Legend and Lore

Re-acquainted…

Kristyn — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:35:12 +0000

My goodness, one might have believed me to have been swallowed whole if they were to be judging my condition solely by this blog. No, I’m still here and having gotten a recent comment on this blog, think I’ll be writing here again very soon. Please forgive my absence, should you remember me of old, otherwise please stay a while and get acquainted.

Kristyn

To stake or not to stake…

Kristyn — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:06:55 +0000

Ever the preferred method of killing or immobilizing a vampire, stakes are possibly the most widely recognized method by which a vampire my be dealt with. It’s the number one literary and theatrical vampire bane, it’s so dramatic that authors simply can’t say no. However, like many other vampire myths, killing with a stake has it’s historical significance. The stake driven through the heart is said to strike a killing blow to the undead, it is a technique by which a vampire may be put down while other, more permanent methods may be met, such as decapitation and burning.

Throughout central and eastern Europe this method was taken very seriously. No just any table leg or shard of wood would do. The stakes had to be made of specific materials. In Russia and through the Baltic, for example, the stakes had to be crafted of ash because of it’s magical qualities. In Silesia the stakes were carved of oakwood, while in Serbia they were crafted of hawthorn because of it’s thorny shrub quality, as vampires are said to be highly allergic to thorns and thistles. Each old mythology had it’s very real and very purposeful beginning.

Vampirism was taken so seriously in fact, that in Hungary and Romania, bodies were staked after death to prevent them from becoming the undead.

Most often vampires or suspected vampires were staked through the heart, though in Russia and northern Germany the mouth was targeted for staking. In northeastern Serbia the stomach was the appropriate place to stake a vampire. It was believed that staking a vampire was a way to relieve the bloated body of the devil spirit.

Staking is still, today, a widely used technique for doing away with vampires. Fictionalists utilize this technique over any and all others for the destruction of vampires. However, it is less known that this method, in several mythologies, was used to destroy vampire servants, such as Revenants.

For me, it’ll always harken back to the earliest vampire fictions where finely crafted wooden stakes were driven, by use of a mallet, through the chest of the monsters. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the hunter even carried a kit by which he might destroy the evil undead with it’s child brain. Mythology tells that Bram Stoker was well studied in the ancient mythological techniques.

Stakes have alwyas been, and always will be, the preferred method of vampire annihilation. Good myths live, this one certainly has.

Kristyn

The Dhampir

Kristyn — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:54:19 +0000

Everyone has heard of vampires, in their various incarnations, but how many amongst us have heard of the Dhampir? Several modern mediums have picked up on the Balkan folklore, most notably Vampire Hunter D, which follows a dhampir predictably named “D” and Blade which stars a dhampir vampire hunter hero. Other notable Dhampir cultural references are Blood Rayne and Castelvania, which are video games, and Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft and Vampire The Masquerade both of which are table top roleplaying games. The dhampir is a very popular modern cultural creature.

However, what many do not know is that the dhampir is an ancient Balkan folklore creature existing in the tales of the Roma people, gypsies of the Balkans. They are created when a vampire father breeds with a human mother. Makes sense considering a body must be alive to carry and nurture a child. Interestingly enough, folklore tells that the dhampir are born with all the vampire powers and none of their weaknesses. Also, dhampir are said to be able to see vampires, even when they are invisible, and are believed to be especially adept at killing them. Dhampir, then, are the perfect hybrid of vampire. They’re strong without the downfalls and can kill vampires better than any other.

All in all, the dhampir, at least for me, is a less interesting creature than their vampire predecessors. For me, weakness makes the creature, no creature should be without them, else they’re just a powerhouse monster. That said, Vampire Hunter D and Blade are both really good spins on dhampir idea and both are infused with their weaknesses, though they’re not necessarily vampire weaknesses, with the exception of the character Blade who has a thirst for blood.

So what do you think? Vampires or Dhampir?

Kristyn

Jill Tracy

Kristyn — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:25:25 +0000

I mentioned before that music is a huge part of the writing process for me. I find inspiration and encouragement in music, but it can’t be just any music, it has to fit the theme. I’m not going to be listening to Lisa Loeb and trying to write a vampire/monster story. It doesn’t work. The other day, I found something new, something I have absolutely fallen in love with!

If you’re into darker more macabre music, I highly recommend Jill Tracy. Her music is fantastic. Her lyrics are on the darker, more sinister side, set to piano. So far, “The Fine Art of Poisoning” is my favorite, followed by “Evil Night Together.” Check it out.

The Fine Art of Poisoning:

Evil Night Together (Not an official music video but a vid someone else put together. Very well done in my opinion):

If you’re still interested, you can listen to a few of her other pieces at her Myspace page. I am absolutely in love with her music! It’s so dark and her voice is so beautiful! My birthday is in July and I’m going to try to get my mom or my husband to get me a few of her CDs!

Enjoy!

Kristyn

Don’t kill them, destroy them!

Kristyn — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 02:28:32 +0000

I find it rather interesting that there are so many articles around the net about “killing” vampires. It’s a bit of a misnomer, is it not? I mean, how can one kill the dead? The answer is, you can’t. You can, however, destroy them, which is a very, very fine difference. Bear with my internal English student for a moment, would you? I feel like this is an important distinction.

Both kill and destroy are verbs, but they’re not synonyms. The definition of kill is “to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay.” Destroy, however, is defined as “to reduce to useless fragments, a useless form, or remains, as by rending, burning, or dissolving; injure beyond repair or renewal; demolish; ruin; annihilate.” The difference, kill is simply not strong enough.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten past that very nerdy point, how exactly does one destroy a vampire? I’m pretty sure that if asked anyone in touch with popular culture would be able to make a pretty complete list, but could they tell you why? Chances are, no. Most people don’t actually care as long as it works with their personal conceptions of the vampire legend, they just take for granted that all ways to destroy vampires have some supernatural significance, but what would they say if they were told that the myth about crucifix and crosses only works for the faithful? It’s debatable, really, but it’s one myth that’s fairly controversial. Heck, even the difference between a crucifix and a cross is in debate where their individual meanings, and therefore usefulness, are concerned. None of their weaknesses are as cut and dry as they look.

For now however, I’m going to leave it at the difference between killing and destroying. Vampires cannot be killed but they can be destroyed. Seems like I’m picking at something that’s six of one, half dozen of the other, but for me, this is one of those aggravating little points that comes down to one huge difference in semantics. My linguists and grammars professor told me that words must have meaning, this is not exception. Don’t blame me, blame my professor.

Kristyn