a few things i know about vampires19:55 Aug 26 2008
Times Read: 733
Vampire Characteristics
What to look for...
Is your friend acting kinda funny? Always wanting to play the "Neck Nibbling" game? Have a look at this list, and make the call.
They are undead, which somehow means they are actually dead and alive at the same time...
They are pale... like Swedes...
For some reason, they tend to have pointy chins and ears...
They need blood to survive. Yummy.
Either sunlight hurts them or they are intensely afraid of melanoma.
They can change forms. Usually into bats or other vermin. If it was me, I would change into a T-Rex...
Like Cher, they have no reflection.
They live in coffins, ergo they do not have claustrophobia.
In folklore, the term usually refers to the blood-sucking undead of Eastern European legends, but it is often extended to cover similar legendary creatures in other regions and cultures. Vampire characteristics vary widely between different traditions. Some cultures have stories of non-human vampires, such as animals like bats, dogs, and spiders. Vampirism is the practice of drinking blood from a person/animal. Vampires are said to mainly bite the victim's neck, extracting the blood from the carotid artery. In folklore and popular culture, the term generally refers to a belief that one can gain supernatural powers by drinking human blood.
For most people, vampires are a bunch of shady night stalkers that feed on other people. Oh yeah, and they are generally dead... More than any other characters in horror stories, Vampires prove to be the most intriguing of all, both to their fellow characters and us, the readers and watchers.
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.
How to find that vampire
Once you have a few odd things going on in your local village-- unexplained deaths, often in rapid succession; people becoming pale and weak; people complaining of being attacked by someone or something unknown; having dreams about being attacked and waking up in a cold sweat or feeling weak; or misc. unusual signs-- and you have identified the person who has recently died under suspicion of being a vampire, you need to go seek them out in their grave. There are a few certain signs to be able to tell if that corpse you unbury is just Aunt Mildred or Aunt Mildred with a will to suck the very life out of you in your sleep!
These are a few of the signs of vampirism in a dead body:
Holes in the ground above the grave (Guess even vampires like a little fresh air)
Corpse with one or more of the following:
Wide open eyes
Ruddy complexion
No decomposition
Nails and hair grown out
Bite marks apparent on the neck
Shroud (burial cloth) partially or entirely devoured
Blood in the veins
Coffin containing blood
Apparently well fed body
Flexible limbs
In China, vampires can be identified by the greenish-white hair covering their bodies.
Chinese vampires also may fly, have claws, and glaring/ glowing eyes.
And if you can't quite tell which grave contains the vampire (or you fear more than one), then there are two options:
Have a virgin boy ride naked and bareback on a virgin stallion through the graveyard until the horse steps on a grave and goes no further. That marks a vampire's grave. Or...
Lead a white stallion through a graveyard and the grave he will not step on is the grave of a vampire.
(Not much difference between the two. I suppose it depends on how far you believe you have to take it for it to work, or the availability of virgin boys and virgin stallions in your area
What to do now?
Have you found that vampire yet? Yes? Great! Now, let's see what we can do to further mutilate Aunt Mildred to make sure she stays good and dead and in the grave this time.
Unknown murder victims (strangers) and persons who committed suicide were often buried out away from the town or village, along roadsides or near road intersections. This was thought to be far enough away from town to keep them-- as possible vampires-- from coming back around, or to confuse them as to which direction is which so they will become lost and not come into town.
As a precaution, some bodies thought to have a very high chance of becoming vampires were staked or pinned into the grave.
The head might be severed from the body and placed between the legs or under an arm. (Wonder where the Legend of Sleepy Hollow came from??)
The feet and legs might be bound to prevent the body from escaping the grave.
The corpse may be dismembered and the pieces buried separately from each other.
To get rid of a known vampiric corpse, you could burn the corpse to ashes.
Tear out the heart.
Throw boiling water or oil onto the grave.
It was local customs that dictated the proper stake for spearing your nearest dead kin. Some included: aspen, maple, blackthorn, or hawthorn.
Vampiric witch doctors and/ or sorcerers had to be burnt on a moonless night or nailed to the ground.
As an extra preventive measure, bodies could be protected from vampiricy by burying them with a cross made of willow under each armpit, chin and chest.
The body could be buried face downward and deep to prevent it from knowing right side-up in the grave and escaping.
