Vampire

:''For other uses, see (disambiguation).'' [[Image:Orlock.JPG|right|thumb|Count Orlok from ''Nosferatu'']] A vampire is a mythology or folklore creature said to subsist on human and/or animal blood often having magical powers and the ability to transformation fiction. Usually the vampire is the corpse of a dead person, reanimated or made ''undead'' by one means or another. Some cultures have myths of non-human vampires, such as demons or animals like bats, dogs, and spiders. Vampires are often described as having a wide variety of additional powers and character traits, extremely variable in different traditions, and are a frequent subject of folklore, film, and contemporary fiction. Vampirism is the practice of drinking blood. In folklore and popular culture the term generally refers to a belief that one can gain supernatural powers by drinking human blood. The historical practice of vampirism can generally be considered a more specific and less commonly-occurring form of cannibalism. The consumption of another's blood has been used as a tactic of psychological warfare intended to terrorize the enemy, and it can be used to reflect various spiritual beliefs. In zoology the term ''vampirism'' is used to refer to leeches, mosquitos, mistletoe, vampire bats, and other organisms that prey upon the bodily fluids of other creatures. This term also applies to mythic animals of the same nature, including the chupacabra. == Vampires in history and culture == Tales of the dead craving blood are ancient. In Homer ''Odyssey'', for example, the ghost that Odysseus meets on his journey to the Hades are lured to the blood of freshly sacrificed rams, a fact which Odysseus uses to his advantage to summon the shade of Tiresias. Roman fables describe the strix (mythology), a nocturnal bird that fed on human flesh and blood. The Roman strix is the source of the Romanians vampire, the ''Strigoi'', which was also influenced by the Slavic vampire, and the Albanian Shtriga. In early Slavic folklore, a vampire drank blood, was afraid of (but could not be killed by) silver, and could be destroyed by cutting off its head and putting it between the corpse's legs, or by putting a wooden stake into its heart. Medieval historians and chroniclers Walter Map and William of Newburgh recorded the Medieval revenants of vampires in the 1100s. In popular western culture, vampires are depicted as unaging, intelligent, and mystically endowed in many ways. The vampire typically has a variety of notable abilities. These include great strength and immunity to any lasting effect of any injury by mundane means, with specific exceptions. Vampires can also change into a mist, wolf, or bat; and some can control the minds of others. They typically have extended canine tooth or fangs. It is believed that vampires have no reflection, as traditionally it was thought that mirrors reflected your soul and creatures of evil have no soul. Fiction has extended this belief to an actual aversion to mirrors, as depicted in Bram Stoker's novel ''Dracula'' when the vampire casts Harker's shaving mirror out of the window. ==Destroying and avoiding vampires== A western vampire (which is not alive in the classical sense, and therefore referred to as undead) can be destroyed using several methods, which vary among "species" of vampires and between mythologies: * Ramming a wooden stake through a vampire's heart. Traditionally the stake is made from ash or hawthorn and the vampire should be impaled with a single blow. In some traditions, a red-hot iron was preferred. In many western stories and films, impalement with a wooden stake only subdues a vampire and further measures must be taken to destroy the body, otherwise the monster will quickly recover once the stake is removed. This can be done by decapitating the body and burying the head separately, burning, burying the body at a crossroads or moving the body so it would be exposed to sunlight. Some stories extend the idea with vampire hunters using arrows or crossbow bolts made completely of wood to attempt to strike the monster's heart from a distance. If you ram a wooden stake into a vampire's heart three times, the vampire is said to return to the state it was in before it died. Sometimes it doesn't work as said in ''Interview with the Vampire'' by Louis and in ''Van Helsing'' by Count Vladislaus Dragulia himself. * Beheading - basically as above, but without first using a stake. * Exposing a vampire to sunlight. This varies from culture to culture. Vampires that are active from sunset to sunrise often avoid sunlight as they can be weakened or sometimes destroyed by it. Many species of vampires are active from noon to midnight, and consequently sunlight is harmless. The idea of western vampires being vulnerable to sunlight began with the 1922 film ''Nosferatu'', and has come to be seen as the absolute surest way to completely destroy a vampire. Previously western vampires could go out in the sunlight like in Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' or Sheridan Le Fanu's ''Carmilla''; in ''Dracula'' the vampire could go out but had none of his vampiric powers. He must remain in the form he was in at dawn, and cannot dematerialise or slip through small spaces. * Removing internal organ (anatomy)s and burning them. * Pouring boiling water into a hole beside the vampire's grave. Other typical weaknesses of the vampire include: * Garlic or holy water, which repel or injure vampires. * Objects made of silver preferably silver nitrate, which can keep a vampire away or harm them if they are in physical contact. A popular American addition to the folklore is the idea of fashioning bullets made of silver so mortal vampire hunters can use firearms against the monster. Silver bullets are more commonly associated with werewolves. *Such small items as rice, poppy seeds or salt, which can be strewn in a vampire's path. The hanging of many cloves of garlic or the scattering of small objects is said to cause the vampire to have to spend much time counting the exact number of spilled (or hung) objects before moving on, hopefully keeping them out of mischief until morning. This is possibly the origin of Sesame Street's Count von Count. This aspect of vampire mythology varies by tradition, and is possibly inspired by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). *Running water, which vampires cannot cross. This varies by tradition with some stories having vampires simply turning into a bat and flying over when faced with this obstacle. In ''Dracula'', the vampire could cross only at the tide's ebb. *Crosses and Bibles, which can keep vampires away. One simply holds the object in question in front of the vampire and the monster is kept at distance. Other stories have established that any religious symbol used by a sincere believer is effective. For example, in some stories, a Jew can use the Star of David to ward off a vampire. However in many stories, the monster can use its mind control powers to force the wielder to put down the object. *Requiring an invitation to enter a home: Western vampires are thought to be unable to enter a residence unless they are invited inside. After that invitation, they can enter the location freely. *Stealing of the left sock: Gypsy vampires can be killed if their left sock is stolen, filled with garlic or a stone, and tossed into a river. In theory, the vampire will leap into the river to retrieve it and will drown. According to the belief of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the predominant Christian