Are there vampires among us?

Are Vampires Real?

• Not in the sense of literary Dracula (as the poster says above, the character is *somewhat* based on Romanian mythology of Vlad Tepes) or Anne Rice's books.

Certain cultures did believe in dead people returning as vampires. There are regular people who have practiced vampirism (either with a willing person or a part of a murder).

• Yes and no. If you study the Vampire cult there were cases many years ago and that old saying, "Once you get a taste of blood" is so true. Vampires are nothing new and it continues to this day. There are cults of Vampires and some feed off the blood (through a ceremony) of animals, while others will literally suck the blood of each other or even risk taking a bite out of their mate. Although not proved some murders that are committed the police feel are due to some cults and especially (from clues) the cult of Vampires. Most Vampire Cults are harmless, but there are those that can take it to the extreme.

Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that are renowned for subsisting on human blood or life force, but in some cases may prey on animals. Though vampires have widely varying characteristics, they are described for the most part as reanimated corpses who feed by draining and consuming the blood of living beings. Almost all vampire lore comes from the southeastern region of Europe, particularly the Balkans and Greece, with the term being popularized in the early 18th century.^[1] Folkloric vampires were depicted as remnants who visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighborhoods they inhabited when they were living. They wore shrouds, did not bear fangs and were often described as bloated and of ruddy or darkened countenance, markedly different from today's vampire.

The charismatic and sophisticated vampire of modern fiction was born in 1819 with the publication of The Vampyre (1819) by John Polidori; The story was highly successful and the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century.^[2] However it is the 1897 novel Dracula which is best remembered as the quintessential vampire novel and provided many traits which have been incorporated into modern vampire legend. The success of this book spawned a distinctive vampire genre, still popular in the 21st century with books, films such as Dracula and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Today, the vampire is generally held as a fictitious entity, with little actual belief in the creature surviving, although superstition in vampiric creatures such as the chupacabra still persists in some cultures.

First answer by ID3537060334. Last edit by Cuindless. Contributor trust: 27 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 75 [recommend question]