Drawing Blood
It’s vampire mania with the onset of Twilight, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, and a whole lot of other vampiric media that’s feasted upon our attention. Trends come and go, and come back again’apparently it’s vampires again but it’s not the first time vampires captured the fancy of the human race. Vampires exist in records as far back as the ancient Greek period, and Count Dracula continues to be an icon even from the year of 1897. And now we have a new icon, Robert Pattinson, better (or preferably) known as Edward Cullen. Vampires will never cease to fascinate.
But what is it about nocturnal, monstrous undead creatures drawing blood from our necks that appeals so much to the masses? Admittedly, in the past the ‘appeal’ might have had to do more with fear, but these days vampires seem to be considered attractive rather than repulsive. Or maybe it’s just vampires like Edward Cullen that people like so much’brooding and vicious, but a kind soul who wouldn’t possibly hurt humans. At the same time, there exists a vampire subculture in which vampires aren’t drawing blood, but life force from other beings. This kind of vampire puts a psychic spin on the vampire stereotype. Either way, it’s interesting to see how the idea of vampires has evolved since earlier times.
Ideas have to have come from somewhere, and it’s unclear how the idea of vampires originated. We only know that the concept has been around for a long time and even has international prevalence. More recently, it was suggested that the notion of vampires may have risen from porphyria, a term that encompasses genetic disorders that affect the skin and nervous system. It was said that this condition made patients overly sensitive to light and garlic, and in need blood, which is where the idea of vampires drawing blood from humans may have come from. However, this idea was debunked by scientists who say there is no evidence of porphyria patients exhibiting these symptoms.
So most of the drawing blood you’ll see these days is probably in the hospital, and you’ll mostly likely be able to see vampires when it’s Halloween. Nevertheless, vampires remain a fascinating concept and they reveal some insight into human culture. People are drawn to the grotesque and fantastical, and sometimes they may accept things as truth without proof. They also like characters like Edward Cullen, angsty and dangerous yet tame enough for human consumption.
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