denomination in Eastern Europe, the soul is not given its permanent place in Heaven or Hell until 40 days after it has been buried. Accordingly, in some places, bodies were often disinterred between 3 to 7 days after burial and examined: If there was no sign of decomposition, a stake was driven through the heart of the corpse. == Types of beliefs in vampires == It seems that until the 19th century, vampires in Europe were thought to be hideous monsters rather than the debonair vampire made popular by later fictional treatments. They were usually believed to rise from the bodies of suicide victims, criminals, or evil magicians, though in some cases an initial vampire thus 'born of sin' could pass on his vampirism onto his innocent victims. In other cases, however, a victim of an untimely or cruel death was susceptible of becoming a vampire. In Moravia, vampires were fond of throwing off their shrouds and attacking their victims in the nude. In Albania, a type of vampire known as the Liogat was suppossed to be the reanimated corpse of Albanians of Turkish descent. It was covered in a shroud and wore high heeled shoes. The only way to vanquish it was to have a wolf bite its legs off so it would never rise again from its grave. In Bulgaria, a vampire had only one nostril and slept with his left eye open and his thumbs linked. It was held responsible for cattle plagues. In Aztec mythology, the Civatateo was a sort of vampire, created when a noblewoman died in childbirth. In Australian aboriginal mythology, the "Yara-Ma-Yha-Who" [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yara-ma-yha-who.html] was a vampire with suckers on his fingers that lurked in fig trees. In Malaysian folklore, the Penanggalan was a vampire whose head could separate from its body, with its entrails dangling from the base of its neck. The Pontianak was a female vampire that sucked the blood of newborn babies and sometimes that of young children or pregnant women. In Philippines folklore, the Manananggal was a female vampire whose entire upper body could separate from her lower body and who could fly using wings. She sucked the blood of fetuses. The Aswang was believed to always be a female of considerable beauty by day and, by night, a fearsome flying fiend. She lived in a house, could marry and have children, and was a seemingly normal human during the daylight hours. Roma (people) tradition in the Balkans is said to have held that melons and pumpkins may become vampires; see the article on vampire watermelons. In the Caribbean, vampires known as Soucoyant in Trinidad and Tobago, Ol' Higue in Jamaica, and Loogaroo in Grenada, take the form of old women during the day, and at night shed their skin to become flying balls of flame who seek blood. They were said to be notoriously obsessive compulsive, and could be thwarted by sprinkling salt or rice at entrances, crossroads and near beds. The vampire would feel compelled to pick up every grain. They could also be killed by rubbing salt into their discarded skin, which would burn them upon returning to it before morning. In India (especially in the southern state of Kerala) vampires (known as ''Yakshis'') were beautiful women who seduced men in order to kill or eat them. They are said to be averse to iron objects in addition to other religious symbols, and could be killed by driving an iron nail through the head. They could also be imprisoned in trees using blessed objects. India is also home to the vetala, a wraithly vampire that can leave its host body to feed. In the modern folklore of Latin America, the chupacabra is a vampiric creature that feeds upon domesticated animals. Other vampire types: *Brazilian vampires had plush-covered feet. *Chinese mythology vampires are also known as Hopping corpses. *Mexican vampires were easily recognizable by their fleshless skulls. *The Rocky Mountains vampires sucked the blood out of its victim's ears using its pointed nose. ===Lilith=== Vampire-like spiritual being called the Lilu are mentioned in early Babylonian mythology. These female demons roam during the hours of darkness, hunting and killing newborn babies and pregnant women. One of these demons, named Lilitu, was later adapted into Jewish demonology. For further information, see the article on Lilith. ==Contemporary belief in vampires== Belief in vampires still persists across the globe. During January of 2003, mobs in Malawi stoned to death one individual and attacked four others, including Eric Chiwaya, due to a belief that the government is colluding with vampires. In January 2005, it was reported that an attacker had bitten a number of people in Birmingham, England, fuelling concerns about a vampire roaming the streets. However, local police stated that no such crimes had been reported to them, and this case appears to be an urban legend. == Natural phenomena that propagate the vampire myth== === Pathology and vampirism === Some people argue that vampire stories might have been influenced by a rare illness called porphyria. The disease disrupts the production of heme. People with extreme cases of this hereditary disease can be so sensitive to sunlight that they can get a sunburn through heavy cloud cover, causing them to be nocturnal and avoid all light. People with porphyria can also have red eyes and teeth, resulting from buildup of red heme intermediates (porphyrins). Certain forms of porphyria are also associated with neurological symptoms, which can create psychiatric disorders. However, the hypotheses that porphyria sufferers "crave" the heme in human blood, or that the consumption of blood might ease the symptoms of porphyria, are based in ignorance. Others argue that there is a relationship between vampirism and rabies. The legend of vampirism is known to have existed in the 19th century Eastern Europe, where there were massive rabies outbreaks. Rabies causes high fever, loss of appetite, and fatigue as initial symptoms. In later stages, patients try to avoid the sunlight and prefer walking at night. Strong light and mirrors can cause episodes characterized by violent and animal-like behaviors and a tendency to attack people and bite them. Concomitant facial spasms might give the patient an animal-like (or a vampire-like) expression. In a furious form of the disease, patients might have an increased urgency for sexual activity or occasionally vomit blood. Rabies is contagious. === Fountain of blood when staked === As a body decomposes, the internal organs rot first because the food that is fermenting there continues fermenting and gases produced cannot get out. As a result, a body can swell like a balloon. Put pressure on this and the pressure seeks a way to escape. === Finding vampires in graves === When the coffin of an alleged vampire was opened, people sometimes found the cadaver in a "healthy state" and beautiful, meaning that the corpse was a well-fed vampire. Folkloric accounts almost universally represent the vampire as having ruddy or dark skin, not the pale skin of vampires in literature and film. Reasons for this appearance include: *In the past, people were often malnourished and therefore thin in life. Corpses swell as gases from decomposition accumulate in the torso. The implication was that the corpse was not famished and, because blood was sometimes found in the corners of the mouth, it was assumed that the "vampire" had been drinking blood. *Natural processes of decomposition, absent embalming, tend to darken the skin of a corpse--hence the black, blue, or red complexion of the folkloric vampire.

