from medical help, often the person diagnosing death was a family member, friend, stranger, but too often not a doctor. Sometimes people knew how to check a pulse, which is your heart was still beating pretty well and they could take a good pulse, you were okay. But sometimes people couldn't take a pulse at all. The best you got was an ear pressed to the chest or close to the nose for sounds of a beating heart or breathing. Either of those too shallow for detection and you were pronounced dead. While wakes gave you roughly 24 hours to improve or die, you usually didn't have longer. Sometimes less, seeing how people did not have embalming and/or funeral homes with an air conditioner cold enough to frost the windows back in those days, funerals held in the heat of summer were often very, very quick. they wouldn't leave a body out long enough to see if it started to smell and was truly dead. Needless to say, many comatose people were buried alive in this fashion.
When you have people buried alive, you can easily see where vampire myths came from. "Partially eaten shroud" was often a sign of vampires. More often than not, it probably came, if not from bugs or natural deterioration, from people buried alive and hungry. Muffled sounds from graves and scratching in coffins on dark nights could have been those people wanting out, audible in the quietness of evening. Fresh bodies and blood and even screams as the heart of an unearthed vampire were staked can all be explained as comatose victims still alive in the grave, not undead. Because the fear of being buried alive was so great, some people went to great lengths to avoid it, stipulating in their wills to be laid out for three days to make sure they were really dead, not be buried until pronounced dead by a certified physician, to be exhumed three days after burial to make sure the body was dead, or some even had elaborate bell systems devised to ring on the surface if they moved their hand below.2
Well, enough proving vampires non-existent. Let's just say they do exist. Let's say you'd like to get bitten. But, oh, what to offer? Or if you're a writer, like me, where to have your vampire bite? Since we're already on the medical topic, let's go on and include this next section in it:
So many veins, where to begin?
Starting with the head down, I'll cover all the best places to "get a bite."
The external carotid artery-- This is the most common place of all to have a vampire bite. This is the artery in the side of your neck where you take your pulse, closest to the surface between the jaw, slightly under the earlobe and forward, and the collarbone.
The jugular vein-- This vein is a big no-no to bite. Extending on either side of the trachea (the throat), following down the neck from the chin to the collarbone, this vein is very dangerous to pierce. The jugular leads directly down into the heart and carries all the blood from the brain. The jugular vein is much larger than the carotid artery, and so carries much more blood. Very few people in the world have survived a severed jugular vein (we're talking single digits). So, unless your vampire has... um... fangs of steel and a very still victim, a jugular bite could be potentially deadly. The obverse side to that is it is very easy and quick to kill someone that way. Ripping out the throat, by either severing the jugular vein, puncturing the trachea (the windpipe), or both, causes a very quick death.
The median cubital vein-- This vein is the one in the elbow where, if you've ever had blood drawn, that is where they stick you. Hey, if a hospital can use it, so can a vampire.
The ulner artery-- This is the artery in the wrist. After the neck it seems to be the second favorite place for vampires to bite. Remember this though, the vein lies under some tendons (unlike the medial cubital which is right under the skin in the elbow), so that could pose a problem with biting.
The greater saphenous vein-- This vein runs along the inside of either thigh. The vein is large and deep; it would take a big bite to get down into it, but its location makes it a nice... foreplay move, if you have such an amorous vampire.
The femoral vein-- This vein is the one at the back of the knee. Like the median cubital in the elbow, this vein lies close to the skin and is an easy bite if you have a victim face down and willing to not kick or unable to kick.
Vampire Names
*Please Note* I have had several people, of different nationalities write in to tell me that some of these words were incorrect, so I should warn you to take them with a grain of salt. I got the words from various sources which should be correct, but that all depends on how well the author did his homework. Now it may be that these words are simply archaic and have been replaced in the modern language, or they may be open to interpretation or translated a different way, but I've had one too many people tell me that they were incorrect for me to think all of the readers were mistaken. Again, use caution. But, as a consolation, although I have had people tell me that the words were wrong, misused or misspelled, no one has yet to deny that there is some sort of vampire-like creature in their history/ culture. At the least, you can take away from this list a fairly good idea of how many vampire-like creatures there are in the world.
