the vampire book (gnv64)

8/13/2019 The Vampire Book (Gnv64)

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SALLY REGAN

VampireBook

The


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LONDON, NEW YORK,

MELBOURNE, MUNICH, AND DELHI

Project editor Jenny Finch

Senior art editorStefan Podhorodecki

Designers Keith Davis, Johnny Pau, Yumiko Tahata

Editorial assistant Jessamy Wood

Managing editor Linda Esposito

Managing art editor Diane Thistlethwaite

Publishing manager Andrew Macintyre

Category publisher Laura Buller

Creative retouching Steve Willis

Picture research Nic Dean

DK picture library Lucy Claxton

Production editor Maria Elia

Senior production controller Angela Graef

Jacket designer Yumiko TahataJacket editor Mariza OKeeffe

Design development manager Sophia M Tampakopoulos Turner

Consultant Professor Glennis Byron

First published in the United States in 2009 by

DK Publishing, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

09 10 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1175774 07/09

Copyright 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or

otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.

DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for

sales promotions, premiums, fundraising, or educational use. For details, contact:DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

[email protected]

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

ISBN: 978-0-7566-5551-8

Design and digital artworking by Stefan Podhorodecki

Hi-res workflow proofed by MDP, UKPrinted and bound by Leo, China

Discover more atwww.dk.com


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WHAT IS A VAMPIRE?Vampire 10

Creation: A Vampire is Born 12Appearance: Slobbering Ghouls

to Sinister Beauties 14

Thirst for Blood 16

Powers: The Dark Gift 18

Shape-Shifting 20

The Life of the Dead 22

Apotropes: To Deliver you from Evil 24

How to Destroy a Vampire 28

MYTHS AND LEGENDSBlood Demons: Spirits from

the Ancient World 32

Fairy Folk of Celtic Lore 34African Tales of Terror 36

Ghouls: Fearsome Flesh Eaters 38

Kali: Hindu Goddess of Destruction 40

Blood-drinking Witches of Southeast Asia 42

Jiangshi: Chinese Hopping Ghosts 44

Flying Fire and Caribbean Crones 46

Gods and Monsters of

South and Central America 48

Contents

THE RISE OF THE VAMPIRE54Good vs. Evil: Revenants and

the Christian Church

56Vampires of Eastern Europe

58Vampire Hysteria hits Europe

60The Strange Case of Mercy Brown

62Gothic Horror: The First Vampire

Literature

64Bram Stoker and the Most Influential

Horror Story Ever Written

68Vlad the Impaler: The Real Dracula

70Elizabeth Bathory: The Blood Countess

THE MODERN MYTH74A Century of Screen Horror

76Dark Angels: Vampires Come of Age

78Child Vampires

80Vampire Hunters

82Falling in Love with the Undead

86Vampires are Forever

88More to explore

90Glossary

92Index and credits


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The name vampire arouses both fear and fascination. Traditionally adead person who leaves their grave at night to suck the blood of theliving, these creatures have taken many forms over the years. However,they all continue to share some basic traits. They thirst for blood and

have unusual powers and strengths. There are perils they must avoid,and signs that give away their deadly secret.

What is a

Vampire?


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10

ampires are forever. They are theundead:immortals who walk the Earth undetected,

seeking blood to sustain their unnatural existence.Their origins are lost in the mists of time.

From the earliest civilizations, they have

been whispered about inmythand

legend. They have

appeared in many guises.

Ancient cultures all over

the world feared spirits

and demons that thirsted

forbloodand broughtdeath and despair. In many

places, these beings were

strongly associated with

witchcraft and sorcery.Chroniclers in the Middle Ages

wrote of revenantscorpsesrising from their graves to seek blood

and spread misfortune. The folkloreof Eastern Europe called them

strigoi, and belief in theserestless corpses was so strong that panic

would overtake any community that

suspected there was one in their midst.

V

Vam


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As word of these creatures spread, they were

recast in the imagination of 19th-century writers

and calledvampires. These mindlessmonsters became the cruelbut charismatic aristocrat

of theGothicnovel. Anenigmatic stranger with

slicked-back hair and a

long black cape, he had

superhuman powers and sharp

fangs, and became a favoritemovie villain. But vampires

continue to evolve. Possessing

amazing powers and ethereal

beauty, todays vampires

walk a different path. They canfight theircravingfor human

blood and blend in with human

society. Highly accomplished, yet

tormented and aloof, they hold a

powerful appeal for those who guess

their secret. Their legend may be as

old as fearitself, but vampirescontinue to fascinate and thrill us to this day.

This is their story

pire


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12

CreationThere are three main ways of becoming a vampireby birth, by death, or by bite. In folklore, the waythat a person entered the world, and the way that theylived, died, and were buried, made thedifference between eternal rest oreternal roaming. Today, it is thebite that counts.

A VAMPIRE IS BORN

SEALED WITH A KISSThe modern method of vampire creation isthe classic act of a vampire biting into hisvictim to feed. As he draws blood, the biteturns the victim into one of his own kind.Typically, the vampire bites into an area of the

body where a main artery is near the surfaceusually the neck or wristthough in tales offolklore, it could also be on the thorax or abovethe heart. Two small puncture marks are the onlyevidence of the vampires visit, but victims willsoon notice telltale signs of their fate. Their breathstarts to smell, they look pale, recoil from religiousartifacts, and become more active at night. Mostvictims waste away, until they die and are rebornas a new vampire. Sometimes the vampires

bite merely kills his victim, unless the victimalso tastes the vampires blood in return.


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DAMNED BEFORE BIRTHA baby may seem too innocent to be labeled a vampireeven before it has drawn its first breath, but in the folkloreof many parts of the world, pregnancy was fraught withdanger. If the mother saw a black cat, ate too much salt, orwas looked at by a witch, her baby was at risk of becoming

a vampire. There were also other factors to worry amother. If the baby was born the illegitimate childof an illegitimate child, the seventh son of aseventh son, or with teeth, too much hair, ora caul (membrane) over its head, it wasalmost certainly destined for vampirismafter death. A baby conceived or bornon certain holy days would also causeits parents great anxiety.

UNCERTAIN DEATHA persons life, death, and manner of burial were crucialfactors in determining vampire status in many parts of theworld. Anyone committing suicide was doomed, since manyreligions viewed this as an unforgivable sin. Murderers,robbers, and other criminals were also seen as vulnerable to

vampiric resurrection. Many cultures took the manner oflaying a person to rest very seriously. If burial took place tooquickly, or without the proper rituals, this was a cause forconcern. In Romania, burying a person face up, or not deepenough, could result in them becoming a vampire.


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Appearance

Vampires of old were putrid beastsugly, decaying corpsescovered in dirt from the grave. But, refined by the imaginations ofnovelists and filmmakers, vampires grew increasingly human,

until in the 20th century they emerged as a kind of superhumanunnaturally beautiful and fatally appealing.

SLOBBERING GHOULS TO SINISTER BEAUTIES

A NOVEL IDEA

The fiction of the 19th centurypainted a different picture: suddenlyvampires got class. With sunkencheeks, flowing hair, long darkfingernails, and white fangs, theywere aristocratic gentlemen with skinlike marble and a hungry look. Withhis diabolical smile and piercing gaze,the vampire was still a figure of terror,but now he was taking his place in

human society and using charm to snarehis victims.

DEAD UGLYIn the folklore of Eastern Europe, which is thoughtto be the origin of the modern vampire myth,blood-drinking undead beings were described asshort, fat, and sweaty, with pointed ears, ratliketeeth, and rancid, stinking breath. Their bloated,rotting bodies would be dressed in rags andsmeared with filth from the grave. Blood wouldprobably trickle from their mouths. More likezombies from a horror movie, their return

from death had stripped these revenants ofall their recognizably human qualities.


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GOLDEN OLDIESporting a dark suit and a longblack cape that opened out like abats wings, the vampire became astaple of horror movies in the 20thcentury. Usually an icy nobleman witha thick foreign accent, his fangs werelonger, and his eyes cold and glassy,turning red with anger. Though thiswell-worn archetype may now seemcorny, to audiences at the time thesecharacters had huge appeal, and in thestories they often used charisma to beguilevictims of the opposite sex.

TODAYS VAMPIRETodays vampire could hardly be more differentfrom the mindless ghouls of old. Modernvampires disguise their superhuman abilities tofit seamlessly into human society and look justlike usexcept for being flawless in every way.There are few clues to their true nature, thoughtheir eyes change color when they lust for

blood. Those same eyes may betray theirangst at an inner struggle over the life theyvebeen blessed or cursed with.


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ThirstVampires are blood-drinking creatures whose very existencedepends on satisfying their thirst. Without a ready supply ofblood, they will perish. The deep, physical craving for this crimsonliquid is the one characteristic that all vampires share.

ESSENCE OF LIFE

Since ancient times, people have recognizedblood as the very essence of life. Egyptianprinces bathed in blood to revive their mentalpowers, ancient Romans drank the blood ofgladiators, believing that it passed on thepotency of these fierce fighters, and theAztecs of Central America worshipped theirSun god with offerings of blood. The idea thatblood was needed in order to sustain lifemade it natural to assume that living

spiritsthe undeadwould also need bloodand would take it from the living.

