Vampires

A creature with supernatural powers that rises from the dead to suck the blood of the living – could anything be more terrifying? Myths and legends about vampires can be found all over the world, stretching back for thousands of years. Stories of vampires came from the Far East, carried by merchants along trade routes to Eastern Europe, and it’s here that modern myths about vampires took root.

The Slavic regions have the richest vampire folklore, dating back to the conflict between Christianity and pagan beliefs in the 9th century. Six hundred years later, came the most famous vampire of all, Vlad Tepes Dracula, Prince of Wallachia. “Tepes” means “impaler”, a name Dracula earned because of his horrific methods of torture and execution. Stories of the ruthless prince drinking the blood of his victims fuelled vampire myths.

The word 'vampire' didn’t actually appear until the 18th century, entering the English language in 1732. Some believe that the myths surrounding vampires may have arisen because of rabies outbreaks in Europe. Victims of the disease experience fatigue and loss of appetite. In the later stages they can suffer violent episodes, often attacking other people and trying to bite them, especially if they are exposed to mirrors or strong sunlight.

You were doomed to become a vampire if one bit you and the bodies of heretics, criminals and people who had committed suicide were also said to rise from the dead, unless certain precautions were taken. The corpse was decapitated or pierced with stakes or thorns, garlic was placed in the mouth and poppy or millet seeds put in the coffin, because vampires are supposed to have a fascination with counting! Bodies were frequently exhumed to check for signs of vampirism, which could include a lack of decomposition, blood around the mouth and hair or fingernail growth.

You could spot a vampire by his or her aversion to silver, garlic and holy water and they’d have enlarged incisors and hairy palms. They would cast no shadow, have no reflection in a mirror and never enter a house unless invited. Vampire bats are only found in Latin America and it wasn’t until the 16th century, when the Spanish brought back tales of blood sucking bats to Europe, that they became associated with vampires.

Vampires of ancient myth and legend were hideous looking creatures with no intelligence, but romantic literature of the 19th century portrayed them as charming and alluring. Bram Stoker’s gothic novel 'Dracula' (1897), which was inspired by Vlad the Impaler, has had the most profound effect on the image of the vampire. Stoker’s character was suave, intelligent and sexually alluring, with the ability to control the minds of his victims.

But it wasn’t until the film, 'Nosferatu' (1922), that vampires were portrayed as being vulnerable to sunlight. Many say that Bela Lugosi portrayed the definitive vampire in classic Hollywood movies, closely followed by Hammer Horror’s Christopher Lee. More recently, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' kicked vampire butt and her ex-boyfriend, 'Angel', was a vampire with a soul!