Africa
Asasabonsam- Humanoid monster that lived in the forest and was rarely seen. It had iron teeth, and captured unwary passers-by by letting its hook-shaped feet dangle down from the treetops where it sat. (Ashanti tribe, Ghana)*
Asiman- See Obayifo. (From Dahomeans)*
Obayifo- Identified more as a witch than a vampire, this magic-made (not hereditary) being left its body at night, in the form of a glowing ball, and attacked people, especially children, and sucked them of their blood. Might also suck the juice from fruits and vegetables. (Ashanti tribe)*
Asia, India, Pacific Islands and Australia
Aswang- A witch-woman who appeared as a beautiful maiden when she rubbed herself with a certain ointment. She would fly, at night, to the roof of a house and send down her long tongue to prick the throat of her sleeping victim, then she would drink the blood. When fully fed she appeared as a pregnant woman. (Philippines)*
Bhuta- A person who died in an untimely fashion, and arose to wander the land at night. This demi-vampire, in its wanderings, would reanimate dead bodies of others, who then in turn attacked the locals, eating them as ghouls did. (Western India)*
Brahmaparusha- A vampire-like mythical creature that drank blood from an upturned skull. (Northern India)*
Chedipe- (Literarlly "prostitute") This vampiric woman was depicted riding a tiger naked, and at night she would entrance a household into a deep sleep, enter, then suck the blood from the man through his big toe. (India)*
Chiang-shih (kiang shi)- A rather vicious vampire that was made when the inferior soul stayed to inhabit the body after death, due to improper burial rites or a bad death. It could pass for a human, but sometimes took on other forms, such as that of a wolf, or it may have appeared to glow a phosphorescent green, or have serrated teeth, talons or shaggy white hair. (China)*
Churel- A woman who died an unnatural death, she would come back to seek revenge on any family members who treated her badly by drying up the blood of male family members. She might also tempt young men in the village with food, and if they ate it, she would keep them until dawn, where they returned to their village old men. A churel was marked by the fact that her feet were turned backwards. (India)*
Kali- This goddess, also known as the "Mad Mother" stretches the definition of what is vampiric. She has fangs (or sharp teeth), is dressed in human heads and arms, carries a sickle sword that she uses to kill demons, and is worshiped by sacrificing animals to her at her temple, where she may drink the blood. She-- along with other Hindu gods and goddesses-- often devours the demons that she kills. Though we can't label this revered and popular goddess a vampire, we can begin to see where the gods of the ancient peoples slowly worked their way into the everyday culture, and then, later, as Christianity took over as the main religion, superstition. (India)
Kappa- A vampire that dwelt in water (usually ponds), it attacked livestock, such as cows and horses, and drug them into the water and devoured them. (Japan)*
Maneden- A creature that dwelt in a wild pandanus plant. If a human attacked the plant, the creature would retaliate by attaching itself to a man's elbow (or a woman's nipple) where it sucked his blood until he gave something in substitution, such as a nut. (Malaysia)*
Penanggalan- Gruesomely depicted vampire (Malaysia)*
Pisachas- Demi-god ghouls; literally "eaters of raw flesh." Also known as Yatu-dhana/ Hatu-dhana. (India)*
Polong- A creature, like a witch's familiar, that would do the bidding of the witch in exchange for small amounts of blood daily, taken from a cut in the finger. (Malasyia)*
Pontianak- Yet another female vampire who attacks infants and drinks their blood. Pontianaks also seduce young men, in the form of a maiden. (Java) Also known as a Langsuyar in Malaysia.*
Rakshasas- (Rakshasas, m. Rakshasis, f.) These are demi-gods in that they don't appear to interact directly with the populace, but their exploits, instead, are given in legends. Like vampires, though, they wandered at night, had fangs, drank blood and preferred to attack infants and pregnant women. (India)*
Yara-ma-yha-who- More beast than man, this vampire dwelt in fig trees and would jump down on people who passed by or slept under the tree. The creature would drain the blood from the person, though not usually enough to kill. Sometimes it ate the person whole, then regurgitated them out later. The more often a person was attacked, the more like the creature they became, until eventually they were made fully into a yara-ma-yha-who. (Aboriginies, Australia)*
Central and South America, Caribbean
Asema- An vampiric old man or woman who took the form of a ball of light and traveled at night to drink the blood of people asleep in their houses. (South America)*
Camazotz- A full-fledged god, this deity was central in agriculture, but was feared for his blood-drinking tendencies, fearsome appearance (which included large teeth and claws), and his tendency to dwell in caves where he would-- I presume-- attack people for their blood. (Mayan, Mexico)*
Cihuateteo- A demi-god, this vampiric woman, like so many in other parts of the world, was depicted killing and drinking the blood of infants. Interestingly enough, like many of the vampires in the West, they are said to meet at crossroads and only wander at night, as sunlight will kill them. (Aztecs, Mexico)*
Civateto- Vampire witch (Mexico)
Jaracaca- Vampire that feeds from breast milk (Brazil)
Lobishomen- Vampire that attacks women and turns them into nymphomaniacs. (Brazil) Also known as werewolves. (Portugal)*
Loogaroo- This word comes from the corrupted French word "loup-garou," which was originally reserved for werewolves (much as "lobishomen" has changed from representing werewolves to being associated with vampires).* Vampiric elderly ladies (Grenada, Haiti)
Sukuyan- Vampiric witch, akin to the Loogaroo and Asema (Trinidad)*
Tlahuelpuchi- Blood-sucking witch (Mexico)*
Europe and the United Kingdom
Bruja- Usually seen as a woman, this living person transformed into various animals and attacked infants. (Spain)* See also Bruxa.
Bruxa- (Bruxa, f. Bruxo, m.) Vampire/ witches, they assumed animal forms such as a duck, rat, goose, dove or ant and attacked, most usually, infants. Adhering to witch practices, they were found out between midnight and 2:00 a.m. (also known as the "witching hours"), on Tuesdays and Fridays, meeting at crossroads. Associated with lobishomen (werewolves) and also known as bruja. (Portugal)*
Callicantzaros- A specific type of vampire, coming from people who were born on religious holidays, especially between Christmas and Epiphany (New Years). This vampire, with long talons, would attack people and tear them up on the holy days between Christmas and Epiphany. (Greece)*
Drakul- A body moving with the help of a demon. (See page on Vlad Tepes for additional meanings on this word.) (Slavonic country?)
