Mike Gleason October, 2011

The Weiser Field Guide to Vampires

by  J. M. Dixon

© 2009  Weiser

ISBN:  978-1578634491

Paperback        192 pages

$14.95 (U.S.)

When people in the modern, Western world encounter the word “vampire” certain images spring immediately to mind, most of which center on Eastern and Central European perceptions – think Dracula in  all his many permutations.  But there is a lot more to the topic of vampires than that narrow perception admits.  They range from Papau New Guinea to Grenada; from undead relatives to modern day Strigoi Vii; and from those who subsist on blood to those who “merely” siphon off energy.  Although all of these are touched upon within the covers of this book, most are given only a passing mention.

Before I had really started this book, I began to run into difficulties.  I have never before seen the word “Sidhe”, translated from Gaelic, to mean “vampire.”  It seems as though Mr. Dixon presumes that all “evil creatures” are vampiric by nature, and I am not sure that is valid.  He writes as a member of the vampire community (with the expressed intention “…of being the first person in history to live for ever…”), and as such he accepts as proven fact that which others make take as theory only.

Since I don’t claim to be a vampire, or know any personally (that I am aware of), I can’t comment on Mr. Dixon’s assertions regarding “feeding tendrils” or types of feeding.  On a personal level, it reads like fiction (and low-budget, horror-film fiction at that), but I could be wrong.

The first 40% of the book is devoted to the type of vampire commonly referred to as a “psychic” vampire – one who does NOT drink blood, but merely siphons energy – and avoids the topic of the blood-drinking variety.  It isn’t until the fifth chapter that the topic of the blood-drinking variety of vampires is actually addressed.

From there on Mr. Dixon moves on to topics which are of interest to those who are not members of the vampire community itself exclusively.

Throughout this book, Mr. Dixon concentrates upon those differences which set the modern, living vampire apart from the masses of humanity with which they share the world, as might be expected in a field guide.  Very little space, however, is devoted to helping “normal” people identify vampires.  The descriptions he uses – fair skinned, soft hair, full lips, and white teeth – really don’t help much in terms of differentiating vampires from humans.  Instead, reliance is placed on “feelings” which often amount nothing more than a sense of unease in the presence of certain individuals.  His assertion that vampires don’t have an aura (the possible source of the no-reflection myth?) seems highly unlikely to me.  More likely their auras are tightly contained and thus hard to see, in my opinion.

He sees the vampire as beneficial to mankind in general, as their draining of energy encourages increased energy production and flow in the average individual, thus preventing and relieving blockages which may result in disease and illness.  I’m not sure how I feel about that idea, but if it is true, then it would appear that ethical vampires would almost feel obligated to work in the healing arts.

Mr. Dixon seems to assert (page 104, “…most modern vampires maintain strict workout regimens to keep them healthy and fit.”) that the modern vampire must not be overly thin nor overly heavy.  Coupled with his earlier physical descriptions, we are left to assume that the ideal modern vampire (and the archetype to watch for) would best be symbolized by the “surfer” culture, and that the odds of encountering an ugly (or even a “plain”) looking, anorexic or obese vampire are almost non-existent.  Nice job description, but somewhat limiting and unrealistic, I feel.

To an extent, this book comes across as a self-serving promotional tool (read “recruiting tract”) trying hard to look like an unbiased investigation into a phenomenon which has fascinated mankind almost from it’s very emergence into civilization.  Whatever it is, recruiting tool or investigation, it is well-written and interesting.  I’m not sure it will appeal to everyone, but that is really too much to expect in any case.

The perception that vampires are inherently different from mankind in general seems (to me) to border on the delusional.  Mr. Dixon acknowledges that vampires are physically nearly indistinguishable from humanity, while asserting that a few characteristics are enough to place them in a separate class of beings.

Regardless of my personal feeling about the subject matter and/or author, Weiser has a reputation for producing high quality books, and this continues that tradition.  You will not likely go wrong when you purchase one of their books.

