Controversy About The Vampire Creation Myth example essay topic

Vampires - A History Fangs, dead, blood, and bats. Those are some things that come to peoples minds when they think about vampires. In Webster's International Dictionary vampires are defined as "a bloodsucking ghost or reanimated body of a dead person, believed to come from the grave and wander about by night sucking the blood of persons asleep... ". Whatever people think of vampires, they are not really what they are believed to be.

There is much controversy about the vampire creation myth. The Myth of Lilith is one such myth. Lilith is said to be the first woman made for Adam, but when he would not treat her as an equal and only wanted to dominate her she left him. Therefore god had to make Eve for Adam. When Lilith went to the Red Sea she made a deal with the angels who had been sent to fetch her back for Adam.

She was allowed to stay on her own, as a witch, a mother of all demons and allowed to kill infants up until their naming day. Only if they had a charm with the names of the angels she would not kill them. It is said this story explains SIDS-Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She killed human children in retaliation for her demon children who were killed in the wars between good and evil.

The Myth of Cain is another Myth of the Vampire Creation. Cain was the first born of Adam and Eve. He was banished for killing his brother because of jealousy. It is said Cain wandered until he found Lilith and she took him in and showed him the power of blood. "From Cain and Lilith came a host of demons and vampires in the Vague Myths. Cain is mentioned in the Bible as having a number of legitimate children with an unnamed woman / wife".

From what is presented in the Bible there is little evidence to go on the Myth of Lilith and Cain. ("Vampire" 1-3). It is said that vampires originated with Judas Iscariot. Judas betrayed Jesus and sent him to his death. As a result of Judas's betrayal, he and his family were cursed. In guilt of what he did he tried to commit suicide.

Suicides in vampire folklore were very likely to come back as a vampire, so they may have helped contribute to the belief that vampires originated from Judas. "Someone pointed out to me that the vampire's version to silver perhaps comes from this myth, as Judas betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver. When Judas tried to return the silver and couldn't cast it away as something hateful to himself". ("Vampire" 5). Sometimes we often hear stories about sightings of people who have come back from the grave.

"The shepherd of the Blow" takes place on the village of Blow. In Blow a shepherd died of unknown reasons. After he was buried a few days later he started to reappear and torment people. Who ever he visited would die in eight days. The people went and drove a stake through his heart. Yet again he came back and tormented more people until they burned him into ashes.

("Living" 1-2). The next story is about a man named Peter Plogojowitz. "Ten years after the death of one Peter Plogojowitz, his village in Hungary reported seeing peter wandering the streets by night. In some instances, he came into peoples houses and choked them, causing them to die in less than 24 hours". ("Living" 3).