THE THIRSTThe vampires insatiable desire for blood isknown as the thirst. All vampires need todrink fresh blood to sustain their unnaturalexistence. Without it, they age, weaken, andlose their powers. Starved for too long, a

vampire would eventually suffer a kind of livingdeathconscious, but too weak to function.The vampires need for blood is oftendescribed as being like a powerful addictionthe physical cravings for the salty, metallicsubstance and the feeling of strength that itprovides are almost impossible to resist.

FEEDING FRENZY

Historically, vampires were linked to frenziedkilling sprees. Their need for blood explainedto early populations why their cattle weredying and why so many people perished inoutbreaks of disease. To ingest a victimsblood, the vampire makes an incision with hisrazor-sharp fangs at a point on the bodywhere a blood vessel is close to the surface.After feeding, vampires gain strength, andsome even grow younger. With some restraint,

a vampire can return to the same victim timeand again before he or she finally dies.

MODERN TASTESHuman blood gives the vampire the moststrength. The blood of rats, pets, cattle, orany other animal would be enough to keepa vampire alive but would not satisfy theircraving. In the modern era, some vampires

have developed a conscience and a desireto live peacefully in human society. Byshunning human blood and denying theircraving, they battle against their very nature.By choice, these tormented souls try tomake do with animal blood, but it is apoor substitute.

FOR BLOOD


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Powers THE DARK GIFT Though doomed to spend eternity killingfor blood, vampires are endowed with arange of extraordinary powers. Sometimescalled the dark gift, each vampires setof special abilities is different, but there

are some skills that all vampires share.

IMMORTALITYMost vampires are immortalthey do not age

and die as humans do. Many are also resistant to

conventional weapons and the ravages of disease.

On the rare occasion that a vampire is wounded,

he or she heals very quickly and feels no pain.

CREATINGNEW VAMPIRES

Some vampires can create more of their kind simply

by feedingtheir victim dies a mortal death but is

reborn as one of the undead. If the creator vampire

desires it, the new vampire will be enslaved, and only

freed if the master is weakened or destroyed.

SUPERHUMANA vampire possesses physical strength that no

human can equal. Their sheer might, paired with

the fact that they never tire, makes them

extremely difficult to match in physical combat.

Time means increased powervampires get

even stronger as they age.

STRENGTH


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LIGHTNING SPEED

Vampires move with supreme grace and agility.Sometimes they move too fast for the human eye toregister, seeming to appear out of nowhere. They candefy gravity by climbing up or down the steepest wallsor by leaping vertically from a standing start. Some

vampires can even fly.

MIND

POWERS

Using the hypnoticpower of their eyes,some vampires cancontrol the thoughtsof humans andanimals, compellingthem to do their

bidding. Some vampires

can mind read, while others use telekinesisto move objects by willpower alone.

ENHANCED SENSESVampires are equipped with an acute sense of hearing,smell, and sight. Their hearing is as sharp as a wolfseven in the noisiest of cities. An enhanced sense ofsmell allows them to track their prey, but it also makesstrong odors repellent. Super-sensitive eyes allow themto see clearly in total darkness.

Control of the elements is a usefultricka fleeing vampire can summon a

storm to cover her tracks. Other magical abilitiesinclude the power to cast spells, turn base metalsinto gold, and shape-shift into other forms.

MAGICAL ABILITIES


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A

batswoopsdownfrom

ove

rhead.

A

wolf

lurksintheshadows,

eyesglinting

withmenace.

The

vampirec

anphysicallychange

intomanyshapes,

butthe

batandthewolf

arehisfa

voriteforms.

Asabat,

he

can

flit

hiswayto

the

bedside

ofhis

victim

undetected.

Likethevampire,

bats

haveasinisterappearance

and

onlyemergeat

night.

Toourancestors,

thesightofbatsflittinge

erilyacrossthesky

may

have

echoed

vampire

myths.

The

legend

was

reinforced

by

the

discoveryin

South

America

ofthe

vamp

ire

bat,

which

uses

razor-sharpteeth

tofeedonthebloodoflivingcreatures.

Appearing

as

a

wolf,

the

vampire

maystr

ike

even

more

fear

into

the

hearts

ofhis

intended

victims

he

can

use

the

animalsspeedandsensestohuntthemdown.

A

fangedand

dangerouspredator,

thewolf

isthevam

piresnaturalally.

In

anurbansetting,

avampiremayeven

chooseto

take

the

morefamiliarform

ofadog.

r e o t

n e ,

s


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Vampirescanalso

morphinto

mic

e,

rats,

oranyother

anima

lthatwill

help

them

escape

destruction.

Some

cultur

esbelievethatwhenavamp

ireisdestroyed,

no

bugs

mustbeallowed

to

escape

from

thebody,

lest

thevampiresurviveinadifferent

form.

And

it

is

notonly

animals

tow

atch

outfor.

Even

the

greenfogrollingacrossthe

lawnmaybecause

for

disquiet.

Vampirescan

disperse

into

dust,

mist,

orvaporinordertoslipthrough

keyholesorcracks

indoors.


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THE


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LifeDead

THE

OF THE

The vampires way of life has changed a great deal over the centuries.No longer restricted to emerging at night from dirty coffins to

terrorize cattle and villagers, the options are now more varied. Thereis the chance to use impressive powers, mix with humans, and evenenjoy their company. Some vampire traits, however, never change.

A t


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n fl h r r en

ir .. I ,,r f .. r

a r h tt i , s i roy e .

ApotropesFolklore tells of many charms and tricks to ward offvampires. Apotropes are objects or substances,such as garlic, that work to repel evil. Other

tactics, like the scattering of seeds, usea knowledge of the vampires weaknessesto stop him in his tracks.

TO DELIVER YOU FROM EVIL

sa r i n g iloll ,, v r l

r . ilve t s h on u t c actualll l v mp r , tl s r rt...

s ,, s,, r use i o r a c ,

l i i e l l t.

ug t to ot cts n

r n e t e f .. g ound

n ,, t e c , l t o lll e

p r r c i ...

sa rin n g ot n f

t e su rr- e sitive ri ns ho h o d. u ll

r rel c n t on ,tr ularl s ..

Dv t ng.. r ,s, lt,, d fo ere t . lle c pell o co t e

n c o s eor at .

tt t


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l a r t nall u lep s e t nce s

ir .. we , nly isfe n t an f a u l ver.

n water is also a u oes. T ann t

e p .

re i o rr i ts, t

u r r p te ss . pr se

r e on Je , i. r s o f

t t

i ....

e ,n u d t.. T

p rr n ,, a r l r l fr r

c l p l c l oro n . Eu ,, , r ,

lac t or pl c r put n r e sa t

p i s...

tt ta r a ett i o e sth

mpir wl boun t u tana le ea h. reoc t ,, l

nt nue

e cs ape.

es ar tf ve i . lis due o i

f et r I tl r r

r m n e t t

V TION tales, vamp r n e r

us n ta ,, e e e l l ... se lf

,, g

, o s..


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figt

l ia

a,ths


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m

dey oagsy.Beyond Good and Evil, Friedrich Nietzsche

HOW TO

D


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Vampires may seem indestructible, with theirastonishing supernatural abilities. But with a cool

head, the well-equipped hunter can end an evilvampires undead life for good.

A VAMPIRE

HOW TODestroy


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Many folktales around the world tell of the restless deadsouls doomed towalk the Earth seeking blood to sustain their existence. In the past, deathwasnt necessarily seen as the end of life, but as the beginning of a newexistence. This was a comfort to those left behind, but it also left a lingeringdoubt as to what the dead might get up to. As well as reanimated corpses,

many other supernatural blood drinkers are found in myths and legends.From ghouls and ghosts, to witches and fairies, these unearthly creaturesall terrorized the living, bringing with them sickness and death.

Myths andLegends

s goddess, become eganto stopthe aveherblood.tedand edasa


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Blood

Demons

Beliefinmythicalblood-drinkingcreature

sgoes

backatleast5,000

yearstothepeoplesof

ancientMesopotamia.

TheancientEgyptians,

Greeks,

andRomansalsohadmythsofdemonic

femaleswhopreyedonhumanlifeforce.

S

PIRITSFRO

MTHEANCIENTWORLD

32

LI

LITH

In

ancientMesopotamia,Lilith

was

a

winged

spirit

ofvengeance,a

storm

de

mon

who

brought

plagu

e

and

de

structionandcoulddrainmenslives

withakiss.Shewaslateradoptedinto

earlyHebrew

traditionasthefirstwife

of

Adam.Insomestories,she

refuses

to

submit

to

Adam

and

fle

es

the

Ga

rden

ofEden

to

roam

the

world,

suckingthebloodofinfants.

SEKHMET

An

ancientEgyptian

warg

Sekhmetwas

said

to

have

drunk

on

human

blood

and

b

destroy

allofhumanity.To

s

slaughter,

theS

un

god

Ra

ga

red-colored

be

erto

imitate

Sekhmetthenb

ecameintoxica

was

pacified.S

he

is

portraye

womanwithalionshead.

