The actual word vampire became part of the English language in 1732, when investigators for two English periodicals, Gentleman’s Magazine and the London Journal reported on the chilling case of Arnold Paole, who was accused of killing people in the town of Meduegna, Yugoslavia, between 1727 and 1732.
At first nobody believed the ramblings of Paole, who while lying on his death bed, claimed that he was dying because he had been bitten by a vampire. But as soon as villagers started disappearing, people began to believe Paole had risen from the grave and was feeding on the locals. So a group of townsfolk dug up Paole’s body and drove a stake through its heart. According to eyewitnesses, the body appeared unnaturally fresh for having been in the ground so long, and seemingly fresh blood squirted from the wound. On the heels of the Paole incident, more vampire attacks were reported in Serbia and subsequently, eight more “preserved” corpses were dug up and burned.
Another famous case of vampirism involved a seventeenth-century countess named Elizabeth Bathory, who belonged to one of the wealthiest and oldest families in Transylvania, an ancient area located in what is now Romania. Among her many powerful relatives were clergymen and political leaders, including a monarch—King Steven of Poland (1575–86).
Elizabeth married Count Ferencs Nasdasdy when she was just fifteen years old. As was typical in those days, he was away most of the time fighting one battle or another, so while Elizabeth sat at home she was introduced to the occult by one of her servants and briefly went off with a mysterious stranger, but eventually returned to the castle.
In 1600, her husband died and Elizabeth’s behavior took a decided turn for the darker. According to the story, one day a servant girl accidentally pulled the countess’s hair. Furious, Elizabeth hit her so hard she drew blood, a drop of which landed on her skin. Elizabeth was so taken by the effect of the girl’s blood on her skin that she ordered the servant’s blood be drained into a huge vat, which she then used as a beautifying bath treatment.
It took ten years for authorities to learn of the horrible atrocities occurring at Castle Csejthe. It eventually came out during the trial that nearly forty girls had been tortured and killed. The countess herself would often stab them with scissors, letting the blood drain out slowly. However, Elizabeth Bathory was never convicted. Even then, if you had enough wealth and power you could get away with murder. Instead she was literally walled up inside her bedroom and was found dead in 1614.
Interestingly, Elizabeth’s family was connected to another family whose name would become synonymous with terror—and vampires. Back in 1476, Prince Steven Bathory helped a Romanian prince named Dracula regain his throne.
Although it has been the subject of great debate, the general consensus seems to be that Bram Stoker did indeed base his Count Dracula character on the real-life historical figure of Vlad III Dracula—also known as Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler (the surname Tepes means “the Impaler” in the Romanian language).
Ironically, though, the historical Dracula—although it is acknowledged he committed atrocities against his own people—is remembered in Romania as a national hero who resisted the Turkish invaders from the east and maintained the national monarchy in the face of the powerful Hungarian empire.
Dracula was born in 1431, the son of Vlad II Dracul, who was the ruler of Wallachia, a Romanian province south of Transylvania, north of Bulgaria, and west of the Black Sea. At that time the area was in a constant state of political turmoil, with the Turks trying to invade on one side and Hungary trying to swallow up the other. After Vlad II was assassinated, Dracula (which means “son of Dracul”) seized the Wallachian throne in 1448 with a little help from the Turks. He was forced off the throne two months later and fled the area.
He retook the throne in 1456 and ruled until 1462, and it was during this time he became known as “the Impaler” because of his torturous cruelty. Death by impalement, in which a stake was gradually forced through the body—often until it emerged from the mouth—was an unspeakably gruesome way to die. Often the victim would linger for days, sometimes hung upside down.
To amuse himself, Dracula often arranged the impaled bodies in geometric designs or set up rings of impaled victims outside the next town he intended to attack. The most shocking aspect of his pastime is that he also used impalement against his own people as a way to maintain authority. The elderly, the ailing, women and children, pregnant women—nobody was safe. He was known to impale thousands at a time—and then would sit eating dinner amid the carnage.
So, when Stoker needed a model for his vampire, no doubt Dracula seemed a perfect choice. Outside of Eastern Europe, Vlad the Impaler was an obscure historical figure, but those who did recognize the name would immediately associate it with horror and cruelty. One change Stoker did make was the locale—he moved Count Dracula’s castle from Walachia to Transylvania, which during Stoker’s time was an area that remained medieval in appearance and outlook.
Up until the seventeenth century, vampires were mostly an oral tradition, frightening tales passed down through generations as verbal remembrances. But as vampires became a staple of literature, the very mythology of the creature began to change until it became a reverse reflection of the societies from which the authors sprang. In ancient times vampires were evil creatures to be feared, avoided, and killed. But as they were analyzed through literature, they also became creatures to be understood, because, at their core, they represent mankind’s deepest, darkest fears about death.
Vampire Mythology
Although Bram Stoker did not invent the vampire, his Count Dracula character certainly helped form the modern mythology of the vampire, which has changed drastically over the centuries. For example, early mythological vampires did not sleep in coffins—for very good reason. Up until the nineteenth century, only the very rich could afford coffins. So all a vampire needed to “rest” was a mound of native soil. Which is why, in Stoker’s book, Dracula brings several crates of Transylvanian dirt with him. The only reason it became common to depict a vampire resting in a coffin is simply because in modern times we bury the dead in coffins.
