The Universal Vampire: Origins and Evolution of a Legend

by Barbara Brodman (editor), James E. Doan (Editor)

Since the publication of John Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819), the vampire has been a mainstay of Western culture, appearing consistently in literature, art, music (notably opera), film, television, graphic novels and popular culture in general. Even before its entrance into the realm of arts and letters in the early nineteenth century, the vampire was a feared creature of Eastern European folklore and legend, rising from the grave at night to consume its living loved ones and neighbors, often converting them at the same time into fellow vampires.

A major question exists within vampire to what extent is this creature a product of European cultural forms, or is the vampire indeed a universal, perhaps even archetypal figure? In this collection of sixteen original essays, the contributors shed light on this question. One essay traces the origins of the legend to the early medieval Norse draugr, an “undead” creature who reflects the underpinnings of Dracula, the latter first appearing as a vampire in Anglo-Irish Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula.

In addition to these investigations of the Western mythic, literary and historic traditions, other essays in this volume move outside Europe to explore vampire figures in Native American and Mesoamerican myth and ritual, as well as the existence of similar vampiric traditions in Japanese, Russian and Latin American art, theatre, literature, film, and other cultural productions.

The female vampire looms large, beginning with the Sumerian goddess Lilith, including the nineteenth-century Carmilla, and moving to vampiresses in twentieth-century film, literature, and television series. Scientific explanations for vampires and werewolves constitute another section of the book, including eighteenth-century accounts of unearthing, decapitation and cremation of suspected vampires in Eastern Europe. The vampire’s beauty, attainment of immortality and eternal youth are all suggested as reasons for its continued success in contemporary popular culture.

Genres: Nonfiction

262 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2013

Reviews

[David Allenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the essays were excellent: The Draugr in Icelandic Sagas, a re-evaluation of medical reports from the 18th century, the adoption of 'Beautiful Vampires' in Japan, and a comparison of Carmilla and Let the Right One In.

Some of the essays had flaws: the essay on Indigenous American myths would have been better focused on Meso-American, the essay on Russian fantasy should be revised since Lukyanenko had written books focusing on Vampires since then, and the chapter on vampires in Irish literature could have had more focus on vampires.

And a few essays were founding on claptrap. There are some historical theories like: aliens built Stonehenge, the pyramids of Egypt and Meso-America, and the statues of Easter Island that belong in the trashbin of history. Enough said.

I'm planning to read Images of the Modern Vampire. I'm hoping that will have some essays on blood-drinkers from Polynesia and science-fiction vampires.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of essays was a bit all over the place but had enough interesting entries to justify reading it. While its purported unifying criteria was vampires, more than a few entries stretched the connection, from a discussion of Irish literature precursors to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to the authenticity of the Romanian food presented in Dracula, to the gender dynamics of a Dracula/King Arthur comic mashup. Others, however, were more on point and quite interesting, from the history of women in vampire myth and literature, to the introduction and transformation of the vampire in Japanese literature and even a detailed analysis of the symbolism in Le Fanu’s “Carmilla” contrasted with Alfredson’s “Let the Right One In”. While the collection will probably not hold the attention of the merely curious, the keen vampire fan should find enough gold nuggets among the iffy entries to be worth the read.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is better than Blood Read. The essays in this collection do the same thing as the essays in Blood Read, but the essays in this collection feel better researched. Maybe it's because they seem more relevant to my research on the vampire's history and it's sexual implications. Maybe it's because the pop culture is more relevant to my research too. This one is just better, read it.

[Kayleigh Marie Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very competent collection of essays on the subject and came in very useful for a research paper, I would recommend this.