Tags: book, review, vampires

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Lady TNP October, 2009

Although the characters of Lord Ruthven and Varney made a lasting impact on the vampire genre, another surpassed them in impact and popularity.  That character, Carmilla, was created by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.  Le Fanu was born in Dublin, Ireland and was raised at the Royal Hiberian Military School.  His father happened to be the chaplain there (Melton 357).  At the young age of fourteen, Le Fanu tapped into his writing talent with an Irish poem, and his literary career began (358).

When Le Fanu embarked on his literary career, his first works focused on aspects of the Irish character.  Most of these works were considered mediocre due to his inability to relate to his readers.  He had a terrible habit of stereotyping the Irish masses because of his religious disagreements with them.  However, he overcame this bad habit when he ventured into the world of supernatural horror.  His story, “Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter” paved the way into this world as well as for his most famous work, “Carmilla” (Melton 358).

The story of “Carmilla” was published in a magazine called Dark Blue and as part of a collection in In a Glass Darkly.  While critics disagree on which story in the collection of In a Glass Darkly is Le Fanu’s best, “Carmilla” is the one that achieved the highest degree of fame.  The story was also the third vampire story to be printed in English and was even read by Bram Stoker.  Perhaps because of Stoker’s interest, “Carmilla” provided a major foundation for the modern vampire myth (Melton 358).  Next to Dracula, “Carmilla” became the second vampire tale most frequently brought to the move theater.  Additionally, the tale created an adaptation for a made-for-television series on Showtime with the same name (357).

After such an introduction to the tale of “Carmilla,” one must believe the character herself to be of the endearing sort.  Carmilla is an anagram for the true name of Mircalla or the Countess Karnstein.  She also goes by Millarca from time to time in her immortal life.  In her regards to her features, the Countess appears very young and of pristine beauty.  Of average height, slender, and with extremely languid movements, she has a rich complexion and long dark brown hair.  Her appearance matches her personality in that she carries herself with beauty and grace.  She is invited to countless balls and is constantly in the eyes of high and noble society.  Being the embodiment of grace and beauty eventually assists Carmilla in obtaining what she wants (Mascetti 163).

Little is known about Carmilla’s past.  The only facts she will disclose about herself is her name, the status of her ancient and noble family, and how her original home lies to the west.  She appears in the company of her mother and always strikes up a lively conversation with young women her age (Mascetti 163).  Carmilla’s mother leaves her behind in the care of others due to Carmilla’s supposed bad health.  It is in the care of others that Carmilla presents her true colors.  She does not eat and passes the day away in her chambers.  Her repulsion to funeral possessions is made apparent when she goes into a twisted fit of rage upon the sight of one.  Despite all of these strange habits, people still flock to her, and Carmilla chooses to flock to one young female in particular named Laura.  In fact, her deep love for Laura creates a lesbian relationship that eventually causes her undoing (164).

Since she was six years old, Laura had experienced strange incidents at night involving a pretty female being.  After a chance encounter involving a coach accident at nineteen, Laura is placed face-to-face with that female being.  The being is Carmilla.  Carmilla is immediately invited to stay with the family due to her poor health and her mother’s urgent need to continue her journey.  Carmilla is then given a room in Laura’s castle home, and during her stay, she quickly enchants the young girl.  As time passes, a plague surrounds the area about Laura’s home.  The plague is centered on young girls and causes them to waste away (Guiley 53).  Also, during this time, Laura experiences nightmares, and after one particular dream about her dead mother, she runs to Carmilla’s room only to find her gone.  Immediately, a doctor is dispatched for Laura, and he recognizes the signs of vampirism.  Just like the angry men in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, those close to Laura want revenge and track Carmilla to her home of Karnstein with the help of a Bulgarian general.  Carmilla is finally killed in a traditional manner with the use of a stake and the slicing of the head (54).

Polidori, Rymer, and Le Fanu all contributed to the vampire genre we know today.  Each one built upon the other with the respective characters of Lord Ruthven, Varney, and Carmilla.  Without their influences, we would not have Dracula and our modern treasures such as Interview with the Vampire or Twilight.  Thus, much credit should be given to these early gothic writers regardless of their background or their other mediocre works.

Have a Blessed Mabon and a Happy Halloween!

Works Cited

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen.  The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters.  New York:  Checkmark , 2005.

