1. Folklore, history, myth and mystery
Real Vampires
Folklore, history, myth and mystery

2. Earliest times People believed soul lives after death
Retain enough power to rejuvenate the body
Ancient cultures used elaborate burials to make it difficult for a corpse to escape
Gifts and offerings of food left at site
Fear that only blood would appease them

3. Ancient Vampire like Creatures
Babylonians- edimmu, a troubled soul that wandered and fed on veins
Hebrews- Lilith, first wife of Adam banished from the garden of Eden, fed on infants and children
Chinese- qiang shi,a demon that prevented a body from decaying and fed on living blood
Greeks- empusa, a demonic spirit that entered the body or lamia, a young woman who fed on the blood of young men
Arabs- ghoul, a spirit that wandered cemeteries feasting on blood of the dead

4. Folktales
Vampire myths we think of came from Slavic regions of Europe in the 16th century
Myth strengthened in light of plague, famine, and epidemic
People believed that relatives, friends, and villagers were subject to becoming vampires
Birthday, infection, affliction, irregular death, excommunication, improper burial rituals, and exposure were all common beliefs for conversion

5. Traits of a Vampire Fangs, elongated canines
Blood trickling from corner of mouth
Slow decomposition
Reports of dead walking
Nightmares in surrounding areas
Bloodlust
Need to feed on living
Living Dead
Nocturnal, avoidance of light
Eternal youth

6. Folklore Vampires
Simpler, more crude and less physically appealing, could feed on anything
Foul Smelling, partially decomposed, a lot of time spent in the grave
Not very cunning
Evidence for vampires in neighborhood- death of cattle, sheep, relatives, neighbors, exhumed life like, swelled bodies, ruddy corpse complexion

7. Holes in ground
Red faced corpse
Opening coffins 3 years after death of child, 5 after young person, and 7 after the death of an adult

8. Hollywood vampire Well dressed, attractive looking
Well spoken and cunning
Feasting only on human blood
Lives in society
Not always evil
Eternal life
Dracula

9. Bram Stoker November 8, 1847-April 20, 1912 Irish writer
Third of seven children
Catholic
Jesuit- interested in science
Got the idea from a conversation about eastern European folklore

10. Richard Matheson February 20, 1926 Allendale N.J.
Author, screen writer
Writes horror, fantasy, science fiction
WWII veteran
Got Degree in journalism from Missouri and moved to California in 1951
Has four children (three are writers)
Credited with influencing contemporary horror genre

11. I am Legend Written 1954 Marketed as a science fiction novel
Appeared as several movies, Omega Man, I am Legend, and Last Man on Earth
Main character Robert Neville
Takes place in southern California in late 1970’s
Uses science to explain condition

12. History of Vampires in Literature
1047 AD
First mention
1819
The Vampyre John Polidori
Sophisticated and Charismatic vampire
1897
Dracula Bram Stoker
First widely read and accepted vampire novel

13. History (continued)
1908/1909
Le Prisonierre de la Plante Mars – Gustave le Rouge
La Guerre des Vampires
Native race of bat-winged humanoids
Resided on Mars
First to focus solely on the race of vampires
1954
I Am Legend – Richard Matheson
Vampirism caused by pandemic
Character’s search for cause and cure

14. History (continued)
Barnabas Collins Series – Marilyn Ross
Gothic fashion
Vampires as poetic tragic heroes
1976
The Vampire Chronicles Anne Rice
Tried to understand needs, wants, love

15. History (continued) 1981 Present Day The Hunger Twilight Series
Biology to explain vampire behavior
Blood as a power source
Evolved alongside humans
Present Day
Twilight Series
Human qualities, tormented, not evil

16. The Future of Vampires
What we will crave (pun intended) in the future?
Vampire shift
Other shifts in literature