So You Are Curious About Real Vampires?

What is this preoccupation we have with vampires? It seems as though one can no longer walk into a bookstore, or simply turn on the television for that matter, without being assailed by images of what looks to be leather clad models with a taste for blood. They"re everywhere. So called creatures of the night have always had a hallowed spot in our imaginations, but none so much so as vampires.

Perhaps the recent surge in popularity can be attributed to the ever-changing image of the vampire. Who wouldn"t want to bump into one of those present day vampires? After all, the men are shown as being edgy yet sensitive (apparently spending their nights hitting both the blood bank and the gym) while the women, whether ethereal or domineering, are downright gorgeous. Much is made of the sexual allure of the vampire and their bite (or vampire"s kiss) is seen as a painful yet erotic act. What a departure from the vampires of yore.

Early vampires, especially in Eastern Europe, were thought to be evil creatures that inhabited the bodies of the dead and looked"well"dead. They were most often described as being dark and bloated, with shroud covered heads. Not a very appealing image. By the 19th century vampires had slimmed down into the pale, gaunt figure popularised in the classic film Nosferatu, but had still not achieved present day appeal. Perhaps the turning point came with the advent of the Bela Lugosi films in which the infamous Count Dracula was portrayed as a debonair fiend able to charm helpless victims into submission.

Of course there are those who are more concerned with whether or not vampires actually exist than what they may look like. Those who believe in the existence of real vampires cite the fact that practically every culture has some history of a vampiric entity that drinks blood. Look into it if you doubt that it"s true and you"ll find references to the Greek "vrykolakas", the Babylonian "Lilitu" and the Hindu goddess "Kali" to name just a few. Others argue that if vampires really existed then surely one would have been found by now. Well, that may depend on what you classify as a vampire.

Vampires are thought to be creatures which survive by extracting something from the living. This is most often blood but it can take the form of energy as well. There is a need for this substance, more of a craving really, and various symptoms of ill-health ensue if this need is not met. Sounds like a drug addict, doesn"t it? But then there"s that pesky "undead" part. Well I don"t know about the walking dead part, but there"ve certainly been people throughout history who have had a taste for blood.

Vlad Tepes: Made popular by Bram Stoker"s iconic Dracula tale, Vlad Tepes is thought by many to be the first example of the present day vampire. And yet, to date, there is very little evidence that he actually consumed blood. That being said, he certainly seemed to revel in the sight of it and his methods of torture are still known today for their cruelty.

Countess Elizabeth Bathory: Ah yes"the Blood Countess. She was made famous for her supposed habit of bathing in the blood of young beauties in order to retain her youth. This would appear to be untrue, but she did apparently have a pesky habit of biting her charges. It is estimated that she was responsible for the deaths of anywhere from 20 to 650 individuals through various means of torture.

Arnold Paole & Peter Plogojowitz: These two gentlemen were inhabitants of small villages in Eastern Europe at roughly the same time and their cases show remarkable similarities. Both died in 1725, both were supposedly seen haunting the village after their deaths (not to mention killing a few villagers) and both were eventually exhumed so their bodies could be staked.

Fritz Haarman: Known as the Hanover Vampire, Fritz Haarman was responsible for the deaths of as many as 27 young men. A petty criminal from a young age, he eventually graduated to murder. His method of bringing about death was a bite to the throat. He later claimed to have a sexual attraction to the taste of blood.

Peter Krten: This particular gentleman may be best known for his habit of biting the heads off of swans so he could drink their blood. He later graduated to human prey and killed whoever happened to be closest when the need struck him. Like Haarman before him, Krten claimed that the sight of blood drove him into a state of sexual frenzy.

Diana Semenuha: This is one of the more recent cases, having occurred only a few years ago. Ms. Semenuha did not kill her victims, who were mostly street children. Supposedly they were drugged and then blood was extracted. The reason for this was a belief that human blood, especially that of children, was a cure for a muscle-wasting disease.

Were any of the persons mentioned above actually real vampires? If you accept the theory that a vampire is essentially dead then most were not (although some were very sick puppies). If you accept the theory that a vampire is someone with a physical need to feed on blood then most were. It all depends on what you"re willing to accept. And therein lays the problem for modern day proponents of a vampiric lifestyle. An individual is usually only popularised if they exhibit criminal behaviour.

Certainly there are quite a few people who engage in consensual blood play. Many will tell you that they need to regularly feed on small quantities of blood or they will become very ill, and some do. Whether it is a truly physical dependence or merely psychological is up for debate. The point is that it is consensual and these "living vampires" are definitely real. As for the dead ones, perhaps they do exist"or perhaps not.