Vampirism
Stories of vampires have been around for centuries.
With stories dating as far back as 600 BC in Ancient Greece, there have been
many types and vast opinions concerning the vampire, and many myths and legends
surrounding it. The vampire has been around for many years and is probably one
of the oldest creatures in the world. It is the fact that the myth has survived
for so long that led doctors and scientists to discuss actual medical conditions
that may have led to the belief in vampires.
The word vampire originated from the word “upir” which first appeared in
1047, in a document referring to a Russian prince as a wicked vampire. By 1190,
Walter Map’s “De Nagis Curialium“ included accounts of vampire like beings
in England, and William of Newburgh’s “Chronicles” (1196) records several
stories of vampire like revenants in England.
However, it was the birth of Vlad Dracul’s son Vlad Tepes around 1428 that saw
the vampire firmly rooted in legend. Count
Dracula (Dracula meaning son of Dracul) was
the real-life dictator of Transylvania and possible inspiration for Bram
Stoker’s classic novel. With many films and books taking the name of this
historical figure, Dracula is easily considered the father of all vampires
Another historical figure that fuelled the vampire myth was Elizabeth Bathory,
who was arrested for killing several hundred people and bathing in their blood.
Tried and convicted, she was imprisoned for life, being bricked into a room in
her castle until her death in 1614. This, coupled with the first modern
treatment of vampires being completed by Leo Allatius, and the publication of
Fr. Francoise Richard’s “Relation de ce qui s’est passé a Saint-Erini
Isle de l’Archipel” which linked vampirism to witchcraft, led to a wave of
vampire hysteria sweeping across the globe.
Starting in 1672, the hysteria began in Istra, and quickly swept through East
Prussia and Hungary as more texts were published. In 1725, as the wave of
hysteria hits Austrian Serbia, famous cases of vampirism are brought to light,
pushing the hysteria on further until the word “vampyre” entered the English
language in translations of German accounts of European vampirism in 1734.
Following the publication of more texts and poems, vampire hysteria rises once
again in East Prussia, reaching its peak in Wallachia in 1756, and continuing
through to Russia. By the bginning of the 19th century, poems and works by
Southey, Stagg and Byron fuel the hysteria in England as reports of sheep being
killed by having their jugular veins cut and the blood drained circulated in
northern England. The remainder of the 19th century is littered with appearances
of the vampire in literature, culminating in the publication of Bram Stoker’s
“Dracula” and “The Vampire” by Rudyard Kipling, which became the
inspiration for the creation of the vamp as a stereotypical character on stage
and screen.
The 20th Century saw a multitude of literature and screen adaptations sweeping
across the globe including the release of “Nosferatu” produced by Prana
Films, the Hammer Horror films and a string of martial arts vampire films in the
early 1970’s. This media frenzy has culminated in recent films such as “Bram
Stoker’s Dracula” and “Interview with the Vampire”, which has helped
retain the vampire myth in everyday life. In the last 50 years, reports of a
creature known as the Chupacabra (translates into ‘goat sucker’) have been
circulating, with its origins in Puerto Rico. This Chupacabra has allegedly been
rampaging the land sucking the blood of (principally) farm animals, leaving two
puncture marks on the neck of the victim. There have been reports that
particular organs have been missing from some of the carcasses without any
visible way of those organs having been removed. Since its first appearance,
sightings have spread through Spain and other parts of the world to spark off a
new wave of vampire hysteria.
The Chupacabra
Count Dracula
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