The Healer's Guardian

Vampire Myths

A lot has always been said about vampires and their existence. While there are some people who believe in them, there are others that consider them to be imaginary. This article will tell you all about the facts and the myths.

As most of us already know, vampires have been these malevolent, cold blooded, and folkloric creatures who survive on the blood of living beings. Though they are believed to be evil and harmful, they are also portrayed equally attractive and hypnotic. Everything about them invites you towards them and that is how they manage to get their preys so easily, as depicted in the vampire legends. But, are Vampires real? The answer to this question depends on the beliefs that one has. Many cultures in ancient history have recorded the existence of vampire like entities. The famous historian Brian Frost says, "belief in vampires and bloodsucking demons is as old as man himself." A lot has been spoken of vampires since ancient history right until today. But not all that is spoken is a fact.

Myths and Facts about Vampires

The human mind is always wanting to know more about things that are unknown to us, including the existence of vampires. There are many myths and legends that exist. Vampires have also been mentioned in many literature works and of course, the present online games on vampire wars is one of the most famous! Even television and movies have not been able to escape from the curiosity to know more about vampires. Watching Buffy the vampire slayer and the famous vampire 'Edward Cullen' in the Twilight series, we tend to believe what we see, be it on television! Below are some interesting myths and facts that will help you understand about vampires in a more 'logical' way.

Myth#1: Vampires sleep in coffins only! 

Well, this is just a myth which is originated from the ancient folklore! It was believed in many cultures that if an animal (cats, dogs, bats, etc.) jumped over or crossed over the death body of a person, then that tend body would transform into the 'undead', a vampire. Many gravediggers claimed to see these dead bodies rise from the grave and the myth formed that vampires sleep only in graves. As a matter of fact, they can sleep anywhere they feel safe and unseen.

Myth#2: Vampires can fly! 

Vampires have been associated with bats because both are bloodsucking creatures. However, the belief that vampires have huge wings and can fly is completely a myth! Vampires are known to have exceptionally developed leaping skills which makes them look as if they are flying, but as a matter of fact, these are just unbelievably huge leaps!

Myth#3: Vampires melt/burst with sunlight! 

Undoubtedly, sunlight does affect the vampires, but the idea of melting and bursting is exaggerated way out of proportion! Vampires are highly sensitive towards sunlight and their body tends to burn like a sunburn, not like huge flames! Apart from the reaction that they suffer from sunlight, their eyes too are extremely sensitive towards it. Therefore, saying that sunlight will make a vampire burst into flames, is like saying that a slap will twist the head!

Myth#4: Vampires do not age! 

Another popular vampire myth is that they do not age. The fact is that they do age, but their aging process is a lot slower than humans, due to which we tend to think that vampires don't age!

Myth#5: Vampire bodies remain fresh! 

As mentioned above, in ancient times, when the bodies which were jumped over by animals would turn to be vampires, the relatives buried the bodies and later on checked the graves to have some vampire traces. They found that the bodies were bloated with almost no signs of decomposition. They were known to have red lips and rosy cheeks. If you apply the basic logic of decomposition, the low levels of temperature under the ground can refrigerate and bloat the body which results in slower decomposition. Also it is the lower temper that enables the blood to push on the skin's surface and the lips for them to appear as red as if they have drank blood.

Myth#6: Vampires are immortal 

Well, if they are immortal, why do different ways of killing vampires exist? Vampires can be killed by some ways. The wooden stake right through the heart is one of the most popular ways for the same. However, there are beliefs that holy cross and holy water can kill vampires. Or even the smell of garlic can shoo it away. All these are nothing but myths! Trust me, if vampires don't age soon, that means they live more and are more experienced in dealing with things that repel them. All these things won't work on an experienced vampire. It's the same like drowning can kill a human, but they have learned to swim!

Myth#7: Vampires don't have reflection! 

This myth is again a result of the superstition that existed in the early ages. It was believed that vampires are the undead with no soul at all. Therefore, they didn't have a reflection! Although, vampires do have reflection. Your table and chair too, don't have a soul, but you do see their reflection, right!

So these were some of the most common myths that exist resulting from the vampire legends from around the world. If you happen to know some more interesting facts and myths about vampires, do include your comments here. I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Well, I did writing it, as it gave me a chance to explore the vampire myth and reality for sometime. Enjoy!

Do Vampires Really Exist?

The legend of vampires is probably as old as human imagination itself. Although there is no historical record that ascertains the correct era of emergence of these deadly creatures, they have always been very much a part of folklore. Just when mankind is about to reach newer intellectual levels and rubbish the existence of vampires, they keep on making a grand comeback and creating a lasting impression on the minds of people. Starting with Varney the vampire to Dracula to the more recent Edward Cullen, vampires have always fascinated fickle minded human beings. These characters from popular novels and Hollywood movies ensured that vampire myths were here to stay. What more, they have also led to an emergence of a new cult, vampirism! As a result, today, the belief in vampires is stronger than ever.

