Historical Aspects of the Vampire Myth - Case Study Example

Dear I do not understand why you do not read the messages I send you – but this is the final revision I will perform for this order. Vlad Tepes is Vlad Dracula (same as Vlad the Impaler. If you read the sentence I wrote you will see that it says the Dracula legend and the lore of vampires goes even BEFORE this historical figure. Name Date professor’s Name Course Section/# Title: Vampires: A Discussion of Legend and Human Knowledge Abstract: The following discussion will be focused on providing the reader with an understanding of the historical aspects of the vampire myth. Alongside this, the discussion will also provide an in depth review of the superstitious nature of this belief and the ultimate causation that people within parts of Eastern Europe had for integrating with such an odd superstition in the first place. Rather than demeaning and ridiculing the belief in vampires, the structure of the research will instead be focused upon how faulty human understanding, divorced from the scientific method, can lead to incorrect, dangerous, and absurd beliefs that are entirely unsubstantiated by fact. The interest in vampires has reached a fervor pitch in recent years. This is proven by the way that Hollywood and authors have made millions on the interest of the general public in vampires. However, even though this superstition is not one that is widely believed, it held a very realistic grip upon the minds and imaginations of individuals throughout parts of Eastern Europe for many centuries. History: Tracing its roots to early Slavic spiritualism, the belief in a blood sucking spirit that preyed upon both man and beast was effectively created, as are so many superstitions, out of an unnatural fear and misunderstanding with respect to natural processes and/or an irrational fear of death (Garza, 2009). According to early Slavic spiritualism, the soul of the deceased would wander for 40 days after death; sometimes coming back to re-inhabit the body of the deceased. For this reason, individuals would open doors or windows of the house that the deceased resided; as a means of facilitating the dying process and allowing the spirit to have a degree of peace. Furthermore, a prime emphasis was placed upon the need to perform proper burial rights so that the spirit may rest and not be in a state of confusion or anger with the remaining individuals who were alive (Keymer, 2008). Naturally, none of this had any basis whatsoever in fact; instead, it was the creation of successive generations that added to the myths and propagated specific actions as a means of creating further superstition and tradition that could be engaged to ward off the potential for “evil”. Cultural Significance and Location: Although it is incorrectly believed that the Dracula story is the source of the vampire legend, the fact of the matter is that it predates Vlad Tepes (or Vlad the Impaler) by hundreds of year; even pre-dating the introduction of Christianity within many parts of Europe; according to some anthropologists. As a means of better understanding the vampire myth and the means that it captured the imaginations and beliefs of individuals within the period of time in question, the following analysis will provide a historical overview alongside an explanation for the way in which incorrect scientific understanding and fear of death and its effects lead individuals to propagate and defend this myth; oftentimes incorporating it as a part of their own spirit based religious beliefs. As such, the belief in vampires can be traced to parts of Eastern and Southern Europe; specifically the areas around Transylvania and Romania in and around the 11th centuries. Why People Believe in Vampires: Interestingly, unlike many of the other myths that could be analyzed, the case of the vampire myth at least partially engages with the scientific method. The reason behind this has to do with the fact that individuals would oftentimes dig up the dead and observe the fact that they had a very pale complexion and the process of decomposition would make them appear bloated; so that the observers would assume that they were somehow still being fed and rather than completely dead; living in a state between death and life. Moreover, the propensity of the individual that is in an early stage of decomposition to have blood leaking from their mouth or eyes furthered the myth that this was indication that the “undead” was feasting on the flesh of the living. Furthermore, after observing the blood, seeing the bloated corpse, and realizing that the hair and fingernails continued to grow even after the individual was buried, the hypothesis that was derived was that the undead corpse was in a suspended state of life. Furthermore, as a result of the decomposition process, the gums oftentimes recede and the lips quickly draw back; revealing teeth that appeared as if they had “grown”. Naturally, the use of the “scientific method” to determine this hypothesis is fundamentally flawed; as the evidence that was utilized to support the hypothesis was inconclusive and pointed to alternate explanations as well. However, it is still worthy of noting that the scientific method of observation and postulation were at least initially employed as a means of seeking to determine what might have caused the “life like” appearance that these corpses had when exhumed. As time went on, the further belief was that those who were cursed or those that led a particularly deviant life, even those that did not have proper burial rights administered, were at an increased risk of becoming a vampire after death (Rosenblum, 2009). The superstition grew and waned; depending upon what region of Eastern Europe is under discussion. However, in some parts, the superstition became so strong that those who were suspected of having lived a corrupted life or those that did not have the proper burial rights administered were disinterred and had a stake driven through their heart as a means of ensuring that they would not come back to torment those that remained alive (Beale, 2007) How the Myth was Proven Wrong: As medical understanding came to be exhibited to a further degree, the belief in vampires slowly began to decline. Further, as the influence of Christianity encouraged individuals to dispel the myths of the spirit world, the influence that this cultural tradition and belief had upon the minds of individuals slowly began to decrease (Primuth, 2014). Yet, of these two factors, it was the influence of science that had the most profound impact on discouraging people from believing in the myth. The understanding of the process of death and decomposition, the process of human circulation and its requirement for life all contributed to people coming to understand that the myth of the vampire was nothing more than fanciful imagination (Jana, 2003). As Carl Sagan notes, the superstition and the mystery of the spirit world were slowly destroyed by the reason and testing that science and scientific discovery were able to provide. Conclusion: From the information that has been thus far presented, the reader can come to the understanding that the creation of the vampire myth was at least partially born out of a desire to explain processes and observations that apparently had no other explanation. As human knowledge improved and the technology to measure the difference between life and death became more advanced, the belief in such superstitions eventually faded from memory; except for the occasional book or movie that recalls how humans used to engage the world and belief in myth and fantasy. Rather than understanding science as an impersonal tool that does not allow for a degree of belief or imagination, the reader should instead engage with the understanding that science is a powerful mechanism through which the individual can seek to determine fact from fiction. By employing the scientific method and applying reason to the situations that have been described, it is doubtful if any such superstition could have ever arisen. References Beale, L. (2007, January 14). A Variation On Vampire Story That Wont Die. New York Times. p. 18. Garza, T. J. (2009). Vampire Fantasy: From the Writings of Jan Louis Perkowski. Slavic & East European Journal, 53(1), 133-134. Jana, M. (2003). Undead, But Cool. Newsweek, 142(18), 80. Keymer, D. (2008). From Demons to Dracula: The Creation of the Modern Vampire Myth. Library Journal, 133(20), 145. PRIMUTH, R. S. (2014). Vampires Are Us. Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, 21(2), 17-21. Rosenblum, D. (2009). The Vampire Book: The Legends, the Lore, the Allure. School Library Journal, 55(12), 142. Read More