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Vampire legends date back to the earliest cultures. Even Jesus Christ rose from the dead, though his reincarnation was a sacred event which proved his righteousness, not an evil curse.

Murderer James Spalding was executed by hanging. He was buried alive and crawled from his grave. His reappearance frightened townspeople and they attributed it to supernatural forces. To prevent further uprisings, bodies would be staked to the ground so they couldn’t rise up. Decapitation was another preventative measure. Stories abounded regarding vampires, usually as a means of placing blame for unexplained events. Lacking scientific explanations for decomposition and decay, many occurrences where considered signs of vampirism; post mortem fluids escaping the body, mummification or hair growth.

Dracula was published in 1897, written by Bram Stoker. Stoker based his story on various vampire legends, culled from books and bits of history. The name Dracula was selected because of its foreign and evil sound, not the actual life of Vlad Dracula, a Romanian Prince. “Vlad became quite known for his brutal punishment techniques; he often ordered people to be skinned, boiled, decapitated, blinded, strangled, hanged, burned, roasted, hacked, nailed, buried alive, stabbed, etc. But his favorite method was impalement on stakes, hence the surname “Tepes” which means “The Impaler” in the Romanian language.”(1) Romanians view Vlad Dracula as a hero of history, despite his blood thirsty legacy.

Countess Elizabeth Bathory killed hundreds of virgins living in a region under her rule. She believed that bathing in and consuming their blood would revitalize her skin, keeping her youthful and beautiful. She lured chambermaids to her castle, offering tutelage in the ways of society and a means to rise from humble origins. Elizabeth Bathory enjoyed torturing her victims, biting them and keeping them in cages. Her subjects knew of her deeds, but her stature prohibited her being arrested or killed for her crimes. Instead she was placed in prison, in solitary confinement, for the remainder of her life.

Today, the lure of vampires is exploited to minimize their horror. The popular image of vampires is seductive rather than monstrous. The literary vampire, complete with cape, fangs and penetrating eyes, overshadow the legendary vampires. The tortured vampire, desperate for blood but morally abhorrent to the idea of killing, becomes a common theme. Vampires are now haunted and heroic.

Vampire Masquerade is a role playing game to meet people interested in vampire subculture. Rod Farrell played the game, but crossed the line of fantasy into reality. He killed his girlfriend’s family, and believing he was a vampire, consumed their blood. In 1996, Susan Walsh, an investigative reporter, tried to infiltrate the New York vampire scene. Susan entered the secret world and became a part of the story. Susan Walsh disappeared just days after submitting her story to Village Voice. Vampirism appeals to those who rejoice in the image of being society’s outcasts or those who yearn for eternal youth and beauty.

The Black Veil is a guidebook for vampires, including rules of civility and respect for elders; blood is never taken if it is not freely given; and forbidding children from partaking in rituals. Consuming blood is discouraged because of the obvious dangers, so modern day vampires are psychic vampires; taking human energy rather than blood.

1. Leblanc, Benjamin: Vlad Dracula: An intriguing figure in the fifteenth century, November 17, 2007