EKIMMU

TheEkimmuisfound

inthemythology

ofAssyria,a

state

established

in

Mesopotamia

around

2,000

BCE.The

spirit

ofadead

pers

onunableto

find

peace,its

name

me

ans

thatwhich

was

snatched

away

.It

is

described

asapersonwhodied

uncaredforand

wasnotgivenaprop

erburial.

had

the

ofabird.

king

the

amed

for

rixcomes

owl.


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33

LAMIA

In

ancientGreece

and

Rome,Lamia

wa

s

a

feared

demon.Originally

a

princesswhosechildrenwerek

illed

by

arival,griefturnedherinto

am

onster.

Ha

lf-woman,

half-snake,

she

took

blo

odthirsty

revenge

by

eating

small

childrenand

suckingmensblood.She

had

the

abilityto

remove

hereyesto

res

tthem,andthenplacethemb

ackin

the

ir

sockets.

STRIX

From

ancientRome,the

Strix

faceofawoman

andthebodyo

It

roamed

the

darkness

drink

blood

ofsleepe

rsand

wasbla

spreadingdiseas

e.ThenameStr

fromt

heLatinw

ordmeaningo

MORMO

The

Greek

deityHecate,goddess

of

magic

and

crossroad

s,had

companions

from

the

underw

orld

called

the

Mormolykiai.

These

shadowy

beings

preyedontheyoung

andfrail.Theywere

namedafterawoman

calledMormowho

lostherown

children

and

took

her

vengeanceonotherinfants.


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f


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36

AfricanOn the African continent, blood-drinking and

flesh-eating creatures come in many different guises.Most are not undead, but living souls who dwellunrecognized in their unfortunate communities.

ADZEIn southeastern Ghana, people of theEwe tribe believed sorcerers livingamong them were hosts to a vampirespirit known as the Adze. Resemblinga firefly, it would drink coconut waterand palm oil, but most of all it soughtthe blood of young children. If caught,it would quickly revert to human form.

TALES OF TERROR

OBAYIFOA witchlike person who lived secretlyamong the Ashanti people of Ghana,

the Obayifo becomes a glowing ballduring the hours of darkness, whenshe seeks the blood of children. A badharvest would also be blamed on theObayifoshe is obsessed with foodand likes sucking the juice out of fruitand vegetables.

ASANBOSAMThis creature was said to live deep inthe forests of southern Ghana. It lookedalmost human but had hooks on itslegs and ferocious iron teeth. Danglingfrom trees, it would snatch up passers-by, who were usually hunters, to feast

on their blood. In some regions, theAsanbosam attacked sleeping villagersby biting them on the thumb.

IMPUNDULU


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IMPUNDULUThe Zulu and Xhosa tribes of SouthAfrica believed in a creature called theImpundulu, or lightning bird. This

giant black-and-white beast is said tosummon thunder and lightning with itswings and talons. It was usually theservant of a witch, who would use itsunquenchable thirst for blood todestroy her enemies.

ZOMBIESThese terrifying creatures are incrediblystrong and rip their victims apart before

consuming their flesh. They are foundin Voodooa religion that developedon the Caribbean island of Haiti and isbased on the spiritual beliefs of westAfrican peoples. In Voodoo tradition,zombies are corpses that have beenreanimated by priests to becomemindless servants, doomed to toilforever under the will of their master.

SOUL EATERSFolklore of the Hausa tribe of westAfrica tells of witches called soul eaters,who preyed on their victims life force.The soul eater could shape-shift intoanimals so peculiar looking that theywould startle any onlooker to the point

where their soul would leap out of theirbody and be gobbled up. The soullessvictim would then waste away.


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OutoftheA

rabianDesertcamemonsterscalledghouls.

Thesediabolica

lspiritshadaninsatiableappetiteforbloodand

flesh.N

octurnal,

withregenerativep

owersthatmadeth

emdifficult

tokill,theysharedmanytraitswithvampires.Apersonwasthought

tobecomeaghoulafterdeathasa

resultoflivingawickedlife.

DESERTDEMON

GhoulsweresaidtobetheoffspringofIblis,

theIslamicequivalent

ofSa

tantheirname

comesfromanArabicwordm

eaningdemon.

InfolktalesfromtheArabian

Peninsula,ghouls

rangedfrom

mindlessbeaststothosethat

passed

as

humans

during

the

day,living

seeminglynormall

ivesbutco

mingouta

tnight

tohunt.Allweresaidtoha

vetheabilityto

shape-shift

intoanyform,especiallyfavoring

scavengerssuchasthehyena

.Strongandfast,

theyexperiencednopain,d

id

notage,a

nddid

notrequireairtobreathe.Theonlywaytokill

themwaswithasharpblow

tothehead.

WEARYTRAVELERS

Travelersplanningtocrossthevast

expanse

oftheArabianDesertneede

dtobewaryof

ghouls.T

heseevilspiritscouldmaterializeout

ofnowhereandcommandth

emindsoftheir

victims,l

uringwearymenawa

yfromthesafety

oftheir

group.They

would

then

attack

ferociouslywithtoothandclaw.Greatlyfeared,

ghoulswereoftenassociated

withthespread

ofdiseasesome

believed

that

even

the

touchofaghoulc

ouldbedeadly.

Ghou

ls

F

EARSOMEFLES

HEATERS


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39

GRAVEYARD

SHIFT

Traditionally,ghoulsweresaidtoliveunderground

orincreeksand

ditches.T

heypreferedtoeat

freshmeat,espe

ciallythat

ofchildren,

butif

thiswasinshorts

upply,theywouldgatherin

cemeteriestofea

sto

ncorpses.


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40 41

The Hindu deity Kali is the goddess of destruction and pestilence and is famedfor her taste for blood. She inspires fear but is also honored as representing

time and change. She is just one of many blood drinkers in Indian mythology.

Kali HINDU GODDESS OF DESTRUCTION

GODDESS OF DESTRUCTIONOften depicted as a woman with four arms, fangs, anda long tongue, Kali is a terrifying figure. In one hand sheclutches a sword, while with another she holds the headof a slain giant. Around her neck she wears a necklace

of skulls. She is often depicted standing on Shiva, hercompanion deity. The story goes that Kali was fightingthe demon Raktavija, but every drop of his blood thatspilled on the battlefield turned into a new demon, untilthe battlefield was filled with thousands of them. Todefeat Raktavija, Kali sucked the blood straight from hisbody and devoured the demons. Drunk on her success,Kali got carried away and started destroying everythingin sight, so Shiva threw himself beneath her feet inorder to stop the destruction.

MYTH TO RELIGIONKali is just one of many bloodthirsty creatures inIndian mythology, originating in the magic andsuperstition of ancient traditions. Hinduismwhichdeveloped in the Indus Valley (in modern-day Pakistan)and spread across India around 1000 BCEwas tolerantand accepting of these long-held folk beliefs andenabled them to spread thoughout the land. Somecreatures, like Kali, were incorporated into the religionand became ferocious gods. Others live on in folktraditions.

GRAVEYARD GHOULSIndian tradition tells of many flesh-eating ghouls thatlurk in burial grounds. In Hindu mythology, Vetalas (alsoknown as Baital) are spirits that live in recentlydeceased corpses. At night they search for the blood

of sleeping, drunk, or mad women. They look like oldwomen, deformed by discolored skin and poisonedfingernails. Bhutas are wandering souls that also live ingraveyards. They are thought to be the spirits of deadpeople who did not receive proper funeral rites. Theycan shape-shift into bats and attack the living to causedisease. Rakshasas are man-eating spirits, firstdescribed in the Atharva Veda (a Hindu religious text).They appear in many guises, usually as a half-human,half-animal creature covered in blood.

FEMALE FRIGHTSFemales who seek vengeance from beyond the graveproliferate in Indian mythology. The Churel wasbelieved to be a woman who had died in pregnancyduring the important Divali festival. She returns tosuck the blood of her relatives. The Churel is agruesome sight, with feet pointing backward and aprotruding black tongue. Another fearsome femalewas the Masani. Inhabiting burial grounds, this spiritwas black in appearance, due to the ash from herfuneral pyre. She hunted at night, attacking anyonewho passed by. Though there are many ghoulishspirits in Indian mythology, some are not entirely evil.The Pisacha, for example, are demons that eat corpses,but they can also restore the sick to health if enticed.

BLOODDRINKING


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Across southeast Asia, blood-drinking creaturesare strongly associated with black magic. Darktales abound of beautiful but bloodthirsty witchesand sorcerers slaves.

OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

Witches


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Ji hi


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SPLIT SOULAccording to Chinese belief, each person has twosouls: the higher soul, or hun, and the lower soul, orpo. After death, the hunascends to join the spirit

world. But if a person lived a bad life, their powouldremain earthbound, trapped in the body, which wouldbe reanimated as a jiangshi. Liars, cheats, and thosewho committed suicide were particularly vulnerable.What happened after death was also significant,however. A blameless person who was not given aproper funeral could become a jiangshi, and an animalleaping over the corpse could also condemn theunfortunate soul to join the ranks of the undead. Theutmost care had to be taken when preparing thebody for burial, lest the deceaseds spirit was sullied:even leaning over a body was considered risky.

