15May/13Off
Your A to Z Guide on Anything and Everythin Vampires
Are you a fan of vampires and essentially anything that has to do with them? If so, then there is a good chance that you have at least somewhat been following the most recent trend of vampires emerging in popular culture. For example, we now see them all the time in fictional books and movies. It seems as though the image of vampires in general has been remade, especially if you consider the transformation that has taken place since the days of vampire books and films such as Dracula.These days, vampires are not so much seen as ugly, terrifying creatures but are actually portrayed more as brooding and angsty. This ca be seen in novels and movies such as those found in the Twilight series. It is thus interesting to wonder whether or not this is a trend that will continue to develop or if vampires will once again take on their initial portrayals. Perhaps they will even emerge to become portrayed differently.
Regardless, if you are a fan of vampires, then you will want to pick up some copies of the most recent and some classic vampire books and movies, as this can be a great way to learn more about them.
22Mar/13Off
Where Do Vampires Really Come From?
In 1897, Irish author Bram Stoker wrote his famous horror novel, Dracula. While commonly accepted as the definitive “vampire†story, Mr. Stoker did not invent the concept of the vampire.The suave, romantic, tragically cursed undead hero that usually comes to mind when people think about vampires today was actually based on a collection of horrific creatures from ancient European folklore, such as the bloodthirsty sidhe (commonly known as banshee), grave robbing ghouls, and other horrors from beyond the grave.
Count Dracula himself got his name and some of his backstory from the 15th century Hungarian prince Vlad II Dracul ("Vlad the Impaler"), infamous for his sadistic cruelty.
Mr. Stoker would probably be very surprised (and a little confused) if he could see how the vampire has evolved over the decades. Judging from modern culture, we’re in the middle of a full-scale vampire epidemic, but no one seems to mind! Vampires appear everywhere: best-selling books, blockbuster movies, “gothic†fashion boutiques, and even children’s stories and toys. From the first Vampire movie (Nosferatu, 1922) to today’s Twilight trilogy, the dashing undead Count and his minions have sunk their fangs firmly in our collective imagination.
20Mar/13Off
The Real Truth About Vampires and Where They Originated
Vampires have been talked about in folklore and mythologies for centuries, but it is hard to know exactly when and where they originated. Stories of vampires gained in popularity around the 18th century, however these stories were byproducts of the folklore that came from Romania and other Slavic countries.Vampires were known to be the corpses of dead humans who have come back from the dead to drink the blood of the living. The specific reasons of why these corpses come back from the dead vary as much as the stories themselves. Some folkloric tales suggest that vampires were people who rebelled against the Roman Catholic Church while other stories suggest that corpses turned into vampires if the person was bitten by a vampire before their death.
One of the most famous vampires of all time is Dracula, portrayed in Bram Stoker's famous novel. However many people don't know that Dracula was based on a real life Romania ruler named Vladimir Tepes, or as he is known to the locals, Vlad Dracula. Dracula translates to "son of dracul" or more accurately, "son of the dragon." He was called this because his father was famous for being a knight in the Order of the Dragon.
18Mar/13Off
All You Need To Know About Becoming a Vampire
Below lists essential pre-planning one must consider before taking the final step to join ranks with the glamorous undead.-Where to hide your coffin.
First off, where exactly is your new “bed†going to rest? Even the glittering sort of vampire can’t waltz around in the daylight. Picking a new residence is vital; as you may have caused some carnage upon turning that you’d rather separate yourself from.
-Which blood bank are you investing in?
Not all humans are willing to have the blood sucked from their veins, and, funnily enough, not all vampires are privy to sucking live human blood. Consider where your future next meals are going to come from, and how far you’d be willing to go in order to get it.
-Alliances.
Don’t mistake keeping certain company for pack mentality. Who you associate yourself with will determine the course of your long, unending existence, so choose your blood-buddies wisely. Then again, you could always turn on them in a few centuries if need be.
-Who Bites?
Decide yourself, if you’re lucky enough, who will turn you. This is another determining factor of your future. Who wants to be enslaved for eternity, or live forever with the stigma of being turned by “that guy� Take matters into your own hands. You’ll be better off for it.
15Mar/13Off
A Day In The Life of a Vampire
As the sun rises, there is a certain group of people who are going to sleep after a long night. The night includes a feast of the human kind, the blood anyway. This group of people is the inspiration for the recent Twilight craze. Who would drink the blood of people and sleep during the day? Vampires. The vampire does not like the sunlight, and will do anything possible to avoid it. While people who still have a pulse are waking up, going to school and work and getting their day started, the vampire retreats into the cover of darkness. This can be a dark room or a coffin in some cases.As the day turns to dusk, the vampire slowly begins to wake up, smelling the sweet scent of a meal. In the cloak of darkness, the vampire either walks the streets to find a victim, or the vampire has someone in mind to go visit. If the vampire is not eating, he is usually trying to find someone to turn into a vampire or with others of his kind. Before the sun rises, the vampire goes back to his resting place to wait for the next evening to do everything again.
11Mar/13Off
Vampires and Beyond: An In Depth Look At Vampires
Bram Stoker wrote the original Dracula novel in 1897. This novel, although it did not invent the vampire, was the first to romanticize vampires and add the modern conventions that we associate with them today. Stoker's novel introduced Count Dracula and the idea of vampires being sophisticated and well-spoken by day and bloodthirsty monsters by night. The idea of the power and control a vampire could exert over his subjects after feeding was explored at depth in this novel, and this theme has been prevalent in vampire lore since it was introduced.Since the novel was written, vampires have been an important part of the collective culture. People seem to like the idea of vampires because they seem to be the safest of all nightmares. Although they are sometimes portrayed as frightening, it is the dual nature of the vampire that keeps them popular in people's minds. It is almost impossible to root against the vampire because as evil as they seem when the moon is up, they seem equally vulnerable and lonely whenever the sun rises.
Since the original Dracula was written, the vampire has remained a popular figure in fiction and culture. The vampire has human aspects that are easily relatable.