Vampires

One Conventional character I wish to include within my film is a female vampire. I plan for her to be the main character as the narrative will revolve around her, the following is some research I have done which will help me achieve the stereotypical look of a vampire;

Birth of a Legend

The vampire is a truly global creature with myths related to death, whom rise to drink the blood of the living in any part of the world. The Vampire has held humans enthralled for centuries; we see the most vampire folklore in the stories of Slavic people. Perhaps the reason being is that historically there are a high population of gypsies in that area. The migration of these gypsies has been traced back across the continent to northern India, where religion had a cast of certain bloodthirsty deities and creatures. In theory with this being the base of folklore, the gypsies picked up the bits and pieces of other legends considering they migrated toward the north-west and as a result altered the folklore of the Slavic nations.

According to the legend victims of vampires either die or become one themselves.  Other  ways in which one can become a vampire include;

•          A child born under certain omens
•          Animals jumping over a dead body
•          Someone who committed suicide
•          Practising withcraft

Even inanimate objects and animals were thought to be able to become vampires, such as pumpkins, watermelons and other fruit that was left out after a certain amount of time. Latches left open too long, dogs, horses, sheep and snakes are among the objects with vampiric potential, generally in older superstitions of the Slavic gypsy community. Vampires were thought to be able to take the form of a bat and take control of creatures such as rats and wolves. Some types of Vampires were endowed with the ability to fly, most vampire of legends slept in coffins or returned to the earth to sleep in their grave.  According to legend vampires were not allowed to pass running water, could not see their reflection in a mirror, enter a place uninvited or tolerate the symbol of the Christian crucifix.

Humans believed they could protect themselves from a vampire by holding up a cross or crucifix in front of one, this was thought to be especially powerful in the Christian countries . Garlic was another popular form of repellent as well as hawthorn and the mountain ash (rowan). Scattering seeds was also a defence, as vampires were expected to become involved in counting every single one that they would either loose interest or get caught once the sun had come up. Iron shavings were placed beneath a child’s cradle, a necklace with an iron nail was worn and other iron objects were situated around a particular environment.

Modern Vampires

Vampires portrayed in modern literature today are a lot different that the vampires of the old, they do not necessarily have the same limitations the vampires had from many legends ago.  Garlic and crosses offer no protection against them and they can walk around during the day, they are not always considered to be un-dead but rather another species of human entirely. Usually they still own extraordinary  powers as their strength and speed surpasses any humans and their senses are heightened to a preternatural level. The need for blood however still exists.