BOUND TO HOPThe name hopping ghost stems from the Chinesetradition of burying the dead in special garments thattied the legs together. The creature, having risen fromthe dead in its funeral garb, would then have to hop

to move around. Another explanation is that the deadwere often transported from the towns where theyworked back to the place of their birth. Carriedupright on bamboo stretchers, the corpses appearedto be bobbing up and down.

FEROCIOUS FIENDThe jiangshis appearance ranged from humanlike togruesome, with a long black tongue and eyeballshanging out of their sockets. Jiangshi were said to be

blind, foul-smelling, and entirely covered with longgreen or white hair. Their incredibly long eyebrowscould be used to lasso their victims, who would thenbe ripped limb from limb and devoured.

VANQUISHING A VAMPIREMany folk tales and legends featured the jiangshiusually, unsuspecting travelers would disturb thecreatures rest and meet a horrible fate. There wereways to keep the creature at bay, though. Loudnoises, such as thunder, could kill them. Straw andchicken blood would repel them, garlic burned theirskin, and piles of sticky rice would snare them. Theyliked to count, so red peas were a useful distraction.Many stories featured a mythical figure called ZhongKui, who battled the fearsome jiangshi. Cheated outof first place in his civil service exams, he was saidto have committed suicide in front of the Imperial

Palace. The emperor honored him with an imperialburial, and out of gratitude Zhong Kui s spirit promisedto rid the world of ghosts and demons with hismagic sword. His fierce image is often painted onChinese houses as a talisman of good luck.

Jiangshi CHINESE HOPPING GHOSTS Covered in hair, with razor-sharp talons and daggerlike teeth,these lost souls are often called Chinese vampires. Named jiangshi,or hopping ghosts, they would attack at night, leaping from theirgraves to suck the life force from their hapless victims.


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l i i


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Flying

Fire

The islands of the Caribbean have many myths of creatures that

feed on blood, but the most common is the legend of the vampirewitch. During the day, she lives unnoticed in the community, butat night, she transforms to wreak terror on her neighbors.

AND CARIBBEAN CRONES

SKINLESS HAGIn Jamaica, she is known as Olhigue, or

old suck. During the day, Olhigue lookslike a frail old woman, but at night thisseemingly harmless spinster sheds her skinand turns into a flying ball of fire on thelookout for blood, particularly that of newbornbabies. Once she has located her prey, thehideous creature shifts back into an oldwoman, but without her skin, and sucks thebabys blood. If anyone in the communitysuspected a woman was such a creature,

the children would cry ole higue at her andmake chalk marks on her door. A trap wouldbe set beside the cot of potential victimsa simple heap of rice grains and the scentof a spice called asafoetida. Together theseitems could cast a spell on the witch,compelling her to count each grain of rice. Ifdawn broke before she could return to herskin, the enraged locals would pounce onher and beat her to death.

PACT WITH THE DEVILGrenadas version of the monster is calledthe Lagaroo or Loogaroo. The Lagaroo is inleague with the Devil. She can perform magic,but only if she pays the Devil in blood every

night. She is forced to seek the blood ofothers, because if she gave her own she

would die. She looks like a sweet old grandmain daylight hours, but at night she sheds herskinusually leaving it under a Devil Tree,a silk cotton treeto become a flying ball offlame that haunts the night. After she hascollected enough blood, she can return to herskin and change back into human form. Ifher skin is taken away from the Devil Tree sothat she cannot find it, she will perish.

SALT HER SKINTrinidads vampire witch is called a Soucouyant.This old woman also sheds her skin at nightand travels as a bright ball of light, searchingout sleeping victims. Two little bite marks leftside by side on the skin are a telltale sign ofa nocturnal visit by a Soucouyant. If you knowthe identity of the crone, the solution issimple. After she leaves her house at night,

her skin must be taken and rubbed with saltand pepper. The agony this causes leads herto cease her evil doings. Otherwise, the onlyrecourse is to beat the flying flame violentlywith sticks. The next morning a womanlooking battered and bruised would berevealed as the Soucouyant.


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MonstersGODS AND


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MonstersFor the ancient peoples of South and CentralAmerica, blood-drinking creatures held greatpower. For some, these strange beings

were the remnants of evil spirits whowere hostile to mankind. For others,they were important deities,to be feared andworshipped.

OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

CIHUATETEOThe Aztecs of Mexico believed in a vampire spiritcalled Cihuateteo. A woman who had died inchildbirth, she returned after death to plague theliving, especially infants. People would leave herofferings of blood in the hope that she wouldspare their children.

ASEMAThe Asema of Surinam was a kind of livingvampire, an old man or woman who could takeoff its skin and become a ball of light at night.After it found its sleeping victim, it would revertto human form to feed on his or her blood.


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JARACACAThe Jaracaca of Brazilian mythology does drink

blood, but it prefers human milk. Taking on the

form of a snake, it slides through the jungle

unobserved and stalks nursing mothers. Its spit

and venom cause insanity, so it is greatly feared.

LOBISHOMENTiny in stature, the Lobishomen of Brazilian

folklore resembled a bald-headed monkey. A kind

of blood-sucking werewolf, it was hunch-backedwith bloodless lips, yellow skin, and black teeth.

Padded feet helped it creep up quietly on the

women it would attack.

CAMAZOTZThe Maya of Central America worshipped a deity

called Camazotz. He had the body of a man and

the head and wings of a bat and presided over

the cycle of crops. Powerful and malignant, he

was thirsty for blood and lurked in caves.

PISHTACONative to Peru, the Pishtaco does

not immediately feed off blood. First

it gorges on fat, and only when sateddoes it move on to drink blood. This

creature operated at night and could

take on the form of a vampire bat.


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oulao,a s

tr.


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r l

ue

The Vampire: His Kith and Kin, Montague Summers


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The vampire that we are familiar with first took shape in the folklore ofEastern Europe. Isolated village communities blamed the spread ofdisease and crop failure on the undead, who they believed rose fromtheir graves to suck the blood of the living. Stories of hysterical

villagers digging up and staking bodies began to spread west, sparkingthe imagination of writers and poets. In the fiction of the 19th century,the slobbering ghoul of myth was transformed into the cruel Countamonster with a more human face, but with an intent just as evil.

Vampire

Rise of the

d l


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PAGAN BELIEFSFolk belief in the vengeful dead had

existed in Europe long before the Christian

Church came to prominence, and it was

often linked to witchcraft and sorcery. In

the Middle Ages, many peasants still held

to these pagan ideas. The Church wanted

to end paganism and witchcraft andbegan to absorb elements of these

beliefs, explaining them instead as the

work of Satan.

Good vs.EvilIn Medieval Europe, death and disease were often attributedto revenantsthe dead who rise from their graves. As the ChristianChurch gained in strength, it explained these undead creatures asthe work of the Devil. By incorporating them into Christian teachingsabout sin and the afterlife, the Church strengthened beliefs in therestless dead and emphasized the triumph of good over evil.

REVENANTS AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

POWER OF THE CROSS


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WILLIAM OF NEWBURGHStories of revenants were committedto print by many Christian chroniclers.One of these was William of Newburgh,a 12th-century English churchman andhistorian. In his History of EnglishAffairs,he included accounts of peoplereturning from the dead to plague

their neighbors.

SACRED RITESThe Christian faith involves bloodrituals of its own. When Christianscelebrate the Eucharist, or HolyCommunion, they eat bread and drinkwine that represent the body and bloodof Jesus Christ. This commemorates

the Last Supper and is thought tobestow Gods grace upon believers.

POWER OF THE CROSSThe Church believed it alone had

the power to rid communities ofrevenants. Priests were uniquelyplaced to fight these minions ofthe Devil. The crucifix, symbolizingthe Christian faith and theresurrection of Jesus Christ, andholy water, blessed by a priest,were all that were needed to forceout evil.


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Vampire

s

Inthe16thand17th

centuries,

thecoun

triesofEasternEuropewererife

with

myths

ofblood-

drinking

revenants.

These

horrifi

c

reanimated

corpseslatercametobeknownasva

mpires.

InRomania

andSlovakia,

beliefinthem

was

sostrong

thatgravesweredesecrat

edandbodies

stakedinaneffort

torootthemo

ut.O

FEASTERNEUROPE

56

H whyapersonwould

seventhsonbornto

oomedtoanafterlife

withteethoracaul

imilarlyfated.Others

werethosewithred

des,andthosewho


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THERESTLESSDEAD

Inther

uralc

ommunitiesofRomania

andSlovakia,p

eople

helds

trong

beliefs

about

thew

alking

dead.When

misfortune,disease,orfoodshortagesstruck,these

wereo

ftenattributedtothedecea

sedwho,unableto

restin

theirgraves,h

adrisenuptoinflicte

vilontheir

neighbors.Knownvariouslyasstrig

oiandmoroi,these

creaturesweresaidtoprowlatn

igh

tandfeedonblood.

Littlem

orethanreanimatedcorpses,t

heywerebloated

andsw

ollenwithreddishskinand

staringeyes.

