Vampirism
PART TWO - THE ORIGINS OF A DARK CULTURE
To trace back to the origins of vampirism we must travel back in time to an era that pre-dates Christianity by over a thousand years. Druids are said to have believed that two of their major Gods of the Harvest were banished into the flames of the sun and destroyed, later to return as vampires.
From this point in time onwards any would be researcher must persist in a journey through an impenetrable fog of fantasy, fiction, folk lore and myths if he or she is to find anything that even resembles a satisfactory answer, let alone a plausible conclusion to this centuries old mystery.
This article does little more than scratch the surface; many more generations of intrepid investigators need to sift out the facts from the fiction.
The purpose of my article is not to foolishly claim I have any answers that warrant credulity in any sense, but to present some of the documented theories into the open – to inspire debate and discussion.
The word ‘vampire’ (vampir, vampyre) has its origins in Slavonic, but with similarities in: Russian, Polish, Czech, Serbian and Bulgarian. In addition to these similar words can also be found in early Greek, Danish, Swedish and Hungarian languages.
All the above cultures and their respective religions share one common denominator in regard to Sanguinarian Vampirism. The belief that the vampire is an ‘undead’ creature of either male or female gender, and thirsts for blood to sustain its horrid existence. Another point worthy of note, is that all the cultures listed here hold the firm belief that a Holy or consecrated object will protect any living or dead victim. This belief has survived the rigours of time to such an extent, that in certain areas of Greece it is still customary to place a consecrated object between the lips of a deceased person, or even sew the mouth shut to prevent the entrance or indeed exit of any evil spirit.
There is a school of thought which suggests vampirism was in fact a concept created by the early Roman Catholic church to instil fear into the hearts of the masses, claiming that the only protection against evil – in the form of ‘vampires’ – lay within the teachings of Christian religions.
It is also worth noting that through various stages of history, the vampire has changed in form and appearance to meet contemporary ideals. Most notable of all being the period prior to the seventeenth century where this dreaded blood thirsty creature gained the ability of shape shifting – ultimately taking on the conveniently menacing shape and habits of the vampire bat. However, when considering this fact the reader should bear in mind that vampires existed long before discovery of this species of bat – native to Central and South America.
In Australia, Native Aborigine’s have long held the belief in the power of blood and its effectiveness in curing sickness and giving an ill person more life.
In West Africa and other areas of Africa, blood is revered for its power. If a person sheds blood, it has to be covered, to prevent evil spirits from gorging on it and seeking out the person to whom it belongs. Should it be successful, the spirit may revitalise the body of the dead and destroy the body and soul of the living.
All the above references are in regard, albeit briefly, to Sanguinarian Vampirism. By definition, a creature that gorges and feasts on the blood of humans and animals to sustain its own existence.
Allied to Sanguinarian Vampirism, is the equally ancient belief in the existence of the Psychic Vampire. A culture of vampirism, although less gory, it is if anything, more prevalent in modern society than its bloody counterpart.
(NB: The author would like to add that in no way does he condone the practise of vampirism and points out that practioners of Sanguinarian Vampirism, in modern times also leave themselves prone to diseases such as septicaemia and HIV/AIDS).
More on Psychic Vampirism in part three – click on this
If you missed part one, read it now – click on this
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By Wayne Ridsdel copyright Wayne Ridsdel 2009 @ World Mysteries and True Ghost Tales.
Pic by, Wayne Ridsel - (Copyright, Wayne Ridsel. At World Mysteries and True Ghost Tales).
Wayne,
you’ve surpassed yourself yet again with part two of this article.
Even though I believe in demons, i don’t believe in traditional vampires. I know there’s the contemporary side of vampirism going on nowadays.
Probably due to the new age influence. Some people will go to any lengths to try and stand out. They claim to ‘crave’ blood and saunter around the streets in a cloak, thinking they look real cool and refuse to take their sunglasses off.
They feed off each other in their group, not by biting the necks, but by cutting themselves and then allowing another member to lick it off.
I do accept alot of people do believe in vampires, but for me, it just doesn’t wash. Heck! I could be wrong, I didn’t believe in demons until i was attacked by one.
Great article! very well written.
Yes, definitely a great article Wayne, lot’s of interesting stuff to think about in there!
I to have a hard time believing in the traditional vampire that you read about or see in the movies. But, I do believe that there are people who do consume the blood of others in the way the admin posted. I think they some how feel they’re obtaining energies and power from the blood of others.
I also believe that there are psychic vampires, that feed off of the energies of others. They can drain you just by being around you. These types of vampires are perhaps more dangerous than the blood drinking ones.
Yes, I think that there are “psychic” vampires, but they do not require blood. I think that there are those that claim to be vampires and live like them, but do not really need blood to survive. I don’t really know what causes a Psychic vampire, and i think some are that way and don’t know it, but yes they are harmful to one’s mental well-being and should be avoided.