Week 13 Essay: Do Vampires Have Qualifications?

It’s been interesting reading these folktales and seeing how different cultures describe their undead. Like, for this week’s reading it was being a warlock. The stories talked of vampires as being dead warlocks who pop out to do evil deeds. They killed people, yes, but generally did not drink blood (or eat them - so not zombies either) or flee from sunlight, garlic, etc. so do they qualify as vampires? Is it just a name, or do they have to qualify? What are those qualifications? Do they vary place to place?

Considering the evidence (I have quite an extensive list since I got really into vamps during eleventh grade - I’ve got more than I thought, actually) I can only conclude it varies. I mean, looking at disposal alone can bring about that conclusion! We’re used to a wooden stake through the heart. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula it was actually a wooden stake in the heart (had to stay there, but it mainly immobilized the vamp, not killed it), cut off the head, stuff garlic in it’s mouth, and place it between the legs when burying the body. In Nigeria there are no stakes or garlic involved - you killed a vampire by driving a nail through it’s left temple. Others have you burn the body and scatter the ashes (Anne Rice did it first Twilighters) or get it in sunlight (even though modern media doesn’t like this one because it severely limits your main character’s options), place metal over the eyelids, use silver bullets (even though it’s more commonly associated with werewolves, it is the common lore of some vampire tales), or even as simple as placing a lemon on the mouth of the corpse for a suspected vampire.

I told you it was an extensive list.

So really, who’s to say you can’t claim it as a vampire? The Russian folktales have them all former warlocks - okay great. They are killed by the cross and silver - sure! As long as they are a dead body that moves around as a conscious, animate being and doesn’t wander aimlessly devouring flesh (therefore being a zombie) I’m pretty sure you can call it a vampire. 

Unless it sparkles. Then it’s a fairy.

(Snape telling it like it is. I found it here)

(20 points if you got the reference)