Although Christians have long associated vampirism with satanic evil, it was not until Stoker’s Dracula (published in 1897) that the crucifix was seen to wield supernatural power against the vampire. The crucifix, symbolic of goodness and holiness, became a mystical weapon to be used against the abject evil of the demon vampire. In the book Dracula, the crucifix could both weaken the vampire physically and burn its flesh.
Over the years, the powers attributed to the crucifix—a cross with the figure of Christ on it—was carried over to any cross. However, in recent years some writers, including Anne Rice, have broken with that tradition by depicting vampires who are immune to the effects of the cross and any other religious symbols. That’s because these vampires are not associated specifically with Satan (consider them secular bloodsuckers) therefore religious artifacts have no effect. However, in the Buffy vampire mythology, crosses and holy water are still used to repel and ward off Sunnydale’s brand of vampire.
But where the cross is falling out of favor in certain literary circles, garlic is making a leap in popularity. Since ancient times garlic has been used as both a food and as a healing agent, and in modern times is valued for it’s ability to help strengthen the human immune system. As an aide against vampires in medieval times, garlic was either worn or hung outside a house to ward off vampires. Some cultures stuffed cloves of garlic in the mouth of a suspected vampire—after its head had been cut off the body.
It was also believed you could use garlic as a kind of vampire detector: If a guest in your house refused to eat the garlic, they could be a vampire. Again, the first literary reference to garlic was in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. It happens when Van Helsing, the vampire hunter, puts it around Lucy’s neck to keep Dracula away from her. Since then, garlic has become a major tool for vampire hunters everywhere, and even Buffy carries garlic cloves around in her Slayer satchel. However, bei
ng the rebel she is, Anne Rice tends to disregard its effectiveness in her Vampire Chronicles.
Rice does subscribe, however, to the long-standing belief that fire is a sure way to kill the undead. Culturally, it makes perfect sense because fire has been used since caveman days as a symbol of cleansing and purity. Ironically, Dracula is one of the few references—oral, literary, or cinematic—that doesn’t make mention of fire. In Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series, fire is the only way known to destroy a vampire.
Killing a vampire by stabbing it through the heart with a wooden stake has been the method of choice in vampire mythology for centuries. Initially, the stakes were used to literally spike a corpse to the earth, which would prevent the body from rising. But after coffins became a regular feature of burial, the stake became a way to actually kill the creature. However, there have been questions as to whether it was the actual puncturing of the heart that did the trick, or the wood itself that was necessary. In Buffy, as with most other depictions, it is necessary for wood to go through the heart. Anything else leaves a wound but the vampire keeps going. As a result certain woods were favored over others by vampire hunters, the most highly recommended being ash and juniper.
One of the aspects of vampire mythology that has changed drastically over the centuries is the effect of sunlight. Although most modern stories, including Buffy, hold that sunlight is absolutely lethal to vampires, that wasn’t always the case. In medieval times, people believed that vampires walked around just as easily as humans do during daylight. But as the literary vampire developed, so did its aversion to the sun.
In Dracula, Stoker’s vampires were able to be out during the day; the exposure to the sunlight, however made them considerably weaker. But since then, vampires have been portrayed as being lethally vulnerable to the sun’s direct rays. In the television series Forever Knight, the cop/vampire can go out in during the day, but must avoid letting the light come in direct contact with his skin. However, like Dracula, just being in reflected light saps his strength. In the Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice—ever the one to turn the mythology upside down—devised vampires that become immune to the sun’s rays if they live long enough.
The idea that a vampire was able to alter its appearance, or shape-shift, has been part of the mythology for hundreds of years, but it was cemented by Stoker describing how the Count was able to turn into a bat or disappear in a spray of mist. However, that ability has frequently been discarded in other literary and film depictions, including Buffy, where the closest thing to a disappearing act is the way Angel can leave a room without anyone hearing him.
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FANGS
Vampires haven’t always had fangs and, in fact, European vampire lore does not list fangs among a vampire’s definite traits. Historical accounts of vampires include blood in the coffin and blood on the mouth, but no fangs. Nor do any of the early works of fiction dealing with Vampires, such as Dr. John Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) speak of fangs.
The advancement of fangs corresponds to our scientific knowledge of animal physiology and biology. So it wasn’t until the 1800s that vampires in literature started being described as creatures with elongated canine teeth. Obviously this made it easier for the vampire to puncture the skin of the neck and the jugular vein while feeding.
It isn’t until the first chapter of Varney the Vampyre (1840) that the idea of fangs appears. “With a plunge he seizes her neck in his fang-like teeth.”
The movies jumped on this visual aid. However, in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897, all his vampires had sharpened incisors. But when the 1931 film version of Stoker’s book was made, Bela Lugosi refused to wear any dental prosthetic and is noticeably missing anything resembling fangs. But in the classic Nosferatu, the vampire wore his fangs proudly.
