Vampires

Vampires are generally thought of as nocturnal beings that feed off the blood and life force of humans. Usually, they are believed to be undead or supernatural creatures. Vampire stories and legends can be found in almost every culture on earth.

Vampirism itself is a form of cannibalism, by the consumption of human or animal blood and has been regarded throughout history and by certain cultures as a method of gaining supernatural powers. Vampirism was also used as a way to intimidate an enemy throughout history, creating a psychological fear in the opposing army or enemy. Vlad The Impaler, an ancient Romanian Prince that is generally credited with being the inspiration for Dracula as we know him, is a great example of this form of psychological intimidation.

Many different cultures believe that vampires are already dead, therefore cannot be killed. Others believe that only certain methods can be used to eliminate a vampire. Because vampires are regarded as demons by some, holy water is said to be an effective weapon when battling a vampire. In addition to holy water, a crucifix is believed to repel vampires as well. The most widely accepted method for eliminating a vampire, is a wooden stake through the heart. Because of the nocturnal habits of vampires, it has been believed that if you could find a vampire sleeping during the day, you could eliminate them by driving the stake through their heart. This method can probably be traced back to Vlad The Impaler, who would impale his victims on sharpened tree stumps, which would often result in a horrifying and slow death. Vampires are also believed to be highly allergic to sunlight. Exposing a vampire to sunlight is widely thought to be a sure "fire" way of eliminating a vampire. Many people throughout history have actually been killed by these methods after being suspected of being one of the undead.

In ancient demonology, there were vampire like beings called Lilu, and in Sumerian legend, there were Akhkharu, who were believed to stalk during the night killing newborn infants and pregnant women. There are vampire like beings in India, found in Sanskrit folklore, called vetalas, which are thought to be spirits which inhabit corpses. Hinduism has it's own stories of blood-drinking gods, goddesses, and humans. Considering reincarnation is an intricate part of Hinduism, someone who leads a sinful, or unclean life could be reincarnated as a vampire, forced to feed from the blood of the living. The Egyptian goddess Sekhmet became enslaved to her blood lust after killing humans, and was only soothed by drinking alcohol made to look like blood.

Vampires have been a popular subject for books, television and movies for many years. Before the invention of modern luxuries, Vampires were just as popular a subject for legends and tales told. Vampires seem to have an alluring effect on the general public and many people even today, believe in the existence of vampires. Some even claim to be vampires themselves. The fascination with vampires in modern times has grown into an entire sub culture of vampire lovers and vampires. Within the modern vampire subculture there are different types of vampires, as well as a vampire hierarchy.

Vampire Legends
Vampire legends of blood sucking creatures can be formed in just about every culture in the world. Stories of vampire-like creatures can be traced back to early cultures of Asia, Mespopotamia, Africa and other ancient civilizations. It was not until the 1500s, when the first blood sucking bat was discovered, that modern vampire hysteria became a key part of European culture. This hysteria has painted a picture of the vampire that still exists today. Vampires are explained to be undead creatures that must feed on the blood of humans or animals to survive. They are characterized by their long fangs, pale, cold skin, and inability to come into sunlight. In addition, some believe that vampires have the ability to shape-shift into a bat and the inability to be seen in mirrors. It is also through this fear that strategies were developed to try and kill the creatures. A stake to the heart and cross were said to be the main ways to kill vampires, a result of the highly religious time period in which the fears began.

Vampire legends peaked with the creation of one of the most famous fictional vampires of all time, Dracula, but there were many vampire occurrences in this time that were not considered to be fictional. Dracula's famous character was based off a man named Vlad the Impaler, who lived in the mid to late 1400s. Known as ruthless killer, with a fetish for blood, Vlad the Impaler reportedly killed anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 people. Arnold Paole is one of history's most notable vampires. In the early 1700s, he was rumored to have become a vampire after his death, and infecting and killing 16 people in Serbia. These events were taken so seriously that infectious disease specialists were sent to the city. It was through these moments in history that vampire legends and fear was able to stay prevalent in European culture and possibly the reason that vampire legends are still circulated to this day.