Would You Want to be a Vampire? Part One: The Traditional Vampire
With the popularity of vampires among society today, this actually becomes a question worth asking. Once upon a time, most people would have answered with a resounding “No!” Why, you might ask? Let’s discuss that. At that point in time, humanity’s definition of a vampire was very different than it is today. Once upon a time, vampires were creatures of the night; Dracula was their progenitor; and Satan their lord. Ahh, yes, the times of yesteryear. This old, traditional vampire was all but immortal; they could only be slain by a wooden stake through the heart, running water, or sometimes sunlight. They were incredibly strong and had a host of special powers like the ability to change into a bat, or mist, or a wolf. But to remain strong and immortal they had to feed on human blood. That is, of course, one point against them, as most people probably don’t want to make a diet of human blood. But that’s not the worst of it.
In the West where Christianity was once quite strong there has always been a strong connection between blood and religion. At the Last Supper, Jesus said to his apostles, “If you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall have Eternal Life,” and he promptly gave them bread and wine; the bread being his flesh, and the wine his blood (there is debate between Catholics and Protestants whether the bread/flesh and wine/blood connections are intended to be taken literally or symbolically, but that is straying off topic here). The important thing here is that Christ wanted you to consume his “blood” in order to be saved. I’m not an expert on theology or Judaic tradition so I may be getting in a little over my head here, but I seem to recall that blood was an important aspect in sin offerings. So, as far as Christianity is concerned, the blood of Christ served to “wash away” one’s sins; consuming Christ’s blood is a way to accept that and gain entrance to Heaven (like I said, I’m not an expert).
Vampires, on the other hand, are a complete perversion of this. They (in the West) were minions of Satan. They consumed blood and granted Eternal Life, as well, but the life they granted was an accursed abomination. It was an eternal, physical life in this “fallen” world filled with sin. Depending on the tradition, a human can become a vampire either by being bitten by a vampire, or by consuming a vampire’s blood. In the latter case, the perverted connection to Christianity is stronger. Here, the victim, instead of consuming Christ’s holy blood consumes the blood of the vampire, the unholy blood of Satan. Thus, it is a reversal of Christian Salvation. As a result, the victim is cursed to walk forever as an undead creature of the night to be forever repulsed by all things holy. Here, the price of becoming a vampire is your very soul.
I just made all of that up. How’d I do? J
Anyway, the obvious conclusion to the question: “Would you want to be a (traditional) vampire?” should be a resounding “No!” for all clear-thinking individuals.
16 Responses to “Would You Want to be a Vampire? Part One: The Traditional Vampire”
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Drasmyr
Goodreads
I don’t care that you “made it all up” I think it it a good point. On a side note, the oldest folklore I can find about something like a vampire, would be females that tempt men off the into the wood and later drink them dry.
Interesting. How old of a reference are you talking about?
I always wondered why vampires were considered so unholy if they are just creatures doing what they need to do to survive, but this makes sense. Couldn’t have made it up better myself!
Thanks. I noted in another comment, I was raised Catholic so I have some familiarity with Christianity, but I’m not a scholar on the subject. I wrote what made sense from what I know… like you said, it sounds good. So I’m keeping it.
Nice precis. The bit about sin offerings was particularly interesting for me, not something I’d ever heard of before. I’d always thought the whole bread and wine ritual seemed a little ‘vampiric’ for an organised religion, where as now it makes much more sense. I’d be interested to know the origins of the notion of a blood offering for sin repentance, whether its something the Jews borrowed from elsewhere? Like you (from the sounds of it), I’m not that familiar with Judaism, or its roots. Might have to do some reading…
Hope you’re intending to continue the above series? Interested to see where you take it.
Yeah, I got one more entry coming up. Just a quick look at the modern view of vampires. As for the religious info, I was raised Catholic, so a lot that info is buried in my brain somewhere (I’m not entirely spinning yarns). I have a vague feeling that what I said was accurate, but I just didn’t look it up… like I said, mostly off the top of my head.
Just a note: The first sin offering was by God Himself. Adam and Eve were not ashamed of their nakedness until after they sinned, therefore God clothed them in skins. After that a blood offering was required until the Messiah Y’shua (Jesus Christ) came and gave Himself as a sacrifice.
I’m not sure where God is making a sin offering with Adam and Eve. Clothing them in skins? I just don’t follow.
He had to kill it to get the skins off to make the clothes… Covering their nakedness with the skins of the first killing -> covering our sins with the blood of the Lamb of God (Jesus)
That was what my best guess was, but it seems unnecessary. Couldn’t God, being omnipotent, just conjure some skins out of nothing? I mean, He created the universe from nothing, didn’t he?
Yes, but there was a lesson in it. Adam had named this animal (or these animals) and nurtured them in the Garden. Having to see it sacrificed was an object lesson that probably made a major impact on his life and the decisions he would make later on. …therefore affecting us as well…
Interesting. Never made the connection with the lesson.
Very Nicely Done!!
I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you VERY MUCH for sharing it and for letting me find your Blog!!
I must admit, I love the perversion of Christianity…makes sense to me that Satan would do such a thing
Thanks!
Yeah, I’m still not quite sure how to square all that with the spread of the vampire myth to other parts of the world prior to Chrisitianity’s arrival, but oh well.
You’ve done great with what you’ve got
IMHO
Thanks.