What Makes Vampires Scary, part 2
November 23rd, 2024
To me at least, their frequent access to earthly power in the form of wealth and status is an important part of what makes Vampires such compelling villains.
It is a common theory that Stoker’s Count Dracula was partially based on Vlad the Impaler, Dracul being the family name of the Walachian Prince, for the gruesome ways he would kill his enemies in battle. Along with the executions of those he expected might usurp him, these actions launched a fleet of even bloodier rumors.
In this case, as with unfortunately many cases, the rumors are more important to the folklore than the true history. If word was that Vlad III tortured every prisoner before he executed them or took his bread dipped in blood, that would make its way into the collective unconscious faster than his family life or upbringing.
(enjoy my awful drawing ;D)
What stuck, I think, in the minds of horror writers from these rumors was a question, and in a sense, a contradiction.
The contradiction was that of a rightful monarch, one of the members of society others were meant to trust simply based on birthright, many believing them to be ordained by God, could have such darkness in their heart.
The question was “If those in power aren’t as pure as we hoped they’d be, what does that mean for us?”
Of course, being Eastern European in origin, for the Irish Bram Stoker’s inspirations, as well as the American film adaptation, were likely tinged with some amount of xenophobia, which also unfortunately should not be discounted for how it factors into the fear a character inspires.
As much as vampires and similar sentient monsters are related to the question of how much darkness can reside in a mind as human in intelligence as yours, it is important to understand that they were just as often used in accusations of monstrosity against real groups of all kinds.
Beyond their ability to ensnare, the relative humanity of vampires allows us not just to see the worst of ourselves in them, but also project evil traits onto others, for better or for worse.
