Vampire

• Wingspan: 11.58 m
• Length: 9.37 m
• Height: 1.88 m
• Weight: 3,297 kg (empty) 5,618 kg (maximum)
• Engine: de Havilland Goblin 2, 1,420 lb thrust
• Performance: 825 km/hr at 7,500 m
• Ceiling: 12,200 m
• Range: 1,755 km
• Crew: 1
• Armament: Four 20 mm Hispano cannon; Two 455 kg bombs or eight rockets

The Venom

Similar in appearance to the Vampire but with subtle structural differences, a faster and more agile new fighter-bomber, the de Havilland DH112 Venom, first flew on September 2, 1949 and entered service in August 1952 as the Venom FB Mk I.

It was originally fitted with the new Ghost 103 turbojet and during production with the even more powerful Ghost 105 turbojet. The FB Mk4 version had a maximum speed of 945 kmh and ceiling of 12,200m. The Venom was used by many air forces in various roles in most parts of the world, and was sometimes equipped with two Firestreak air-to-air missiles. Navalised versions of the DH 112 were the FW Mk20 and FW Mk21 Sea Venoms, all-weather productions for the RN’s Fleet Air Arm. The French called their version, built under licence, the Aquilon ("Sea Eagle").

Slavic people were believing in vampires as early as in 4th century. In their mythology vampires were drinking blood, were afraid of silver (but could not be killed by silver) and could be destroyed by cutting off it's head and putting it between the corpses legs, or by putting a wooden stake into it's heart.

Even inanimate objects and animals were thought to be able to become vampires: pumpkins, watermelons and other fruit that was left out past a certain amount of time, latches that were left unlatched too long, yokes, dogs, horses, sheep and snakes are among the objects with vampiric potential in older superstitions of the Slavic gypsy community.

The most enduring incarnation of the vampire dates from ancient Romania, where the folklore seems to have evolved during the change from a pagan religious culture to Christian rule, or as effect of contacts with Slavic people living around. Vampire folklore may have arisen as a response to conflicts in religion and culture; it is also widely theorized that missionaries and other new elements of the population brought new strains of disease, resulting in a greatly increased number of "mysterious" deaths during the period. In any event, records from the period indicate that anyone who died of unexplained causes was treated as a possible victim of vampiric attack, and ritualistic measures were taken in their burial to prevent them from rising again.

In this mythology, vampires are a self-propagating sub-species: a person killed by a vampire who exchanges blood with it will rise from the grave and become undead themselves. They will feed insatiably on human blood until destroyed or captured by specific means. In this ancient myth, vampires were treated as largely non-sapient, behaving more as animal-like demons. Legends associating the vampire with eternal youth and other powers did not arise until the Victorian era in Europe.

In popular western culture, vampires are depicted as unaging, intelligent, and mystically endowed in many ways. The vampire typically has a variety of abilities at its disposal. These include great strength and immunity to any lasting effect of any injury by mundane means, with specific exceptions. They can also change into a mist, wolf or a bat, and some can control the minds of others.

It is believed that vampires have no reflection, as traditionally it was thought that mirrors reflected your soul, and creatures of evil have no soul, consequently they have no reflection. Fiction has extended this belief to an actual aversion to mirrors, as depicted in Dracula when he casts Harker's shaving mirror out of the window.

A vampire (despite not being alive in the classical sense, and therefore referred to as undead) may be destroyed using several methods, which can vary between 'species':

• Ramming a wooden stake through a vampire's heart. Traditionally the stake would be made from ash or hawthorn, and the vampire should be impaled with a single blow. In some traditions, a red-hot iron was preferred. In many western stories and films, impalement with a wooden stake will only subdue a vampire and further measures must be taken to destroy the body. This can be done by burning or burying it at a crossroads.
• Exposing a vampire to sunlight. This varies from culture to culture. Vampires that are active from sunset to sunrise often avoid sunlight as they can be weakened or sometimes destroyed by it. Many species of vampires are active from 12 noon to midnight or the converse, and consequently sunlight is harmless.
• Removing internal organss and burning them.
• Pouring boiling water into a hole beside the vampire's grave.

• Garlic, holy water, running water, objects made of silver can keep a vampire away or harm them if they are in physical contact. A popular American addition to the folklore is the idea of fashioning bullets made of silver so mortal vampire hunters can use firearms against the monster.
• Such small items as rice can be strewn in a vampire's path. The vampire is forced to stop and count all of the rice grains before he or she can continue. This varies by tradition.
• Vampires cannot cross running water. This varies by tradition.
• Crosses and Bibles can keep vampires away. One simply holds the object in question in front of the creature. Other stories have established that any religious symbol used by a sincere believer is effective. For example, in these stories, a Jew can use the Star of David to ward off a vampire.
• Western vampires are thought to be unable to enter a residence unless they are invited inside. After that invitation, they can enter the location freely.

In Eastern Europe, the vampire is said to have two hearts or two souls; since one heart or soul never dies, the vampire remains undead. Also, until recently, European vampires were thought to be disgusting monsters often raised from the bodies of peasants and other low class people. Bram Stoker's tale of a vampire changed the image of the monster completely into one is that typically refined in social graces and can operate in human society without suspicion with ease as long as their weaknesses are accommodated.

In Aztec mythology, the Civatateo was a sort of vampire, created when a noblewoman died in childbirth.

In Malaysian folklore, the Penanggalan was a female vampire whose head would separate from her body, with its entrails dangling from the base of her neck. The Penanggalan would suck the blood of newborn babies, and sometimes that of young children or pregnant women.