=== Drinking blood === There have been a number of murderers who performed this seemingly vampiric ritual upon their victims. Serial killers Peter Kurten and Richard Trenton Chase were both called "vampires" in the tabloids after they were discovered drinking the blood of the people they murdered, for example. Legends that Erzs�bet B�thory, a medieval Hungarian aristocrat, murdered hundreds of women in bizarre rituals involving blood, helped mold contemporary vampire legends. Some psychologists in modern times recognize a disorder called clinical vampirism (or Renfield's syndrome, from Dracula's insect-eating henchman in the novel by Bram Stoker), where the victim is obsessed with drinking blood, either from animals or humans. ===Vampire bats=== The three species of vampire bat are all endemic (ecology) to Latin America, and there is no evidence to suggest that they had any Old World relatives within human memory. It is therefore unlikely that the folkloric vampire represents a distorted presentation or memory of the bat. The bats were named after the folkloric vampire rather than vice versa; the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' records the folkloric use in English from 1734 and the zoological not until 1774. However, once the vampire bats became known in western culture, their existence certainly reinforced and shaped the vampire legend, and it is common for vampires to be represented as bat-like in one way or another and have the ability to transform into one when desired which in turns grants the ability to fly. == Vampires in literature, art, and pop culture == Lord Byron introduced many common elements of the vampire theme to Western literature in his epic poem ''The Giaour'' (1813). These include the combination of horror and lust that the vampire feels and the concept of the undead passing its inheritance to the living (''Note:'' In the following excerpt, ''corse'' is "corpse"): : ''But thou, false Infidel! shalt writhe'' : ''Beneath avenging Monkir's scythe;'' : ''And from its torment 'scape alone'' : ''To wander round lost Eblis' throne;'' : ''And fire unquenched, unquenchable,'' : ''Around, within, thy heart shall dwell;'' : ''Nor ear can hear nor tongue can tell'' : ''The tortures of that inward hell!'' : ''But first, on earth as vampire sent,'' : ''Thy corse shall from its tomb be rent:'' : ''Then ghastly haunt thy native place,'' : ''And suck the blood of all thy race;'' : ''There from thy daughter, sister, wife,'' : ''At midnight drain the stream of life;'' : ''Yet loathe the banquet which perforce'' : ''Must feed thy livid living corse:'' : ''Thy victims ere they yet expire'' : ''Shall know the demon for their sire,'' : ''As cursing thee, thou cursing them,'' : ''Thy flowers are withered on the stem.'' Ironically, Byron's own wild life became the model for the protagonist Lord Ruthven in the first vampire novel, ''The Vampyre'' (1819) by John William Polidori. Polidori's Lord Ruthven seems to be the first appearance of the modern vampire, an undead, vampiric being possessing a developed intellect and preternatural charm, as well as physical attraction. By contrast, the vampire of folklore was almost invariably thought of as a hideous, unappealing creature. An unauthorized sequel to Polidori's novel by Cyprien B�rard called ''Lord Ruthwen ou les Vampires'' (1820) was adapted by Charles Nodier into the first vampire stage melodrama. Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' has been the definitive description of the vampire in popular fiction for the last century. Its portrayal of vampirism as a disease (contagious demonic possession), with its undertones of sex, blood, and death, struck a chord in a Victorian England where tuberculosis and syphilis were common. ''Dracula'' appears to be based at least partially on legends about a real person, ''Vlad Ţepeş'' (''Vlad the Impaler''), a notorious Wallachian (Romanian) prince of the 15th century known also as Vlad III Dracula. He was the son of Vlad II Dracul. Vlad II received the title ''Dracul'' ("The Dragon") after being inducted into the Order of the Dragon in 1431. In Romanian language, ''Dracul'' means European dragon or devil, and ''Dracula'' (or ''Draculea'') means "son of the Dragon" (or "son of the Devil", though "son of the Dragon" was intended in this case). Stoker is believed to have seen a reference in an article by Emily Gerard who said that Dracula was a word meaning ''the Devil''. (Emily Gerard, "Transylvanian Superstitions." ''Nineteenth Century'' (July 1885): 130–150). Oral tradition regarding Ţepeş includes his having made a practice of torturing enemy prisoners and hanging them, or parts of them, such as heads, on stakes around his castle or manor house. Ţepeş may have suffered from porphyria. His rumored periodic abdominal agony, especially after eating, and bouts of delirium might indicate presence of the disease. [[Image:DraculaLugosi1931Poster.jpg|thumbnail|300px|right|Filmgoers met Dracula Bela Lugosi in 1931 in a landmark vampire film.]] Stoker also probably derived inspiration from Irish mythology of blood-sucking creatures. He also was almost certainly influenced by a contemporary vampire story, ''Carmilla'' by Sheridan le Fanu. Le Fanu was Stoker's editor when Stoker was a theatre critic in Dublin, Ireland. Much 20th-century vampire fiction draws heavily on Stoker's formulation; early films such as ''Nosferatu'' and those featuring Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee are examples of this. ''Nosferatu,'' in fact, was clearly based on ''Dracula'', and Stoker's widow sued for copyright infringement and won. As a result of the suit, most prints of the film were destroyed. She later allowed the film to be shown in England. Though most other works of vampire fiction do not feature Dracula as a character, there is typically a clear inspiration from Stoker, reflected in a fascination with sex and wealth, as well as overwhelmingly frequent use of Gothic novel settings and iconography. A contemporary descendant is the series of novels by Anne Rice, the most popular in a genre of modern stories that use vampires as their protagonists. Other vampire tales seen in several places include: * ''Varney the Vampire or The Feast of Blood'' (1845) by James Malcolm Rymer, a Victorian best-seller and pot-boiler * ''Carmilla'' (1872) by Sheridan le Fanu, perhaps the most atmospheric vampire story ever * ''Dracula'' (1897) by Bram Stoker (also the inspiration for many films) * ''Nosferatu'' (1922) (also in a later remake with Klaus Kinski) * ''I am Legend'' (1954) by Richard Matheson. An interesting twist: Vampirism is caused by a bacterium (the use of a wooden stake keeps air in the wound, preventing the bacterium from making repairs), and after the pandemic the hero is the last normal person in a world filled with vampires. It was originally filmed as ''The Last Man on Earth'' starring Vincent Price and remade as ''The Omega Man'' starring Charlton Heston. The novel was also an inspiration for George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. * ''Dark Shadows'' TV series (1966 and 1991) * Comic books and graphic novels such as ''Vampirella'' (1969), ''Tomb of Dracula'' (1972), the aforementioned ''Blade (comics)'' (1973), and ''30 Days of Night'' (2002). In addition, many major superheroes have faced vampire supervillains at some point. * '''Salem's Lot'' (1975) by Stephen King * The ''Dracula'' series of novels (1975–1996) by science fiction author Fred Saberhagen. * ''Interview with the Vampire'' (1976) (also a film) and other books in ''The Vampire Chronicles'', by Anne Rice * The serials ''State of Decay'' (1980) and ''The Curse of Fenric'' (1989) from the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Vampires also appear in several novels based on the series, including ''Blood Harvest'' (1994) by Terrance Dicks, ''Goth Opera'' (1994) by Paul Cornell and ''Vampire Science'' (1997) by Jon Blum and