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Mystic Creatures: Vampire Bat, Movies, Costumes And Books
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Published: May 23, 2007
Ever been bitten by a vampire, staked one through the heart, or seen anyone transform into a vampire bat? Whether or not a person believes in the existence of mystical creatures, many cannot deny or avoid their presence in popular culture. Out of all mystical creatures found throughout history, it is the vampire that has emerged as the most pervasive with its countless representations in vampire movies, books, comics, collectibles, and even in cults and secret societies.
While nearly all cultures have some myth involving bloodsucking mystical creatures of some kind, the notion of the vampire first emerged in Eastern Europe in the early 1700s. The word vampire stems from the German and Serbian “vampir” which defines a being who returns from the grave to suck the blood of the living, or one that is sustained by the life force of another. While the surrounding mythology has come to involve mystical creatures with fangs that are repelled by garlic, ignited by sunlight, and only killed by stakes through the heart or through burning, this was not always the case.
Early cases surrounding these mystical creatures simply involved people who were rumored to appear after death to suck the blood of the living. With the arrival of the printing press, rumors about vampires spread widely throughout Europe and eventually around the world, where they survived in the public consciousness long after their actual occurrence. From that time on, these mystical creatures became the prime culprits for disappearances and mysterious deaths, which in turn sparked scares, exhumations, and even hunts. The vampire quickly became something people believed in and feared, cementing its position among the most widely known mystical creatures.
While belief in the true existence of these mystical creatures has faded since medieval times, the vampire still has an unrivaled prevalence in popular media. Aside from bloodsucking mythologies and legends, wildly popular vampire books such as Bram Stoker's “Dracula,” published in 1897, took Europe and the world by storm and solidified the standard characteristics of the modern myth. Writers adapted the book into stage plays and eventually into a motion picture with the seminal 1927 horror film “Dracula” starring Bela Lugosi.
Other landmark vampire movies like 1922's "Nosferatu," 1933's "Mark of the Vampire," and "Return of the Vampire" in 1943, made these mystical creatures central players in the horror genre explosion that still endures today. With bestselling author Anne Rice's prolific vampire book series, "The Vampire Chronicles," as well as modern cinematic remakes like Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula" serving as examples, it is clear that vampire mythology continues to thrive and these mystical creatures are not going away any time soon.
According to the National Retail Federation's annual report from 2005, over 2 million adults and children bought vampire costumes for Halloween in the US alone. While this popularity is undoubtedly due to the media's incessant portrayal, cultural fascination with of these mystical creatures goes beyond simple caricatures and masquerading. Clusters of cults and secret societies based around vampirism exist around the world, most involving blood rituals and belief in the supernatural and occult. Such cults go beyond costumes and role playing with members actually ingesting blood in order to gain power, sexual stimulation, and alternate identities. While such communities are indeed marginalized as Gothic or alternative, they speak to that undeniable human fascination with the mystical creatures that are vampires.
Whether dressed up in a cape and fangs for Halloween, watching the classic TV sitcom "The Munsters," or engaging in the ritualistic imbibing of blood on the weekends with friends, many are simply taken by these mystical creatures that have fascinated cultures around the world for centuries. Vampires are classic mystical creatures and their role in popular culture as well as the occult will continue to endure.
Sources:
Introvigne, Massimo. “Satanism Scares and Vampirism from the 18th Century to the Contemporary Anti-Cult Movement.” Censur: Center for Studies on New Religions. 1997. 22 May 2007. http://www.cesnur.org/testi/vampires_wdc.htm
Carroll, Robert Todd. “vampire.” The Skeptic's Dictionary. 3 Dec 2006. Robert Todd Carroll. 22 May 2007. http://skepdic.com/vampires.html.
"vampire." Encyclopedia Britannica . 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 22 May 2007. http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9074753.
Princess Reigns as Most Popular Costume for Kids. National Retail Federation. 29 Sept. 2005. 22 May 2007. http://www.nrf.com/content/default.asp?folder=pres s/release2005&file=costumes0905.htm.
Vampyre Soceity. 22 May 2007. http://www.vampyresociety.org/
While nearly all cultures have some myth involving bloodsucking mystical creatures of some kind, the notion of the vampire first emerged in Eastern Europe in the early 1700s. The word vampire stems from the German and Serbian “vampir” which defines a being who returns from the grave to suck the blood of the living, or one that is sustained by the life force of another. While the surrounding mythology has come to involve mystical creatures with fangs that are repelled by garlic, ignited by sunlight, and only killed by stakes through the heart or through burning, this was not always the case.
Early cases surrounding these mystical creatures simply involved people who were rumored to appear after death to suck the blood of the living. With the arrival of the printing press, rumors about vampires spread widely throughout Europe and eventually around the world, where they survived in the public consciousness long after their actual occurrence. From that time on, these mystical creatures became the prime culprits for disappearances and mysterious deaths, which in turn sparked scares, exhumations, and even hunts. The vampire quickly became something people believed in and feared, cementing its position among the most widely known mystical creatures.
While belief in the true existence of these mystical creatures has faded since medieval times, the vampire still has an unrivaled prevalence in popular media. Aside from bloodsucking mythologies and legends, wildly popular vampire books such as Bram Stoker's “Dracula,” published in 1897, took Europe and the world by storm and solidified the standard characteristics of the modern myth. Writers adapted the book into stage plays and eventually into a motion picture with the seminal 1927 horror film “Dracula” starring Bela Lugosi.
Other landmark vampire movies like 1922's "Nosferatu," 1933's "Mark of the Vampire," and "Return of the Vampire" in 1943, made these mystical creatures central players in the horror genre explosion that still endures today. With bestselling author Anne Rice's prolific vampire book series, "The Vampire Chronicles," as well as modern cinematic remakes like Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula" serving as examples, it is clear that vampire mythology continues to thrive and these mystical creatures are not going away any time soon.
According to the National Retail Federation's annual report from 2005, over 2 million adults and children bought vampire costumes for Halloween in the US alone. While this popularity is undoubtedly due to the media's incessant portrayal, cultural fascination with of these mystical creatures goes beyond simple caricatures and masquerading. Clusters of cults and secret societies based around vampirism exist around the world, most involving blood rituals and belief in the supernatural and occult. Such cults go beyond costumes and role playing with members actually ingesting blood in order to gain power, sexual stimulation, and alternate identities. While such communities are indeed marginalized as Gothic or alternative, they speak to that undeniable human fascination with the mystical creatures that are vampires.
Whether dressed up in a cape and fangs for Halloween, watching the classic TV sitcom "The Munsters," or engaging in the ritualistic imbibing of blood on the weekends with friends, many are simply taken by these mystical creatures that have fascinated cultures around the world for centuries. Vampires are classic mystical creatures and their role in popular culture as well as the occult will continue to endure.
Sources:
Introvigne, Massimo. “Satanism Scares and Vampirism from the 18th Century to the Contemporary Anti-Cult Movement.” Censur: Center for Studies on New Religions. 1997. 22 May 2007. http://www.cesnur.org/testi/vampires_wdc.htm
Carroll, Robert Todd. “vampire.” The Skeptic's Dictionary. 3 Dec 2006. Robert Todd Carroll. 22 May 2007. http://skepdic.com/vampires.html.
"vampire." Encyclopedia Britannica . 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 22 May 2007. http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9074753.
Princess Reigns as Most Popular Costume for Kids. National Retail Federation. 29 Sept. 2005. 22 May 2007. http://www.nrf.com/content/default.asp?folder=pres s/release2005&file=costumes0905.htm.
Vampyre Soceity. 22 May 2007. http://www.vampyresociety.org/
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