The existence of Vampires has been a source of much debate, myths, legends and folklore. It is one of those things that you just know cannot be true but sometimes you are compelled to consider even the remotest possibility that vampires may exist, reading about all the legends, folklore, theories and alleged accounts of vampiric activities and sightings.
No matter the case, vampires are a perennial fan favourite. They have been the subjects of numerous novels, TV shows and movies.
What were once considered demons and monsters, have turned into charismatic, sophisticated sex symbols in modern literature. Young girls love them and everybody seems to want to be one if given the chance, hoping to get a dose of superhuman abilities and charm.
A Little Bit of History
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English word, Vampire, made its first appearance in 1734, in a travelogue titled ‘Travels of Three English Gentleman’, though the idea of a vampire was already present in French and German literature.
Throughout history there have been accounts of these beings wreaking havoc in people’s lives and sometimes entire villages. These independent accounts come from many different parts of the world which makes the idea of the existence of a vampire seem credible as there was no internet at the time and no means of quick transmission of knowledge!
Legends
1. Vlad the Impaler
Vlad III was the prince of Wallachia in the mid 15th century. He is infamously known for impaling his victims on spikes and having his meal among them, even dipping his bread in their blood.
Different historians have different theories about him. Some say he only used to wash his hands with human blood before meals while some say that he actually drank human blood.
Much of the texts that cite him as a vampire were written in the 15th century. Therefore, the accuracy of the information is questionable especially taking into account that many of them were actually written by his enemies.
Even if he was not a vampire, he was one sadistic person who liked torturing anyone who crossed him. That, is for sure.
2. The Blood Countess
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed, belonged to the Báthory family of nobility in the kingdom of Hungary. She was perhaps the most insanely sadistic female serial killer in history.
She, along with four collaborators, tortured and killed hundreds of young women. She was accused of indulging in vampire behaviour which included biting the flesh of victims and bathing in the blood of virgins to prolong her beauty.
Vampire activities aside, she was also accused of many inhuman acts against her victims which includes boiling them, stabbing them, starving them, and just about every torture you can think of.
3. Pishacha
According to Hindu mythology, there exist flesh-eating demons who haunt cremation grounds and feed on human energy. This human energy is believed to be blood. They have dark complexion with bulging veins and protruding red eyes.
Some legends say that Pishachas were created by Brahma himself, the god of creation in Hinduism. They are said to be able to change form at will and become invisible too.
4. The Vampires of the Plague
Vampires are often associated with the Black Death throughout Europe. When the plague was sweeping through Europe, there started a rumour that it were female vampires that spread the plague.
But a different form of the rumour stated that the plague itself attracted vampires who liked to feed off the bodies of the plague victims.
The story became so widely accepted that those who were suspected of being vampires at the time, were buried with bricks shoved in their mouths.
5. The Legend of the Ka
Vampire folklore extends as back as the Egyptian empire. Many proponents of vampirism claim that Egypt was the birth place of the Vampire.
Part of the reason is that the views of ancient Egyptians on life and death are complex to say the least. They have inherently believed in life after death. So, it is easy to see why people may link vampirism as coming out of the Egyptian civilisation.
According to legends, the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet was known for her taste for blood. It is also said that, if the soul called the ‘ka’ didn’t receive adequate offerings after a person’s death, it left the tomb to drink blood, hence the vampire folklore.
6. The 18th Century Vampire Controversy
During the 18th century Europe, the belief in vampires increased drastically. So much so that even government officials had to hunt for vampires.
One of the cases, which was well documented by the officials was that of Petar Blagojevich. He had died at the age of 62 but had reportedly come back as a vampire.
He had asked his son for food on return who refused his father’s wish. The son was found dead the next day. Legends say that Blagojevich soon returned and attacked some neighbours who were found dead due to loss of blood.
Myths
1. Vampires turn into Bats
This myth stems from Romanian folklore. It was believed that Vampires can turn into bats at will. They do this especially when dawn is near.
It is quite easy to see how this myth came to be. Bats are nocturnal creatures and so are vampires thought to be. Some species of bats drink blood, as do vampires.
Bats also have acute sense of hearing and smell. Abilities which are also credited to vampires. So the connection between the two could have been conjured up at any given point in history given the similarities.
2. Bram Stoker’s Dracula was based on Vlad III
It is widely believed that the character “Dracula” in the popular horror novel of the same name, written by Bram Stoker, was based upon Vlad III.
The thing is, nobody even knows if Vlad III even indulged in Vampirism. There is no proof that Vlad III was a biological vampire. Even the notion that he drank blood is dubious at best, being a likely fabrication to further demonise him.
3. Humans become vampires by drinking infected blood
Another myth aimed at sexualisation of the Vampires by introducing the concept of “exchanging bodily fluids”. There is absolutely no way that a human can turn into a vampire by drinking it’s blood. In almost every mythological accounts, humans are converted only by a vampire’s bite.
4. Vampires do not have a reflection
Vampirism has no effect on the physical properties of the body. Though undead, vampires are still made of solid matter than behave like all other solid matter.
5. Holy Water burns Vampires
This myth was created by the churches to control mass hysteria in medieval times. It provided a sense of security to the people that they have a weapon they can use against unsuspecting vampires.
6. The Cross repels Vampires
Again, another myth created by the churches to make people feel safe. The cross has no effect on vampires and are only useful to bash their skulls if need be!