Then, as special effects improved, vampires with retractable fangs began showing up. In Buffy, the vampires’ teeth are normal until the demon face appears.
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The single aspect of vampire mythology that doesn’t change regardless of the culture or era is the creature’s need to drink blood in order to survive. Deprive a vampire of its blood supply and it will grow weak and eventually wither away. But when it comes to why exactly the vampire needs blood, there are varying interpretations. Like Buffy’s vampires, Anne Rice’s undead in the Vampire Chronicles are inhabited by demons that make them lust for blood. In early literary works, it was inferred the vampire suffered from a sort of anemia, so he needed fresh blood to stay healthy and strong.
Another trait of vampirism that seems to hold true across the board is that once a person becomes a vampire, they stop aging. Hence the young girl in Interview with the Vampire remains a young girl throughout. It is also the reason why Whedon found it necessary to kill off the Anointed One, because the actor was visibly aging, plus the fact that Whedon found the character annoying.
As far as physical attributes go, it is generally agreed that vampires have good eyesight and excellent hearing, most likely because those are traits associated with other nocturnal creatures. A vamp’s skin is usually pale, which makes sense if sunlight never touches skin. However, some literature indicates that a vampire will get a glow to his skin after feeding.
In Buffy and in many other depictions, the vampire possesses superhuman strength, but this wasn’t always the case. Centuries ago, vampires were thought to attack only vulnerable victims, such as old people or children. But in more recent literature and film portrayals, vampires are powerful creatures with few weaknesses. That’s what made Buffy’s Drusilla character unique—she was powerless and completely dependent on Spike, until revived through the ritual with Angel.
Now we come to the question many Buffy fans have no doubt wondered about: Can vampires have sex, either with each other or with humans? The answer is yes, on both counts. In some literature, vampires are simply not interested in sex, considering such carnal desires beneath them. But by and large, vampires have come to be seen as highly erotic, sensual creatures—although there are some definite drawbacks to becoming intimately involved with one.
The first problem is their skin temperature. Vampires are technically dead and therefore cold to the touch. All over. In some portrayals, vampires are shown as bloodless, with no circulation. But the Buffy vampires bleed when hurt, so Angel would have blood circulation, which for all males, even vampires, is important for a romantic interlude.
The biggest hurdle to overcome during physical intimacy with a vampire is the danger that the vampire will lose control and go into a feeding frenzy. If the point of the seduction is to feed and kill, then that’s no problem; in the case of a long-term relationship, however, such a loss of control would be disastrous. The first time Angel kissed Buffy, the first thing that happened was his vampire face appeared. Some literature details how a vampire may feed just a little bit on a human lover, which enables the undead one to have normal sexual function. It’s believed that true love tends to keep a vampire from going into a feeding frenzy during sex, which also means that one-night stands usually don’t stand a chance.
And yes, vampires can have children. The offspring of a vampire and a human is called a dhampir. Traditionally, the father is a vampire and the mother human. And usually the baby is male. Because of their unique parentage, dhampirs are said to have the ability to ferret out vampires, and many, in fact, became vampire hunters. The dhampir’s special sensory abilities can be passed down to his own children and are believed to last many generations. In fact, on Angel, Buffy’s spin-off, Darla and Angel conceived a child the “normal” way.
Vampires in Film and TV
Although the modern view of vampires has its roots in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the creature has been refined, and redefined, by other works of literature—most notably Anne Rice. But the art form most responsible for shaping the current view of the vampire is film.
The granddaddy of vampire movies has to be the 1931 Tod Browning film, Dracula, which starred Bela Lugosi. Lugosi’s Dr
acula was a gothic figure, a man of the shadows. Because of his accent and foreign appearance, the film promoted the image of the alien vampire, the stranger who walks among us. Although by today’s standards the film is pure camp, at the time women were passing out from fright in the aisles of theaters. It was also the genesis of the horror-film genre, which Universal Studios made into a cottage industry.
In a little-known bit of vampire movie trivia, studio executives believed Dracula would do very well in the overseas markets, so a second film was shot in Spanish, using the same sets, just days after Dracula wrapped. This version starred Carlos Villarias as Count Dracula and was directed by George Melford. Some film historians consider the Spanish version superior to the Browning version.
Although film vampires have tended to stay in the “tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious” vein, two distinct types of Hollywood vampires have emerged—the old-fashioned, courtly vampire who has an air of the Old World about him, who tends to shy away from interacting much with humans; and the modern vampire, who often conceals his identity by hiding in plain sight, living among humans and interacting with them (aside from feeding on them).
Initially, all vampires were considered evil and better off dead. But as vampires have become ingrained in popular culture, that menace has become optional. On occasion, vampires have become lovable comic foils, as in the 1960s television series The Munsters and the films Love at First Bite and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995).
Buffy straddles both these approaches. Most of the vampires the Slayer encounters are soulless monsters out to hunt and feed on humans. But Angel is a vampire of a different sort because he’s been cursed with a conscience, so he keeps the demon inside him in check and refrains from feeding on humans. He’s got all the eroticism and power without the killer mentality.
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