Kate Orman, and in the Big Finish audio ''Project Twilight'' (2001) by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (writer). * ''The Hunger'' (1983) is a film in which genetic material (similar to a virus or prion) is passed from true vampires (a different species) to create temporary vampires (a few centuries or so) from humans. The human vampires act as companions until they eventually wither. Unfortunately for the human vampires, they never die (unless burned) and remain in a conscious, desiccated state (a form of living hell). The lineage of the true vampires begins in ancient times, passes through the Egyptian dynasties, and into the present. * ''Fright Night'' (1985, 1989) (movies) * The video game series ''Castlevania'' (1986–present) is a long-running series in which the protagonist battles a new incarnation of Dracula (Castlevania) in every game. * Brian Stableford's (1988) novel ''The Empire of Fear'', in which an aristocracy of vampires rules the world; ISBN 0330308742. * Japanese anime and manga features vampires in several titles, including ''Vampire Princess Miyu'' (1988), ''Vampire Hunter D'' (2000), ''Blood: The Last Vampire'' (2000), ''Hellsing'' (2002), ''Vampire Host'' (2004) and ''Tsukihime, Lunar Legend'' (2003). * Role-playing games such as ''Vampire: The Masquerade'' (1992), in which the participants play the roles of fictional vampires. * ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer (movie)'' (1992), Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its television spinoff ''Angel (TV series)'', a subgenre that features Vampire Hunters or Vampire Slayers, destined to kill or specialized in killing the creatures. * ''Forever Knight'' (1992) is a television series about a vampire/cop who enforces the law to make up for his past misdeeds * ''The Undead'' (1992) and ''Cold Kiss'' (1996) by Roxanne Longstreet * ''The Season of Passage'' (1992) by Christopher Pike (author) * The ''Anno-Dracula series'' (1992–1998) series by Kim Newman, "what if?" tales extrapolating the events of ''Dracula'' if Dracula had not been stopped and had later married Victoria of the United Kingdom. * The ''Darkstalkers'' (1994) fighting game series (known as ''Vampire'' in Japan) features a vampire along with other mythological and horror fiction characters. * The ''Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series (1995-present) by Laurell K. Hamilton, featuring a society where vampires are citizens and a necromantic protagonist. * ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' (1996), a film directed by Robert Rodriguez, cowritten by and featuring Quentin Tarantino. It begins as one of Tarantino's more usual crime stories, but flips halfway through into a vampire film. * The video game series ''Legacy of Kain'' (1996–present) is a five game long series, in which vampires were a wise, ancient race who had their thirst for blood, immortality, and aversion to sunlight inflicted on them by another race called the Hylden. * Dance of the Vampires (1997) is a musical from Jim Steinman * ''Vampires (1998 movie)'' (1998), a film by John Carpenter about a divsion of the Vatican devoted to killing vampires (very loosely based on the novel ''Vampire$'' by John Steakley) * ''Blade (movie)'' (1998), a comic book and film series, one in a subgenre that features half-human, half-vampire warriors or protagonists. * ''Ultraviolet (TV miniseries)'' (1998), a United Kingdom television series about a vampire conspiracy set in 1990s London. The show made a point of using high-tech and scientific approaches to combat the vampires. * ''Carpe Jugulum'' (1998) by Terry Pratchett pastiches the traditions of vampire literature, plays with the mythic archetypes and features a tongue-in-cheek reversal of vampyre subculture with young vampires who wear bright clothes, drink wine, and stay up until noon. * The comic book series ''Purgatori'' (1998–present) (Chaos! Comics): a slavegirl in ancient Egypt becomes a Vampire Goddess. * Mick Farren's Victor Renquist novels, in which vampires were created by a race of aliens known as the Nephilim * Jim Butcher's urban fantasy series, The Dresden Files, whose system of magic borrows liberally from various folkloric traditions. White, Red and Black Court vampires all exist, embodying different vampire myths (Black Court being the standard American vampire). == The "Vampire subculture" == The vampire subculture describes a contemporary subculture marked by an obsessive fascination with, and emulation of, contemporary vampire lore, including everything from vampire fashion and music to, in the more extreme cases, the actual exchange of blood. Members of the subculture ("vampirists") often prefer the spelling "vampyre" to distinguish themselves from the "fictional" vampire while simultaneously lending a Victorian era flair to their activities. These contemporary consumers of blood typically appeal to myths about vampires for legitimacy. The subculture is typically delineated by a particular style of dress and decor that combines elements of the Victorian fashion, Punk fashion, Glam and Gothic fashions with styles featured in vampire films and fiction. Although often associated with the Goth subculture, most goths do not enjoy the association with the negative stereotype portrayed in the media and, as a result, actively dislike members of the vampire subculture. Although this subculture is most popular in the United States, it has members throughout Europe and eastern Asia. Most modern practitioners of vampirism do not believe themselves to be undead creatures; rather, they use vampirism as a means of practicing magic (paranormal)(magick). For example, they claim that they are taking life energy or qi from another (usually a willing donor who also practices vampirism) to increase their own energy and vitality. Vampirists do not necessarily obtain this energy from blood, but will use other physical, spiritual or psychic means to obtain this energy (for example, there are self-styled "human sexual behavior vampires" and "psychic vampires"). A number of these vampires not only practice the drinking of blood but actually believe themselves to be the vampires of legend, or some other supernatural entity (for example, a "lost race" of ''Homo sapiens''); see otherkin for further discussion of this type of phenomenon. Self-styled vampires of this sort will often claim that their own personal physical or psychological characteristics, such as pale skin, sensitive night vision, quick reflexes, emotional irritability and instability, and any number of self-professed psychic abilities are direct results of vampirism rather than independent or imagined traits. Many outside this group see this as a result of a mental illness such as disassociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, or antisocial personality disorder. A few vampiric groups have been likened to cults, and a few self-proclaimed vampires have murdered in order to drink human blood, such as Brisbane notorious "lesbian vampire murderer" Tracey Wigginton. It should be noted that consumption of human blood exposes both parties involved to a range of high-risk blood-borne pathogens and diseases. For more on the topic of modern vampire cults, see vampire lifestyle. ==Etymology== Eng. vampire < German language Vampir < early Old Polish *vąper', [a=nasal "a" - close to Fr -an, e=short "ye", r'=soft "r" similar to "ree" with very very short ee] < OldSlav. *oper' (o=nasal o); South Slav. (for example:Serbian language): "vampir" just like modern Polish language: "wampir" (Pl.w=v). ==Further reading== * Christopher Frayling - ''Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula'' 1992. ISBN 0571167926 ==See also== *Dracula *Vlad III Dracula * Chinese vampire * List of vampire movies * Maschalismos * Medieval revenants * Vampire bats * The Mercy Brown Vampire Incident *Elizabeth Bathory ==External links== *[http://www.drinkdeeplyanddream.com Drink Deeply and Dream: The Reality of the Modern-Day Vampire] *[http://www.vampireposers.com Vampire Posers] *[http://www.csicop.org/si/9603/staking.html Staking Claims: The Vampires of Folklore and Fiction]