Dhampir- Vampire's son. Sometimes thought to be the only person who could see a vampire and kill it. Up until the 17th and 18th centuries, people would hire themselves out as vampire killers under the guise of being a Dhampir. (Serbia) Also known as a vampirdzhija (Bulgaria)*
Djadadjii- This was a specific kind of vampire hunter, who "bottled" vampires. The hunter would first bait a bottle with a favorite food of the rascally vampire. He would then use a picture of a saint, or Christ or Mary as an icon, and would drive the vampire from his hiding place, and straight into the bottle. The hunter then corked the bottle and disposed of the vampire by throwing it, bottle and all, into a fire. (Bulgaria)*
Incubus (Incubus, m. Succubus, f. Incubi/Succubi, pl.)Like a ghoul, this creature is closely linked to a vampire, but unlike both of them, it is a spirit, and not an animated corpse. This creature does not drain its victims of blood nor energy, but will exhaust them to death by coming in every night to have sex with the victim. The victims, worn out and helpless, often die of asphyxiation as the incubus/ succubus is characterized by a heavy, weighty feeling on the victim's chest. (Eastern European)*
Lamia/ lamiai- A vampiric woman, she is half woman, half serpent, and lives in caves, where she drinks the blood of children. She sometimes transforms into a beautiful maiden to seduce young men and also drink their blood. (Greece)*
Lidérc- More incubus than vampire, this creature had many different shapes as a man, woman, animal or light, and it drained the energy out of its victim sexually. (Hungary)*
Nachzehrer- A vampire (when found in the grave) that has these specific traits: holds the thumb of one hand with the other, its left eye is open and it emits a grunting sound as it chews on its shroud in the tomb. (Germany)
Neuntöter- Vampire that spreads plague. (Germany)
Nora- A bald man, running on all fours, he would suck the breasts of women- presumably draining them as an incubus might do. (Hungary)*
Obur- A particularly gluttonous blood drinker, the local people had to offer great amounts of food to get rid of it. It was characterized by loud noises and the ability to move things without being seen (like a poltergeist). (Gagauz people, Bulgaria)*
Redcap- This spirit haunted abandoned sites, especially if they had been the scene of violence. Their only link to vampirism was that they carried a cap that had been dyed red in human blood, and they took every opportunity to re-dye it with more blood. (Scotland)*
Strigoiu- Vampire that lives in abandoned houses. (Slavonic country?)
Upír- This vampire was born of the thought-- much like the chiang-shih in China-- that a person had two souls, and a vampire was a corpse animated by one of the souls-- the lesser soul-- that remained in the body after death. This vampire had two hearts, and was known in the grave to have its eyes open, two curls in its hair and various other usual vampiric signs. Also known as nelapsi (Czech)*
Ustrel- A child born on a Saturday, but not baptized usually turned into this specific type of vampire. After the 9th day of burial, it would rise again and attack livestock during the night, then return to the grave during the day. If enough blood was consumed, it would grow strong enough stay out during the daytime, hiding amongst the herds and picking off the animals one at a time. (Bulgaria)*
Middle East
Dakhanavar- A vampire that lived in the wild and attacked travelers at night by sucking blood from their feet. Two men outwitted it by sleeping so that their heads rested on the other's feet. The vampire was frustrated by the thing with two heads and no feet, and ran away and was never seen again. (Armenia)*
Ghoul- (Ghul, m. Ghulah, f.) Closely associated with the vampire, a ghoul was a reanimated body, but which fed on other corpses and not on blood. Sometimes, though, they are known to eat flesh of the living as well. They are also linked to zombies, but unlike those creatures, ghouls are not controlled by a witch. Looking at things in terms of evolution of the deceased, zombies are lowest on the order, followed by ghouls, and then topped by vampires, who are much more refined in their tastes, and stronger in their supernatural abilities. (Arabic/ Arabia)*
Lilith- A complex figure, Lilith was born in the Jewish tradition from a Sumerian vampire-demon figure, also known as Lillu, Ardat Lili, and Irdu Lili. Lilith was known as the first wife of Adam, who left him to go dwell in the desert. She became a demoness and the mother of all demons (who were called, in the plural, "Lilith" as well), and attacked infants, sucking their blood and strangling them. Eventually she and her demons lost this vampiric quality and were merely associated with the untimely death of any young child or baby. It can be hypothesized that this Lilith legend, making it's way into Europe after the Jewish Diaspora of 70 A.D., is the basis for the other female, vampire-like demonesses who attacked children, such as the Bruja of Spain, or the Lamia of Greece. (Hebrew)*
A Vampire by any other name...
Albanian- Kukuthi, lugat*
Bosnian- Lampir, tenatz*
Bulgarian- Opyri/ opiri, vipir, vepir, vapir*
Croatian- Vukodlak, kosac, prikosac, tenjac*
Filipino- Danag, Mandurugo*
Gaelic/ Celtic- Craitnag folley (perhaps "blood bat"), sooder folley (literally "blood sucker")+ German- Bluatsauger (Literally "bloodsucker"), Nachttoter (Literally "night killer"), Neuntoter (Literally "killer of nine")*
Greek- Vrykolakas, empusai, nosophoros (Literally "plague-carrier")*
Gypsy- Mulo/ Mullo (pl. mulé) (Literally "one who is dead")*
Hebrew- Aluka (Literally a leech, it seems to be synonymous with vampirism or vampire)*
Hungarian- Pamgri
Indian (Sanskrit, I believe)- Asra-pa/ Asrk-pa (Literally "drinkers of blood"), vetalas, betails*
Irish- Dearg-due (Literally "red-blood sucker")
Japanese- Kyuketsuki*
Latin/ Roman- Strix*
Magyar- Vampir
Polish- Upiór, upier, m./ upierzyca, f., opji or wupji, vjesci or vjeszczi, njetop*
Romanian- Strigoi, m./ strigoaica, f.; Moroi, m./ Moroaica, f.*
Russian- Upir, Vieszcy, Uppyr*, or Upierczi
Serbian- Vampyres
Serbo-Croatian- Upirina*
Slavonic- Oupire (Literally "blood sucker"), Nosufur-atu*
Ukrainian- Upyr, Upiribi, Upior, m./ upiorzyca, f.*
Yittish- Dybbuk (Literally something like "drinker of blood." A friend told me this one.)
Incubus, witch, close enough...