Drive a stake through the heart or navel. (Some say it must be done with only one blow.)
Put small stones or grains of incense in all the extremities so that the vampire will have something to eat when it awakens.
Place garlic in the mouth.
Millet (grains of wheat) could be scattered over the body and throughout the coffin so that the vampire, upon awakening, has to count or eat every piece in there.
Wild thorny roses should be strung around the outside of the coffin to make it more difficult for the vampire to escape.
Lay out a body several days to make sure it doesn't start acting like a vampire. (Germany)
Bury food with the body in hopes that will keep it satisfied.
Break the corpse's neck as another preventive measure.
Place money in the vampire's mouth (I think this was probably derived from the old Greek custom of giving a body money so the soul passing into Hades would be able to pay the ferryman at the River Styx to cross into the proper afterlife) and cut the name from it's shirt. (Germany)
If you should happen to get bitten...
There are a few things you can do if you suspect you are under attack or have been attacked by a vampire:
Drink the ashes of a burnt vampire to cure vampire-caused illnesses and to prevent further attacks.
Remedy for attacks against children (Italy):
Gospel read over the child's head while his head rests on a priest's robe.
Cross of wax, blessed on Ascension Day (40th day after Easter), hung over the doorway of the house.
A linen bag containing a pinch of salt hung around the child's neck.
Child's hair is cut and a lock is thrown into the fire.
Hinges in the house are sprinkled with holy water.
Credo recited aloud 3 times.
Husband/ father watches for 7 nights for the witch/ vampire.
Or if you fear getting bitten...
Mix flour with the blood of a "slain" vampire and make it into a bread and eat it to prevent against vampire attacks.
Lay a dead cat or dog at the house's threshold-- the witch or vampire will have to stop and count every hair on the animal, but will have to flee before dawn, or get caught by the sun and die.
In Russia, masks were worn by mourners in funeral processions, devious routes were taken on the way back home, and the mourners did not look back as they traveled away from the grave, all in an effort to keep any body that might turn vampire from coming back to town and finding people it recognized.
Vampire Watchers of the World... Unite!
Where are you most likely to see Aunt Mildred and other vampires out dancing and having a good time? Check out these promising vampire siting times...
All Hallow's Eve (Halloween) is a given for the emergence of vampires, witches, warlocks and general evil doers. Other nights fall on the eves of religious holidays such as St. George's and St. Andrew's Days (Roughly April 23rd and November 30th, respectively).
And if those sights freak you out more than you thought they would, you can always take special precautions on those nights. Try lighting bonfires, tolling church bells, painting crosses of tar on your doors, covering your cattle stalls with roses, or garlanding your house with flowers, garlic and/ or thistles to keep away the vampires.
In the 300's A.D., Slavic people gradually began to drift southward from the Danube Valley (around modern-day Austria) and into the Balkans. There they formed tribes and farmed the land. These waves of migration continued until the early 600's. As the Slavs moved in, they displaced or assimilated the native Balkan inhabitants. The Illyrians were assimilated or forced into modern-day Albania. The Greeks, on the other hand, assimilated the Slavic tribes. Tharacians and Dacians retreated to isolated mountain areas and stayed in relatively small groups. Several centuries later they reappear as nomadic Vlachs and northern Romanians. The Slavs themselves eventually formed into four groups: Slovenes, Croatians, Serbs and Slavs, later known as Bulgarians. They were roughly situated in what is now modern-day Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria-- (see map). They formed a group known as Southern Slavs, united with Western and Eastern Slavs by a commonality of language and ancestry. These Southern Slavic states also form part of what is known as the Balkans or the Balkan Peninsula.
The first of the Slavic empires that was organized was that of the Bulgarians. The Bulgarians themselves were not Slavs, but warlike and nomadic people, known as Finno-Tatars and related to the Huns. After subduing the Slavs, they left were left to rule themselves. Bulgarians who remained in the area were assimilated into the Slavic culture, although they Slavs themselves kept the non-Slavic name "Bulgarian" to identify themselves and, later, their country. Nothing else remains of the Bulgarians among the people or the language. Later, a leader-- or Khan-- known as Khan Boris made substansial conquests in the name of the Bulgarian Empire, including one south into Constantinople. In exchange for official recognition by the Byzantine Empire, Khan Boris agreed to adopt Orthodox Christianity. With the help of Greek Orthodox missionaries, the Bulgarians, in large part, converted to Orthodox Christianity. The Greek missionaries also created an alphabet and translated the Scriptures into Slavonic, and this, rather than Greek or Latin, became the official language of the Bulgarian church. The Bulgarian Empire's high point was during the rule of Simeon-- Boris's son-- 893-927.