from: [http://www.csicop.org/ Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal] *[http://www.theness.com/encyc/vampires-encyc.html Vampires] from: [http://www.theness.com/index.html The New England Skeptical Society] *[http://www.factnet.org/vampire.htm? Mother of "vampire cult" leader pleads guilty] from: [http://www.factnet.org/about.html?FACTNet F.A.C.T.Net] *[http://hunter.apana.org.au/~gallae/hecate/revenants/vampiremania.htm Vampiremania] *[http://www.vampyreverse.com/ Pseudoscience of vampirism and DVD listings.] *[http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/vampirefilms.html An extensive list of vampire movies.] *[http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/ Professor Elizabeth Miller] has written books and articles on Stoker's Dracula and Vlad Tepes. *[http://www.darkness-embraced.com/ Darkness Embraced Vampire and Occult Society] Interactive real vampire society and occult practitioners *[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vda-newcarthage/ The Vampire Donor Alliance] is a place for real blood drinkers and blood donors to communicate. *[http://www.sanguinarius.org/ Sanguinarius] is a page providing support for a presumed group of real vampires. *[http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/ SphynxCat's Real Vampires Support Page] is another site providing support for a presumed group of real vampires. *[http://www.vampiretemple.com/ Temple of the Vampire] “Test Everything. Believe Nothing.” *[http://www.vampires.com/ Vampires.com] is a massive community for vampires and other alternative lifestyles * [http://www.morsure.net/ Morsure.net] is a fun French place about vampires. Literature, cinema, society, art, geography. *[http://www.corrystuart.com/peterplog.html The saga of Petar Blagojevic] * [http://www.traditionalwitchcraft.org/folklore/spinning.html Knots, Threads, Spinning, and Vampires] * [http://www.geocities.com/vampiricstudies/index.html Vampiric Studies] is a site by Catherene NightPoe containing a vast amount of information regarding vampires. * [http://www.geocities.com/nights_of_thunder/dr_polidori.html The Polidori Files] The web's first link portal devoted entirely to John William Polidori, author of "The Vampyre". Vampires Shapeshifting Folklore simple:Vampire fa:خون‌آشام la:Vampyrus

Vampire

---- ''See also Talk:Vampirism for older dscussions.'' Auric the Rad's Vampire watermelon hoax strikes the right tone... User:Wetman 07:03, 1 Dec 2003 (UTC)I think we've made good progress on this page, but now it needs to be refactored (I am referring to :Vampire, not this talk:Vampire page). == Silver == I always thought silver was good against Werewolfs, not vampires? Can anyone explain that? I think that both this and the daywalker stuff come next to exclusively from the movie Blade, which wasn't a particularly traditional view on vampires, or something close to it. I tried some searching to find any references...''vampire'' with anything like ''"silver kills"'' reveals nothing classical, although I might have missed some combination (just ''silver'' gives to many false hits to cut down). Definitely ''daywalker'' got nothing other than RPGs and movies. Neither of these are listed on Britannica's page or any of the kid's books I can remember. Weakness to sun is a relatively recent element of the vampire myths: most Slavic folklore monsters could walk in the sun without too much problems (I seem to remember a type of vampire who by day looked like an attractive human, and by night a horrible monster). I've also read that in the very ''Dracula'' novel (NOT in the films based on it) old Vlad Tepes himself takes a leisurely stroll through some English park during daytime. User:62.94.130.58 Supposedly the notion of silver as a bane of evil things comes from Judas having accepted payment of silver in exchange for betraying Christ. In taditional lore there is no connection to vampirism -- silver is a werewolf thing.... :The silver bullet is an element of black magic in ''Der Freischütz''. Spooky but nor vampiric. User:Wetman 19:30, 27 Jan 2004 (UTC) In the romantic comedy "Love at First Bite" - George Hamilton's Dracula laughs at silver bullets. - User:Sparky 03:45, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) ---- Classic vampires are killed by a ''wooden'' stake through the heart. Silver as being efficacious against vampires (and in Blade, it was not silver but a concoction of mercury, garlic, blood with vampirism antibodies, etc which was supposed to do the trick) is very recent and poorly supported - hardly part of traditional vampire myth yet. ---- The rationale behind the silver thing is that silver is supposed to have properties that make it resistant to evil. Don't ask me to elaborate, I read it in an old book. I do remember it said that silver hurt vampires, particularly silver crosses did the trick. It also of course mentioned the silver bullet killing werewolves. There is nothing special about the bullet, its the silver. Apparently silver could also be used to expose witches. BTW, hazelwood was the preferred wood for killing vapires. It was supposed to have evil-resistant properties as well. I believe that the silver as dangerous to vampires theory has basis in history. --User:Alan D Bram Stoker introduced us to "undead," of course, contemporaneously with the modernized legend of Vlad Drakul - aka "Vlad the Impaler" who was a quite real old-time prince who terrorized local peasants by hanging the heads and bodies of those who displeased him from stakes outside the "castle" or manor house. :Silver is supposed to hurt vampires, but not to kill them. At least in Slavic mythology, where modern concept of vampires originated from User:Szopen ---- Silver being harmful has to do with its purity as a metal. Also, most medieval crosses were silver. ALSO: Silver is (was) used as mirror backing, hence the "no reflection" deal, and cameras use mirrors, so no showing up on tape, and photos are developed in silver nitrate, so hence the "no photos" deal. User:Gnrlotto wouldnt a silver bullet kill just about anything anyway? i mean if you shoot your nieghbour witha silver bullet, theyll probly die, that doesnt make them a were wolf or a vamire... logically, its probly just an excuse for idiots to go shooting people pretending they arent really peopel, hence the claim that werewolves, once dead, revert to thier human form " he had fur i tell you! not five minutes ago! really!" etc User:Gabrielsimon == Literature about Lycanthropy / werewolf == Silver bullets are supposed to kill werewolves. Until a movie was made on the subject, I wonder if there was any substantial literary classic involving lycanthropy (people turning into wolves) to which we can refer, or if oral tradition is all there is to fall back on. Oral tradition does go back hundreds of years, at least. User:Szopen I think there's some instances of lycanthropy amongst the ancient Greeks. There should be a book on my shelves somewhere with a detailed history of this sort of thing... ==Dracula, Dracul and Folk Tradition== Getting back to vampires, it's interesting to see how Bram Stoker's Dracula was an assortment of folk traditions, grafted onto a more or less Roman Catholic framework of demonic possession; his Dracula is effectively the corpse of Vlad Dracul possessed by a demon - hence the crucifix & holy water being so effective. ----- I have some reservations about the works listed on the previous page: Nosferatu is simply a take on the dracula story; Bram Stoker's widow in fact sued the people involved with the film for copyright violation and won, which does not mean that the work does not deserve mention; but Salem's Lot is also a take on the Dracula legend which has merely been updated and