Friday, October 31, 2008

Vampires II

Psychotic vampire- A psychotic vampire is a person who has a sociopath mental illness that leads him (an exclusive male trait) to behave like a vampire, and sometimes to actually self-identify as one. In most cases, this identification is with folkloric/fictional vampires such as Dracula, Anne Rice's characters or the vampires in role-playing games. But more usually, psychotic vampires are simply obsessed with blood and will commit brutal crimes without remorse in order to see, taste, and feel it. Some may also take on the travesty-go of vampyre lifestylers by wearing capes, sleeping in coffins, filling their homes with skulls, bones, and souvenirs stolen from cemeteries through they should not be confused with true lifestylers. *See Richard Trenton Chase

Human Living Vampires (HLV's)- are individuals who, while they firmly assert that they are essentially human beings, and to all external appearances are exactly that, nevertheless have pronounced vampiric characteristics having a need, compulsion, or involuntary tendency to "feed" upon some substance or some kind of energy produced by other living things, primarily other people. HLV's fall into two main classes: sanguinarians who experience blood-lust or blood-craving, and "psychic vampires" or "psi-vampires". Boundaries among categories can be hazy and overlap considerably, and there is no rule that says a bona fide HLV might not also be interested in lifestyle vamping or be a blood fetishist. Within these two larger categories, there are several subdivisions among self-defined HLV's. There are also a number of different "theories" proposed by HLV's to explain their own origin, or the cause(s) of their conditions. Human Living Vampires are human beings who are born, grow up, age, and fully expect to die at the end of a conventional lifespan. No HLV claims to be immortal, invincible, or possessed of supernatural abilities.

However, many members of these groups believe themselves to have some form of sensory amplification or extrasensory perception, such as:

-Improved night-vision, sometimes to the point of being able to see without even moonlight
-Stinging of the skin when exposed to sunlight
-An ability to sense other vampires
-Broader range of senses
-Prescience, or the capacity to instinctively predict the immediate future
-Perception of auras

Although some report enhanced strength, stamina, resistance to disease, and so forth, in no case do these traits exceed the limits of human norms. They are prone to any illness or injury that afflicts human beings. They can and do have children. They have normal nutritional requirements (although some HLV's report unusual food cravings, allergies or aversions) and in all other ways are bound by natural law.

Both blood-drinking and psi-draining HLVs use the term "feed" to refer to what they actually do. Representatives of both groups have made strong statements to the effect that "feeding" (on blood or "energy") is what makes a Human Living Vampire what it is, and that other identifying "traits" or characteristics (if any) are of little or no importance.

"Feeding" appears to be a given not an option; an HLV must feed, feels a compulsion to do so, in the case of psychic vampires may do so involuntarily, and yet nobody seems to understand why. This desire to feed also identified as the Thirst, Hunger or the Need, bears strong parallels with drug addiction. Pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, and sometimes even body temperature, increase in anticipation of the act of feeding. Blood-craving HLV's assert that only the communion of taking blood from a consenting human donor, sometimes during sex, is truly satisfying to them. The "need" that HLV's experience is for a fix, not a meal. The chief concern for most HLV's seems to be how to "feed" more efficiently, how to find "donors", how to guarantee a regular supply of the needed substance, and so forth--very similar to drug addicts.

"Secondary symptoms" of vampirism (that are not directly related to an HLV's craving for blood and/or energy) include sensitivity to sunlight, a tendency to be awake and alert at night but lethargic during the day, migraine headaches as a common malady.

Here's a video clip of National Geographic episode on vampires:

Vampires

Creature
Name: Vampire
Classification
Grouping: Undead
Data
First reported: In folklore
Country: All over the world
Status: Unconfirmed

A vampire is a mythical or folkloric creatures who overcomes death by sucking the blood from living humans. The most common variation of this myth portrays the vampire as a dead person that rises from the grave at night to seek his or her. Vampires are also popular in film makers movies. The vampire came from Bram Stokers's novel "Dracula." People have added a number of variations to the vampire (e.g., the ability to fly,like the vampire bat, a lust for beautiful women as victims who then become vampires upon being bitten, fear holy cross, garlic or garlic item, holy water, and death by sunlight or by a special stake driven through the heart. Vampires are believed to be base off of  Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory.

A commonly accepted definition of the European (or Slavic) vampire is a dead body which continues to live in the grave, which it leaves, however, by night, for the purpose of sucking blood of the living, whereby it is nourished and preserved in good condition, instead of becoming decomposed like other dead bodies.

Vampires are also a popular in books. What seems to be common about vampire myths is their connection with the fear of death and/or there desire for immortality. The ritual drinking of blood to overcome death has been practiced by many peoples. The Aztecs and other Native Americans, for example, ate the hearts and drank the blood of captives in ritual ceremonies, most likely to satisfy the appetite of their gods and gain for themselves fertility and immortality. Also typical were the rites of Dionysus and Mithras, where the drinking of animal blood was required in the quest for immortality. Even today, some Christians believe that their priests perform a magical transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ to be eaten and drunk in the quest to join God in eternal life.

