Are Vampires Real?

Of all the creatures in folklore, the vampire is probably the most famous. The reason for this is fairly obvious. People are familiar with the legend of the vampire through constant appearances on television, film, and in print. The vampire is a creature that is much older than many people realize. Most assume vampires originate from the Eastern Europe of the Middle Ages. Actually, the vampire legend dates back as far as the Babylonian period. And this brings us to a unique question: are vampires real? Well, it depends on how you define real.

In terms of the supernatural vampire, the answer is obviously no. People do not rise from the grave and feed on human blood. In fact, there is much proof regarding where the legend of the vampire derives from.

In some instances, a long dead body could avoid decomposing for upwards of a decade based upon properties in the soil in which it is buried. Now, when such a body is discovered in a region where pestilence and disease are spreading, primitive cultures could have blamed the spread of disease based on the presence of such a unique corpse. Additionally, since people believed that blood represented the complete life force of a human being, it was assumed the corpse was draining people’s blood. Hence, it was the “stolen” blood that allowed the corpse to avoid decomposing.

In time, the legend of the vampire spread through a series of folklore tales. These tales proved popular enough that longer works on the subject of vampirism were produced. The most famous of which were Varney the Vampire and, of course, Dracula. The popularity of these works would cement the vampire into popular culture. This would play a role in the development of people who actually believed themselves to be vampires.

People who believe themselves to be vampires will crave the drinking of human blood. In most instances, these human “vampires” are harmless and indulge in their bizarre tastes in the privacy of their own home. However, they have been instances where people who believed themselves to be murderers have committed murder in the pursuit of their bizarre needs. However, such individuals are not “real” supernatural vampires. They are mentally deranged and believe themselves to be the legendary creatures.

So, are vampires real? Well, they can be as real as you believe them to be or as real as you extend the definition of what is a vampire. Either way, it is helpful to always watch yourself when venturing out at night.