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FAQs about Vampires
June 18, 2009 | 9 Comments
Can you tell me if I’m a vampire?
I have a craving for blood. Am I a vampire?
Are Vampires immortal?
Do vampires really drink blood?
Did vampires ever exist?
Can a crucifix kill a vampire?
Do vampires fear water?
Can a vampire fly?
Can you tell me if I’m a vampire?
Yes I can. If you are alive, you are not a vampire. Vampires are not real, they are factious. Vampire mythology tells us that vampires are an undead creature, meaning that they are an animated corpse. If you physically exist you are not a vampire. Some people claim that they are a vampire but that does not make them correct.
I have a craving to drink blood. Am I a vampire?
No. Having a craving for blood does not mean that you are a vampire, latent or otherwise. What it may mean is that you a disorder of some sort because a healthy human body should never crave for blood. I cannot tell you what sort of medical dilemma you have or how serious it may or may not be. If you truly have cravings to consume blood see a trained and licensed medical doctor right away.
Are Vampires immortal?
Historically and mythologically speaking, most species of vampire will remain in its state of undeath indefinitely. Unless methods are taken to destroy the vampire it is assumed that it existence is assured. There are however a few species of vampire that are said to be indestructible or that there is no known method to destroy them. In these cases, the vampire must be driven off or imprisoned.
Do vampires really drink blood?
Many species of vampires do live off of the life blood of humans, but few people know that there are vampires who specialize in the type of blood they drink. Some can only drink the blood of infants, or of virgins, or a woman who is with child. Other vampires who drink blood only prey on cattle, dogs or wild pigs. It is a popular misconception that all vampires drink blood. Some of the different food sources for the various species of vampires include: bones, corpses, boiled milk, eggs, crops, entrails, paper, rice, roasted chestnuts and samurai topknots just to name a few.
Did vampires ever exist?
No. The vampire has always been a creature of myth and legends. Not a single shred of evidence has ever been discovered to prove that vampires existed. That is not to be confused with the fact there has been evidence discovered that proves that mankind has believed in vampires. There has been ancient clay demon jars discovered that were made back in ancient Assyria that people thought would capture a vampire should one try to enter into their home. There has also been the recent discovery of a woman’s body that was buried as if she were a vampire, that is, with a brick in her mouth to keep her from chewing while in her grave and thereby draining the life-force of her surviving family.
Can a crucifix kill a vampire?
A crucifix is a Latinized cross with the body of Christ upon it, be it the Christos Mortious (the crucified Christ) or the Christos Triumphant (the Risen Christ). The idea that the Christian crucifix can harm a vampire is actually a relatively new concept, and although this idea is rather popular it is not part of traditional vampire lore. I like to think that it was Bram Stoker usage of this idea in his novel Dracula that caused it to catch on and start the ball rolling on how ultimately popular the idea became. The reason why a crucifix can harm a vampire is because of the image of the Christ. His very image as the light of the world is likened to the light that the sun gives off, the same sunlight that is very fatal to vampires. This idea is why other religious icons, such as the Star of David or the Latinized cross, will not affect the vampire.
Do vampires fear water?
Not that I am aware of. Although there are several methods of destroying a vampire that involve boiling wine or vinegar and a few where the vampires ashes are to be thrown into water, there is no myth that I can recall off the top of head where a vampire is afraid of water. In fact, there are several species of vampires that actually live near or in water. Lakes, forest ponds and wells are some of their favorite haunts.
Can a vampire fly?
There are numerous species of vampire that have the ability to take flight. Some need to change into the form of a bird or ball of glowing light to do so, but others simply have the ability to lift themselves off the ground and go where they please.
Have a question I haven’t addressed? Send it to me through my Contact page. If you want me to answer it confidentially, make sure you tell me otherwise I may add your question to my FAQ.
Comments
9 Comments so far
hi
im doing this school project thing and i was wondering if you could answer this qestion on dracula ‘why did people think he was a vampire?’
yeah bye
thanks
Cat, that is a very broad question, but I will try to answer it.
“Why did people think Dracula was a vampire?”
By “Dracula” do you mean Vlad Tespe III, Prince of Wallachia? If so, the answer is simple – bad press. In his day Vlad the third was much beloved by his people, a national hero, respected and honored. Did he nail a hat to a visiting dignitary’s head? Yes. Did he round up all the sick, diseased, homeless and elderly of his land and have them killed? Yes. Was adultery a capital offence? Yes. Did he really impale on wooden staked thousands of people and line the road into this lands with their screaming and dying bodies in an attempt to scare off an invading Muslim army? Yes, and it worked. Did he really sit at a table and eat dinner, watching those people die, dipping his bread in a chalice of blood? Maybe. There is a famous woodcut of that, and the Monk who produced it was not a supporter of the Prince, it was likely meant to undermine the Prince’s authority. There is no historical evidence beyond that one flyer to support that Vlad did this once, let alone often.
People may also believe that Vlad Tespe III, Prince of Wallachia was a vampire because of his titled name – Dracula. Vlad’s father, Vlad the Second was titled “the Dragon” by the Pope. “Dragon” translates to “Dracul.” Vlad the second had dragon depicted on the national currency. Vlad senior was a member of an organization called The Order of the Dragon and their job was to keep the Muslims from invading the area while maintain peace. When Vlad the third became Prince of Wallachia he assumed his father’s responsibility including the very careful job of maintain his country’s boarders and the peace with his war minded neighbors. Vlad junior was titled “Dracula.” The “a” at the end of the word “dracul” is the equivalent of the phrase “son of.” Ergo the word “Dracula” translates to mean “son of the Dragon.”
When Bram Stoker was writing his book, “The Dead Undead” his main character’s name was Lord Vampyer. However, Stoker’s note show that he heard of, read, or otherwise discovered the Vlad Tespe’s titled name days before his book went to press. Stoker so loved the word “Dracula” that he changed his main character’s name to Count Dracula and the title of his book to his fictional count’s last name.
I hope that helps answer your question Cat. If not, come on back and ask it again.
Are vamps allergic to sunlight? Do they burn or burst in flames or what ^_^
The water/vampire thing comes from a Celtic myth. Evil spirits cannot cross running water. A vampire is a corpse reanimated by an evil spirit; therefore, vampires are unable to cross running water.
Vampires are not allergic to sunlight. there are many species of vampires that are not only active 24/7 but their “powers” are at their height at noon. Many vampires who walk about in the day time are from the Greek islands.
Of the vampires who have a weakness or susceptibility to sunlight, there is not historical record of any of them “bursting into flames” as you put it. Exposure to sunlight will destroy some species of vampires, but without any historical data to describe the death I will have to err on the side of caution and say that the being ceases to operate and falls to the ground.
Its not dramatic or exciting, I know, but its accurate.
Actually, the “running water thing” is a Celtic mythos, but it does not apply to all of their vampires, as Celtic most Celtic vampires are not spirits but rather animated corpses.
Running water is a means by which the Slavs dispose of vampires, taking the body of a suspected vampire from the grave, and tossing it into the water. They do this not because the water has a mystical hold over the vampire but rather because they believed that was the fastest and most sanitary means to get a plague carrying body out of an area.
Why garlic? Garlic is good for many things, but never quite understood why it is bad for Vampires.
This is a very interesting page. Here is a question: What are the names of the different speceis of vampires?
I love Vampires their Awesome If i could meet one I would love to Vampires never dies or give up just like when kill one mosquitoe the rest still come back from more we all could be Vampires because darkness was first and darkness rule the universe we all came from blood and darkness