Once

human,indeaththesepeopleha

dbecomehideous-

looking

monsters.Whensomeone

wassuspectedof

beingavampire,

localswoulddig

upthebody.

Ifthe

corpse

seemedsuspiciouslyfresh-lo

oking,ortherewere

trickles

ofbloodatt

hemouthand

nose,thiswastaken

asconfirmation.F

rightenedvillagers

wouldthrusta

stake

throughthebodyorremovethehe

artandburnit.

57

PRE

VENTIONBETTERTH

ANCURE

InRo

mania,arelativeofthedece

asedwouldcarrywine

and

breadtothegravetoapp

easethecorpseand

preventvampiricactivity.Slovakia

nswouldsendelderly

wom

entothecemeterytostick

fivehawthornpegsor

oldknivesintothegrave,oneat

thepositionofthe

dece

asedschestandtheotherfo

ura

teachlimbtopin

downavampireattemptingto

risefrom

thegrave.

Weig

hingtheeyesdownwithc

oins,

tyingthemouth

closed,orstuffingthemouthwithgarlicwerealso

commonpractices.Ifthisfailed

,thepeasantswould

send

foradhampir.S

aidtobehalf-vampire,h

alf-human,

dham

pirswereuniquelycapableo

fcombattingvampires

andwouldusestakes,d

ecapitatio

n,g

arlic,holysymbols,

andfiretodestroythemonster.

FA

TEWORSETHANDE

ATH

Th

ereweremanytheoriesas

tow

be

comeavampire.I

nRomania,thes

aseventhsonwasthoughtt

ob

edo

as

oneoftheundead.Babiesborn

(m

embrane)overtheirheadsweresi

wh

owerethoughtt

obesuscep

tible

hair

andblueeyes,

criminals,suicid

did

notreceiveaproperfunera

l.

VAMPIRE

Hysteria


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Vampire legends were everywhere in Eastern Europe,but the outside world only began to take an interest whenthe stories were officially investigated and reported innewspapers. The gruesome tales soon spread, andEurope went vampire crazy.

HITS EUROPEHysteria


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GOODLADY

DUCAYNEM E BRADDON1896

CARMILLA

SHERIDAN LE FANU1872

VARNEYTHE VAMPIREOR, THE FEAST OF BLOOD

JAMES MALCOLM RYMER1840

THE BRIDEOF THE

ISLESJ R PLANCH1820

THEVAMPYRE;

A TALEJOHN POLIDORI1819


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Gothic Horror THE FIRST VAMPIRE LITERATURE

The vampire stories that emerged from Eastern Europe inthe 18th century fed the rumor mills in Paris and London. But itwasnt until the early 19th century that vampires first

appeared in fiction, satisfying the publics appetite for Gothichorror. No longer bloated corpses, these vampires werearistocratic, pale, and romantic.

A VAMPYRIC TALEThe first vampire novel was dreamed up in 1816 during aghost-writing session near Lake Geneva, Switzerland, betweenwriter Mary Shelley and Romantic poet Lord Byron. Shelleycame up with Frankenstein, which became another classic ofthe horror genre, while Byron began a tale of an aristocrat whodies in Turkey and promises to return from the dead. Byronnever finished the work, but his physician, Dr. John Polidori,did. Published in 1819, The Vampyre featured Lord Ruthven, anobleman with a thirst for blood and more than a trace ofByrons own dashing but dangerous persona.

RUTHVEN TREADS THE BOARDSPolidoris tale was adapted for the stage in 1820 byJ. R. Planch as The Vampire, or The Bride of the Isles. Amongthe many embellishments of the story, the setting wastransferred to Scotland and Lord Ruthven appeared on stagein a kilt and tam-o-shanter. A specially built trapdoor, stillknown in the theater as a vampire trap, allowed the vampireto rise up from his tomb through the stage floor, terrifying an

audience unused to such technical tricks.

THE NEVERENDING STORYThe next landmark vampire story was a serialized publicationthat ran to 868 pages, divided into 220 chapters. Issued in luridcolors, it told of the distinctly repetitive adventures of Sir FrancisVarney. In each chapter, Varney tries to seduce an innocent girl,before the locals realize he is a vampire and go after him.Eventually, Varney commits suicide by jumping into a volcano.

The first literary vampire to have fangs, Varney was

also the first to shape-shift into a wolf, have hypnotic powersand superhuman strength, and be virtually indestructible.

FEMME FATALEIn 1872, Irish writer Sheridan Le Fanu offered a new take on thegenre by making his lead character female. Carmilla appears tobe young but is actually a 200-year-old aristocrat. She befriendsa young girl named Laura, who slowly wastes away. Family and

friends finally put two and two together, and after locatingCarmillas tomb, they strike her head from her body and stakeher through the heart. Possessed of amazing strength, Carmillacan shape-shift, stalking her prey in the form of a black cat. Ina twist that soon became familiar in vampire fiction, Le Fanuslead character was at once horrifying and intensely desirable.

GOOD LADY, BAD BLOODLETTINGMary Elizabeth Braddons short story Good Lady Ducayne,

published in 1896, brought the vampire tale right up to date.Young Bella Rolleston, who needs a job but has no qualifications,is hired as a companion to the amiable Lady Ducayne. Heremployers previous companions have mysteriously wastedaway and died, while the ancient lady seems to thrive. On avisit to Italy, Bella, too, begins to weaken. Fortunately, her friendStafford realizes that Lady Ducayne has been siphoning off theyoung girls blood to keep her alive, using the new medicalprocess of transfusion to transfer their blood into her ownveins in an attempt to become young and beautiful again.


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B

ram Stoker was born in Ireland in 1847.He was a sickly child, and his imaginationwas fired up by the gruesome folk taleshis mother would tell at his bedside to

amuse him. As an adult, he moved to Londonand became the business manager of the famousLyceum Theatre. To the outside world, he was ajovial man, but inside he was preoccupied with

disturbing thoughts. It is said that anightmare of being attacked bythree vampiric women gave him

the idea for a novel...

Stoker had already written afew horror stories, but thiswas to be very different.He spent years reading

everything he could onvampiresfrom folk myths to

novels such as The Vampyre and Carmilla. Hetraveled to the English seaside town of Whitby,

where he talked to local fishermen aboutshipwrecks. In Whitbys library, he found a bookon the old Romanian state of Wallachia, whichmentioned the Carpathian Mountains and thebloody history of Vlad the Impaler. All the whilehe was surrounded by theatricality, working atthe Lyceum with the famous Victorian actor, SirHenry Irving, whose physical characteristics andmannerisms inspired Stokers central character.

Draculawas finally published in June 1897. Toldthrough a series of letters and diary entries, thestory revolved around Count Dracula, abeautifully dressed aristocrat who lives in agloomy castle. He is a creature from the past,more than 400 years old, who claims to be adescendent of Attila the Hun. Drawing onEastern European myths, Stoker made hisblood-drinking villain repelled by garlic andreligious artifacts, able to shape-shift, onlycapable of entering a house when invited, andvulnerable to a stake through the heart. From

his own imagination, Stoker endowed hiscreation with enormous strength and the abilityto crawl up walls.

When the book was first released, it received amixed response. Some reviewers found itdistasteful, and Stoker made little money fromit in his lifetime. But with its transition tothe stage, and subsequently film, the

book became a huge success. Bythe 1940s, it had sold more than amillion copies, and since then ithas never been out of print. Bymaking the myth morebelievable to a modernaudience, Bram Stokercatapulted the vampire to awhole new level of fame.

BRAM STOKERAND THE MOST

INFLUENTIAL HORROR STORY EVER WRITTEN

Londons Lyceum Theatre

Bram asa boy

DRACULA: THE STORY IN BRIEF


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Bram Stokers novel opens with the journey ofyoung lawyer Jonathan Harker, who has been sentto visit the mysterious Count Draculaat his castle in remote Transylvania.While helping him finalize thepurchase of a house in England,Jonathan is at first charmed by theCount. However, he soon finds that he

is imprisoned in the creepy castle andthat his host is, in fact, a vampire.

With the young lawyer incarcerated,Dracula sets off for England onboard a ship called theDemeter. Onthe journey, all the crew perish in unexplainedcircumstances and the ship runs aground on theEnglish coast at Whitby, Yorkshire, where

Jonathans fiance Mina Murray and her friendLucy Westenra happen to be staying. Lucy fallsprey to the vampire and, on her return toLondon, begins to waste away. Her fianc,Arthur Holmwood, and two former suitors,

Dr Seward and QuinceyMorris, are determined to

save her and callon the assistanceof Professor VanHelsing. When Lucydies, Van Helsing realizesthat she has become a vampire and

helps the men put an end to her.

In Dr Sewards asylum, locatednear Carfax Abbey, Draculas newhome, the inmate Renfield begins toact in increasingly strange ways.

Van Helsing, Mina, Jonathan (who has escapedfrom Transylvania), Arthur, Quincey, and Sewardcome together to hunt for the vampire. But the

malevolent Count has made Mina his next victim.The men pursue Dracula back to Transylvania,where in a final battle they stab him through theheart and decapitate him killing him once andfor all and freeing Mina from his clutches.

