Vampires

Vampire figures date back at least 4,000 years in Assyria and Babylonia.

There are legends of Lamastu, a vicious demon goddess who pretyed on humans. Lamastu, would creep into a house at night and steal or kill the babies in their crib or in the womb. Sometimes, she would prey on the adults, bringing disease, sterility, and nightmares.

Lilith is found in Jewish texts. She was, also, a child killer among the vampire myths.

There were varying myths and lore about vampire women and men stealing the lives of the living. These myths come from nomadic tribes and traders who traveled amongst the lands, picking up lore from the surrounding countries.

There are records of dozens of vampire figures in the later years, dating back hundreds of years. These vampires each had habits and characteristics, making them either demon or spirit.

The most notable was the Russian demon vampire, the Upir, and the Greek demon, the Vrykalakas. These demon vampires were the reanimation of sinners, unbabtized children, and people outside the Christian faith.

Strigo (singular), or strigoi (plural), are the vampires of Moldovia, Wallachia, and Transylvania. These vampires were more spirits who returned from the dead. They pass through different stages after rising from the grave.

Modern vampires are those like Vlad Tepes and Elizabeth Bathory. Those people in modern times who killed hundreds to thousands of people out of pure viciousness.

Vlad Tepes enjoyed impaling those in his country, his men, women, and enemy in his back yard. He is famous for his horrid torture methods and impalement. Tepes would impale the people through body orifices, the abdomen, or the chest. He would impale infants on the stake through their mother's chest. Throughout is life, it is estimated that Tepes murdered between 40,000 - 100,000 people.

Elizabeth Bathory, on the other hand, was found murdering hundreds, in comparison to Tepes' count, of young girls. She believed that their blood would make her appear younger and more youthful. Bathory went even so far as murdering royalty, thinking their blood was more pure than a peasant. She was found bathing in the blood of virgin girls, at times. But, usually, Bathory chose to hang her victims in cages above her, and have a blood shower.

Pet Plogojowitz died at the age of 62, but he was seen a few times after his death. One time, he asked his son for food, and when his son refused, he was found the next day, dead. Plogojowitz returned again and attacked some neighbors, who eventually died of blood loss.

Arnold Paole was an ex-soldier who turned a farmer. He was attacked by a vampire years before he actually died. After he died, people in his town began to mysteriously die. It was believed that Paole had returned to prey on his neighbors.

Vlad the Impaler became the basis for Bram Stoker's, "Dracula," as well as other vampire tales. But, why does Vlad make the perfect Dracula?

Being a cruel man from the beginning, the Prince of Wallachia makes a perfect basis for a vampire.
Vampires were legendary amongst the Roman regend, especially in the area of Wallacia and its surrounding countries. They spread across Europe, through Germany, Italy, France, England, and Spain. Travelers would return from the Balkan area with tales of the undead...

So, given the history of the area, vampire legend was already a strong theme amongst the people, but with the reign of Vlad Dracula, he would stand out amongst rulers as one of the most notorious in the region. Because of his brutality, Dracula was a natural candidate to be a vampire.

Dracula makes the perfect basis for Stoker's

Dracula
(Enriched Classics Series)

vampire, but the exact reasoning is unknown.
But, as tales of vampirism spread through Europe, the name "Dracula" began to create a connection with the legends. Despite being a national hero who fought against the Turks, resisted Turkish conquerers, and asserted Romanian sovereignty against Hungary, Dracula appears in many vampiric legends.

Some legends claim that after being taken captive

Bram Stoker's Dracula
(Collector's Edition)

by the Hungarians, his eyes were removed and he was buried alive. But, the next day, when they dug up the are where his body was burried, no corpse was in the ground. And, years later, there were numerous mysterious deaths at his castle.

But, remember that the Romanian folklore and poetry, proclaim Vlad Tepes as a hero, with a reputation as a man who stood up for his native country to both foreign and domestic enemies. Although Vlad Tepes is painted as the opposite of Bram Stoker's Dracula, he is still known for his brutality and vampiric legends.

According to mythology, every vampire was once a human who, after being biten by a vampire, died and rose from the grave as a malicious monster. Vampires crave blood of the living, whom they hunt at night. They are often referred to as "the undead," but can walk undetected amongst the living.

Vampires may take the form of animals, such as bats of wolves, in order to sneak up on their victims.

Although immortal, vampires do have a few weaknesses. They can be destroyed by a stake through the heart. Fire, beheading, and direct sunlight, are three other was to destroy a vampire. They are wary of crucifixes, holy water, and garlic.

Vampires do not cast reflections in mirrors, and have super human strength.

Catalepsy is a pecular physical condition that is associated with epilepsy, schizophrenia, and other central nervous system disorders. During a cataleptic episode, a person essentially freezes up- the muscles become rigid so that the body is very stiff, and the heart rate and respiration both slow down. Someone suffereing from an acute cataleptic episode may be mistaken for a corpse.

In the past, people would decide based on the appearse as to whether or not someone was alive. So, the body would be put in the ground, as is.

A cataleptic episode could last several hours or even days, which would allow time for the funeral and burial. When the person would come to, he might have been able to dig out and return home.

Anemia is a disease of the blood, in which there are less than the normal number of red blood cells. The red blood cells are those that carry the oxygen throughout the body, so people with anemia tend to suffer fatigue, appear pale, have shortness of breath, and suffer fainting spells.

Pophyria is a condition that is caused by the abnomalities of production of heme pigments- the material that is responsible for red blood cell pigment. People with porphryia suffer sensitivity to sunlight, which can cause blister formations and skin swelling on exposure spots. The blisters can cause severe scarring. Personality changes may also occur.

Gypsies orignated as nomadic tribes in northern India. They recieved their name from the belief that they came from Egypt. Gypsies believed that the dead doul entered a world similar to ours except there is no death. The soul stayed around the body, wanting to come back. Gypsy myths added and enriched the vampire lore.

Many cultures have myths about bats. Bats were a sign of luck with the gypsies, but Spanich conquistadors associated them with vampires.

It is thought, in some myths, that vampires were able to fly away in the form of bats.