At the time the Bulgarians were becoming Orthodox, their neighbors, the Serbs, were also converting. However, there was a struggle in Croatia and Slovenia between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Eventually, though, the Catholic Church prevailed in both regions. The Byzantine Empire, however, was soon to prevail over the Slavs, as it conquered the Bulgarian Empire when it crumbled after Simeon's death. But quickly after their triumph over the Bulgarian state, the Byzantine Empire began its own descent. With the power of Constantinople seriously weakened, the Bulgarians and the Serbians, were able to revive Slavic power.
Vampires, while certainly unusual to the 21st century observer, were not a cultural anomaly during their heyday. Vampires were, in fact, the last major addition to Eastern Europe's folk beliefs before the end of the middle ages. Vampires can count among their predecessors spirits, demons/the Devil, witches, and werewolves. And because the campire myth owes so much to this rich background, these pre-vampire "beasties" merit study of their own.
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, such as 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 the deity. 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."
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 us know). 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.
Judas Iscariot
A somewhat obscure myth, folklore holds that vampires originated with Judas Iscariot, betrayer of Christ. Because Judas had betrayed Christ to the Romans, he and his family were cursed. The Bible holds that Judas committed suicide because of his guilt; suicides in vampire folklore were very likely to come back as vampires, so this may have helped contribute to the belief that vampires originated with Judas. Also, vampires descended from Judas were usually identifiable by their red hair. This probably points to the origin of the myth among the Greeks, as they believed red hair to be a mark of vampirism. Among the dark Greek, red-hair would certainly seem strange, but among people farther north, closer to the Scandinavian countries which feature such hair, there would be little to no stigma attached to it.
Someone pointed out to me that the vampire's aversion to silver perhaps comes from this myth, as Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver. When Judas tried to return the silver and could not, he cast it away as something hateful to himself. However, the use of silver as a deterrent for vampires is more widespread than the Judas myth. Though I have yet to find any good explaination of it, silver may be used because of its religious signifigance among pagan religions, which were carried over into vampire folklore.
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himsef.
(Matthew 27:3-5)
Vlad Dracula was born in Wallachia, admist a tumultuous, dark period for Eastern Europe. The smaller countries warred interally between a ruling family line and the line of the aristocrats that very much determined what the kings would do, and who would be on the throne. Outside the countries they warred amongst each other, always forming tenative treaties and marraige alliances, only to be broken for better ones with former enemies. Above all the Church ruled, and each king was held accountable to the religion and to the Byzantine Emperor. Add to this the threat of invasion from the Ottoman Turks, and you have a really nasty time.
Vlad Dracula was born the second son of Vlad Dracul and an unknown woman. Because of a lack of documentation (either through it being lost, or just never being recorded), the date of Dracula's birth is unknown, but by looking at the earliest records written by Drakul, mentioning his second son, scholars have dated Vlad Dracula's birth to be between 1429 and 1437. Mircea, the eldest, and Vlad were probably full brothers, born of the same woman. The third son of Dracul, Radu, was born of a different woman. Two other brother, Vlad the Monk and Mircea, were born of yet another woman, or possibly two different women, most likely Dracul's mistresses. Only the eldest Mircea, Vlad Dracula and Radu were officially recognized by their father and considered as legitimate heirs to the throne their father worked so hard to obtain.
Vlad Dracul's policy for his country seemed to be preserving peace and independence. Though from a Christian sect that swore to uphold Christian allies over any pagans, Vlad Dracul tried very hard to keep the peace with his southern neighbors, the much stronger Turks. Vlad was very reluctant and hesitant to give aid to any of his Christian neighbors. In one instance, when he could no longer afford to overlook his Christian brethren, he was forced to break treaty with the Turks. Afterward he was obligated to send his children (either through his own idea of keeping peace, or the Turks'), Dracula, 12 or 13, and Radu, about 9, to the Turks as hostages. Dracul would not dare break any more treaties with the Turks for fear of them retaliating against the children.