__________________________________________ ___________________________________________ .___________________________________________ _________________________________________

Count Dracula:A nobleman and powerful vampire.

Jonathan Harker:A young lawyer from London, he is

sent to Transylvania to advise Dracula on a property deal.

Mina Murray: Jonathans fiance, later his wife.

Lucy Westenra: Minas best friend. She falls under

Draculas spell and becomes one of the undead.

professor Abraham Van Helsing: A Dutch scientist

and vampire expert, he leads the fight against Dracula.

Dr. John Seward:The doctor who runs the asylum that

becomes the headquarters for the vampire-fighting team.

Arthur Holmwood: Becomes Lucys fianc and finances

the vampire hunt.

Quincey P. Morris:A rich young American. He is in love

with Lucy and is committed to the fight against Dracula.

R. M. Renfield:An inmate in Dr. Sewards insane asylum.

He hails Dracula as his Master.

List of key characters

Carfax Abbey, where Dracula sets up home

The evilCount


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ssf ranthstsrh

Dracula,Bram Stoker

ImpalerVLAD THE


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ImpalerRuler of the mountainous principality of Wallachia, aregion of modern-day Romania, Vlad Dracula was abloody tyrant who struck fear into the hearts of hisown people. Bram Stoker used his name for his famousfictional villain, though many believe the novel owesVlads violent legend even more.

VLAD THE BADBorn in 1431, Vlad Dracula had a turbulent upbringing,spending much of his boyhood as a hostage of theOttoman Empire. He came to the throne in 1448, buthis reign was interrupted twice before his death in1476. He is regarded as one of the cruelest rulers inhistory, coming to be known as Vlad Tepes (pronouncedtse-pesh), which means the impaler.

THE REAL DRACULA

MURDEROUS PRINCEDuring his reign, Vlad massacred anyone who got in

his way, including women, children, and the sick. As

his nickname suggests, his favorite method of dealing

with his enemies was to impale them on blunt wooden

stakes. It is said that he killed thousands in this way.


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TWO SIDES TO THE TALEDespite these bloody tales, Vlad is remembered as a

national hero in Romania. He defended his territory

against the onslaught of foreign powers and, while

bloodthirsty, was said to have been a just ruler. During

his reign Wallachia, was almost crime-free as his

subjects knew they would pay a terrible price for any

misdemeanors. According to one legend, Vlad left a

golden cup by a fountain in a public square. Many

used it, but it was never stolen.

BathorELIZABETH


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y THE BLOOD COUNTESSIn the 1600s, tales emerged of amurderous Hungarian aristocrat.For years, Countess ElizabethBathory maintained theappearance of normality,while inside her castleshe was torturing andmurdering manyinnocent girls.

NOBLE BIRTHElizabeth Bathory came from

one of the richest and most

powerful families in the

Kingdom of Hungary. She was

descended from Transylvanian

aristocrats and at the age of

15 married Count Ferenc

Ndasdy, a Hungarian militaryleader. The couple lived in

Csejthe Castle in northwest

Hungary (in present-day Slovakia).

With her husband often away,

Elizabeth was left to manage the

business affairs of the estate.

BLOOD BATHLegend has it that Elizabeth was a vain

woman and used all kinds of oils to

preserve her skin. One day, the story goes,

she hit a servant girl and drew blood, which

then dripped onto her skin. As she wiped it

away, she thought the skin looked fresher and

younger. So it was that the Countess developed

her obsession with blood and concocted a vile

scheme to obtain it in huge quantities.

ACCOMPLICESWith the help of a small group of servantssomeof whom were said to have links with witchcraft andsorcerythe Countess lured peasant girls from thesurrounding countryside to the castle with the promise of

k O i id th i l bj t d t i h t t


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work. Once inside, the girls were subjected to inhuman torturebefore being brutally murdered. When the supply of local girls

began to run out, Elizabeth offered to teach social graces toyoung women from noble families. The disappearance

of poor servant girls had passed largely unnoticed,but when ladies began to go missing, word of

the suspicious happenings spread, eventuallyreaching King Mathias of Hungary.

GRUESOME DISCOVERYA raid on the castle in late December1610 uncovered an underground torturechamber, its walls spattered withblood, with bones and other humanremains on the ground, along withthe clothing and belongings ofmissing girls. Elizabeth wasaccused of killing 80 girls, though

there was speculation that shewas responsible for many moredeaths. As a noblewoman, shewas never tried for her crimes,though her accomplices wereexecuted. Instead, she waswalled up in her bedroom inCsejthe Castle, where she wasfound dead four years later.

LEGENDElizabeth Bathorys crimes areshocking enough, but over theyears they have been embellishedand turned into gruesome legend.In many retellings, the number of

victims slaughtered reaches morethan 600, and the Countesss sadism

is explained as a lust for blood, which

she bathes in and even drinks. That thishorror story involves a Transylvanian

aristocrat has led many people to speculatethat Bram Stoker may have read about

Elizabeth Bathory and used her story asinspiration for his novel. Though there is no proof

of this, there is always a possibility that the characterof Dracula was in fact based on a woman.


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Dracula dragged vampires into a new era. They were still deadly, but ratherthan repulsive they became suave and sophisticated. Since then, vampireshave continued to evolve. They are younger, more attractive, and moremorally complex. They have gained new powers and can defy many of the oldcharms and tricks that once kept them at bay. In the fiction of the 21st

century, some vampires are battling their very nature to resist their cravingfor human blood in order to live side by side with humans.

ModernMyth

The

Some of the very first horror movies ever made were about

HorrorA CENTURY OF SCREEN


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Some of the very first horror movies ever made were aboutvampires, and many featured Dracula, or a characterbased on the famous Count. Since the days of black-and-white movies, screen vampires have changed many timesto suit the audience of the day.

NOSFERATU1922

Consideredone

ofthe

scariest-ever Dracula movies,

thisGermanclassicwas the

first film to be based on

BramStokersnovel.However,

themoviewasmadewithout

thepermission of Stokers

estate, so the namesof the

characterswerechangedand

vampiresbecamenosferatu.

Max Schrek starred as the

creepyCountOrlok,whohad

agrotesque,ratlikeappearance

andnoneofDraculascharm.

DRACULA1931This was the first vampire talkie.DirectedbyTodBrowning,itstarredBela Lugosi as the Count, whoseHungarianaccent,cape,andslicked-back hair became Dracula clichs.Lugosis Dracula was elegant anddebonairanddidnthavefangs.


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HOUSEOFDRACULA1945InthisAmericanmovie,DraculaliveswithFrankensteinsmo

nsterandtheWolfman.PlayedbyJohnCarradine,Dracula is seeking a cure for hisaffliction. In a scientific twist, hisvampirism is attributed to strangeparasitesinhabitinghisbloodstream.

DRACULASDAUGHTER1936Thefirstactual sequeltoaDracula

movie picks up the story a few

moments after Draculaends.Directed

by Lambert Hillyer, it features the

Countsdaughter,whohasinherited

her fatherslove of blood.

VAMPYR1932Based loosely on Sheridan Le Fanu

s

short story Carmilla, Vampyr is a

French-German art movie telling the

storyofanoldwomanrevealedtobea

vampireinleaguewiththevillagedoctor.

Shemeetsher endbybeingstakedwithanironpole.

HORROROFDRACULA1958Starring Christopher Lee, the firstcolorversionofStokersnoveltookDraculafromcastletobachelorpadand reached a new generation offans.Leeworespeciallensesthatturnedhiseyesred.

BRAMSTROKERS

DRACULA1992Inatwistontheoriginal book,MinafallsinlovewithDracula,freeinghimfromhiscursesothathecandieinpeace.GaryOldmansDraculaappearsinturnhandsomeandyoungandthenwizenedwithage, transformingintoahideousgreenmonsterwhenangry.

DRACULA1979SubtitledAlovestory, thisadaptationalteredmuchoftheplotofthenovelto play up the romance. Lucy andCount Dracula have an ill-fated loveaffair. To make him more believable,FrankLangellasCounthadnof

angsorcoloredcontactlenses.


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DarkAngels VAMPIRES COME OF AGE


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gVampires today are almost unrecognizable as the samecreatures that featured in so many old Dracula movies.

In the 21st century, vampires are no longer thepersonification of evilthey have evolved into complexbeings with hearts, minds, and consciences.

VAMPIRES COME OF AGE

ChildVampires


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ChildVampires

The idea that a childs innocence could be corrupted by vampirismwas once inconceivable. Now, young vampires are everywhere.But while some are vicious, others are making friends, tacklingbullies, and trying to behave themselves.

LONELINESS

For a child vampire, the innocence of childhoodis cut short pretty quickly. As well as beingforced by their nature to feed on blood, theyhave to deal with the realization that whiletheir minds will grow up, their bodies neverwill. In the movie Let the Right One Inbasedon the novel by John Ajvide LindqvistEli(pictured opposite) is a centuries-old vampirechild who lives in a suburb of Stockholm,Sweden. Although Eli has come to terms with

being a vampire, she lives an isolated and sadexistence. Befriending bullied Oskar, a childwho shares her loneliness, she emboldenshim to stand up to his tormentors.