moved to New England. Stephen King has admitted as much himself, and says the novel came about from a comment made when he had a friend over and they were discussing Stoker's novel: Tabitha King said that today Dracula would get run over by a cab at the airport and that would be the end of it. The parallels between the two works are obvious enough to anyone who them both. How about mentioning vampire legends which do *not* depend so heavily on Stoker's work? e.g. works by Anne Rice, and, um, well that's all I can think of. :-) I haven't read up on vampires much, which was why I followed this link. :-) Certainly, there is a school of vampiric writing which derives more from le Fanu's work than Stoker's. User:sjc ---- There is no evidence that Stoker ever heard of a Vlad Drakul or Vlad the Impaler while doing his research for the book, claims to the contrary notwithstanding. -- corvus13 Also, there is no evidence which suggests that he hadn't. Moreover, the setting in Transylvania indicates that he was probably aware of it. But I have expanded the original author's description of Stoker's sources to cover all bases. User:sjc Actually, there is evidence that he didn't. See "Dracula: Sense and Nonsense" by Elizabeth Miller. --corvus13 This is kind of academic. Stoker had a friendship with a Hungarian professor who may well have related the story, but nothing is provable in either direction. Unless Stoker walks again, that is... User:sjc On the contrary, it is quite documented. Stoker worked as the secretary of Henry Irving, probably the greatest English actor of his time, and among Irving's friends was Arminius Vambery (true name Hermann Bamberger), a famous explorer who travelled all over Eastern Europe and Middle East, and would become the mentor of the legendary Sven Hedin. Another of Irving's admirators was Sir Richard Burton, the famous explorer of Africa, who had also written a book about Indian vampiric myths (''Vikram and the Vampyre''); probably while talking about this book, Vambery began telling of the vast Hungarian vampiric folklore, and if I remember correctly it was he who made the connection to Vlad 'Tepes' Dracula, though I don't believe he suggested the historical prince could have been a vampire. Stoker, inspired, wrote a drama about Vlad, finding the character fitting to his master Irving (who was famous for acting supernatural or mythical roles, such as Mephistopheles); Irving, however, refused. And as we all know, the tale of Vlad Dracula ended up as a novel... User:62.94.130.58 ---- re: the above discussion -- however valuable research into the origins and making of various vampire texts (Stoker versus Rice, for example), it shouldn't be at the expense of what I think is far more important -- what accounts for the popularity of these texts. Has anyone done research on the changing meaning of vampire stories to their audience? It seems to me that what was once a spoof of the Catholic Mass now has rather more to do with AIDS. User:Slrubenstein ------- Talk from Vampire subculture Cite? Or is this complete bull? yah its real-but its not like you are gonna find a "credible" source on it-unless you go look around yourself ---- Should vampirism be a separate article, or contained in Vampire? * separate: User:Ed Poor, User:Hephaestos * contained: I'm going to separate the articles, even though there have only been 2 votes so far. If someone objects, please "vote" and also explain your objection. --User:Ed Poor ---- From the current version: "According to Orthodox Christian belief, the soul does not depart the body until 40 days after it has been buried. " This sounds like nonsense. Does it have any basis in fact? -- User:Someone else 04:29 Nov 27, 2002 (UTC) ::None whatsoever. So it fits right in here User:Wetman 19:30, 27 Jan 2004 (UTC) ---- There is also Chinese Vampire, it is completely unrelated to Vampire in this article. However, there were some Hong Kong movies mixing them together. One film even talks about an undead missionary able to change from one type to another, and the only way to defeat him is by combining chinese magic and the Christian cross....... ---- I think if we feel the need to include multiple languages, it should be in another section. It isn't a major detail to be included in the introductory paragraph. This is not a dictionary or pronounciation guide. User:Barkingdoc ---- What is missing from this article is: How does one become a vampire? The reproductive strategy of a vampire is quite different than a human. User:Kingturtle 02:37, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC) :There are quite a fair number of different means that have been professed, and the origin of vampires has changed every bit as much over time as the image of vampires has. The notion of vampires as an infective race (or reproductive) is incredibly new in the history of vampire lore. User:Barkingdoc ---- Shouldn't there be a section on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. These are no firm parts of Western popular culture. Also Anne Rice should receive more attention: User:ChrisG 11:34, 24 Oct 2003 (UTC) :Buffy and Rice both have their own fairly well developed articles. Despite their current popularity, they are a fairly small part of the scope of informatioon available. User:Barkingdoc A page on vampires which does not even mention it's (in current form) origins in Slavic folklor... wonderful. user:szopen ---- This quote is copied from http://www.vampgirl.com/vamp-encmyth.html: Even inanimate objects and animals were thought to be able to become vampires: pumpkins, watermelons and other fruit that was left out past a certain amount of time, latches that were left unlatched too long, yokes, dogs, horses, sheep and snakes are among the objects with vampiric potential in older superstitions of the Slavic gypsy community. It should probably be reworded == Proof that there are no vampires == Suppose there was just one vampire. Then, each vampire bites one person a week, and the person being bitten becomes a vampire. After one week, there are 2 vampires. After 2 weeks, there are 4 vampires. After 3 weeks, there are 8 vampires. After 4 weeks, there are 16 vampires. It will take only 33 weeks for the enitre world population to be made out of vampires! :Not all vampiric mythology states that a vampire feeding off you makes you one of them. User:Falcon Kirtaran :You're also assuming that there are no vampire predators. User:Auric The Rad 22:57, Mar 17, 2004 (UTC) :For comparison, consider [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_022.html this article], which proves statistically that the world should have been chin-deep in houseflies decades ago. --User:Paul A 02:32, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC) :Your "proof" is formulated in vain (vein?) my friend, for I am a vampire. User:Xmnemonic 22:13, 2004 Jul 15 (UTC) There is a Far Side cartoon of a guy walking past a huge mirror and seeing that everyone but him is invisible... User:Mark Richards 22:19, 15 Jul 2004 (UTC) Most vampire mythology I have seen refers to the creation of new vampires as something a vampire only does once or twice in his lifetime. In the Vampire: The Masquerade story, an actual ratio of vampires to humans in any given area is handed down from Caine as no more than three vampires to every ten humans (I think). Most vampire mythology agrees that once a victim is fed from, they die rather than becoming vampires themselves. (Mabye you're thinking of were- mythology?) User:DryGrain 22:25, 15 Jul 2004 (UTC) I hate to destroy all your fantasies... but all americans seem to be vampires... blood... fear... these things allow thrival of the primitive attributes of vampires... so are we all... V_Mace :Vampires don't usually, according to most myths, legends and other lit I've read turn their victims into vampires by feeding on them. That act is called "the blood kiss" and has to be specially bestowed, it's a bit