In Philippine folklore, the Manananggal was a female vampire whose entire upper body would separate from her lower body, and fly using wings. The Manananggal would suck the blood of fetuses.

Others believe there is a relationship between vampirism and rabies. The legend of vampirism is known to take place in the 19th century Eastern Europe, where there were massive rabies outbreaks. Rabies causes high fever, loss of appetite and fatigue as initial symptoms. In later stages patients try to avoid the sunlight and prefer walking at night. Strong light and mirrors may cause episodes characterized by violent and animal-like behaviors and a tendency to attack people and bite them. Concomitant facial spasms may give the patient an animal-like (or a vampire-like) expression. In a furious form of the disease patients may have an increased urgency for sexual activity or may occasionally vomit blood. Rabies is contagious.

But thou, false Infidel! shalt writhe
Beneath avenging Monkir's scythe;
And from its torment 'scape alone
To wander round lost Eblis' throne;
And fire unquenched, unquenchable,
Around, within, thy heart shall dwell;
Nor ear can hear nor tongue can tell
The tortures of that inward hell!
But first, on earth as vampire sent,
Thy corse shall from its tomb be rent:
Then ghastly haunt thy native place,
And suck the blood of all thy race;
There from thy daughter, sister, wife,
At midnight drain the stream of life;
Yet loathe the banquet which perforce
Must feed thy livid living corse:
Thy victims ere they yet expire
Shall know the demon for their sire,
As cursing thee, thou cursing them,
Thy flowers are withered on the stem.

Bram Stoker's Dracula has been the definitive description of the vampire in popular fiction for the last century. Its portrayal of vampirism as a disease (contagious demonic possession!), with all its undertones of sex, blood and death, struck a chord in a Victorian England where tuberculosis and syphilis were common. Before the Victorian era, the romantic connection between vampires and sex did not exist.

Dracula is believed to be based at least partially on legends about a real person - Vlad Tepes, a savagely cruel prince known also as Vlad III Dracula (Drăculea, or "Dracula" meaning "son of the dragon"; his father was called Dracul (The Dragon) after being "inducted into the Order of the Dragon in 1431") also known as Vlad the Impaler, who lived in the late Middle Ages in what is now Romania. Stoker is believed to have seen a reference in an article by Emily Gerard who said that Dracula was a word meaning the Devil. (Emily Gerard, "Transylvanian Superstitions." Nineteenth Century (July 1985): 130-150). Oral tradition regarding Tepes includes his having made a practice of torturing peasants who displeased him and hanging them or parts of them, such as heads, on stakes around his castle or manor house. Tepes may have suffered from porphyria. His rumored periodic abdominal agony, especially after eating, and bouts of delirium might indicate presence of the disease.

Stoker also probably derived inspiration from Irish myths of blood-sucking creatures. He also was almost certainly influenced by a contemporary vampire story, Carmilla by Sheridan le Fanu. Le Fanu was Stoker's editor when he was a theatre critic in Dublin, Ireland.

Much 20th century vampire fiction draws heavily on Stoker's formulation; the early films such as Nosferatu and those featuring Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee are examples of this. Nosferatu, in fact, was clearly based on Dracula, and Stoker's widow sued for copyright infringement and won. One result of the suit was that most prints of the film were destroyed. She later allowed the film to be shown in England.

Though most other works of vampire fiction do not feature Dracula as a character, there is typically a clear inspiration from Stoker, reflected in a fascination with sex and wealth, as well as overwhelmingly frequent use of Gothic settings and iconography. A contemporary descendant is the series of novels by Anne Rice, the most popular in a genre of modern stories which draw Vampires as their protagonists.

Other literary vampire tales include:

• Carmilla, perhaps the most atmospheric vampire story ever, written by Sheridan le Fanu
• Varney the Vampire or The Feast of Blood, by James Malcolm Rymer, a Victorian best-seller and pot-boiler
• Dracula by Bram Stoker (also the inspiration for many films)
• Interview with the Vampire and its sequels by Anne Rice (also a film)
• I am Legend by Richard Matheson - an interesting twist: vampirism is caused by a bacterium (the use of a wooden stake keeps air in the wound, preventing the bacterium from making repairs), and after the pandemic the hero is the last normal person in a world filled with vampires. It was original filmed as The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price and remade as The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston.
• From Dusk Till Dawn -- a film directed by Robert Rodriquez, co-written by and featuring Quentin Tarantino. It begins as one of Tarantino's more usual crime stories, but flips halfway through into a vampire film.
• Vampires -- a film by John Carpenter (very loosely based on the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley)
• Blade -- a comic book and film series, one in sub-genre which feature half-human half-vampire warriors or protagonists.
• Salem's Lot by Stephen King
• Nosferatu (also in a later remake with a brilliant Klaus Kinski)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel, one in a sub-genre which feature Vampire Hunters or Vampire Slayers, destined or specialized in killing the creatures.
• Fright Night (movies)
• The Season of Passage by Christopher Pike

• Vampire: The Masquerade
• Werewolf: The Apocalypse
• Mage: The Ascension

The "Vampyre subculture"

A more organized aspect of the subculture takes the form of a loosely organized secret society comprised of 'Houses' (similar to covens), sometimes divided into a hierarchy of individuals interested in vampirism, who have undergone an initiation rite. It should be noted that the drinking of human blood exposes the consumer to a range of blood-borne diseases, including Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.

Members of the subculture often prefer the spelling "vampyre" in order to distinguish itself from its mythic roots. They can typically be found in "underground" metro-area nightclubs.

• Chinese vampire
• Elizabeth Báthory

External links