Side note(a more thorough investigation on vampires and how people believe in and/or are vampires):
Vampyre Lifestylers or "Vampyres" (as opposed to "Vampires") are individuals who are attracted to the contemporary vampire lore and who seek to emulate it by dressing in exotic vampire-like costumery, decorating their homes in dark Victorian (or funeral parlor) gloom, assuming prosthetic fangs and colored contact lenses. It is partly outgrown but distinct from the Gothic subculture.

The Vampire subculture* (or Vampyre Scene) like other system of beliefs consists of people who have committed themselves to an ideology, maintain ethical tenets within a hierarchical system, participate in rituals specific to their clans and in which aesthetics holds a significant, often magical place of significance within the group; aesthetic being broadly defined as symbolism, style, language, religion, art, presentation of self, appearance, and other cultural expressions.

* From a sociological perspective, when a group of people participate in a shared aesthetic in which identity and status are organized around a style that is distinguishable from the dominant culture it is referred to as a subculture.

The vampire subculture is largely a social creation within Western popular culture, seemingly drawing from the rich recent history of popular culture related to cult symbolism, horror films, the fiction of Anne Rice, and the styles of Victorian England. The Vampire subculture seems to exist in opposition to the Judeo-Christian principles of mainstream Western Society. Vampyres pride themselves on practicing the antithesis of Christian ethics and this is apparent in the sexual and violent activities that permeate their interactions and rituals. Many people are introduced to the Vampyre scene through the role-playing game "Vampire: the Masquerade," others through the erotic nature of the lifestyle and many more through popular literature such as Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles. The subculture is typically delineated by a particular style of dress, referred to as "garb" and decor that combines elements of the Victorian, Punk, Glam, and Gothic fashions with styles featured in vampire films and fiction.

The general lay-out including but not limited to a very pale complexion, a wardrobe made up predominantly of dark clothing, a Victorian, or Renaissance fashion style of dress and hairs, black or blood-red lipstick, macabre silver jewelry, assortment of fetish, corset, bondage, sunglasses, long and sharp fingernails fangs, FX contacts, and a generally melancholy or lugubrious air to go with it. Preferred colors are usually red, black, and purple. Music is dominated by Gothic; other genres include Industrial, Death Metal, Classical, Techno and a variety of other forms. Some of the more popular Vampyre bands include Inkubus Sukkubus, Type O Negative, Nosferatu and Malkador. Wine is the drink of choice and some members will also drink absinthe although it is illegal in the United States and most European countries.

Vampyres frequently attend Fetish Scene and Body Scene Clubs, which involve public sadomasochistic activities. It is at the numerous "Scene" clubs where the worlds of body mutilation, piercing, performance art, blood rituals, tattooing, and all forms of bondage and violent sexual activity converge. Lifestylers often form alternative extended families and social structures modeled on the "covens", “sires” or "clans" of vampire fiction and role-playing games. Many also utilize lingo and terminology taken from vampire fiction and RPGs. Some are real vampires in the sense of craving blood, while others are blood fetishists, and still others are just drawn to the "Vampyre aesthetic". The subculture is most apparent in North America and Europe, and to a lesser extent in certain parts of South America and Asia. There are active groups, dedicated bars and night-clubs in New York, London, Paris, Montreal, Tokyo and Melbourne.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Fairies

Creature
Name: Fairy
AKA: Fay
Fae
Faerie
Wee Folk
Good Folk
Fair Folk
Classification
Grouping: Mythological creature
Data
First reported: In folklore
Country: All over the world
Habitat: March
Woodland
Gardens
Status: Unconfirmed

Fairies are a mythological beings or legendary creatures. But often decribe as being unearthly or preternatural
Fairies are generally described as humanoid form; being able to perform magic or possess magical powers. But they also can be creatures as well. Fairies are generally small winged creatures or people. They are also known to possess long life. The word "fairy" comes from the word "fae"- medieval western european folklore and romance stories. Their specific origin in folklores is not truly clear. Due to some seeing fairies as a spirit or angel; not a living being. As well as some see them as demoted angels or demons. Many stories about fairies revolve around their viciousness; and about how certain things can be used to protect oneself from a fairy. Fairies can be both friendly or evil natured; using their powers to either help other creatures or punish them for misdeeds or just for fun.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

People say that God is dead, but how can they think that if I show them the Devil?

The Exorcism of Emily Rose was another movie that brought me back into reality and the unknown. It put me in a state of thinking about heaven and hell. The story of Emily Rose was one that was terrifying yet true. But with this story comes doubt. This is one of those stories were it is divided in half; from the believers and the non-believers. With further research, I found that Emily Rose was not the girls real name but in fact she was called Anneliese Michel; a German Catholic woman who was said to be possessed by demons. 4 years and 67 rites of exorcism later, Anneliese Michel was dead at 23. 
Many thought that she was making it up and copying Linda Blair from The Exorcist. But to her parents, priest, and to Annelise; she was not.