different from feeding. If anyone could find more info on "the blood kiss" it would probably make a good addition. User:66.185.84.81 05:51, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC) ==Vampire bats== There's an article at Vampire bat. Why not just link to that and remove the section here? User:RickK | User talk:RickK 05:30, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC) == what happened to Vlad the Impaler ? == what happened to Vlad the Impaler ? The pages Vlad the Impaler and Vlad III and Vlad Drakul are now blank, , except for a redirect to a non-existent page Vlad III Dracula. Should I restore the Vlad the Impaler article ? Was the Vlad the Impaler article accidentally deleted ? Or am I just going to start a delete war if I restore it and then it gets deleted again ? There's still a snapshot at http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:mQcq1YDRZS8J:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_Drakul+vlad+the+impaler&hl=en if someone wants to restore it. -- anonymous : I have restored the text from the snapshot. User:Deadstar == Meaning of vampire orginally == It is to my understanding that vampire orginally meant... one who we have reason to fear... werewolf... bloodsucker... witch... seventh son of a seventh son... criminal... ect... Bram is not to blame for the change... he specifically stated in the novel that that vampire was a nosferatu... ~Vampirate_Mace :Merriam-Webster lists it as coming from French, from German Vampir, from Serbo-Croation vampir. No original meanings are listed, so I assume all of these words shared the same meaning as the current English "vampire." I don't have access to an OED right now, but does someone want to check etymology there? At any rate, I don't see anything to support the "one who we have reason to fear" possibility; seems more likely that it came from a Serbo-Croatian myth. Hah, didn't notice the etymology section. Still an unattributed opinion there, though. User:Mariko It was a Russian word I think... made up to discribe some prince I believe... it was orginally spelt vampyr then vampyre and finally vampire... - V_Mace =="Missionaries== ''"It is also widely theorized that missionaries and other new elements of the population brought new strains of disease, resulting in a greatly increased number of "mysterious" deaths during the period."'' The passive voice of non-attribution again: the individual who made this up thought that Romania was an isolated outback. Romania has been the main passage between the steppes, Greece and the Balkans for 3 millennia. A main traffic artery for plague too. Can we remove this assertion? User:Wetman 07:15, 13 Jul 2004 (UTC) :How about adding the name of this individual? I don't think there's any reason to remove the assertion, but it ought to be attributed. User:Mariko ==Possible rewrite?== I'm thinking this article needs a major organizational rewrite, so we can specify which magical properties listd apply to vampires in each specific listed book or movie in which they apear. For example, vampires from Blade, vampires from books by Anne Rice, and vampires from White Wolf games differ greatly in thier attributes. I'm thinking we should perhaps create subheadings for each story/book/movie/gaming environment and explain the unique attributes of the vampires from those specific stories, as compared with the original or earliest recorded vampire story (whether it is the bit about Homer's Odyssey mentioned in the article, or stories based on Prince Vladimir, or whatever gets decided upon.) I think that specifying these things would make the article a lot better. For example, someone who playsWhite Wolf games would conjure up a completely different definition of the word "vampire" in thier head than, say, someone who had just read Salem's Lot. I don't know if I'm alonein this opinion or not, so I'm thinking that mabye wecan get a few votes on whether or not to do the rewrite? (I wanted to get an opinion before I went ahead and did such a major change myself.) User:DryGrain 09:23, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) I think I understand what you are suggesting, but I don't see why such a major change is needed; the article includes links to all the major authors, movies and TV series ... those who want such detail will follow the links. To duplicate such detail here would lead to a very, very long article, and one that might be confusing. The current format, which attempts to look at major interpretations of aspects of vampirism, with crosslinks - seems ok, but could perhaps be tidied up and further divided with clearer headings; Becoming a Vampire, Identifying Vampires, Destroying Vampires ... that kind of thing? User:Heenan73 09:53, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) I don't mean go into an in-depth summary of the plots and story details, but merely something ike this (just for example): *Blade (movie) :Vampires in the Blade story are susceptiple to the following: silver, ultraviolet light (including sunlight) etc. They have the power to retract thier fangs and they participate in mortal's affairs. Et cetera. *Anne Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' :Vampires in Anne Rice's novels are susceptiple to sunlight, fire, and also tend to be more philosophical than other vampires, sometimes causing thier own inner torture. They are immortal, become stronger with age and can go into hibernation. Most of them want nothing to do with the world of mortals, but there have been a sizable number of exceptions. According to Anne Rice, vampires were created by an ancient Egyptian king and queen, (forgot his name) and Akasha. Et cetera. As you can see, all I think we should do is merely define the unique traits of vampires in each particular story, so that the reader can compare them. I fully agree that the article would become long and messy if we included too much info about the individual stories; as you said, they are wikilinked. However, I've actually needed a reference like this at one point, and I'm sure I'm not alone. I had read a really good book having to do with vampires years back and wanted to recommend it to someone, but I had forgotten the title. Regardless of if anyone else were in this particular situation, I think it would be a major informational addition to the whole article if story-specific details were given, as they are all seperate definitions of the word vampire. User:DryGrain 10:48, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) I hear what you are saying, but it's 'media centered' not vampire focussed. I'd be sympathetic to (for example) ===Destroying vampires=== ====Sunlight==== Generally considered the one certain method of destruction, usually leading to spontaneous combustion, but vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer have escaped with mild smoking effects, and Warhol, inconsistent as ever, largely ignores the tradition. Certain movies have allowed a drop of blood on the ashes to be enough to restore the vampire, suggesting there is no final disposal.... So you'd be going with the consensus, and recording major dissenters. Again, wikilinks should avoid duplication. But enough from me, let's see what others think ... User:Heenan73 12:18, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) I agree with the "consensus and mention of dissenters" approach, perhaps with the consensus opinions prefaced by "In most folklore, vampires are represented as..." or "In many stories, vampires..." A separate section for each legend seems overkill; separation by aspects of vampires, however, makes sense to me. Any other opinions? User:Mariko Is moonlight known to have any effect? It is reflected sunlight after all... User:Auric The Rad 02:57, Jul 21, 2004 (UTC) :Not alot. Light covers a broad band, and only certain wavelengths have any effect. these are all found in Sunlight, but not (much if at all) in reflected light. That's why 'bright