The human imagination has brought all sorts of monstrous creatures to life, from fire-breathing dragons, to flesh-eating zombies, and of course, bloodthirsty vampires.

Vampires have experienced an interesting evolution in popular mythology: the ghastly creatures that were once blamed for the plague are now often portrayed as sex symbols in film and literature.

In this post, we’ll trace the history of vampires from their origins in ancient legends, all the way to their current star status as seductive antiheroes.

A Brief History of Vampires

Below is a brief history of vampire mythology, from ancient times through the 21st century.

Early Bloodsuckers

Ancient Egyptians worshipped a female warrior goddess named Sekhmet, who was associated with both plague and healing. According to legend, her father, the sun god, sent her to punish humans for their disobedience.

But as she carried out her slaughter, Sekhmet couldn’t stop drinking blood. Her father, ever the well-intentioned dad, intervened to stop her from destroying humanity by dyeing a ton of beer red, making her so drunk that she gave up and returned home peacefully.

In ancient Greece, people told tales of frightening creatures that attacked people in their sleep and drained their bodily fluids.

But it wasn’t until the Middle Ages that superstitions about vampires really began to thrive, thanks in part to plagues and other illnesses.

European ‘Vampires’ in the Middle Ages

In times of widespread disease, stories of walking corpses that drank human blood began to spread.

The plague often left bleeding, mouth-shaped lesions on its victims—a sure sign of “vampirism.” (Of course, most people, even many doctors, didn’t understand infectious diseases at that time.)

Other diseases attributed to vampirism included porphyria (which causes sensitivity to light), tuberculosis, pellagra, rabies, and goiter.

In Transylvania, the literary home of Count Dracula, local superstitions told of the “strigoi,“ once-human monsters who needed blood to survive. Such speculation was likely caused by porphyria, which, in addition to light sensitivity, also caused blistered skin, hallucinations, and receded gums (which made teeth look longer).

Superstitions about the strigoi have persisted even in the 21st century; in 2005, a deceased Romanian man’s family performed a “slaying” ritual, having concluded he became a strigoi two years earlier.

A group of men exhumed the body, drove a stake through the chest, and sprinkled the corpse with garlic. You can read more of the gory details yourself over at The Guardian.

Although that’s a rare, recent example, such rituals were quite common across Europe throughout the Middle Ages.

Vlad the Impaler

Vlad III—also known as Vlad the Impaler and Vlad Dracula—was the second son of Vlad Dracul. He ruled Wallachia, Romania from 1456–1462.

He’s been described in history texts as a brutal leader who impaled his enemies on the battlefield (hence the nickname). Legend has it that Vlad liked to dine among the carnage, and there were even rumors that he dipped his bread in his victims’ blood.

The gory tales surrounding Vlad III are said to have inspired the prototype for the modern vampire: Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Vampires in Popular Culture

In 18th and 19th century Europe, gothic horror was on the rise, and vampires were a favorite antagonist. From Lord Byron’s The Giaour (1813) to John Polidori’s “The Vampyre” (1819), there’s no shortage of mysterious, bloodsucking men from this period in literature (as well as the occasional woman, like Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla of 1972).

Who Is the Most Famous Vampire?

The most famous literary vampire has to be Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Published in 1897, this is the original tale of Count Dracula. In contrast to the deformed, gruesome monsters of medieval folklore, Stoker created a seductive, wealthy, mysterious vampire.

The novel deals heavily with themes of gender and sexuality. The Count lives with three seductive vampire women, who feast on children and anyone who dares to enter the castle. When the character of Jonathan Harker succumbs to the vampire women, it represents a reversal of gender roles. Other female characters are said to represent sexual daring and intellectual ambitions.

Since his debut in Stoker’s novel, Count Dracula has appeared in countless film and television adaptations, with his name now synonymous with the word “vampire” itself.

The late 20th-century revival of vampire fiction is accredited to Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, which portrayed vampires as brooding creatures capable of emotion, with superhuman beauty, speed, and senses. The film adaptation, starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, was also a huge success.

Rice’s beautiful, misunderstood vampires paved the way for Stephenie Meyer’s sparkling,”vegetarian” Culllen family of the Twilight saga, which debuted in 2006.

The four Twilight novels and films embodied the peak of 21st century teen vampire fever. Around the same time, series like The Vampire Diaries and other films like Vampire Academy also enjoyed success.

Real Vampires?

Vampire superstitions ran wild in the Middle Ages, and even well into the 19th century. Because of misinformation and a lack of medical understanding, many “unexplained” deaths and diseases were blamed by the uneducated masses on vampirism.

Modern science has quashed those fears and superstitions, but there are some people who claim to be “real” vampires.

Members of such communities live otherwise normal lives, but consume small amounts of human or animal blood. Study participants have claimed that their bodies produce “a lack of subtle energies,” which leaves them feeling weak and in overall poorer health. (It’s important to note there is no evidence to support benefits of drinking blood, and it is in fact a very risky practice, one for the transmission of diseases, but also the potential for iron poisoning.)

Unlike their gothic horror representatives, so-called real vampires do not prey on innocent victims, but “feed” off the blood of willing donors or engage in bloodletting rituals.

In the animal kingdom, a variety of species feed on blood—such as the ‘vampire’ bat, and of course, mosquitoes—but only enough for sustenance.

When Was the First Vampire Mentioned?

In English literature, the first mention of a vampire is believed to be found in Robert Southey’s 1801 epic poem, “Thalaba the Destroyer.”

The protagonist is confronted by his recently-deceased wife, who rises as a vampire. This was consistent with European legends of vampires at the time, which held that vampires were often related to their victims.

Vampire Love

Since the gothic tales of the nineteenth century, readers and filmgoers have been thirsting for vampires. Interest tends to climb especially high when a new book or movie is released, but since Bram Stoker’s Dracula debuted the more seductive, misunderstood vampire in 1897, the public’s fascination has remained pretty consistent.

Meanwhile, zombies, werewolves, and other creatures of the night have also enjoyed their share of attention, thanks to shows like The Walking Dead.

For more spooky reads, be sure to check out our lists of the best vampire novels and books about werewolves.

Is there anything that surprised you about the history of these thirsty creatures? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

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