What must death feel like? Do vampires kill because they themselves cannot die?--Mina

Acoonite: Another name for Wolfsbane, like garlic, used to repel vampires.

Addams Family:  A 1960's TV show which had vampire characters.  Morticia Addams started
   the image of female vampires in long skin-tight black dresses and long black hair.  This
   image of vampires is seen again in Vampira and Elvira.

Anemia: Often called the Vampire disease.  Anemia is caused by the reduction of either the
   red blood cells or the hemoglobin in the blood.  Symptoms include, a pale complexion,
   fatigue and usually associated with vampire attacks.  Anemia and vampirism is commonly
   dismissed due to the comment by Abraham Van Helsing in Dracula: "...I agree that there
   has been much blood lost; it has been, but is not.  But the conditions of her are in no way
   anemic.".

Bathory, Elizabeth: (1560-1614) This Hungarian Countess is probably the best known "living
   vampire".   Bathory believed that by bathing in baths of virgin blood she, herself, would
   remain young looking. She would bleed peasant girls to death and then bath in their blood.

Bats:  Bats have been unfairly linked to vampires for nearly all of their existence.  Many
   vampire lore's have vampire shifting shape into bats.  There are nearly a thousand kinds of
   bats, that's almost a quarter of all the mammals on earth.

Bats, Vampire: Vampire bats are mircobats, and their body size is no larger than a mouse.
   They are active only in the darkest periods of night, that way they are less likely to be
   caught by other nocturnal predators like owls.  Vampire bats do not stick their fangs in the
   animal and gulp at its blood like it is said vampires do. However vampire bats makes a
   small slit in the animals skin (usually at the neck or shoulder, where the blood vessels are
   loser to the skin's surface) and then licks the wound. An adult vampire bat will consume
   only about five teaspoons of blood per day.

Blacula:  A late 1960's vampire movie featuring an African America lead.

Blood:  Easily said, the most important factor to vampires.  The vampire is essentially a
   bloodsucker, and for myths to be truly scary, a creature that only feeds of human blood.
   It is said that the significance of blood is linked to ancient times when humans perceived
   blood as life.  In the bible Christ offers wine to his disciples saying: "drink of me".

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:  This was originally a vampire spoof movie.  The movie hit the
   big screen in 1993.  In 1998 the story line was adapted to TV for the WB (or Warner
   Brothers) Network.  This TV show, aside from bringing fame to the cast, has also inspired
   a spin off called "Angel" about one of it's vampires.

Byron, Lord: (1788-1824)  Lord George Gordon Byron is credited for giving John Polidori
   and Mary Shelly their inspiration to write The Vampyre and Frankenstien.  Byron himself
   also wrote many short stories and poems which included vampire characters.

Carfax:  Carfax Abby, in Dracula is the residence near the asylum, in which Dracula
   purchases.  It is to finish the paper work on this purchase that takes Jonathan Harker to
   Transylvania, thus starting to story of Dracula.

Carmilla:  Carmilla is the title character in Sheridan Le Fanu's story.  Carmilla is a female
   vampire.

Carrey, Jim: One of Jim Carrey's early roles in the movie Once Bitten has him playing the
   part of "Mark", a teenager who is nearly turned into a vampire.

Collins, Barnabas:  Barnabas was the central vampire of the ABC-TV series Dark Shadows.

Coffins: In both novels and movies vampires sleep in coffins.  The use of coffins is
   commonly thought to remind readers and viewers that the vampire although walking
   around, is still dead.

Comic Book Code:  The comic book code of 1954, written and by the Comic Magazine
   Association of America (CMAA), was set about to edit and control the content of horror
   comics.  The Code specifically banned the use of vampire, werewolves, ghouls and
   zombies as characters.  Ten years after the code was in place two horror comics; "Creepy"
   and "Eerie" were both released.  Both of these comics contained vampire characters.  In
   1971 the CMAA formally revised the Code which got rid of the ban on characters but still
   discouraged overly gory, or torture ad sadism situations.

Coppola, Francis Ford:  Francis Ford Coppola, won an Oscar for director of the 1992 movie
   Bram Stokers Dracula.

Crucifix:  The major symbol of Christian faith is the crucifix.  A Latin cross with the figure
   of Jesus on it.  The Crucifix is commonly said to repel vampires.  This idea was first noted
   in Bram Stokers Dracula where a woman gives her rosary to Johnathan Harker .  Later in
   the story, Dracula shrinks back from the crucifix when he attempts to grab Johnathan's
   throat.

