Why Death and the Vampire Fascination Has Survived Over the Ages
The vampire has long been established as a
powerful icon of our culture. Many are tempted to
believe that the power and popularity of the fanged
beast are simply explained by our collective love
for danger.
Yes, the vampire is dangerous. There is no
question that he (or she!) has taken his position
among horror monsters that will survive the ages.
However, few creatures inspire the kind of devotion
you find in followers of the vampire. Few people are
as fascinated with the mummy or Frankenstein's monster as they are with
the creatures of the night.
I agree with the "danger theory" wholeheartedly as an explanation for the
pervasive nature of horror in general, but I tend to think the reasoning behind
the vampire's vast history has more to do with the most universal and
powerful of human fears: the fear of death.
From a folkloric standpoint, the vampire may have served as mythic
explanation for a process that few cultures understood historically. Death
has always been a mystery, but never more so than prior to the
developments of science and medicine that have evolved in this century.
Humans have always tried to understand the world around them; our thirst
and capacity for learning are unlimited. Historically, however, something that
cannot be understood or explained is relegated to the breeding ground from
which springs myth and superstition. How many things are "known" to cause
bad luck, for example? Spilled salt, walking underneath a ladder, a black cat
crossing our path... the list goes on and on. The vampire's presence in
folklore indicates that its purpose may well have been to explain through
superstition what could not be understood through any other means: the
mystery of death.
In modern times, death is better understood, but not fully; old superstitions
are always just beneath the surface. Death still frightens people more than
anything else. We're still not sure as a culture what happens after death -
which is why we have everything from cryogenic corpse preservation to
elaborate Roman Catholic funerals. Stephen King once said, "Burial is a
mystery, but death is a secret." Media today (from film to fiction and beyond)
is a reflection of these beliefs and fears - which is why the vampire continues
to hold us in thrall.
The vampire, to some, is still a representation of a frightening truth in our
lives - every living thing must die. The vampire fascinates us because his very
nature is the antithesis of that truth. He died in order to have existence, and
his existence is fed by the death of others.
To others, the vampire of today represents the ability we all wish we had -
the ability to cheat death, to overcome it and continue to exist. It can be a
romantic vision - this creature is immortal, and yet no other creature on earth
knows death as intimately as he. What a delicious dichotomy.
Email: jesster@micron.net