Witches
Albanian- Shtriga*
Montenegro- Vjeshtitza*
Slovenian- Strigon*
Romanian- Striga*
Incubi/Succubi
French- Follets*
German- Alpes*
Italian- Folletti*
Old Teutonic- Mare*
Scandinavian- Mara*
Slavic- Mora*
Spanish- Duendes*
Africa
Asasabonsam- Humanoid monster that lived in the forest and was rarely seen. It had iron teeth, and captured unwary passers-by by letting its hook-shaped feet dangle down from the treetops where it sat. (Ashanti tribe, Ghana)*
Asiman- See Obayifo. (From Dahomeans)*
Obayifo- Identified more as a witch than a vampire, this magic-made (not hereditary) being left its body at night, in the form of a glowing ball, and attacked people, especially children, and sucked them of their blood. Might also suck the juice from fruits and vegetables. (Ashanti tribe)*
Asia, India, Pacific Islands and Australia
Aswang- A witch-woman who appeared as a beautiful maiden when she rubbed herself with a certain ointment. She would fly, at night, to the roof of a house and send down her long tongue to prick the throat of her sleeping victim, then she would drink the blood. When fully fed she appeared as a pregnant woman. (Philippines)*
Bhuta- A person who died in an untimely fashion, and arose to wander the land at night. This demi-vampire, in its wanderings, would reanimate dead bodies of others, who then in turn attacked the locals, eating them as ghouls did. (Western India)*
Brahmaparusha- A vampire-like mythical creature that drank blood from an upturned skull. (Northern India)*
Chedipe- (Literarlly "prostitute") This vampiric woman was depicted riding a tiger naked, and at night she would entrance a household into a deep sleep, enter, then suck the blood from the man through his big toe. (India)*
Chiang-shih (kiang shi)- A rather vicious vampire that was made when the inferior soul stayed to inhabit the body after death, due to improper burial rites or a bad death. It could pass for a human, but sometimes took on other forms, such as that of a wolf, or it may have appeared to glow a phosphorescent green, or have serrated teeth, talons or shaggy white hair. (China)*
Churel- A woman who died an unnatural death, she would come back to seek revenge on any family members who treated her badly by drying up the blood of male family members. She might also tempt young men in the village with food, and if they ate it, she would keep them until dawn, where they returned to their village old men. A churel was marked by the fact that her feet were turned backwards. (India)*
Kali- This goddess, also known as the "Mad Mother" stretches the definition of what is vampiric. She has fangs (or sharp teeth), is dressed in human heads and arms, carries a sickle sword that she uses to kill demons, and is worshiped by sacrificing animals to her at her temple, where she may drink the blood. She-- along with other Hindu gods and goddesses-- often devours the demons that she kills. Though we can't label this revered and popular goddess a vampire, we can begin to see where the gods of the ancient peoples slowly worked their way into the everyday culture, and then, later, as Christianity took over as the main religion, superstition. (India)
Kappa- A vampire that dwelt in water (usually ponds), it attacked livestock, such as cows and horses, and drug them into the water and devoured them. (Japan)*
Maneden- A creature that dwelt in a wild pandanus plant. If a human attacked the plant, the creature would retaliate by attaching itself to a man's elbow (or a woman's nipple) where it sucked his blood until he gave something in substitution, such as a nut. (Malaysia)*
Penanggalan- Gruesomely depicted vampire (Malaysia)*
Pisachas- Demi-god ghouls; literally "eaters of raw flesh." Also known as Yatu-dhana/ Hatu-dhana. (India)*
Polong- A creature, like a witch's familiar, that would do the bidding of the witch in exchange for small amounts of blood daily, taken from a cut in the finger. (Malasyia)*
Pontianak- Yet another female vampire who attacks infants and drinks their blood. Pontianaks also seduce young men, in the form of a maiden. (Java) Also known as a Langsuyar in Malaysia.*
Rakshasas- (Rakshasas, m. Rakshasis, f.) These are demi-gods in that they don't appear to interact directly with the populace, but their exploits, instead, are given in legends. Like vampires, though, they wandered at night, had fangs, drank blood and preferred to attack infants and pregnant women. (India)*
Yara-ma-yha-who- More beast than man, this vampire dwelt in fig trees and would jump down on people who passed by or slept under the tree. The creature would drain the blood from the person, though not usually enough to kill. Sometimes it ate the person whole, then regurgitated them out later. The more often a person was attacked, the more like the creature they became, until eventually they were made fully into a yara-ma-yha-who. (Aboriginies, Australia)*
Central and South America, Caribbean
Asema- An vampiric old man or woman who took the form of a ball of light and traveled at night to drink the blood of people asleep in their houses. (South America)*
Camazotz- A full-fledged god, this deity was central in agriculture, but was feared for his blood-drinking tendencies, fearsome appearance (which included large teeth and claws), and his tendency to dwell in caves where he would-- I presume-- attack people for their blood. (Mayan, Mexico)*
Cihuateteo- A demi-god, this vampiric woman, like so many in other parts of the world, was depicted killing and drinking the blood of infants. Interestingly enough, like many of the vampires in the West, they are said to meet at crossroads and only wander at night, as sunlight will kill them. (Aztecs, Mexico)*
Civateto- Vampire witch (Mexico)
Jaracaca- Vampire that feeds from breast milk (Brazil)
Lobishomen- Vampire that attacks women and turns them into nymphomaniacs. (Brazil) Also known as werewolves. (Portugal)*
Loogaroo- This word comes from the corrupted French word "loup-garou," which was originally reserved for werewolves (much as "lobishomen" has changed from representing werewolves to being associated with vampires).* Vampiric elderly ladies (Grenada, Haiti)
Sukuyan- Vampiric witch, akin to the Loogaroo and Asema (Trinidad)*
Tlahuelpuchi- Blood-sucking witch (Mexico)*
Europe and the United Kingdom
Bruja- Usually seen as a woman, this living person transformed into various animals and attacked infants. (Spain)* See also Bruxa.
