The first one to document this phenomenon (and probably created it too!) was Bram Stoker.  I love this scene in the book and in Coppola’s film version too:  Dracula silently approaches Jonathan Harker as he is shaving in his room – Jonathan notices that the Count does not have a reflection. When Dracula notices the mirror he violently flings it away, as if repulsed by it.

Count Dracula

This myth of vampires casting no reflection in mirrors followed most vampire stories until the coming of Anne Rice’s luscious creations in the 1970′s.  Both Louis and Lestat cast reflections in mirrors and in Louis’ interview with the human, Daniel, he exposes the elements of vampire myths that were simply not true and gives Daniel the low down on the modern day vampire.

Lestat & Louis

Now, the folklore surrounding mirrors probably was the key to Stoker’s clever creation of this particular vampire myth.  In folklore, mirrors were known to reflect a person’s soul or spiritual double and were often covered when a person died, for fear of the soul becoming trapped inside the mirror. This practice of covering the mirrors when someone died continued into to 20th century.  Since vampires traditionally are suppose to be creatures without souls, you could definitely speculate that when a vampire takes a peek into a mirror that there is nothing there to reflect.  Maybe that is what Stoker was concluding…

Personally I think that vampires would definitely cast a reflection in mirrors.  They are physical beings (and some mighty fine beings I might add!) in the same world that we are in and must follow the same physical laws along with every other creature that inhabits this world.

An Inconvenience

I mean, how else do they shave and primp?

Dracula

I think it goes without saying… but please do not try any of this stuff as it can be extremely dangerous!

Lets go way back – some of the earliest beliefs on how to become a vampire are less gory than one would think. Some believed that a child born under certain circumstances or omens would become a vampire. Others believed that the victim of a violent death or suicide would make the transformation. If a body with an open wound (um… ew!) was not treated and cleaned with boiling water, some believed the body would transform into a vampire.

In the Chinese and Slavic legends and folklore, a vampire could be created if an animal (most commonly a cat or dog) jumped over the grave of a person recently deceased. In Russian vampire folklore they believed that people (mostly considered witches) who rebelled against the church would become vampires.

As we turn more towards the modern vampire that came into being in the late 1800′s with the literary vampires (The Vampyre, Dracula & Carmilla), we get the more widely known and accepted ways on how to become a vampire: the bite.

Sookie & Bill

This is the most widely known concept of becoming a vampire. The bite of the vampire, or the vampire’s kiss. Yes, just being bitten could turn one into a vampire.

I think the most fascinating turn on the bite of the vampire is the concept that a vampire must drain it’s victim nearly to the point of death, and then the victim must drink of the vampire’s blood. I find it so intriguing because this means the vampire has a choice, which can then be completely romanticized. The choice – to turn or not to turn… hmmm the vampire Hamlet. Nope, doesn’t work for me!

Then we go even further into the evolution on how to become a vampire and we get concepts such as a virus. Movies like 28 Days Later and Ultraviolet are examples of the viral vampire. And last, but not least, we have the realm of wonderful authors that come up with their own twists. Stephenie Meyer’s vampires from the Twilight Saga have a venom in their saliva and the House of Night series by the Casts have vampires who are kind of “called” into the life by a goddess and make a slow transformation into a vampire, marked by tattoos at each step in the transformation.

I am sure there are many more ways to become a vampire – and many more in the making.  Keep em coming!

Maybe I need to do a bit more reading and research, but the only story even remotely related to vampires in Scotland that I’ve found are the folkloric tales about the “Baobhan-sith” (pronounced baa’-van shee).

Baobhan-sith

Also known as the White Women of the Scottish Highlands, they would appear to men in the form of beautiful maidens in green dresses who lure the men into a dance.  The men would become exhausted, and the women would then drain their blood.

Besides drinking blood, another similarity to the modern day vampire is that they cannot tolerate the daylight. Although the Baobhan-sith are not said to have fangs, they use sharp fingernails to draw blood. Manicure, anyone?

So…  any more Scottish vampire stories out there?

Like the vampire, becoming a vampire has also evolved through myth, movies, stories and novels.  Apparently in older folklore, especially Slavic and Chinese traditions, if a dog or cat jumped over a corpse it would become one of the undead! Maybe I should put my cat out for the night…

Cat and Vampire lore

There are a few more traditional ways of becoming a vampire according to more recent and modern stories. And guys, you know not to do this at home, right? Riiiiiiiiight.

One transformation just requires being bitten That’s it. Easy and painful, from the descriptions. Another, which is the most traditional (and sensual if you ask me…) requires the vampire to bite, drain the blood, then have the one being changed drink some vampire blood. Sexy, right?  Ok, maybe not so much the way I describe it!

Dracula

Then we have the modern vampire authors, who with artistic freedom, gave us more explanations. In The Twilight Saga, vampires don’t really have fangs, but sharp teeth and a venom that spreads through the body.

Edward Cullen

I also found some postings that you can become a vampire through spells, but honestly, the other ways sound waaaaaaaaay more intriguing.

I’ll post more lore as I come across it. Happy Hunting.

Edward Cullen

What was once an atrocious monster stalking us in nightmares has evolved over the years into an exquisite mysterious creature that generally is misunderstood.  Regardless of their violent nature, we are obsessed with the idea and image of the vampire.  We lust after them.  And lately with the success of Twilight, True Blood and the Vampire Chronicles a few years ago (just to name a few!) it’s got me hooked once again.

Lestat

I know I am obsessed, I have loved and adored stories of vampires since I was a little girl and can’t honestly say why I love them so much, other than the reasons I stated above!  So I intend to search for that here – I’ll read, I’ll watch and maybe I’ll find more answers.  The search and evolution is fascinating!

Bill Compton