TRAPPEDOne of the firstand most chillingchildvampires was Claudia in Anne Rices VampireChronicles. Claudia has the appearance of ayoung girl. She makes the most of herchildlike appearance and pretends to befrightened and lost. When humans try andhelp her, she kills them. Claudia has a childs

lack of control over her hungershe kills

when she feels like it. Yet, in fact, she is awoman trapped inside a childs body. Hermind matures, but her body does not.Claudia realizes that she will never change,or grow up, yet desperately wants to. ForClaudia, this leads to great unhappiness.

TEENAGE ANGSTNot all child vampires are trapped in this

way or behave like brats who cant controltheir hunger. Many young vampires representthe very oppositeabsolute freedom. Theyhave broken free of controlling parents andcan take care of themselves. These teenagevampires obey no rules but their own, andparents and other authority figures arerarely present. These vampires grow andchange, while struggling with relationshipsand their own identity. From Angel, theyoung vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer,to Edward Cullen in Twilight, they are tryingto do the right thingcontrolling themselveslest they endanger others.


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H

VAMPIRE


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Although these days vampires may have a conscience, those whochoose the dark path pose a huge menace. The vampire hunteror

slayeris our protector in the struggle of good over evil. Asvampires have evolved, so too have those who stalk and stake them.

Hunters


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Falling inLove


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Fllg inL

Vampires in literature have long been figures of fantasyinspiring

a mixture of horror, awe, and fascination. Todays vampire hero isincreasingly sympatheticless of a murderous villain and morean object of affection, possessing all the powers and instincts of apredator, but with an unmistakably human heart.

TWILIGHT

The vampires in Stephenie Meyers Twilightseries have captured the hearts of many readers.The central family of vampiresthe Cullenshave chosen to drink only animal blood and livein human society. The Cullens appeal is basedon their aloof manner and the air of mysterysurrounding them, their artistic accomplishments,andnot leasttheir astonishing physicalbeauty. This series of four novels is based onthe life of Bella Swan, a teenager who moves to

Forks, Washington, and falls in love with thegorgeous Edward Cullen, who happens to be avampire. He tries to resist his feelings towardBella, constantly waging war against his baserinstincts. While he loves her and doesnt want toharm her, Edward is also deeply attracted to thescent of Bellas blood. He is a 17-year-old whohas been alive since 1901 and behaves like

an old fashioned gentleman. He opens cardoors, pulls out chairs, and defends a girls

honor in front of classroom bullies. What girlcould resist?

FORBIDDEN LOVECharacters like Edward Cullen have transformedthe vampire from satanic monster into modern-day hero. This transformation began when avery different take on the vampire appeared.

Lestat in Interview with a Vampireis one of theboldest and most attractive vampires in fiction.

In Anne Rices novels, he is described as tall,

with blond hair and gray eyes that absorb thecolors blue or violet from surfaces around them.Lestat is known for being rash, rebellious, andseductive. Characters like Lestat are dangerous,but their menace only adds to their appeal,perhaps because we humans are naturallyattracted to things that are forbidden.

INHUMAN HEARTTHROBS

With vampires like these, its easy to see whyhumans fall in love with them. They arentdemons hissing at crucifixes, seducing girls andturning them from righteousness to evil. Thesevampires have a sense of right and wrongwhats more, they can defy death, obliteratetheir enemies, and stay up all night, all whilstlooking impossibly handsome. Their centuries-old eyes gaze out from youthful bodies,fascinating us with their strangeness. They have

an air of mystery and power and are capableof deep emotions. Vampires can be especiallyappealing to those who feel different,resonating in particular with adolescents, whooften feel alienated, misunderstood, and alone.Vampires show very human characteristicssuch as neediness, vulnerability, and pridebuthave superhuman capabilities. Today, there aremany who are happy to accept the vampires

heart as something more than a receptacle fora wooden stake.

WITH THE UNDEAD


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d pE ie

yy y e

nf

Twilight,Stephenie Meyer


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ampires are

forever.

They change and adapt

with each new generation,

i i th ti E l t l

V


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mirroring the times. Early tales

of revenants, for example,

were often connected to religion

and spiritual beliefs. They reflectedpeoples concerns about death and the

afterlife. Then, with the many advances

in science during the 20th century, came scientific

explanations for the vampires conditionit was

caused by parasitesin thebloodor was the result

of some genetic mutation. Deceptively similar to humans,

vampires remain araceapart. In some tales, vampires inhabit

their own mythic world, which makes little reference to human

history. In others, the vampire becomes an entirely separate species,

one that has evolved alongside our own. But it is thisdifference

that gives vampires their unique appeal and staying power, since it lets us

delve into the possibilities, with a thrillor two along the way. Vampire

stories help us explore our fears surrounding death, love, compulsion, andthe need to belong. They help us deal with concerns and indulge our fantasies.

As long as we have fears and ideas, the vampire will continue to adapt. The vampires

evolution is far from over. . .


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Vampiresareforever

Fiction

Charnas, Suzy McKeeThe Vampire Tapestry, Orb Books,2008

door to Oskar. There is something odd

about her, and she only comes out atnight Made into an award-winning

Swedish film, directed by Tomas

Alf d

vampire state is described as both

a curse and a blessing. Starting withInterview with the Vampire (1976),

the 10-book series ends with

Bl d C ticl (2003)

More to explore


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2008Vampire Edward Weyland finds himself

too involved with the demands of

modern society and is forced to

hibernate to recover his wild mentality.

Curtis Klause, AnnetteThe Silver Kiss,Delacorte PressBooks for Young Readers, 2007Zoe is 16 and facing bereavement: her

mother is dying of cancer, and her father

seems to be excluding her from her

mothers hospital bedside. Isolated by

fear, Zoe meets the enigmatic Simon, a

vampire who has an uncanny ability to

recognize her feelings.

Elrod, P. N.

The Vampire Files, Ace Trade, 2003Investigative journalist Jack Fleming is

murdered. He awakens to find himself

a vampire and sets about tracking down

his killer.

Hahn, Mary DowningLook for Me by Moonlight, Graphia,2008Cynda, staying with her father and his

new wife in their supposedly hauntedMaine inn, falls in love with a mysterious

and handsome guest. But things get

difficult when she discovers Victor is

a vampire and the murderer of the girl

who haunts the inn.

King, StephenSalems Lot, Pocket, 2000Salems Lot is short for Jerusalems Lot,

a small town in Maine, New England,where a vampire named Kurt Barlow

opens a shop and sucks the blood of the

locals, turning them into vampires.

Lindqvist, John AjvideLet the Right One In,St MartinsGriffin, 2008 (U.S.)A new girl called Eli has moved in next

Alfredson.

Martin, George R. R.Fevre Dream, Bantam, 2004A good-hearted vampire from Louisiana

called Joshua tries to persuade his fellow

vampires to change their ways.

Matheson, RichardI Am Legend, Tor Books, 2007In this disaster novel, a disease has

caused everyone on Earth to become

a vampireexcept the protagonist,

Robert Neville.

Mead, RichelleVampire Academy, Razorbill, 2007St. Vladimirs Academy is a boarding

school where vampires are educated in

the ways of magic, and half-human teens

train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a

dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend

Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess.

Pike, ChristopherThe Last Vampire, Simon Pulse, 1994In this six-part series, Alisa Perne is the

last vampire. Beautiful and brilliant, she

hunts alone, living among humans,sucking their blood. But someone is

stalking her and wants her dead.

Rees, CeliaBlood Sinister, Scholastic Books, 2007Sixteen-year-old Ellen is dying, and

no one knows why. Sent to visit her

grandmother, she learns some startling

truths when she discovers the diary of

her great-grandmother and reads thestory of her life, which appears strangely

linked to her own.

Rice, AnneThe Vampire Chronicles, BallantineBooks, 1976The most influential vampire novels since

Bram Stokers Dracula, in this series the

Blood Canticle (2003).

Saberhagen, FredThe Dracula Tape, Baen, 1999In this response to Bram Stokers classic,

Count Dracula is a good guy who

recounts his version of events.

Schreiber, EllenVampire Kisses, HarperTeen, 2005Sixteen-year-old Raven, an outcast

who always wears black and hopes to

become a vampire some day, falls in

love with the mysterious new boy in

town. She is desperate to find out if he

can make her dreams come true.

Shan, Darren

Cirque du Freak, Little, Brown YoungReader, 2004A 12-book saga featuring Darren, a young

boy who becomes a half-vampire and is

apprenticed to an older vampire.

Somtow, S. P.Vampire Junction,Diplodocus Press,2005A young vampire, Timmy Valentine,

survives the destruction of his town byMount Vesuvius to become a modern

rock star.

Vande Velde, VivianCompanions of the Night, Sandpiper,2002After a late night visit to a laundromat,

Kerry helps a young boy accused of

being a vampire escape from a group of

vigilantes; the trouble is, he really doesturn out to be one of the undead.