Bruxa- (Bruxa, f. Bruxo, m.) Vampire/ witches, they assumed animal forms such as a duck, rat, goose, dove or ant and attacked, most usually, infants. Adhering to witch practices, they were found out between midnight and 2:00 a.m. (also known as the "witching hours"), on Tuesdays and Fridays, meeting at crossroads. Associated with lobishomen (werewolves) and also known as bruja. (Portugal)*
Callicantzaros- A specific type of vampire, coming from people who were born on religious holidays, especially between Christmas and Epiphany (New Years). This vampire, with long talons, would attack people and tear them up on the holy days between Christmas and Epiphany. (Greece)*
Drakul- A body moving with the help of a demon. (See page on Vlad Tepes for additional meanings on this word.) (Slavonic country?)
Dhampir- Vampire's son. Sometimes thought to be the only person who could see a vampire and kill it. Up until the 17th and 18th centuries, people would hire themselves out as vampire killers under the guise of being a Dhampir. (Serbia) Also known as a vampirdzhija (Bulgaria)*
Djadadjii- This was a specific kind of vampire hunter, who "bottled" vampires. The hunter would first bait a bottle with a favorite food of the rascally vampire. He would then use a picture of a saint, or Christ or Mary as an icon, and would drive the vampire from his hiding place, and straight into the bottle. The hunter then corked the bottle and disposed of the vampire by throwing it, bottle and all, into a fire. (Bulgaria)*
Incubus (Incubus, m. Succubus, f. Incubi/Succubi, pl.)Like a ghoul, this creature is closely linked to a vampire, but unlike both of them, it is a spirit, and not an animated corpse. This creature does not drain its victims of blood nor energy, but will exhaust them to death by coming in every night to have sex with the victim. The victims, worn out and helpless, often die of asphyxiation as the incubus/ succubus is characterized by a heavy, weighty feeling on the victim's chest. (Eastern European)*
Lamia/ lamiai- A vampiric woman, she is half woman, half serpent, and lives in caves, where she drinks the blood of children. She sometimes transforms into a beautiful maiden to seduce young men and also drink their blood. (Greece)*
Lidérc- More incubus than vampire, this creature had many different shapes as a man, woman, animal or light, and it drained the energy out of its victim sexually. (Hungary)*
Nachzehrer- A vampire (when found in the grave) that has these specific traits: holds the thumb of one hand with the other, its left eye is open and it emits a grunting sound as it chews on its shroud in the tomb. (Germany)
Neuntöter- Vampire that spreads plague. (Germany)
Nora- A bald man, running on all fours, he would suck the breasts of women- presumably draining them as an incubus might do. (Hungary)*
Obur- A particularly gluttonous blood drinker, the local people had to offer great amounts of food to get rid of it. It was characterized by loud noises and the ability to move things without being seen (like a poltergeist). (Gagauz people, Bulgaria)*
Redcap- This spirit haunted abandoned sites, especially if they had been the scene of violence. Their only link to vampirism was that they carried a cap that had been dyed red in human blood, and they took every opportunity to re-dye it with more blood. (Scotland)*
Strigoiu- Vampire that lives in abandoned houses. (Slavonic country?)
Upír- This vampire was born of the thought-- much like the chiang-shih in China-- that a person had two souls, and a vampire was a corpse animated by one of the souls-- the lesser soul-- that remained in the body after death. This vampire had two hearts, and was known in the grave to have its eyes open, two curls in its hair and various other usual vampiric signs. Also known as nelapsi (Czech)*
Ustrel- A child born on a Saturday, but not baptized usually turned into this specific type of vampire. After the 9th day of burial, it would rise again and attack livestock during the night, then return to the grave during the day. If enough blood was consumed, it would grow strong enough stay out during the daytime, hiding amongst the herds and picking off the animals one at a time. (Bulgaria)*
Middle East
Dakhanavar- A vampire that lived in the wild and attacked travelers at night by sucking blood from their feet. Two men outwitted it by sleeping so that their heads rested on the other's feet. The vampire was frustrated by the thing with two heads and no feet, and ran away and was never seen again. (Armenia)*
Ghoul- (Ghul, m. Ghulah, f.) Closely associated with the vampire, a ghoul was a reanimated body, but which fed on other corpses and not on blood. Sometimes, though, they are known to eat flesh of the living as well. They are also linked to zombies, but unlike those creatures, ghouls are not controlled by a witch. Looking at things in terms of evolution of the deceased, zombies are lowest on the order, followed by ghouls, and then topped by vampires, who are much more refined in their tastes, and stronger in their supernatural abilities. (Arabic/ Arabia)*
Lilith- A complex figure, Lilith was born in the Jewish tradition from a Sumerian vampire-demon figure, also known as Lillu, Ardat Lili, and Irdu Lili. Lilith was known as the first wife of Adam, who left him to go dwell in the desert. She became a demoness and the mother of all demons (who were called, in the plural, "Lilith" as well), and attacked infants, sucking their blood and strangling them. Eventually she and her demons lost this vampiric quality and were merely associated with the untimely death of any young child or baby. It can be hypothesized that this Lilith legend, making it's way into Europe after the Jewish Diaspora of 70 A.D., is the basis for the other female, vampire-like demonesses who attacked children, such as the Bruja of Spain, or the Lamia of Greece. (Hebrew)*
A Vampire by any other name...
