Vampires
October is an ideal month to talk about vampires. The lore of vampirism is millennia old, as even the Mesopotamians and Ancient Greeks and Romans had versions of their own kind of vampire. Yet the vampire as we know them today is mostly built around the stories from southeastern Europe in the early 18th century.
Bram Stoker popularized this humanoid creature with his novel Dracula, and since then the notion of the vampire has caught our imaginations. They sometimes appear handsome and alluring, in others they simply reveal their monstrous sides almost immediately. There can be hierarchies within the vampire culture, much like a coven of witches, but typically stories tend to focus on a singular vampire.
The vampire who beds down in a coffin during the day. The vampire who only comes out at night and can take flight in the form of a bat. The vampire who must be welcomed into your home before they can suck your blood.
That last one isn't as well known. Many have said that it's why Millennials now say, "No problem," or "No worries," instead of "You're welcome." They understand vampire lore and what it means to invite this creature into your life.
Check out next week's Monday Musings for more on vampires. Until then, you could always check out "Red: Mercenary for Hire" in Fairy Tales and Folklore Re-imagined. That might cure your vampire fix.