Cruise, Tom:  Played Lestat de Lioncourt. in the 1994 movie version of Anne Rice's book
   Interview with the Vampire.

Dark Shadows: TV show running from 1966-1971 and then gained popularity again in the
   1991 reruns.

Davis, Geena: Ms. Davis plays the seductive vampire in the comedy movie: Transylvania
   6-5000.

Decapitation:  Believed in many legends to be the best way to insure a vampire's death.  Was
   also how Vlad Dracul was killed.

Dracul, Vlad:  (1390-1447).  Vlad Dracul was the father of Vlad the Impaler.  It is Vlad the
   Impaler that historians believe was Bram Stokers inspiration for his character Dracula.
   Vlad Dracul was named the Prince of Wallachia, an area near to Transylvania, in 1436.
   Later, in 1447 he was captured by Romanian elite fighters and tortured and killed.

Dracula: Arguably the most well known vampire.  Dracula, written by Bram Stoker, and the
   image of Count Dracula in the book is what most Americans think of when they think of a
   vampire.  The novel was written in 1897 yet is still one of the most read and noted
   vampire books of all time.

Dunst, Kristen: Played Claudia in the 1994 movie version of Anne Rice's book Interview
   with the Vampire.

Dust:  When left in sunlight, many legends say vampires burn and combust into nothing but
   dust.  This can be seen in the 1994 movie Interview with the Vampire when Claudia is
   burnt by the sun.

Elvira: Elvira was created in 1981 when Cassandra Peterson got a job with KHJ-TV in Los
   Angeles as hostess for the stations Movie Macabre program.

Fangs:  The elongated teeth on vampires is one of the most commonly noted aspects of
   them.  The fangs allow the vampire to puncture their victims neck and drink their blood
   though the holes.

Flying: Some vampires in both fiction and legend have the ability to fly.  This ability is
   lacking in most European style vampires, except if and when they transform into a bat.
   However the vampires in the movie The Lost Boys could and often did fly.

Forever Knight: A 1992-93 vampire TV show.

Fortune, Dion: (1890-1946)  Dion was an occult magician who was among the first people to
   document the idea of psychic vampires.  She included fictional accounts of psychic
   vampirism in her book "The Secrets of Dr. Traverner".

Frid, Jonathan:  Portrayed the vampire Barnabas Collins in the original ABC-TV show Dark
   Shadows.  Barnabas was the central vampire of the show.

Garlic: Like a Crucifix, said to repel vampires.

Gothic: The term "gothic" refers to the form of the popular romantic novel, common in the
   eighteenth century.  Gothic horror fictions began in 1763 with the publication of "The
   Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole.  The style of writing seen in that novel was later
   copied and idolized by Lord Byron and John Polidori in their horror writings.  Gothic today
   seems to have a dark and eerie aura to it.  Commonly the clothing of this style is black,
   loose fitting and revealing, although tight leather is also acceptable.  Ankhs, crosses and
   dagger jewelry, combines with pale make-up and dark lipstick and eyes gives the over all
   image of death.

Haarmann, Fritz: (1879-1925)  The "Hanover Vampire".  When sexually aroused Haarmann
   became homicidal and he would rip out his victims throats with his teeth and drink their
   blood.  He was executed by decapitation on April 15, 1925. His last request was that he
   was executed in the market place and the saying: "Here lies mass murderer Haarmann" be
   put on his tombstone.

Haigh, John George:  (1910-1949) The "Kingsington Vampire".  John George Haigh, is most
   certainly the most publicized of all "vampire killers".  Haigh was hung for his murders.

Hammer Films:  In 1948 Will Hammer and Sir. John Carreras founded the studio which in
   the 60's would bring a new dimension to horror movies.  Hammer Films became the most
   successful British film company after World War II.  Hammer Films were low budget "B"
   movies.  Some movies to the Hammer credit include: The Horror of Dracula, The Brides
   of Dracula, Kiss of the Vampire and the Vampire Lovers.  Actors Christopher Lee and
   Peter Cushing were commonly the stars of Hammer films.

Harker, Johnathan:  A character in Bram Stokers Dracula.  Johnathan is later fed on by
   Dracula and his vampiric women, but he himself never drinks their blood, and therefore
   never becomes a vampire himself.