Melton, J. Gordon.  The Vampire Book.  Detroit:  Visible Ink Press, 1994.

Tags: literature, vampires

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Lady TNP September, 2009

After Polidori’s version of the vampire, it became apparent that an audience for such work existed.  James Malcolm Rymer decided to enter as an author of this genre for just that reason.  Rymer was born in Scotland in the year 1804, and prior to his career as an author, he pursued various means of employment.  He had been a civil engineer, a surveyor, and a mechanical draftsman.  He pierced the writing scene when he dropped all of these jobs to write for the Queen’s Magazine (Melton 529).  He wrote an article in which he heaped ridicule and disgust upon an avenue of the era called “penny dreadfuls.”  “Penny dreadfuls” were serial novels that sold for a penny for each chapter or installment (Guiley 247).  They were sorted into two basic kinds.  One kind consisted of magazines that contained serialized popular novels while the other were novels published in small sections (Melton 529).  These published works provided cheap entertainment for the working class, and Rymer preyed on that audience with remarks such as:

“It is the privilege of the ignorant and the weak to love superstition.  The only strong mental sensation they are capable of is fear.”

After such remarks, one would be quite surprised to learn that Rymer wrote such supposed atrocities himself.  However, he did write them anonymously for some time.  Just like any good businessman, Rymer decided to expand into areas in which he had talent and that paid well (Guiley 247).

When Rymer ventured into the career as a writer, he began with the “penny dreadfuls,” and he had instant success with Varney and Ada the Betrayed when they were printed in Lloyd’s Penny Weekly Miscellany.  In fact, they remained bestsellers for 15 years after publication.  He wrote for other various magazines such as Reynolds’ Miscellany and London Miscellany.  He also wrote a novel called The Black Monk under a pseudonym (Guiley 247).  Because of his anonymity, Varney was originally credited to Thomas P. Prest, who was the author of Sweeney Todd.  In 1963, conclusive evidence was found in some of Rymer’s old scrapbooks to give him the credit for Varney that he so rightfully deserved (Melton 530).

The character of Varney can be illustrated as a fusion between a Shakespearian individual and Polidori’s vampire, Lord Ruthven.  Sir Francis Varney is an aristocrat who is definitely not charming.  Just like Lord Ruthven, he preys upon people not just for their blood but for whatever they hold dear as well.  For Varney, his lust for money causes him to act in this manner.  In regards to appearance, he is revolting.  With long fangs, long nails, and a pale face, he is probably as stereotypical as a comical vampire could be.  He attacks women and turns some of them into vampires.  Each time he begins to regret his actions, he tries to commit suicide, but he is revived again with the light of the moon.  Finally, the repetitiveness of rebirth and suicide makes him succumb, and as a result, he throws himself into the crater of Mount Vesuvius (Guiley 305).  One may note that there does not seem to be much of a plot or even much to say for Varney himself.  Most critics complain that the work was poorly written, and that effect was worsened by the novel originally being split into each “penny dreadful.”  One has to piece together how Varney was once called Mortimer and how he once had supported the British Crown.  He had been alive at the timing of the beheading of Charles I and had assisted members of the royal court in escaping to Holland.  In the midst of it all, Varney manages to accidently kill his son, and he is cursed to be Varney the Vampyre due to the action (Melton 654).

Next month…enter Carmilla.

Works Cited

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen.  The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters.  New York:  Checkmark , 2005.

Melton, J. Gordon.  The Vampire Book.  Detroit:  Visible Ink Press, 1994.

Tags: vampires

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C.H. Scarlett April, 2009

Broadcasting from The Grave Rave…

Reporting directly is C.H. Scarlett…

Well my little darling, Darklings of Darkness, it has been a poltergeist of a week. A few little articles, steeped in the ink of my own blood, of course, caused quite a storm of fury. They were nothing, I thought, concerning religious tolerance, slash some Christian Witchery, slash some Satanic controversy, slash a dash of battle concerning the Warlock definition of all fearful-hysterias. But alas, my regular blog was jumping with furious readers who made sure to flood my inbox with deliciously, malicious intent.

