Dracula's Vicious Past

Orgins of Dracula

Myths

The indigenous people of Australia had vampire-like creatures - the yara-ma-yha-who.

In China there exists a creature in folklore known as the Chiang-shih

In Hindu their are the rakshasas, who were nocturnal demons bent on disrupting human affairs.

Azeman

Origin:

South America

Description:

During the day she has the form of a human female, but at night she is transformed into a bat or other animal.

Weaknesses:

If seeds are scattered on the floor, she will stop to count them. Also, if a broom is placed across the door, she will not enter the room, as she will count the bristles of the broom.

Strigoi (Strigoiaca)

Origin:

Romania, including Transylvania

Description:

They were frequently blamed as the cause of death in cases of epidemics. he can leave his body at night in the form of an animal or a small spark of light that can be seen flying through the air. Sometimes it was said that a Strigoi Viu took animal form by stealing the form from the animal. They can be destroyed by means as impaling

Civateteo

Origin:

Mexico. They are believed to be linked to Tezcatlipoca, an Aztec god.

Description:

These vampire-witches held Sabbaths at crossroads and were believed to attack young children and to mate with human men, producing children who were also vampires.

Various Vampires

The ancient Mayans and Aztecs had their own myths relating to vampires, which is not surprising because they shared their land with vampire bats.

That's when Dracula's bloody riegn began in the kingdom. For

the next 6 years the towns people were first hurt for punishment

and than for Dracula's amusement.

Dracula was the first known "vampire" bacause rumors stated that

he killed humans to drink thier blood and it explained why he was so

pale and cold hearted.

Dracula soon discovered that the

murderers were the Boyars and set out to

get his revenge. Each member of the family

was sought out, those that were healthy

became slaves for Dracula and were given a life

sentence to be slaborers and were to build his castle.

Those that were weak were impaled for all to see.

Vlad the Impaler

Dracula was informed that his father was murdered

and his brother was buried alive. AFter hearing from this tragedy

Dracula wanted revenge from the sinners

When Vlad was young his

father gave him away to Turks as

an insurance for the alliance between

thier kingdom and the Turks.

The people of the kingdom were

against the alliance with the Turks.

soon Vlad III was assassinated and

Dracula was released from the bond

and sent home.

Due to lack of medical education, doctors would pronounce people dead before they actually died and buried alive. Later when people would open the casket there would be nail marks on the top and they thought that was how they got out to go kill people.

Bodies swell as they decompose to let gas out so it looks as if the body is “well-fed” which led people to believe the body left and fed on other humans.

People with Prophyria craved the haem in human blood and they would try to get human blood because they thought it would alleviate their symptoms which is where the myth that vampires drink blood came from.

People thought if the body did not decompose it was a vampire, but bodies decompose at different rates according to the temperature and type of soil.

After you die, skin loses fluid and contracts, making it appear as if your finger nails and hair have grown making people believe they were not all the way dead.

Vampires-people who survive by feeding on the life of other living things usually by drinking blood.

Tuberculosis and the pneumonic form of the Bubonic plaque were associated with vampirism.

The first recorded instance of something like a vampire was the Old Russian УПИрь (Upir) from a document dated 6555 (1047 AD)

The Vampyre – John Polidori: Influenced Bram Stoker's _/Dracula./_ When first released in a magazine, was accidentally published under Stoker's name. Stoker denied the story as his and things were soon set right. (1819)

Carmilla – J. Sheridan LeFanu: (1872)

Dracula – Bram Stoker: (1897)

Older Stories

Varney the Vampire or The Feast of Blood – James Malcom Rymer: (1872)

There are many different vampire myths, because each culture has its own perspective of vampires. The myths vary from vampires being magical, rising from the dead, preying on live bodies, living in graveyards, terrorizing children and destroying animals and bursting in sunlight. Each myth has specific details depending on the culture the myth came from. The Irish myth consists of a female fairy that behaves in a vampire fashion and lures men off to their doom. A vampire in the Ukraine feeds upon large quantities of fish.

Many of the myths were created to explain birth defects, forms of insanity, many diseases, and reasons for death, famine and other tragedies. Many people also use to be buried alive. People set up a “alert System” so that if the person was still alive, they would be able to let the one watching over them know and be exhumed from their grave. This gives reference to vampires rising from the grave.

Many of the myths where from the chrisitain religion:

3. Crosses repel vampires

4. vampires are killed by drivig a stake through their heart

5. Holy water burns the skin and flesh of vampires

6. Vampires can fly: association of vampires being compared with bats

7. Vampires turn into bats

8. Vampires prey on virginal women: reflection of Victorian-era fears over the sexual awakening of young women

Common Vampire Myths

1. Sleeping in coffins: probably arose from things in the cemetary gravediggers feared.

2. Garlic repels vampires:

*Works Cited:*

http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/louxsie/polidori.html

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415XMSX4GJL.jpg

http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/v/va/varney_the_vampire.gif

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KJHZP7ZNL.jpg

http://mhpbooks.com/mobylives/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/dracula_book_cover_1902_doubleday_89.jpg

Vampires Around the World http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/mythology/118872/2#ixzz0jWoHJo0U