vampires | Kit Perriman

The vampire is one of the archetypal embodiments of evil. These cursed, damned creatures are claimed by Satan, and act as his followers to lure human souls away from God. For this reason, they cannot tolerate any reminders of what they have lost – crucifixes, holy water, rosaries, consecrated ground – and are forced to wander in the dark realm of night alongside the dead and undead. Traditionally thought to be the reanimated evil souls of witches, suicides, and malevolent spirits, these corpses prey on the living in search of gratification and blood. So how did this weird form of demonic possession becomes so sexy in the popular imagination?

Our literary fascination goes back the nineteenth century when Gothic horror writers began exploring the vampire myth. Perhaps the most influential book was Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), which has since defined the legend for many generations. Having spent seven years exploring Transylvanian folklore, Stoker based his demonic character on Vlad the Impaler (Vlad II, Dracula of Wallachia) who killed 40,000 – 100,000 enemies by impaling them on wooden poles – providing us with the method of ending a vampire’s reign by driving a wooden stake through the heart. Vlad’s other atrocities included roasting children and serving them to their mothers, burning entire villages to the ground, and making men eat the severed breasts of their women. Interestingly, the name Dracul can mean both dragon and devil. But Stoker’s villain is much more attractive and sophisticated. His Dracula is a worldly aristocratic count who skillfully stalks and seduces his prey.

During the twentieth century, the TV show Dark Shadows featured a sympathetic monster called Barnabas (1967). In Interview With A Vampire Anne Rice introduced the sensual character, Lestat (1976). And before long the disgusting blood-sucking creature of nightmares turned into a metaphor for redemption. If the sad, lost vampire can be saved – by love or compassion – surely there is hope for everyone! This also seems to be the hook in books like the Twilight series.

Today, the vampire has become a sex symbol, the hero of YA fiction and cable TV. But this is not a modern phenomenon. Ever since Eve was tricked in the Garden of Eden, the devil has been portrayed as being both attractive and seductive. He does not lure Eve into temptation in human form – he chooses to appear as the phallic snake, a reminder that woman is lustful and open to the sins of the flesh.

When Eve eats from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil she dooms the human race to mortality, and in aligning herself with Satan she becomes the prototype witch. But when European mythology made evil the polar opposite to good, it seems the devil came up with an intriguing alternative. Instead of God’s promise of eternal life, Satan offers immortality on earth through becoming one of his minions. Vampirism is an attractive solution to the Christian rigors of heaven or the painful tortures of hell. And so, I would argue, the Dracula myth was born.

Who does not want to overcome death and live forever? Most of us have a secret craving for love, immortality, power, and freedom. The vampire realm requires an initial sacrifice of blood to the master, but thereafter there are no punishments or rules, no aging and pain, no guilt or taboos. Surrendering to the darkness is erotic, exciting, mysterious, and adventurous. The vampire remains suspended in time and the lustful soul is free to roam at will.

As modern day religion and morality changes with the times, so does our perception of good and evil. It is only natural that our mythology alters too. Few people would have found Bela Lugosi’s demonic Dracula very attractive:

But True Blood’s Eric Northman is a whole different beast!

Sources:

Wikipedia: “Dracula” – “Vampire” – “Vlad the Impaler”

Dawidziak, David. “When Did Vampires Turn From Monsters To Sex Symbols?”

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Penguin, 1990.

(Pictures: Public Domain)

I read recently that leeches are still being used in plastic and micro surgery. Their first reported use appears in Sanskrit writings that date back 2,500 years. Here are 25 facts that you probably didn’t (ever want to) know:

1. The Ancient Greeks adopted the practice of leeching to balance the four humors in Galen’s theory of the human body.

2. The majority of leeches live in fresh water, although there are a few marine varieties too.

3. They have suckers on each end of their bodies.

4. Leeches are hermaphrodites.

5. Most species have a 3-bladed jaw that slices through the skin of the host.

6. Hirudo Medicinalis – medical leeches – have three jaws with approximately 100 sharp teeth at the rim.

7. They store blood up to 5 times their body mass.

8. Medical leeches only need to feed twice a year because they have a super-slow digestive system.

9. The European variety were so popular in the 19th Century that they actually became endangered.

10. Leeches attach themselves to feed, but fall off naturally to digest the host’s blood once they are bloated.

11.They feed between 20 minutes – 2 hours.

12. The safest way to remove these parasites is by using a blunt object to break the seal of their suckers.

13. If they are shocked from the host they regurgitate their stomach contents, which often causes infection in the bite.

14. Leech saliva makes wounds bleed more readily.

15. The anticoagulant in their spit is called hirudin.

16. Leech bites generally don’t hurt because they also release an anesthetic when they penetrate the skin.

17. Wounds itch as they heal.

18. Leeches come in brown, black, and dark green colors.

19. They vary from 1″ (2.5 cm) – 12″ (30cm) in length.

20. Leeches lay eggs in cocoons.

21. In cold or dry spells they hibernate by burying themselves in the mud until conditions improve.

22. They have poor vision, but a highly-developed response to touch and vibration.

23 Many species are nocturnal.

24. Rainforest leeches are not aquatic. They thrive in vegetation and feed of warm-bodied hosts.

25. The use of leeches in US medical procedures was FDA approved in 2004.

In leech-rich areas these tiny vampires will drop from their hiding places and inch towards you like something from a horror movie . . .

and the thought of plastic surgery drops even further down my to-do list!

(Photo: Public Domain)

Kit Perriman

The Hill – A Historical Novel About Witches

Tag Archives: vampires

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