light' might well be a waste of time - but bright ''natural light - ie sunlight'' will be effective. I've been trying to reduce this stuff to actual wavelengths, but no success as yet! User:Heenan73 10:45, 21 Jul 2004 (UTC) === Mirrors === "It is believed that vampires have no reflection, as traditionally it was thought that mirrors reflected your soul and creatures of evil have no soul. Fiction has extended this belief to an actual aversion to mirrors, as depicted in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula when the vampire casts Harker's shaving mirror out of the window." This "aversion" doesn't seem like a distinct belief added to the folklore, but rather a natural consequence of three other beliefs: # Vampires have no reflection # Vampires are intelligent # Vampires do not want to be recognized as vampires User:130.94.161.238 18:27, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) :The listing of powers and origins for various fictional vampires belong in those fictions' specific articles rather than in the main vampire article. This article is already fairly lengthy, and already links to the various fictional vampires. -User:Gtrmp 21:47, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) === Garlic === I have read (many years ago) that vampiric aversion to garlic is related to old folklore concerning the origin of garlic. It was said that garlic plants sprung forth from the right footprints of the Devil, when he walked on earth. (Onions came from the left footprints.) Also, this "origin of garlic" was connected to a vampire's aversion to it. I thought it might be an interesting addition, if anyone can verify this (also note, I may have my lefts and rights confused...) User:Taiichi 12:32, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC) :If you can get actual (nonfiction) sources for this, sure, but it doesn't mesh with what I've read. User:DreamGuy 19:43, Apr 18, 2005 (UTC) ==Picture== The main picture is kind of relevant, but is more like political satire on landowners than vampires as they are thought of. Could we get a more representative picture up front? User:Mark Richards 22:00, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) Edit: I put one up of Count Orlock...can't get much more iconic than that...Hope this helps.User:Gnrlotto == Summers link == The link to Montague Summers's book is broken. User:PedanticallySpeaking 18:31, Aug 26, 2004 (UTC) == Request for references == Hi, I am working to encourage implementation of the goals of the Wikipedia:Verifiability policy. Part of that is to make sure articles Wikipedia:Cite sources. This is particularly important for featured articles, since they are a prominent part of Wikipedia. Further reading is not the same thing as proper references. Further reading could list works about the topic that were not ever consulted by the page authors. If some of the works listed in the further reading section were used to add or check material in the article, please list them in a references section instead. The Wikipedia:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check has more information. Thank you, and please [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=User_talk:Taxman&action=edit§ion=new leave me a message] when a few references have been added to the article. - User:Taxman 18:42, Apr 22, 2005 (UTC) == 4th century == The article said: :"''Some Slavic peoples believed in vampires as early as the 4th century''." ---Since the 4th century is 301AD--400AD, a time from which no Slavic writings exist, and a time from which, as far as I know, we have no Roman or Greek descriptions of Slavic customs, etc., that statement is not very verifiable. I'm erasing the statement. There may be some archaeological evidence of which I am unaware of, but I doubt it. Till someone surprises us with a solid reference, don't restore the deletion. Sure, I expect that Slavs in the 4th century AD most likely had a version of the vampire belief, but in Wikipedia we need to cite verifiable info. User:Decius 19:21, 31 May 2005 (UTC) == Featured article? == I'm not a big-fan of criticism nor am I a critic, but this article is close to awful and I honestly can't believe that it is a featured article. User:Decius 14:31, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC) == Separate articles == Not going to remove any huge chunks of the article without majority consent, but we should consider removing some of these aspects discussed into separate articles. For example, a new article Vampirism can be started which deals with mortal human beings who drink blood; which deals with blood-drinking in human cultures, etc. This article deals with a lot of stuff as it is right now. It should focus more exclusively on vampires in mythology/folkore on the one hand, and on vampires in fiction/art on the other. User:Decius 15:05, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC) I also think we should remove the long discussions of Chupacabra and Vampire watermelon. Those only need to be mentioned in passing, since those articles exist for further reading. User:Decius 15:40, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC) == Redundant sections == I see no sense behind these two sections, which deal with the same topic if you read them: "Vampires in history and culture" and "Vampire species". It will be better for it to be organized into one section. User:Decius 16:27, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC) == References for some of my recent edits == Reference for the recent edit I made to the "Vampire species" section, where I erased the prior statement and went into more details about who was believed likely to become a vampire, etc. It was based on general reading and personal knowledge, but the immediate source was ''World Mythology'', Roy Willis General Editor, Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, 1996, Henry Holt & Company Inc., ISBN 0-8050-4913-4. On page 213, you'll find the source, which I'll quote later, because I still have more to incorporate from this source. User:Decius 20:50, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC) == Where is the featured article discussion? == How come that the discussion leading to the featured article status of ''Vampire'' is not archived anywhere? It is nowhere to be found on the Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Archived nominations/Index or on the sub pages of the Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Featured log, and those go back as far as "October 2003 and before". User:Salleman 06:19, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC) :I also posted this question on Wikipedia_talk:Featured_articles#.22Vampire.22_discussion. User:Filiocht | User talk:Filiocht gave the following explanation: ::"This is something of a misrepresentation. In the very early days, there was no voting, but the candidacy procedure now known as WP:FAC did, in fact start during the Brilliant prose days. In late 2003, early 2004, User:Muriel Gottrop had the idea of running all the older BP articles through a voting process, the results of which can be seen at Wikipedia:Refreshing brilliant prose - History and religion, Wikipedia:Refreshing brilliant prose - Science, Wikipedia:Refreshing brilliant prose - People and culture and Wikipedia:Refreshing brilliant prose - Others. The BP candidate discussion of Vampire can be found [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Featured_article_candidates&oldid=1672388 here] and reflects the much smaller community that existed on wikipedia 19 months ago. ::While it has become increasingly the done thing to sneer at BP on these pages, it must be acknowledged that it was a genuine attempt to drive higher standards on Wikipedia and that it led directly to the creation of our much-beloved FA process." :--User:Salleman 15:39, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

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