Hopkins, Anthony: Sir Anthony Hopkins played Abraham Van Helsing in the 1992 movie
   Bram Stokers Dracula.

Hutton, Lauren:  Lauren Hutton plays the lead female vampire in the movie Once Bitten.

Hypnotic Powers:  Many vampires, including Bram Stokers Dracula have the power to
   hypnotize someone.  This power is used by vampires to call victims out of their bedroom,
   or to get them to drop such protective measures as crosses and garlic.

Keats, John: (1795-1821)  John Keats wrote "Lamia", based on the Greek vampire like
   daemon "Lamiai".  The story Keats tells, is of Lamia, who admits to being a vampire,
   attempting to seduce a young man.  The intent of Lamia was to kill the man after he
   married her.

Kindred: The Embraced: TV show that ran on the FOX network in 1995.  The show was
   based on the White Wolf Roll Playing Game; "The Masquerade".

King, Stephen: Stepehen King is credited as one of the greatest horror writers of all time.  In
   1975 he published his vampire novel "Salem's Lot".  In 1979 this story was made into a
   TV mini-series.

Kurten, Peter: (1883-1931) The "Dusseldorf Vampire".  Peter Kurten stalked the night for
   victims of both human and animal kind.  In 1929 Kurten began the murders and assaults
   that lead to his downfall. During the years of 1923 to 1929 he had committed 7
   strangulation's and 20 acts of arson. Before he was arrested he confessed to his wife all of
   his killings. His wife called the police and turned him in. He claimed to have no grudge
   against her for this, because she got to collect some of the reward for his capture. Peter
   Kurten was executed, by beheading, at 6:00am on July 2, 1931.

Langella, Frank: Mr. Langella played Dracula in the 1979 version of Dracula.  In both 1981
   and 198 he played the title role as Dracula in the television production of Sherlock Holmes.

Le Fanu, Joseph Thomas Sheridan:  Le Fanu was a poet and author of short stories.  Known
   as J. S. Le Fanu, he is the author of the story "Carmilla".  Many of the ideas and vampire
   themes presented in this book became the stepping stones for Bram Stoker and thus most
   of today's vampire novels.

Lee, Christopher:  Aside from Bela Lugosi, is one of the most well known people to have
   ever portrayed Dracula on the big screen.  He played Dracula in more movies than anyone
   else.

Lestat De Lioncourt:  Lestat is the lead vampire in the vampire books by Anne Rice.  Lestat
   was brought to life in 1994 by Tom Cruise in the movie Interview With The Vampire.

Lugosi, Bela: When someone says "Dracula" the image most people have is of Bela Lugosi.
   Lugosi played the part of Dracula both on the stage and in film.  In 1931 he played
   Dracula for the Universal Studios production of the Bram Stoker book.  Lugosi died in
   1956 while filming the movie Plan 9 from Outer Space in which he and Vampira starred.

Marschner, Heinrich August: Marschner was the author of the first vampire opera.  In 1828
   he wrote the opera "Der Vampyr".

Mirrors:  Common in vampire myth and legend is an aversion vampires have to mirrors.  It is
   also said that vampires cast no reflection in mirrors.  This idea was first noted in Bram
   Stokers Dracula.  Mirrors are said to reflect a persons soul.  Since a vampire has no soul,
   or his soul is wandering, he casts no reflection.

Mist:  Mist is also associated with Vampires.  In the 1992 movie Bram Stokers Dracula,
   Dracula turns into a green mist and is able to sneak into the bedroom of Ms. Mina
   Murray.   The idea of a vampire becoming mist is commonly thought to have appeared as a
   way for the vampire to leave it's grave and not disturb the top soil above it's coffin.

Moon:  Because vampires are nocturnal, they commonly have a special affinity for the
   moon.  Vampires and the Wolf man were also at one time the same or at least very similar
   legends.  Because wolves howl at the moon, vampires also have a love of the moon.

Munsters, The:  Like the Addams Family, the 60's TV show The Munsters has vampire
   characters.  Lily and Grandpa Munster were both vampire characters.  The Munsters,
   popular again in reruns, ran for two seasons, and later revived for two movies.  The TV
   show was revived in 1988 and ran until 1991 with a total of 72 episodes.