Albanian- Kukuthi, lugat*
Bosnian- Lampir, tenatz*
Bulgarian- Opyri/ opiri, vipir, vepir, vapir*
Croatian- Vukodlak, kosac, prikosac, tenjac*
Filipino- Danag, Mandurugo*
Gaelic/ Celtic- Craitnag folley (perhaps "blood bat"), sooder folley (literally "blood sucker")+ German- Bluatsauger (Literally "bloodsucker"), Nachttoter (Literally "night killer"), Neuntoter (Literally "killer of nine")*
Greek- Vrykolakas, empusai, nosophoros (Literally "plague-carrier")*
Gypsy- Mulo/ Mullo (pl. mulé) (Literally "one who is dead")*
Hebrew- Aluka (Literally a leech, it seems to be synonymous with vampirism or vampire)*
Hungarian- Pamgri
Indian (Sanskrit, I believe)- Asra-pa/ Asrk-pa (Literally "drinkers of blood"), vetalas, betails*
Irish- Dearg-due (Literally "red-blood sucker")
Japanese- Kyuketsuki*
Latin/ Roman- Strix*
Magyar- Vampir
Polish- Upiór, upier, m./ upierzyca, f., opji or wupji, vjesci or vjeszczi, njetop*
Romanian- Strigoi, m./ strigoaica, f.; Moroi, m./ Moroaica, f.*
Russian- Upir, Vieszcy, Uppyr*, or Upierczi
Serbian- Vampyres
Serbo-Croatian- Upirina*
Slavonic- Oupire (Literally "blood sucker"), Nosufur-atu*
Ukrainian- Upyr, Upiribi, Upior, m./ upiorzyca, f.*
Yittish- Dybbuk (Literally something like "drinker of blood." A friend told me this one.)
Incubus, witch, close enough...
Witches
Albanian- Shtriga*
Montenegro- Vjeshtitza*
Slovenian- Strigon*
Romanian- Striga*
Incubi/Succubi
French- Follets*
German- Alpes*
Italian- Folletti*
Old Teutonic- Mare*
Scandinavian- Mara*
Slavic- Mora*
Spanish- Duendes*
Vampires in Modern Culture
Vampires in our culture? Yeah, sure, there's a lot of vampire stuff out at Halloween. But most people see vampires nearly everyday, the other 364 days a year, and don't even know it. To begin to study vampires in pop culture, we must first identify all the places they pop up.
Commercials
Vampires in capitalism? You bet! A far cry from the days of horror stories and signs to ward off the evil eye, vampires now sell us all kinds of things. My favorite commercial has to be the one for Ray Ban sunglasses. The scene: A group of average looking people are sitting on some stairs outside, in predawn light, facing the sea. As the sun begins to rise, they all put on their Ray Ban sunglasses. One latecomer to the group fumbles around, not finding his. The sun rises over the ocean, the light falling on them. The hapless guy zaps into a smoking pile of dust. "Looks like someone forgot his Ray Bans.®" All the normal looking people laugh, flashing their vampire fangs.
I love that commercial. For one thing, the actors have the best done vampire fangs I have ever seen in movies or print. Not too big or overly acted. Bravo Mr. Director. Secondly, the fact that a good pair of sunglasses are all vampires need to ward off a death by the sun just strikes me as humorous.
What it sells: The commercial takes into assumption a few things. 1. The population knows what a vampire is. 2. The population can gather that they are vampires merely by their fangs; they don't have to blatantly tell the audience, "Hey, these people are vampires." 3. The population knows the myth that vampires cannot tolerate sunlight and/or it can kill them. The message that comes across? Ray Ban sunglasses are so good at blocking out the sunlight that they could save a vampire if his life depended on it.
Video Games
One of the greatest video games, ranking right up there with Zelda and Mario in number of sequels/ spin offs made, is Castlevania. The epic of Simon Belmont, the vampire hunter has millions of hooked fans all over the world. Hey, even I have the second game one, Simon's Quest. The storyline: As the sequels vary, so do the story lines for the game. But the underlying, most basic of them is vampire hunter hunts and kills vampire. Now, that's not exactly going to win points for vampire lovers, but still, there is something about the game. Simon and Dracula are very much alike. Simon is the lone hero, Dracula pretty much the lone bad guy. Dracula, the embodiment of evil, Simon the best and the bravest. Even though the player's ultimate goal is the death of Dracula, there certainly is no lack of respect for the fallen adversary. The ending credits even show Simon at the grave site of Dracula. It takes a big man to bury his foe in a marked grave.
What it means for vampire kind: While the Castlevania games do not put vampires in a great light, it does show the continuing fascination with vampires and their appeal to all generations. It also brings in a lot of the old mythology concerning vampires, played out in the story lines and information gathered on the quest.
Food
Vampires with our food? Ridiculous! How can a blood-sucking vampire sell food? Does the breakfast cereal, Count Chocula ring a bell? Oh yes, that. Albeit it is a chocolate vampire, it is still pretty obvious. One thing I have never gotten over, however, is the fact that he has pointed ears. What do pointed ears have to do with vampires? Though it is most likely harking back to the first vampire film, Nosferatu, who's vampire actor had pointed ears, it still doesn't make any sense. Perhaps one more way the vampire image has changed over the years. Like a Santa Claus who has slimmed down and lost his jolly old pipe in advertisements, so the vampire has changed. If anything, the vampire losing his pointed ears (and in the Nosferatu case, his general ugliness) has only taken one more step into making him look more like mainstream humans. If Freud were here, he'd say it was the subconscious of the human species making what they consider the beast even closer to them. I.e. visually making the beast look like them because they believe and know the beast to be inside them. But Freud isn't here. I said that and I take all the credit. :-) What the vampire means to advertising: Who knows how vampires are supposed to sell breakfast cereal? Just a clever (or nauseating) pun. The cereal's good enough it speaks for itself.
What it means for vampires: Chalk one up for the vampires. Nothing like a smiling, fanged face greeting you in the morning to make your whole race look good.