Dracula spent nearly four years in Turkish captivity, although most of it was probably not spent in a jail cell. While there Dracula learned the Turkish language, finished his education and learned Turkish methods for welfare. Later on, when Vlad Dracul broke another treaty with the Turks, the boys' stay became harsher. Radu, weaker in nature, most likely ended up in the Sultan's harem, and later became a favorite of the Sultan. Vlad was kept solely as a prisoner, as he was more rebellious. It is here that most scholars think Dracula learned his brutal ways. He certainly got his inclination towards impaling from the Turks, as well as, most likely, a deep abiding hatred for his father who sent him there, and his brother Mircea, who was allowed to stay at their father's side, out of harm's way.
In 1447 Dracul's enemies among the Christians finally caught up with him. Hunyady of Hungary attacked Vlad Dracul's castle in Tirgoviste. Mircea was captured by enemy boyars (noblemen) who buried him alive. Vlad Dracul was chased down to marshes near the town and was slain. He was buried, apparently, in an unmarked grave, which has never been found.
Vladislav II was put in charage of Transylvania following the death of Vlad Drakul. Meanwhile, Dracula had been placed in the Turkish amy, and was rapidly gaining experience as a commander. During an upset of power in October 1448, Dracula, with the help of his Turkish forces, marched into Transylvania and took over his father's throne. This is his first reigning period. Little is known about this time, as it lasted less than two months, but it is very likely that Dracula took revenge on any of the boyars he could find who had been instrumental in his father and brother's death. By Decemeber Vladislav was able to regroup and he pushed back into Transylvania, forcing Dracula back to his Turk allies.
Defeated, Dracula eventually made his way to Moldavia, where he stayed and fought alongside his cousin, Stephen the Great. When Stephen's father, the king, was assinated, the two young men went to Wallachia, and threw themselves on the mercy of Hunyady, who had taken over the Wallachian province after Vladislav's defeat. After a second exile to Moldavia, then a return to Wallachia, Dracula was given some command of the Hungarian-Wallachian army. Not long after, the Eastern Roman Empire fell to the Turks, Hunyady died from the plague, and Dracula took his loyal boyars and Wallachians and killed Vladislav, removing all obstacles to his throne. On September 6, 1456 Dracula took an oath of loyalty to the Hungarian king, followed by a tribute to a Turkish envoy. Dracula's second reign had begun.
(This section is still under construction. I will have the rest of Vlad's life up here... eventually. I've got all of eternity, right?)
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:
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.
If you look at all the symptoms of porphyria, you can begin to see how it could start looking like what we know as a vampire. Mentally unstable people, perhaps snarling, flashing their teeth. Perhaps biting others. Some people report that porphyria is helped by giving blood, IV. Back before such things, you might find people suffering of the disease drinking blood to help them feel better. They are photosensitive, their skin, in extreme cases, prone to blistering and burning in the sunlight, so they would have a preference to avoid it. Discoloration of the skin or loss of pigmentation, coupled with a low amount of blood, would give suffers a very pale appearance indeed. But before you say "Aha!" and pronounce this as the truth behind the vampire scares, be advised, this is a very rare disease. There are several classifications of it as well, not all of them having all of the symptoms. Those symptoms closest to being "vampire related" appear only in a handful of cases. As of 1991, there were only 60 reported cases of the form of porphyria, CEP, that has symptoms most commonly linked with vampirism.1
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.
Here are some of the names of various vampires, vampire-like creatures, demons, and spirits, and vampire hunters throughout the world, as well as "vampire" translated into other languages.
*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.)
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.
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.
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 storylines 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 storylines and information gathered on the quest.
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!
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 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.
Conclusion
I now give you leave to go on and find out more on your own. There is nothing more I can tell you on this topic. Oh, but there is one last thing: my favorite legend of all. "A vampire bathing brings rain." So, if you're in the middle of a drought in your village, drive everyone out in the middle of the night to bathe in the river. Hopefully one person out of them all will be a vampire and they will bring you rain. Well, it isn't necessarily true that it has to be at night. In Poland and Russia, vampires are out between noon and midnight, whereas the rest of Europe has them out at only between sunset and sunrise. Okay, I swear, I'm not holding anything else out on you. That's all I know on this subject.
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