I was advised to create a separate topic on this subject, so here it is. :)

I always wondered, why do vampires use that word to call themselves while it is so often associated with those old myths and is so different from what they actually are. Why do you stick to this label and not use something different to identify yourself? Wouldn't it create much less confusion? Or is there some other reason why you are using the word?

This is all going on common assumption, but I'd say the name ame from the vampire bat.

I think it's actually the other way around - vampire bat was named so because of it's analogy with vampires.

I have always been called a vampyre. I gave myself a better name centuries ago that I like better...Night Goddess......*smiles and winks*

But honestly I do not really know where the name came from. It was before Hollywood I can assure you that.

I am to tired and hungry to think straight at the moment...give me a day or two and I will come up with something.

-Irishvamp-

Doubt it, I'd be greatly surprised to find out a speicies of bat was disscovered after a myth or story or folk lore was created and they just happened to be that incredibly similar. It'd be absolutely unbeleivable.

vampire

Vam"pire, n. [F. vampire (cf. It. vampiro, G. & D. vampir), fr. Servian vampir.] [Written also vampyre.] 1. A blood-sucking ghost; a soul of a dead person superstitiously believed to come from the grave and wander about by night sucking the blood of persons asleep, thus causing their death. This superstition is now prevalent in parts of Eastern Europe, and was especially current in Hungary about the year 1730.

The persons who turn vampires are generally wizards, witches, suicides, and persons who have come to a violent end, or have been cursed by their parents or by the church, --Encyc. Brit.

2. Fig.: One who lives by preying on others; an extortioner; a bloodsucker.

3. (Zo["o]l.) Either one of two or more species of South American blood-sucking bats belonging to the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. These bats are destitute of molar teeth, but have strong, sharp cutting incisors with which they make punctured wounds from which they suck the blood of horses, cattle, and other animals, as well as man, chiefly during sleep. They have a c[ae]cal appendage to the stomach, in which the blood with which they gorge themselves is stored.

4. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of harmless tropical American bats of the genus Vampyrus, especially V. spectrum. These bats feed upon insects and fruit, but were formerly erroneously supposed to suck the blood of man and animals. Called also false vampire.

Vampire bat (Zo["o]l.), a vampire, 3.




Apparently, the word is from slavic origin.

Vampire Bats were first discovered in South America, but I guess that the word vampire existed before the time America was discovered by Columb. And, as Clearwitch said, the Vampyrum species indeed do not suck blood and were called so, because they were thought to do so, but in reality they eat insects and fruits. Ironically there is another species of vampire bats called Desmodontidae, that does feed on blood of animals and in very rare cases of sleeping humans.

That would mean that they were called vampires because the word vampire allready had a meaning.

weird.....i started this exact topic a week ago and i was slammled for it....now you do it?

The word is not Vampire anyway....i often use the term because it is easy to understand for humans in conversation....most of us refer to ourselves as Upir or Uphyr, some use the term Vampyr.

:)

oh and Vampire bat came from Vampire...note Vampires that are mostly recognised in myth are European yet the Vampire bat is from south america....and they do drink blood, but they don't suck it. Their teeth are very sharp sort of points that slice the top of the skin off the animal and they lap the blood- much like we do....

The whole jamming the fangs in the neck and sucking through fangs that humans seem to believe came from Dracula performed by Chrisopher Lee.

We refer to ourselves as Vampire because it is easier for you to understand...

most of us refer to ourselves as Upir or Uphyr, some use the term Vampyr.

now i could be wrong but all of these word closely resemble vampire, to the point that some one who says it is vampYre i have to look at with the same light as those people who are not girl but gyrl, the thought and the meaning is still the same, it's like pop or soda, different name but same thing. i thnk most vampire calls themselve that because it is what they were thaught was the thing they want to be, powerful, sleek, romantic person of the night. so i doubt that vampyre, upir, uphyr, or vampyr is going to go very far, whats the fun in being a being of the night when no one can pronunce your name

Maybe it's easier to understand, but it creates a lot of confusion as well. At least it's not fair to criticize mortals for thinking of vampires as of some creature from myths with superpowers and immortality, because you yourself use the word associated with that to call yourself.

By the way, the word 'upir' is actually the slavic term for 'vampire', meaning the same and again referring to those same myths.

you asked why we call ourselves Vampire and i gave you an answer. Upir is not slavic anyways ;)

google is not an exhaustive search engine

why do people ask and then are angry at the answer given??

Typical humans.....

This is what i use.

Vampire :- mortal Vampires , like the Sangui , Psi , Emotional , etc...

Vampyre :- Immortal Vamps like the Genetic , inherator , Classical , etc.


Why:-

I call the "immortals" Vampyre because the meaning of the word Vampyre is rougly "Someone that raises from the grave... Animated Courps that is Immortal". It is true that we arnt Animated Courps however we are "immortal" to a certain extent.

I don't even call myself a vampire 'cos everyone will try to avoid me, It remove me a lot of trouble.

I personally prefer the word Sanguine but vampire is a nominal term which allthough missunderstood is recognised by many. In personal terms i use Sanguine, in net terms i use vampire. simplicity ails understanding.

I didn't got angry actually and I do not understand why did you thought that I did. If my reply seemed like that, then I apologize as that was not my intention. What I wanted is to have a discussion about the topic.

Considering the term 'upir'. If it is not slavic, then would you please tell of it's origins? I have more then once encountered it's use in the slavic languages, specifically in the myths about vampires. By the way... from the www.vampires.com front page...



Also, I do not exactly understand why do you mention Google...

I think that we use the term..... because for all practical purposes........ it best discribes who and what we are. Are there other words that we could use to discribe ourselves.....sure. Do they encompass as much of our nature as the word vampire........ I would say no.
The word vampire calls to mind a type of feeding. The taking of human blood, or in broader connotation .... the taking of human lifeforce, energy, or emotion.... etc. There are other things about the word that describe attributes that are associated with the word vampire. Are those who come here saying that they are Dracula incarnate..... a Rice vampire....... the undead......... or of immortal body........ no.... at least not most.

If one comes here looking for the legend to step forth into reality. I fear the wait may be long and in the end.....disappointing. If however, you look at the word "vampire" and apply to it a broader definition .... then perhaps the word "vampire" suits us quite well.

We just touched on this topic in another thread. So.. I went back and located this thread.

As we have so many new members coming to this part of the site... I am bumping this topic back up.

There seems to be a huge amount of confusion among some of our new members to what a vampire is. I think that you will find that there are two distinct ways in which this word is used.

The first to discribe the vampires of legend, modern fiction and movies.

The second... to discribe HLV's, or modern vampires.

God I was a moody asshole.....lol

Probally for the same reason humans call themselves humans.

Oh okay people here's my theory :

Vampyres - real vampires - that is how they are known today...

We all have very similar characteristics to The vampires of myth *all the vampires of myth in china,india,europe...early Rome...etc.

Today the medical vampyres have adopted the name Vampyre because the characteristics experienced from their disease is very similar to the vampyres talked about in legend...Vampyres did not first call themselves vampires but were labelled by society as that name...
(this i believed happened in the late 17th century when persons thought people with anemia...etc to be vampires...

Because It sound COOL... :D

Gee thanks Celeste .... that really helps. I always wanted to be cool. ~sighs~ No wait ... I mean cold... ~pauses for a moment~ .... never mind ... I think I have that down pretty well at the moment.
~wanders off for a snack and a larger drink~ ... it is after all after 5:00pm somewhere in the world.

as opposed to the human's who only get pissed off because you DON'T answer? :P

typical Upir