| In contrast to numerous and conflicting beliefs on vampires in traditional folklore, the image of a vampire is more or less intact in western literature. This image preserves some features of folklore, but discards others. This new model of vampire has spread into modern vampire movies and popular culture, though some individual works may differ from this norm.
Works of the 19th century, especially, "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, have been most influential. Vampires of artistic creations were often described as romantic persons, elegant and sexy (similar to incubus and succubus demons). This contradicts the folklore stories on the vampires of Eastern Europe, which describe the vampires as a horrifying walking corpse.
In some works, vampires are not evil spirits but a race, which requires blood to normalize the metabolism.
The set of advantages and vulnerabilities of vampires are very well known from movies and literature:
Vampires, being dead, do not need normal human food, water and even air. Sometimes it is said that the vampires generally cannot eat human food, owing to which, vampires are compelled to either avoid invitations to cafes, restaurants, dinner invitations etc, or pretend to be eating, in order to mislead their mortal victims. Vampires look very pale (not dark or pink skinned like folklore vampires) and their skin is cold to touch;
Sometimes, vampires can transform into animals, more often into flying bats, rats and wolves. Some vampires have the capabilities to transform into a mist or smoke. Some vampires can even fly;
Vampires have no shadows and no reflections. In modern works, some vampires cannot be photographed. For the first time, this idea occurred to Stoker, who developed it from the assumption that, mirror reflects the soul of a person, which is not there in vampires;
Some superstitions indicate that vampires cannot enter a house without an invitation. Usually, the invitation is required only once, after which, the vampire can come and go at the house whenever it wishes;
Some stories preserved the idea that, the vampires should return to their coffins or "own place" before the dawn so as to take rest in safety. Other vampires put their own place in the coffins, especially if they relocate. In Le Fanu's "Carmilla", vampires should return to their coffins and sleep in blood but not in the ground;
Sometimes werewolves become vampires after death. In some stories, werewolves are the eternal enemies of vampires;
As in folklore, vampires from stories, fear garlic and symbols of Christianity such as holy water, the cross or rosary beads. Sometimes vampires are immune to all the above listed items (interview with a vampire), the list also includes icons or symbols of faith, which were significant to the person, who later on became a vampire, for instance, the Star of David for a "vampire - jew";
The vmpire can be destroyed with silver or sanctified bullets, a wooden stake in the heart, through decapitation or cremation. However, one of the most common methods to destroy a vampire is taking the vampire out from its coffin during day time. Possibly, the idea, for the first time, appeared in the film "Nosferatu" (1922), but the vulnerability of the vampire under the sun has been considered as a standard weak point of the vampire. Though, the vulnerability level varies from story to story. In the novels of Stoker, for instance, sunlight could weaken Dracula but did not destroy him. The idea is being developed in many films that vampires fear silver in any form, bullets, stakes, swords etc. Particularly, this idea gathered momentum in the Blade and Van Helsing films;
Some vampires from creative novels like to count. The idea was taken from popular stories, asserting that vampires shall stop and count each grain found on its way. The most popular "counting" vampire is Count von Count from the TV series "Sesaeme Street". Other examples are an episode from the fifth season of "Secret Materials" called "Bad Blood" and also the novel "Carpe Jugulum Sieze the Throat" by Terry Pratchett. A belief is also found that the vampires like to untie knots, and both the situations were shown in a comedy style in the film "Dracula 2000", when heroes, to delay Dracula, pour a bagful of peas on it, and Dracula, in turn, counts the number of peas in a fraction of a second and unties the network of knots, thrown over it, in an attempt to delay Dracula for a while;
Since the release of the film "Dracula" in 1958, vampires were always depicted with canines. Sometimes vampires can hide the canines till they are ready to bite the victim;
In P.C. Cast's books, the vampires worship Niks, the Goddess of Night. The vampires bite casts a spell of euphoria to both. Biting marks can be found after the blood sucking process. All the adult vampires have a filled sapphire crescent tattoo with patterns on the cheekbones and forehead. Underage vampires have a crescent contour. They possess all the talents, such as control over rudiments, proximity with animals, physical force and healing. Vampires lead a night life. Matriarchal power is prevalent at nights. |
Last week Texas police arrested a self-proclaimed 'vampire' after he broke into a woman's apartment wearing only boxers, hissed and growled while biting her.