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AdamIn the Christian Bible, the first mancreated by God.

corpseA dead body.

crucifix

Hapsburg EmpireThe empire of the powerful Hapsburgdynasty, a ruling house of Europe. First

established in the 13th century at its peak

Glossary


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apotrope (adj., apotropaic)Objects, such as amulets and talismans,

that are displayed to ward off evil.

aristocratSomeone born into the aristocracy (the

ruling class).

art filmAn independent movie intended to be

considered for its artistic worth, rather

than for its commercial value.

asafoetidaA dried gum that comes from the giant

fennel plant. It has a very pungent garlic

smell when raw.

Attila the HunThe emperor of the Huns (a people

based in modern-day Hungary) from

434 to 453 CE. Attila was a fierce

warrior, with a reputation for cruelty.

AztecsA people from central Mexico of the 14th,

15th, and 16th centuries, who practiced

human sacrifice.

BansheeA fairy of Irish mythology who wails to

foretell the deaths of great men.

Black DeathOutbreak of bubonic plague that killed

millions around the world in the mid-14th

century. Bubonic plague is a deadly

disease caused by the bacteria Yersiniapestisthat results in black swellings in

the armpits and groin and is passed

to humans by the fleas that live on

infected rats.

caulA thin, filmy membrane that sometimes

covers a baby when it is born.

cruc xAn ancient symbol of Jesus on the cross.

It shows the death of Jesus by crucifixion

and is said to scare off vampires.

dark giftA term used in Anne Rices Vampire

Chroniclesto describe the condition of

being a vampire.

deityA god or goddess.

demonAn evil spirit or monster.

fairyA mythical creature often taking human

form, described as having magic powers.

fangsLong pointed canine teeth, used for biting

and tearing. In vampires, the fangs are

the upper canines, used for piercing the

skin of victims to allow their blood to be

sucked out.

folklore

The collection of popular tales andbeliefs, often passed on through word of

mouth, that reflect the history or culture

of a group of people.

Garden of EdenIn the Bible, the place where the first man

and woman, Adam and Eve, lived.

garlicA bulblike plant related to the onion.

GothicAn elaborate architectural style that

flourished during the Middle Ages, used

in many castles of that period. The style

was revived in the late 18th century and

gave its name to a genre of English

fiction that featured tales of mystery or

horror in a dark and macabre setting.

established in the 13th century, at its peak

it controlled the modern-day countries

of Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic,

Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and parts

of many others.

HebrewThe Jewish Holy Language, dating from

around the 6th century BCE.

hypnoticRelating to hypnosiswhen someones

words or actions make you fall into a

trance so that you follow their

suggestions and commands.

immigrantSomeone who is new to a country or area

and chooses to settle there permanently.

immortalLiving in a spiritual or physical form for

all time.

Kingdom of HungaryA state in central Europe that was

established around 1000 and included

Hungary as well as part of modern-day

Romania, Ukraine, and Croatia.

legendA story from the past, sometimes one

popularly supposed to have a historical

basis but which is not verifiable.

MayaA civilization of Mexico and Central

America that existed until conquered by

the Spanish in the early 16th century.

MesopotamiaThis region of southwest Asia between

the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is now in

modern Iraq and Syria. Considered the

cradle of civilization, it was home to

some of the worlds earliest civilizations.

mythA traditional story, often involving

the supernatural.

mythicalExisting only in myths and folktales.

speciesA particular kind of animal or plant.

Members of the same species share

common characteristics.

stakeA wooden stick with a sharp point.

Summers, Montague(18801948)

VoodooA religion practiced in Haiti and the

southern United States, combining the

spiritual beliefs of West African peoples

with Roman Catholicism.

WallachiaA principality situated to the south ofthe Carpathian Mountains, now a part

of Romania. It lasted from the 14th to


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occultInvolving magic and the paranormal.

Ottoman EmpireAlso known as the Turkish Empire, this

was a vast empire that existed between

the 13th and 20th centuries. At its height,

it spanned three continents, including

much of southeastern Europe, the Middle

East, and North Africa.

predatorSomething that hunts, then feeds on,

its prey.

principalityA state ruled by a prince or princess.

regenerativeAble to heal and replace lost or

damaged tissuesto heal wounds

and grow back organs and limbs.

resurrectionComing to life again; returning from

the dead.

revenantA person that has returned from the

dead, including ghosts, zombies, and

vampires. Term used especially in

Medieval Europe to refer to the undead.

Rhode IslandThe smallest state in New England, U.S.A.

shape-shiftThe ability to transform from onephysical form into another.

ShivaHindu god of destruction.

sorcererSomeone who practices magic.

(18801948)Famous vampire expert who wrote

exhaustively on the subject.

supernaturalThings that occur or exist beyond the

realms of scientific understanding.

talkieA motion picture with a synchronized

soundtrack. The first films were silent

there was no technology available to hear

what the actors were saying.

tam-o-shanterA Scottish bonnet worn by men, named

after a character from a famous poem

by Robert Burns. It is made of tartanwool with a bobble in the middle.

TransylvaniaA part of modern-day Romania,

encompassing the Carpathian Mountains.

tuberculosisOften shortened to TB, this infectious

disease used to be very common and

was frequently fatal. It attacks the lungs,

and symptoms include a fever, night

sweats, bloody phlegm, and weight loss.

quarryA person or animal that is being hunted.

undeadBeings that are technically dead, but

behave as if they are alive.

vampire batBats, native to South America, whose

food source is blood. They are active

at night and will sometimes attack

sleeping humans.

R t st t t t

the 19th century.

zombieA dead person who is brought back to

life as a reanimated corpse or mindless

being by voodoo sorcerers, traditionally

from West Africa and Haiti.

A

Abhartach 35Adze 36

Africa 3637

Americas 16, 20, 4849, 6061

CCalmet, Dom Augustin 58

Camazotz 49

Caribbean islands 37, 4647

Carmilla(novel) 63, 64, 75

Carradine, John 75

Cathain 35

cattle 16Celtic legends 3435

Central America 16, 48, 49

ch ti i see

see also Hungary; Romania;

Slovakia; Wallachia

Europe, Western 5859, 63

Ewe tribe 36

eyes 15, 19

Ffairy folk 3435fangs 11, 16

female vampires

fictional 63, 65, 75

invitation 25, 64

Ireland 3435

Irving, Henry 64

JJamaica 46

Jaracaca 49

Jesus Christ 55jiangshi 4445

K

Index


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Angel (fictional character) 78

animals

drinking blood of 16, 23, 77, 83

shape-shifting into 2021, 37, 38,

41, 63

used to track vampires 28

apotropes 2425, 28, 43, 44,

46, 57

appearance 11, 12, 1415, 74,

75, 77

Arabian Desert 3839

artistic talents 23

Asanbosam 36

Asema 48

Ashanti people 36

Asia, Southeast 4243

Assyria 32

Aswang 43Aztecs 16, 48

Bbabies

as vampires 12, 43, 57

as victims 32, 42, 43, 46, 48

Baobhan Sith 34

Bathory, Elizabeth 7071

bats 20, 41, 49

bells 24

Bhutas 41

bites 13, 16

Black Death 54

Bladeseries 81

blood, thirst for 1617, 23

Braddon, Mary Elizabeth 63

Brazil 4849

Brown, Mercy 6061

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(film and series) 78, 81

bullets, silver 24, 81

Burach Bhaoi 35

burial customs 13, 44, 57

Byron, Lord 63

charms, anti-vampire see

apotropes

children and infants

as vampires 12, 43, 57, 7879

as victims 32, 36, 42, 43, 46, 48

China 4445

Church, Christian 13, 5455

methods of repelling vampires24, 25

Churel 41

Cihuateteo 48

Claudia (fictional character) 78

Communion, Holy 55

corpses 1011, 37, 41, 57

counting, obsession with 24, 44,

46

creation of vampires 1213, 18, 57

cross, sign of the 25, 55Csejthe Castle 7071

Cullen, Edward (fictional character)

78, 83

DDearg-Due 34

decapitation 28

demons 3233, 38, 41

devil 46, 5455dhampirs 57, 81

disease 16, 54, 61

dogs 21, 28

Dracula (novel) 6467, 68, 69, 71

films based on 7475

Dracula, Vlad see Vlad the Impaler

Draculas Daughter(film) 75

Dragon, Order of the 69

drama, Gothic 63

EEgypt, ancient 16, 32

Ekimmu 32

Eucharist 55

Europe, Eastern 1011, 14, 28,

5657, 58

dhampirs 57, 81

and Dracula 64

, ,

mythical 3233, 34, 35, 37,

4041, 42, 43, 4647, 48

films, horror 15, 7475, 78

fire 24, 28

Flckinger, Johann 58

flying 19

Frankenstein (novel) 63

Ggarlic 24, 43, 44, 57, 64

Ghana 36

ghouls 3839, 41

Glaistig 34

goddesses 3233, 4041

Good Lady Ducayne

(short story) 63

Gothic novels 11, 14, 6265

grains 24

graves and graveyards 23, 39, 41

prevention of vampires 57

signs of vampires 28

Greece, ancient 33

Green Lady 34

Grenada 46

HHapsburgs 58Haiti 37

Hausa tribe 37

hawthorn 25

hearing 19

Hinduism 41

holy water 25, 28, 55, 81

homes 23

Horror of Dracula(film) 75

House of Dracula(film) 75Hungary

the vampire book (gnv64)

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