Native Soil:  Also referred to as Native land or Native earth.  In Bram Stokers book Dracula,
   Jonathan Harker notices that the vampire is having crates of his native soil boxed up and
   sent to London.  This lead to the common theme that vampires have to have some of their
   native earth with them where ever they are.  They are said to draw their powers from it.

Nelson, Leslie: Leslie Nelson plays Dracula, in the vampire spoof Dracula Dead and Loving
   It.

Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie des Garuens:  Simply known as Nosferatu, this unauthorized,
   1922 adaptation of Bram Stokers Dracula is the earliest surviving film based on that book.
   The Dracula like character was named Garf Orlock and was played by Max Schreck.  The
   fangs on Orlock were made up of his front teeth, like a rat, and not is canines, which is
   popular in today's vampires.  This film has recently been re edited and made with a new
   soundtrack.

Oldman, Gary: Gary Oldman plays Dracula in the 1992 movie: Bram Stokers Dracula.

Orlock, Garf:  the lead vampire in the 1922 movie Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie des Garuens.
   Count Orlock is played by Max Schreck.  In 1979 the story of Count Orlock was remade,
   this time Klaus Kinski played the lead roll.

Pitt, Brad:  Brad Pitt played the character of Louis, in the 1994 vampire movie Interview
   with the Vampire.

Pitt, Ingrid:  She was knows in the 1970's for her portrayal of female vampires.  Ingrid
   starred in two Hammer films as well as playing the part as Elizabeth Bathory in which one
   of her most memorable scenes, her coming out of a bath dripping with blood, is found.

Polidori, John: (1795-1821)  Polidori was the author of the story "The Vampyre".  This story
   is credited as the first modern vampire story.  The Vampyre was published in 1819 in an
   issue of "New Monthly Magazine" and was wrongly accredited to Lord Byron.  Ironically,
   Polidori's lead vampire Lord Ruthven is said to be based on his good friend Lord Byron.

Porphyria: This is a little known disease, or actually 7 diseases, sometimes known as the
   vampire disease.

Psychic Vampires:  The term "Psychic Vampire" has gained popularity lately.  Psychic
   Vampires is today the most common belief of where ALL vampire myths come from.  The
   idea behind this is that one person, a psychic vampire, drains another person of all their
   energy and emotions.

Renfield, R.N.:  Renfield is one of the major characters in Bram Stokers Dracula.  Renfield
   has been fed upon by Dracula himself, but has not yet been converted into a vampire
   himself.  He lives in an asylum and has an affinity for eating animals.

Rice, Anne:  Anne alone can probably be held accountable for the increase in vampire
   interest in the 90's.  Her vampire chronicles gained popularity in the early 90's and
   continued.  Arguable, not since Bram Stokers has one single author done as much for
   vampire interest as she has.  In 1976  she wrote a short story called "Interview with the
   Vampire".  Later in 1973 she rewrote this story into a book.  Her vampire chronicles are
   commonly listed along with Bram Stokers Dracula and TV's Barnabas Collins (from Dark
   Shadows) as the three most inspirations for modern vampires today.

Rubin, Paul: Best known as "Pee Wee Herman", Paul Rubin plays a vampire in the vampire
   movie spoof Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Ruthven, Lord:  This is John Polidori's lead vampire in the story "The Vampyr"  It is said
   that Lord Byron served as the model for Lord Ruthven.

Rymer, James Malcolm:  Rymers vampire story is "Varney the Vampire".  It first appeared in
   a cheap but popular fiction magazine style called the "Penny Dreadfuls".

Snow Leopards:  Snow Leopards are found in Central Asia and for a long time were believed
   to be vampire cats. When they kill, they make small puncture wounds in an animals neck
   and lap up the blood. Commonly snow leopard kills are found with only the puncture
   wounds. Most likely the animal was startled and fled from it's prey before starting to eat.
   The people would only see the puncture wounds and assume that the snow leopard was
   only drinking the animals blood.

Stake:  A stake being pushed through the heart of a vampire is still to this day among the
   most commonly accepted way of killing a vampire.  In some legends the type of wood the
   stake is made from is important to keeping the vampire "pinned" to his grave.  In other
   legends the vampire must be staked at a crossroad.

Stoker, Abraham:  Known commonly as Bram Stoker.  Born in Dublin, Ireland, Bram Stoker
   is the author of what is, without an argument, the most popular and well known vampire
   novel of all time, "Dracula".  Little is known, but it's suggested that Stoker thought nothing
   much of his story "Dracula".  Stoker also published a "short story" later titled "Dracula's
   Guest" which is actually a scene in the original book, cut out by publishers because of
   length.  Stoker died in 1912.

