Beginning of the Vampire

             The vampire as it is known in modern western society is a powerful, attractive, and majestic being. The vampire has become a symbol of that which most all human beings idolize, immortality. In western society, people have become desensitized towards the subject of vampirism, almost as if the vampire has become commonplace. But vampires have not always been viewed this way. Vampires were once feared creatures of evil, creatures that struck terror in the hearts of eighteenth-century Slavic villagers in Eastern Europe. What drove these individuals to conceive the idea of vampirism? Was it to explain the unexplainable, or simply to provide a scapegoat for the hardships of eighteenth-century village life?
             The folkloric vampire was quite different than the modern, western vampire. For example, the modern vampire is described as a pale, very handsome, thin and fit, with fangs, and blood-sucking. This view of vampirism differs greatly from the way villagers in East Europe perceived vampirism. Slavs often described vampires as having a ruddy complexion or red in the face and were sometimes covered with blood. The folkloric vampire was frequently the farthest thing from handsome; they were depicted as bloated, having been feeding on the living. They were also seen missing body parts; vampires were reported to have been missing ears, noses, arms, and legs. What's the first attribute you think of when 'vampire' is mentioned? Almost everyone would say, "fangs;" however, the folkloric vampire didn't have fangs at all. Vampires had regular teeth. A common misconception about the vampire is that is sucks and feeds on blood. The folkloric vampire didn't just suck blood. In eastern European culture vampires were feared for their "uncontrollable thirst." The folkloric vampire sucked life. It went after blood, fertility, a mother's milk, and even after crops and livestock. This cau...

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