Needless to say, I was shivering in my own grave with pure-untainted euphoria. Who knew so many people would get so riled up over an article explaining the harmlessness of Witch’s throwing the label of Christianity into their mix of titles? Who knew some people staked their life’s worth on the wrongful stereotypes of a Satanist being nothing other than devil worshippers.

Note: I am truly sorry to rip the need and worth of the Exorcists and those who are horribly suffering from demons, away. It was not my intensions to ease your fears. Ok, so I am not really sorry but can you feel my sentiment just the same, or not. *mischievous grin*

Aside from that, who knew so many people would throw down the kindling for me, not skimping on the gasoline either, just because I offered up a little research on the term Warlock. Don’t’ get me wrong, it’s not as though the smell of my own carcass burning isn’t delightful. *winks*

Meanwhile, in the world above my crypt of darkened bliss, the depression –oops, smack my mouth –I mean recession, is still burning brighter than a bonfire of sky clad Pagans. If the unemployment office becomes anymore crowded then I am pretty sure they will start charging a cover charge. After all, we live in a world of material savages who never pass up an opportunity to make a buck at someone else’s expense.

And if I could cry, then surely the tears of my blood would trickle, for even we, those who frequent the halls of the Crypt Keeper’s torture chambers are feeling the tight burn and clinch of being, well, flat busted and broke.

Want examples? I am starting to recycle my own cobwebs and the zombie’s have resorted to gnawing on their own arms. The Vampires can’t afford to hunt anymore since drinking from undernourished humans is just downright depressing as well as unfulfilling. So now, they are trying to squeeze blood from turnips.

Please don’t laugh.

I spent all last night trying to pull the things out of their mouths after they got stuck in their fangs.

Please don’t laugh.

There is nothing funny about jerking turnips from the jaws of a bloodthirsty vampire. There is also nothing funny about their fangs jerking out with the turnip, because they too, are malnourished. Malnourished but not broke for even the Vamps have a keen plan.

In fact, I can report that some of our vampires have started a new craze and frenzy in Hollywood among our most fabulous starlets. They wrote a book on how to lose weight from a new diet, strictly made of turnips. They will be having their own show on the cooking channel, 1001 Sinful Ways to Cook Turnips and later tonight, one of our Vamps will be on the Larry King show explaining how you too, can afford groceries again by converting over to the Turnip phenomena. You won’t even have need of health insurance since they are maliciously nutritious!

So please look for their new spiritual and uplifting book as well as diet called, Squeezing blood from a Turnip: Who says you can’t? Well, I said they can’t but then again, I’m the one playing Vampire dentist here.

Well my little darkling, Darklings of Darkness, it is time that I leave you. I will see you next month with a new report or you can linger by my blog and catch whiff of what I am slaughtering up for the day. It is strip poker night, here in the Crypt Keepers den and unfortunately, while the Vampires are all out trying to enlighten the world, I am stuck with the Werewolves again.

You are jealous, you say?

Please don’t be.

There is nothing worse than playing strip poker with a bunch of Werewolves who are now so poor because of the recession; they have started crunching on deep fried tofu. With every strip of my bewitching and very Elvira-looking garments, their mouths water just a little bit more. And it isn’t because I am that mesmerizing either. It’s because they are delusional with hallucinations, imagining my leg is a chicken bone or my rump is a succulent rump roast. I am pretty sure they are cheating too…ruthless little flea bags that they are. I still adore them, though, but somehow the turnips and the bloodthirsty vampires are severely missed.

Until then… have a happy Ostara…

The Fairies do warn that they want their offerings laid out for them. Yes, they are hurting to and if you don’t they will reap mischief. I love fairy mischief, so Ostara or not, don’t leave them a thing!

See you in the Grave!

Tags: dark, vampires

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Lady TNP February, 2009

Belief in vampires or some form of the dark bloodsucking creature existed long before written record.  These creatures formed in each culture and each era as a result of religion and lack of scientific education.  Additionally, many practices of long ago fascinate us today because of the gory and vampiric nature involved.  Such practices include cannibalism, sacrifice, and how the dead were buried before modern advances.  Hence, one can safely gather that vampirism or vampires are a direct result of culture and scientific misunderstanding.