Suicide:  Suicide is commonly associated with vampirism.  The act of defining Gods plan set
   out for you by killing yourself was seen as actively casting yourself out of heaven.  Those
   who committed suicide were though thought to become vampires.  In fact, it was not until
   the mid 20th century that British law stopped requiring a stake be driven though the heart
   of those who committed suicide to insure they would not return as a vampire.

Sunlight:  Many vampire myths and legends have vampires unable to be in sunlight.  More
   recent stories has them able to appear in daylight only if they have fed recently.  This
   belief seems to be first seen in film in the 1922 movie Nosferatu, where the vampire dies
   when the sunlight touches him though a window.

Sutherland, Kiefer: Kiefer Sutherland plays the head vampire in the movie Lost Boys.  Years
   later his father Donald Sutherland will play a vampire hunter in the vampire spoof; Buffy
   The Vampire Slayer.

Tigers: Rakshasa's, a breed of vampires, tend to appear in the form of a animal, commonly a
   tiger, and continue to have feline features when they are in their human form.

Transformation:  Or shape shifting is a common belief among most vampire legends.
   Vampires have the ability to change from one shape to another depending on where they
   are from.  Some of the most common forms taken on by the vampire are bats, rats,
   wolves, and mist.

Transylvania:  Transylvania is in an area of north central Romania.  Even to this day, this
   area is most recognized as the home of vampires.  Transylvania was the home to Dracula is
   the Bram Stokers novel.  Because of this an many other similarities, it is believed that
   Stokers Dracula was based on an actual person; Vlad Dracul, who resided in Transylvania.

Vampira:  Maila Nurmi is better known as Vampira.  In 1954 the character of Vampira was
   created when Nurmi was a hostess for a horror show.  Vampira also starred along side Bela
   Lugosi in Ed Wood's movie Plan 9 from Outerspace .  Vampira starred in other vampire
   movies though out her career.  In the 1980's Nurmi attempted to sue Cassandra Peterson
   for copying her persona to create Elvira.  The suit was dismissed.

Vampire Hunters:  For almost as long as there have been vampires, there have been vampire
   hunters.  People who seek out vampires for the purpose of killing them.  Examples of
   literary and movie vampire hunters include Dr. Van Helsing from Dracula and Buffy from
   the movie and now TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Vampirella:  In the 1960's Warren Publications put out a black and white comic book
   magazine about a female vampire.  This comic book was the first to break the 1985 Comic
   Book Code which banned vampire, werewolves, ghouls and zombies.

Van Helsing, Abraham:  Bram Stokers character of Abraham Van Helsing is probably the best
   know vampire hunter of all time.

Victims:  All vampires have victims of some sort.  Victims are described as anyone (or
   anything) a vampire feeds from.  Not all vampires kill their victims, and not all victims
   become vampires.

Vlad The Impaler:  (1431-1476)  Historians believe that it is this Vlad Dracul son that Bram
   Stokers created his famous character Dracula after.  The year after Vlad Dracul was killed,
   Vlad the Impaler attempted to assume his throne.  He was unable to do so until 1456.
   After becoming Prince of Wallachia, he avenged the death of his father.  The number of
   deaths that occured at the hand of Vlad Dracula (meaning: "Son of Dracul") is set at
   40,000, although it's noted that that number is conservative.  Vlad only ruled for six years
   and during that time not only impaled people on stakes outside his castle but also tortured
   and executed people in a manner similar to the crimes they had committed.  He was
   assassinated in December 1476.

Water: Many vampires are unable to cross still water.  There are two possible theories for
   this.  The first, like a mirror, still water would reflect an image.  Since it was believed that
   a mirror reflected the soul of a person, a mirror or still water would not reflect anything
   back at a vampire.  Another possible theory is that hydrophobia is one of the symptoms in
   rabies, a disease that leads to some vampire like symptoms.

Werewolves:  Werewolves are another popular horror creature, commonly similar in both the
   minds of the public and in stories to vampires.  Werewolves and Vampires in some legends
   work together and in some legends are one in the same.  Many vampire myths today have
   vampires turning into wolves.

Wolves:  Vampires turning into wolves most likely goes back to when vampires and
   werewolves were the same legend.