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| | Folk beliefs about vampires:
It seems that till XIXth century, vampires in Europe were described as awful monsters from tomb. Usually, Suicides, criminals or malicious wizards turned to vampires though in some cases, by becoming vampire as an “outcome of sin” could transfer the vampirism to innocent victims. However, sometimes the vampire could become a victim of bitter, untimely or violent death. Majority of Romanian beliefs in vampires (with an exception of striga) and European histories about vampires have Slavic origin.
Some common features of vampires in folklore:
It is difficult to make general description of folklore vampire, as its features vary in different cultures.
* Appearance of European vampire consists, to a large extent, of features, according to which it can be distinguished from usual corpse, it is worth to open the tomb of suspected vampire. Vampire has a healthy appearance and pink skin, it often happens to be plump, it has over-grown hair and nails and it has not at all decomposed;
* Most usual methods to destroy the vampire is to stake wooden stick into its heart, to decapitate and completely burn the body. Not to give the one who could become vampire and rise from tomb, the body was buried head over heels, cut tendons in knees or put papaverous seeds on sepulchral land of prospective vampire, so as to force it to count the seeds all night. Chinese stories about vampires also assert, that if vampire comes across rice bag on its way, the vampire counts all the grains. Similar myths are mentioned even on Indian peninsula. South American stories about witches and other kinds of malicious or evil spirits and creatures have same tendency;
* Garlic (to a large extent, characteristics to European legends), sunlight, stem of wild rose, hawthorn and all sacred things (holy water, crucifix, beads, star of David etc) and also aloe, suspended to a door or near it according to South American superstitions, are the items, which protect from vampires (also from other supernatural creatures). Sacred items of type Shinto seal often protected from vampires in Eastern legends;
* Sometimes, it is considered that vampires can transform into anything, without being restricted to widespread stereotype of bat from films and cartoon films. Vampires could turn into wolves, rats, moths, spiders and many other things;
* Vampires from European legends do not discard shadows and have no reflections. Probably, it is due to the absence of soul in vampire;
* Belief exists that vampire cannot enter the house without invitation;
* In Christian tradition, vampires cannot enter the churches or other sacred places since they are slaves of devil.
Debates on vampires in 18th century:
Serious panic concerning vampires existed in 18th century in Eastern Europe. Even government officials were involved to hunt the vampires.
Modern beliefs on vampires
Belief in vampires exists till now. Though some cultures have kept their original beliefs in vampires, majority of modern believers are under the influence of artistic image of vampire, as it appears in films and in literature.
In modern folklore of Puerto Rico & Mexico, chupakabra is considered a creature, which feeds on flesh or drinks blood of pets. It forms basis to consider it as one more type of vampire. “The hysteria due to chupakabra” was often connected with deep economic and political crises, particularly in mid-nineties.
Vampirism from folklore usually was associated with series of deaths due to uncertain or mysterious diseases, more often, in the same family or in one small community.
Some modern psychologists single-out frustration, called “clinical vampirism” (or Renfield syndrome, in honor of insects eating henchman of Dracula from Bram Stoker’s novel), at which the victim is obsessed with drinking blood of people or animals.
Vampire bats
Bats became an integral part of traditional vampires only recently, though stories about them exist in many cultures. In Europe, bats and owls were very long associated with supernatural, to a large extent, since they are night creatures. However, gypsies considered that they bring good luck and worn amulets, made from bones of bats. In English heraldic tradition, bat designated “Recognition of forces of darkness and chaos”. In South America, Camazotz was god of caves and had an image of bat. He lived in the House of Bat in underworld. All three types of present bats, feeding on blood, exist in Latin America and there are no evidence that they have relatives in the Old World.
During XVI century, Spanish conquistadors met bat vampires for the first time and learned the similarity between preference in the food for bats and legendary vampires. Bats were called in the honor of folklore vampire but not the other way. After many years, bats were drawn into art stories and became one of the most important vampire associations in popular culture.
In the News: Rocker Marilyn Manson is known for his extravagant makeup and strange
outfits. But few people know that outside of music life he's even
stranger. The singer is fascinated by vampires and leads night life
like blood sucking creature. He says he would like to think of himself
as a love vampire - he lives at night, preys on young women and
"consumes" them. Vampires can only be killed by being stabbed in a
heart. Manson says he too can only be destroyed when his heart is
broken from an unsuccessful affair. Metaphorically or not, the singer
considers himself a vampire and is most active at night. Close sources say
he is not so much of a day creature, sometimes even has a light
phobia. He feels much more comfortable and inspired performing his
concerts at late evenings and nights, just like a true vampire should.
Manson is known for his even present gothic makeup on his face.
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