Vampires are immortal creatures who feed off the blood of the living, and blood is the key factor in all origins of vampire folklore.  Some argue that the soul lives within the blood or more simply put, it is the source of all life.  Also, if one can die when one loses blood, one could logically think that drinking blood would bring about life.  Due to such ideas, many ancient cultures implemented sacrifices, rituals, and sometimes entire lives around the substance (Masters 4).

When someone hears the word cannibalism, most societies see horrific images of individuals ripping at human flesh.  What could be considered even more disturbing is the fact that people have been eating each other for centuries.  After all, man is a carnivorous animal, and unless you are a sworn vegetarian, people hunger for meat (Masters 5).  Ancient societies viewed other humans as foodstuffs, and the aversion to such a taboo today is no different than Semitic people thinking pig and dog are unclean to eat (6).  However, the eating of flesh is comparatively irrelevant to vampirism except for one common theme.  The transfer of a life source from the dead to the living was essential.  Blood was licked from spears, and hands went unwashed just so the blood could be licked off later.  Thus, one can see how cannibalism could have morphed into a blood fetish (7).

Sacrifice and ritual are common practices in most religions.  Appeasing the spirits and gods are one reason such practices are performed.  The completion of magical workings could be considered another.  So, it is no surprise that ancient cultures used the same concepts in their daily lives.  Those who were responsible for starting vampire folklore were those involving the sacrificing of a victim.  This victim was a trade-off for a favor from a god or used to make peace with a deity.  The victim could be an animal, or the devotee could quite literally offer a part of himself in the form of a severed finger or hair.  Blood began to replace such measures, and only a couple of drops of blood from a worshipper would suffice.  On the other hand, the sacrifice of others was more common. Individuals in high standing would permit criminals to be presented as offerings to the gods, or they would use sacrifice as a means of substituting someone else to take the place of their plights.  One of the best examples of such sacrifice is when the Aztecs chose to pour the blood of their victims into their idols’ mouths (Masters 11).  In all manners of sacrificial victims, then, life force was essential in completion of the task, and blood became the center of this life force.

Along with cultural influences, lack of scientific knowledge helped to form the vampire lore understood now.  One of the greatest influences on this lore is how the dead were prepared for burial long before embalming became commonplace.  When a body decays without any preservation or embalmment, the following will occur:

* The body will turn different colors depending upon the gases and infections involved.  Blues, reds, and dark greens will be prevalent (Barber 105).

* The body will swell up to possible massive proportions and one of the most noticeable areas will be the abdomen.  The swelling is a result of the gases expelled from the decaying process.

* Blood or blood stained fluid escape the mouth and nostrils (106).

* The body may decay at any rate depending upon the environment it is placed in at the time.  Environmental factors include presence of air, moisture, microorganisms, temperatures, and insects (107).

* Hair will slip away from the scalp, and the skin will begin to slough away.  These consequences of decay make the body appear to have grown new hair or new nails (109).

While there are other visual effects seen as a result of decay, one can quickly understand just how the listed characteristics alone could cause alarm to someone who would stumble upon such a body.  Furthermore, it was not unusual for people to be buried alive because comas and other medical conditions were not understood (99).  Scavengers, either animal or human, were also known to disturb gravesites, and any movement would appear suspicious to the uneducated and superstitious (125).  Consequently, as a result of all this simple scientific misunderstanding, people were once quick to point to the presence of vampires.

Vampire folklore is a direct result of ancient and past cultures trying to survive according to their standards or due to their misunderstanding of scientific processes.  Cannibalism and sacrifice exposed people to the concept of life force transfer from the dead to the living.  The handling of a human body after death before modern techniques were established added to the vampire idea.  Hence, because of ancient societies’ lack of scientific knowledge and sophistication, vampire folklore was fostered and began to grow into the cult phenomenon we know today.

Works Cited

Barber, Paul.  Vampires, Burial, and Death:  Folklore and Reality.  New Haven:  Yale University Press, 1988.

Masters, Anthony.  The Natural History of the Vampire.  London:  Rupert Hart-Davis    Ltd, 1972.

Tags: blood, vampires, vampirism

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