Do Vampires Really Exist

Vampires are portrayed as pale skinned blood drinkers with long fangs and fingernails. They are believed to sleep in coffins and hide from sunlight. Some legends also go further and declare them immortal. Interestingly, a bite from a vampire causes a person to become a vampire. Needless to say, these fascinating creatures have enthralled mankind for centuries. Every year, scores of people come forward to claim an encounter with a so-called vampire. There are groups of self-proclaimed vampires who practice blood drinking either secretly or in public. Vampires have also been associated with killings, which can be linked to 'blood hunger'. Authentic pictures of people (including children) with pale skin, long fingernails and pointed fangs have been published from time to time. All these facts may force you into believing that vampires indeed exist. However, these vampires are different from the mythical creatures that we are familiar with.

Real Life Vampires

The sightings of vampires in some way or the other have reinforced the common belief in vampires. Although there is no point in denying that vampire like creatures do exist, you can be assured that they are hardly any different from you and I. Firstly, they do not bite anyone and everyone they come across to suck their blood. Secondly, they do not sleep in coffins or shy away from sunlight. And lastly, they are not immortal or undead, as you might like them to be. Real life vampires can be classified into three types, depending upon their representation of vampire-like characteristics.

People Suffering from Porphyria 

Porphyria is a genetic condition which gives a person a vampire like appearance. People born with this genetic disorder are pale skinned, have extreme aversion to sunlight (in fact sunlight supposedly burns their skin), suffer from dementia and madness. The skin near their gums and nail bed retracts, creating an illusion of longer fingernails and fangs. These people are also in constant need for blood transfusions. This genetic abnormality has been discovered only recently. Until then, such people were either feared or ridiculed for being vampires.

In fact, this condition might have been responsible for the origin of the vampire myths and legends. Centuries ago, people were oblivious about genetic disorders. Naturally, people with such unnatural physical appearance were perceived as monsters or more precisely vampires. Besides, the only way to suffice the need for blood transfusion for such people was to drink it from other humans or animals. This further cemented the belief in vampires and made them feared amongst people.

Lifestylers 

These people are often responsible for publicizing vampirism on such a large scale. They are fanatics who create a fantasy world around themselves and refuse to come out of it. Often, they are hard core fans of imaginary vampires like Dracula or Edward Cullen, who wish to reincarnate themselves as new age vampires. In their attempt to become vampires, they alter their physical appearance through surgeries. They also adopt a vampirish lifestyle which includes drinking blood, shutting themselves during daytime and venturing out at night. Although, this group is harmless in general, some of them may contribute to murders in their frenzy.

Psychic 

This is a more serious group of self-proclaimed vampires who have certain beliefs about vampirism. These people lack the life essence or 'chi', a form of energy. The only way to derive life essence for them is to draw it from others. Since, blood is the greatest form of life energy, they resort to drinking blood from others. However, they only drink a few ounces of blood everyday and more often than not, they have their own donors who volunteer to give their blood.

Why Vampires Cannot Exist

Finally, we are coming to an end of our discussion 'do vampires exist'. Now that you know that there are no real vampires, you might also want to know why they can never exist. Costas Efthimiou, a professor of physics at the University of Central Florida proposed a mathematical hypothesis which dismissed any possibility of existence of vampires, at least in a way perceived by common people. Efthimiou's theory is based on the proposition that if a vampire bites a human, s/he also turns into a vampire. Efthimiou proposed that if a first vampire came into existence on 1st January 1600, there will be two vampires by February, four by March and so on. If all of these vampires go on a biting spree, then the whole of earth's population would be vampires in two and a half years. Since, the population was about 537 million at that time, by July 1602, earth would have been a planet of vampires, with no more humans to feed upon! This obviously does not leave any scope for existence of vampires in reality.

Another theory against the possible existence of vampires is based on medical science. Since, vampires are essentially human beings with 'special powers', their internal structure is similar to humans. This means, their nutritional requirements will also be similar to humans. If they only feed on blood, this requirement cannot be met. Besides, human digestive system is not designed to synthesize such large volumes of blood only. Thus, blood can never pass through the body without inducing any serious medical problem. The result would often be severe blood vomiting or diarrhea. Interestingly, none of us have heard of a sickly vampire, who throws up his last meal every now and then!

Thus, vampires are a myth through and through. However, vampire supporters can continue to fulfill their fantasies through reel life vampires!

Author's Note

ignore grammar problems, what do you think of the dialogue