Lycan
Jun 15 2005, 02:43 PM
What exactly makes all of you so mystified by vampires? All throughout mythos Vampire are eather portrayed as the stuck up aristocrats of the mystical world, or in the case of most asian cultures they are viewed as lower then leppers and those with the plague.
In my opinion, as well as in my personal experience, those who would commonly be called "Werewolves" are much more powerful, and have a much more honorable place in mythos. Norse and Celtic warriors were said to be able to change themselves into animals, usually bears and wolfs, and there are tales dating back to the roman empire about how fearsome they were to behold.
I'm just curious as to what exactly is the draw you all feel tward the Vampiric culture. Personally I know people who claim to be vampires, I hold them no ill will, but I do not understand the desire to be something that feeds on some one else.
drk_phreak
Jun 16 2005, 01:52 AM
There could be many answers to this question, as it depends solely on the person in question. Myself i do not really claim to be a vampire but the cultural aspect of it fascinates me. Vampires, though portrayed as killers, hunters, demons and fiends are also seen in a different light - there are also perceived and portrayed in a romantic lime light. Beautiful creatures who are immortal, gracious, strong elegant, charasmatic .... the list goes on. Needless to say, there are a variaty of reasons. Some just enjoy the whole myst & mystery surrounding the vampirism.
Now Werewolves ... i have nothing against them. I myself like the whole idea of being able to transform into another animal!
Well this is my opinion, but i'm sure othere may note different reasons!!
Ravager
Jun 16 2005, 02:58 PM
I'm amazed by the "culture" that was given to vampires by books.
Read some books and you'll notice some things. Like an almost null difference between humans and "vampires".
Though there are some interesting myths that were associated with what in some point of history came to be the vampire.
dhampir 1946
Jun 21 2005, 04:32 PM
Lucan, I'm not sure what draws others to the subject of vampires. For me I read about them, watch movies about them, and have done so since I was a child. I don't exactly have a facination about them but all things mystical. These include the Fae, witches, were's, and vampires. As to them living off others. Many humans do this as well, they are parasites. I have never personally met a vampire or were, but I believe. Even though I am a so called adult I still believe in fantasy, read about it and watch it. It enriches my life. Hope this answers your question.
Aeon
Jun 21 2005, 05:25 PM
QUOTE (Lycan @ Jun 15 2005, 07:43 PM)
What exactly makes all of you so mystified by vampires? All throughout mythos Vampire are eather portrayed as the stuck up aristocrats of the mystical world, or in the case of most asian cultures they are viewed as lower then leppers and those with the plague.
In my opinion, as well as in my personal experience, those who would commonly be called "Werewolves" are much more powerful, and have a much more honorable place in mythos. Norse and Celtic warriors were said to be able to change themselves into animals, usually bears and wolfs, and there are tales dating back to the roman empire about how fearsome they were to behold.
I'm just curious as to what exactly is the draw you all feel tward the Vampiric culture. Personally I know people who claim to be vampires, I hold them no ill will, but I do not understand the desire to be something that feeds on some one else.
May I speak for the females?
Because there -is- a similarity between vampires and werewolves.
(the difference doesn't much matter in leu of lifestylers vs. spiritual inclination. If you were a werebeast, The lifestyle is much the same as that of a vampyre... If not completely.)
Oh, and no woman wants to be a dog, thing... That's mythologically accepted and viewed as a mange-riddled and uncontrollably angry, slobbering mutt.
Not that I'm offending you, either.
But welcome to vampires.com
:*
Azriela
Jun 25 2005, 11:09 PM
Vamprism, or the view thereof has changed/ evolved throughout history. The reason I think for them being held in high regard is the romanticism of the creatures. The unknown, the sensuality of power and grace beyond what we can achieve does contribute to it. When talking about culture however it does depend on what the culture base finds appealing as Ms. Fate was pointing out. There is nothing sexy about morphing in a werewolf; and they're not portrayed as the most handsome creatures either.
They've been downplayed for those reasons, not necessarily feared but overlooked. So again I'd agree with Ms. Fate.
As for the desire to feed on something else; that gives the "feeder" power (and knowledge based on who's perspective we're using) and that is something that is craved by most. The illusiveness and the just the lifestyle is also appealing to those who want more, and to those who think the lives that they have are too mundane.
Khrymzynn
Jun 26 2005, 05:27 PM
Well now, let me add my own input to this. Lycan, would I be far off if I were to surmise that you play the roleplaying games released by White Wolf Studios? Or were you just a big fan of the Van Helsing movie starring Hugh Jackman?
You mention that the legendry of werewolves portrays them as more powerful and more honorable than vampires, but I perceive a completely opposite trend. Sure, one could mention the baresarks (don't correct my spelling, I know what I wrote) of Norse legends, who were supposed to turn into wild bears in the heat of battle. And there are other legends of humans that turn into wolves, though these legends can be hard to seperate from the vampire mythos. But the bottom line is that until the Howling movies and the American Werewolf films, and Werewolf the Apocalypse, the werewolf mythos was almost exclusively about a human being who would transform into a wolf during the full moon. And that wolf was usually a deranged beast that would actively hunt down the werewolf's own human family. It was not about power, it was a curse pure and simple, it was about being helpless to keep yourself from hurting those closest to you. Lon Chaney's Wolfman movies did not change that much, except to introduce the wolf-man 'hybrid' into the mix. Follow that with Teen Wolf, which made it a little more superhero-ish, and then you have the current trend of the powerful, supernatural werewolf creature that you most likely refer to in your post, Lycan. The idea that werewolves can only be harmed by silver is hard to trace, and it is hard to seperate the werewolf-silver stories from the vampire-silver stories. I have not been able to seperate those threads, myself. Too many stories, too much overlap, too many conflicts.
No, ever since King Lycos first took on fun and claws, the werewolf was a cursed creature, doomed and somewhat tragic. Hell, if anything the werewolf is a more tragic figure than the vampire. But honorable? Powerful? Nah. Only in certain aspects of pop fiction, and even then they were only powerful and honorable as a reaction to the popularity of vampire fiction.
Feeder_Of_Life
Jun 27 2005, 06:16 PM
Elizabeth Bathory tied virgins to a large bell in her cathedral and struck it across the walls to rain blood.... breathtaking. Vlad awarded his homeland their freedom. Vampires have acheived many great things, whereas the shapeshifters merely live in a world entirely different from youre average Joe's world. Everything has a niche, and laws of nature cannot be broken, there will be checks and balances, period. The Vampire takes chaos where chaos is needed, destruction where needed, no matter how small, or large scale it is still necessary. Stagnant energies must be made afresh, and put to use. We carry with us the divider between death and rebirth.
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