And by the by, if you like Count Chocula cereal, you should click on the link above and go to the General Mills website and tell them that. Count Chocula is not easy to find (though Wal-Mart has it) and the Count's contemperaries, like Boo Berry and Frakenberry are almost completely lost. One day the world might be devoid of Count Chocula cereal! Oh, the humanity!
Children's Shows
No, you say. No, I have gone too far. Breakfast cereals for children is one thing, but you absolutely cannot point out a vampire in TV programming for children. Alas, with smug pride I point out Sesame Street's "Count." The Count, with his lovely purple color (both a color of the night and asphyxiation) and cape and monocle (hey, he is royalty) and Bela Lugousi-like accent, is as vampire as they come. True, like the cereal, he has been put in as a pun on words (The Count likes to count numbers, objects, etc.), but the basics of vampirism still exist. Aside from the other ones I have pointed out, he lives in a castle, is shown at night, has pet bats, and even fangs, though in his smiling, friendly face, they are more like a pointed overbite than lethal weapons.
TV Shows
TV shows throughout the broadcasting years have featured vampires, just as movies have. Their lasting appeal, in a variety of circumstances, leads for great ratings and loyal fan followings. Vampire shows aren't just for vampire-interested people. Forever Knight (Far left picture) I've only managed to see a bit of this show, shown on the Sci-Fi channel. It is to my understanding that they aren't making anymore. Which sucks, since the part of the show I saw was the finale, I think. Right when the vampire main character is about to bring his girlfriend over to "the dark side," if you will. Then the guy gets cold feet. His sire is nagging him about doing it, trying to make him feel guilty and not do it, and then it ends right there, when she's about to die and they can't decide what they're going to do. Let her die or embrace her. What jerks! She trusted him, she loved him, and then what? He tries to chicken out. Aggravating to no end. But, it does what it should; it's a clencher all right.
Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (Center picture) I've not actually seen this show or the movie. I haven't made it past the title. I'm not sure if it's the Buffy part or the vampire slayer part. Shame on killers of vampires. Just because some are nasty and try to kill you, that's no excuse. All right, enough with that. Despite my not having watched it, I do know about the affects of the show. It has spawned companion books, and it is rumored there is to be a new line of Buffy action figures coming out. From my experiences, it seems that the largest number of Buffy fans are young, around 9-15. It just shows how the vampire floats through our culture; from children's shows and breakfast cereals, right on through pre-adolescence and then into adulthood.
The Munsters (Far right picture) Long live reruns. As long as there are TVs, there will be reruns; like vampires, they are seemingly eternal. Though the Munsters date back to when TV shows were black-and-white (If memory serves, they were a 50's phenomenon) they still had the vampire fever. If anything, monster flicks at the drive-ins were bigger than they are now, so the Munsters were just a family show spin off of the more popular movies. Whereas monster flicks were for teenagers, along a line of more adult content, the Munsters had all the strangeness of monsters with the wholesomeness of primetime television. It was safe to let your kids watch. And what could be funnier than monsters thinking they are normal and trying to fit into a society that doesn't understand them? Looking at it as a "monsterologist," however, it is rather strange and amusing for the fact that they tried to throw in all the possible monster combinations. Herman is an obvious Frankenstein. Lillian a bride of Frankenstein, with her white-streaked hair down. Grandpa and Eddie are vampires, Draculas reincarnate. Various other monsters and relatives pop up here and there in different shows, putting in all the more that was popular at the time. The Addams Family came along later and mainstreamed the monster craze a little, making up its own strange things, like Thing® and Cousin It, rather than spinning them off. But the groundwork had already been laid. Monster shows could make it on regular, nightly, TV.
Cartoons-And what else is Batman but the Count cleansed of his evil and endowed with social conscience? -- Clive Leatherdale, Dracula: The Novel and the Legend What else is left to say? Draw your own conclusions. From the cape to the night prowlings of the city, to the often-associated-with-vampires creature, the bat, I think Clive's hit that one on the head.
Commercials
Vampires in capitalism? You bet! A far cry from the days of horror stories and signs to ward off the evil eye, vampires now sell us all kinds of things. My favorite commercial has to be the one for Ray Ban sunglasses. The scene: A group of average looking people are sitting on some stairs outside, in predawn light, facing the sea. As the sun begins to rise, they all put on their Ray Ban sunglasses. One latecomer to the group fumbles around, not finding his. The sun rises over the ocean, the light falling on them. The hapless guy zaps into a smoking pile of dust. "Looks like someone forgot his Ray Bans.®" All the normal looking people laugh, flashing their vampire fangs.
I love that commercial. For one thing, the actors have the best done vampire fangs I have ever seen in movies or print. Not too big or overly acted. Bravo Mr. Director. Secondly, the fact that a good pair of sunglasses are all vampires need to ward off a death by the sun just strikes me as humorous.
What it sells: The commercial takes into assumption a few things. 1. The population knows what a vampire is. 2. The population can gather that they are vampires merely by their fangs; they don't have to blatantly tell the audience, "Hey, these people are vampires." 3. The population knows the myth that vampires cannot tolerate sunlight and/or it can kill them. The message that comes across? Ray Ban sunglasses are so good at blocking out the sunlight that they could save a vampire if his life depended on it.
Video Games
One of the greatest video games, ranking right up there with Zelda and Mario in number of sequels/ spin offs made, is Castlevania. The epic of Simon Belmont, the vampire hunter has millions of hooked fans all over the world. Hey, even I have the second game one, Simon's Quest. The storyline: As the sequels vary, so do the story lines for the game. But the underlying, most basic of them is vampire hunter hunts and kills vampire. Now, that's not exactly going to win points for vampire lovers, but still, there is something about the game. Simon and Dracula are very much alike. Simon is the lone hero, Dracula pretty much the lone bad guy. Dracula, the embodiment of evil, Simon the best and the bravest. Even though the player's ultimate goal is the death of Dracula, there certainly is no lack of respect for the fallen adversary. The ending credits even show Simon at the grave site of Dracula. It takes a big man to bury his foe in a marked grave.
