Spooky Files . The Spooky Things . Vampires

Vampires

vampire catThe vampire legend has been around since at least Roman times, with the specifics changing somewhat with each culture. Because of this, various vampire lore and legends can be contradictory. Ancient Roman "striges" could change into owls and drink the blood of babies. In medieval Eastern European countries, folklore of vampires as well as vampire slayers was common.

The vampire legend may have been fed in 14th and 15th century Europe with the brutal deeds of Vlad Tepes Dracula and Countess Elizabeth Báthory.

Bram Soker's 1897 novel Dracula reinforced some vampire lore by putting it into mass print, and became vampire "canon" for all works to follow.

Vampire Lore & Legend



Becoming a vampire

Vampires are dead beings that come back to life. In some legends the vampire becomes a vampire only after death. In other legends the vampire is born a vampire. To be born a vampire the child may be the child or grandchild of a vampire. A child may be born a vampire if it has a caul or alternately a dark caul. People usually become vampires by being bitten, but not killed, by a vampire. Some legends have corpses becoming vampires when a cat or dog jumps over it. Other legends say that a Witch becomes a vampire when s/he dies.

blood

Vampires usually need or crave blood, frequently human. Vampires usually obtain blood by biting a victim's neck and drinking the blood. In some legends they suck the blood through long, hollow front incisors. In other legends the incisors are not hollow, but long and sharp to pierce the victim.

Fending off and destroying a vampire

Legend usually states that a wooden stake through a vampire's heart will kill it. In some versions the vampire needs to be dormant for this to work. The stake may need to be a certain type of wood, such as hawthorn. Vampires usually can not tolerate sunlight or fire. Some legends have vampires warded off by crucifixes, holy water, or garlic. Vampires may not be able to cross moving water. Some legends say that a vampire can not enter a building or a room without first being asked. Some legends say that vampires dislike the sound of bells ringing, especially church bells.

Vampire dormancy

Vampires usually sleep during the day and come out only at night. Vampires may also come out right at 12 noon for a brief period. Vampires usually spend the day in a coffin or buried in the ground.

Etceteras

Some legends state that vampires can turn themselves into bats or wolves. Some legends state that mirrors will not reflect vampires. Vampires are usually said to be very charming. Vampires may be compulsive liars. Some legends state that a vampire's fingernails have a glass-like appearance.

Vampiric Medical Conditions

Three medical conditions may have led to people being inaccurately identified as vampires: (1). Anemia causes a pale skin complexion. This may have looked like vampirism. (2). Catalepsy can cause a death-like state for a short time to several days. A person coming out of this state will appear to be rising from the dead. (3). Porphyria is a rare genetic blood disease. It causes pale skin, sensitivity to light, and makes the incisors look bigger. Porphyria almost certainly influenced the vampire legend.

Vampirism for the Living

There is great interest by some people in living as a vampire. The role-playing game "Vampire: the Masquerade (TM)" by White Wolf has local chapters all over the world. The "game" is fairly complex, with many books available from White Wolf to guide play. Other people are very intent on developing a vampiric appearance, and may get permanent extensions on their incisors or have their skin bleached.

Literary Comparisons of Vampire Lore

Comparing vampires in literature, film, and television shows the great diversity in vampire lore.

In Bram Stoker's Dracula, in Anne Rice's books and on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, vampires are destroyed by sunlight and fire.

The older a vampire is the stronger they become in Dracula, Anne Rice's books, and on BTVS.

Dracula and BTVS vampires will turn to ash when decapitated or stabbed with a stake to the heart. Anne Rice's vampires are not destroyed, however, by a stake to the heart. Anne Rice vampires are only temporarily destroyed by decapitation or dismemberment. Rejoining of the pieces will result in the reanimation of an Anne Rice vampire.

Anne Rice vampires are not harmed by holy water or crucifixes. BTVS vampires can be killed with enough holy water, and touching a crucifix will burn a vampire. Dracula vampires do not like crucifixes. This may be because, in Dracula and on BTVS, vampires are "evil" and in Anne Rice's books they are not.

There are no natural born vampire slayers in Dracula or the Anne Rice books. Buffy is a natural born vampire slayer.
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Comment by Danny Rate this Comment

If there are any slayers reading this, why do you kill them? Many of them didn't have a choice on what they were going to become one day.

Comment by Danny Rate this Comment

yeah some of the things you have up there are right but some of them aren't even close to the truth, I mean would some one like a slayer really want to kill a vampire with a stake.

Comment by archive Rate this Comment

Greets editor,

Hmm.. that could be a good idea. I think I have the know how in both vampire the masquerade and vampires in general to put something interesting together. I'll definantly get back to you with some info. I don't want to emulate other people's sites I want to have a site with a unique look and feel. The non-V:TM but vampiric information is a great idea it really should help people enrich their chronicals.

In a nutshell here is some basic vampiric rules... (laws?)

1. The embrace

Unlike popular myth in order to create a vampire you must first remove all the blood from the system of the host human and then replace it with a bit of your own. Some sires litterally suckle their childer at the wrists other simply give a few drops and leave the fledgling vampire to their own devices. Those first nights are filled with a lust for blood and most childer give in to frenzy or a state of pure unbridled lust for vitae as the kindred call blood. Most "good" sires leave a bit of blood aside.. or even live victims such as the childers wife or children (the better to sever the ties with the living eh?) Anyway, it is a highly regulated privilage and the sire and his childer would be hunted down by either blood hunt or princely edict if does not first gain permission by a prince.

2. Vampire Hunters

Most vampire hunters are completely clueless and never come close to slaying a real vampire or any other supernatural. Most good hunters hunt under the roman catholic church under the name "The Society of Leopold" which is little more than the inquisition with a modern twist. The government has also made inroads into the hunting of vampires but they are closer to unlocking the mysteries of the fabric and the underworld. In the eastern lands and some backwards european towns their exists some "traditional vampire hunters" (I've been to backwards european towns it's true crosses on the lawn and all even in this world of technology and commerce) Oh, In case I haven't mentioned it earlier stakes through the heart don't kill vampires only paralyze them and running water and garlic do nothing.. Crosses can do things but only if one of true faith holds them. Sunlight turns all but the strongest vampires to ash.


I hope that set some things strieght yes I know a lot of misspellings and the like are in there and I apologize for that I was typing off the top of my head... I'll start on a subsite or whatever as soon as possible...

Comment by archive Rate this Comment

thanks alot for the tips abought vampires and how to kill them even but i must ask a favor from you can you put more stuff on killing vampires and more tip's even well thank's bye.

Comment by archive Rate this Comment

I saw your message at alt.books.anne-rice about ways to kill Anne Rice's vampires. Armand in IWTV states "Fire...sunlight...dismemberment...nothing else," as ways to kill them.
Hope that's helpful!