What it means for vampire kind: While the Castlevania games do not put vampires in a great light, it does show the continuing fascination with vampires and their appeal to all generations. It also brings in a lot of the old mythology concerning vampires, played out in the story lines and information gathered on the quest.
Food
Vampires with our food? Ridiculous! How can a blood-sucking vampire sell food? Does the breakfast cereal, Count Chocula ring a bell? Oh yes, that. Albeit it is a chocolate vampire, it is still pretty obvious. One thing I have never gotten over, however, is the fact that he has pointed ears. What do pointed ears have to do with vampires? Though it is most likely harking back to the first vampire film, Nosferatu, who's vampire actor had pointed ears, it still doesn't make any sense. Perhaps one more way the vampire image has changed over the years. Like a Santa Claus who has slimmed down and lost his jolly old pipe in advertisements, so the vampire has changed. If anything, the vampire losing his pointed ears (and in the Nosferatu case, his general ugliness) has only taken one more step into making him look more like mainstream humans. If Freud were here, he'd say it was the subconscious of the human species making what they consider the beast even closer to them. I.e. visually making the beast look like them because they believe and know the beast to be inside them. But Freud isn't here. I said that and I take all the credit. :-) What the vampire means to advertising: Who knows how vampires are supposed to sell breakfast cereal? Just a clever (or nauseating) pun. The cereal's good enough it speaks for itself.
What it means for vampires: Chalk one up for the vampires. Nothing like a smiling, fanged face greeting you in the morning to make your whole race look good.
And by the by, if you like Count Chocula cereal, you should click on the link above and go to the General Mills website and tell them that. Count Chocula is not easy to find (though Wal-Mart has it) and the Count's contemperaries, like Boo Berry and Frakenberry are almost completely lost. One day the world might be devoid of Count Chocula cereal! Oh, the humanity!
Children's Shows
No, you say. No, I have gone too far. Breakfast cereals for children is one thing, but you absolutely cannot point out a vampire in TV programming for children. Alas, with smug pride I point out Sesame Street's "Count." The Count, with his lovely purple color (both a color of the night and asphyxiation) and cape and monocle (hey, he is royalty) and Bela Lugousi-like accent, is as vampire as they come. True, like the cereal, he has been put in as a pun on words (The Count likes to count numbers, objects, etc.), but the basics of vampirism still exist. Aside from the other ones I have pointed out, he lives in a castle, is shown at night, has pet bats, and even fangs, though in his smiling, friendly face, they are more like a pointed overbite than lethal weapons.
TV Shows
TV shows throughout the broadcasting years have featured vampires, just as movies have. Their lasting appeal, in a variety of circumstances, leads for great ratings and loyal fan followings. Vampire shows aren't just for vampire-interested people. Forever Knight (Far left picture) I've only managed to see a bit of this show, shown on the Sci-Fi channel. It is to my understanding that they aren't making anymore. Which sucks, since the part of the show I saw was the finale, I think. Right when the vampire main character is about to bring his girlfriend over to "the dark side," if you will. Then the guy gets cold feet. His sire is nagging him about doing it, trying to make him feel guilty and not do it, and then it ends right there, when she's about to die and they can't decide what they're going to do. Let her die or embrace her. What jerks! She trusted him, she loved him, and then what? He tries to chicken out. Aggravating to no end. But, it does what it should; it's a clencher all right.
Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (Center picture) I've not actually seen this show or the movie. I haven't made it past the title. I'm not sure if it's the Buffy part or the vampire slayer part. Shame on killers of vampires. Just because some are nasty and try to kill you, that's no excuse. All right, enough with that. Despite my not having watched it, I do know about the affects of the show. It has spawned companion books, and it is rumored there is to be a new line of Buffy action figures coming out. From my experiences, it seems that the largest number of Buffy fans are young, around 9-15. It just shows how the vampire floats through our culture; from children's shows and breakfast cereals, right on through pre-adolescence and then into adulthood.
The Munsters (Far right picture) Long live reruns. As long as there are TVs, there will be reruns; like vampires, they are seemingly eternal. Though the Munsters date back to when TV shows were black-and-white (If memory serves, they were a 50's phenomenon) they still had the vampire fever. If anything, monster flicks at the drive-ins were bigger than they are now, so the Munsters were just a family show spin off of the more popular movies. Whereas monster flicks were for teenagers, along a line of more adult content, the Munsters had all the strangeness of monsters with the wholesomeness of primetime television. It was safe to let your kids watch. And what could be funnier than monsters thinking they are normal and trying to fit into a society that doesn't understand them? Looking at it as a "monsterologist," however, it is rather strange and amusing for the fact that they tried to throw in all the possible monster combinations. Herman is an obvious Frankenstein. Lillian a bride of Frankenstein, with her white-streaked hair down. Grandpa and Eddie are vampires, Draculas reincarnate. Various other monsters and relatives pop up here and there in different shows, putting in all the more that was popular at the time. The Addams Family came along later and mainstreamed the monster craze a little, making up its own strange things, like Thing® and Cousin It, rather than spinning them off. But the groundwork had already been laid. Monster shows could make it on regular, nightly, TV.
Cartoons-And what else is Batman but the Count cleansed of his evil and endowed with social conscience? -- Clive Leatherdale, Dracula: The Novel and the Legend What else is left to say? Draw your own conclusions. From the cape to the night prowlings of the city, to the often-associated-with-vampires creature, the bat, I think Clive's hit that one on the head.