Vampires and Werewolves are medical disorders.

Hello friends. I hope this post finds you all well. While skipping around on this site, of which I am a new member but loving everything on here, I find quite a few references to vampires and werewolves and I thought I'd take a second to point out the actual medical causes that the rise of these myths can be attributed to. These are actual medical terms folks so feel free to look them up or ask your local physician.

Vampirisim can be attributed to a disease called Porphyria which is a blood disease. It's symptoms are much like what we now think of as the classic characteristics of a vampire. People with this disease can't produce Heme, which is a component of red blood. This causes them to be sensitive to sunlight, develop sores, become allergic to garlic; which stimulates Heme production and can turn a mild case of Porphryia into a severe one, and have tightened skin around the lips and gums, giving them the illusion of fangs.

Werewolves can be attributed to a disease called Hyertrichosis which causes an unusual hair growth over parts of the body that usually don't have hair such as the whole face and hands ect. These unfortunate people have suffered the indignites of sideshows and the inhumanites of being hunted as so called wolf-men.

These diseases may have given rise to the ever popular myths of vampires and werewolves and disorders such as these are not unheard of even today. And while there's nothing wrong with escaping into our own little fantasy worlds every now and then by indulging in the occasional late night monster movie (which i do frequently) me must not fear such things as they are only sick people or purely imagination.

I'd have thought most people that post on topics such as vampires and werewolves have at least heard of porphyria and hypertrichosis as well as other medical and/or psychological conditions often connected to vampires and werewolves, even if they aren't overly-familiar with them.

However, the issue here is that, for some at least, medical conditions aren't as 'cool', interesting or serve any particular need for a belief in vampires, werewolves and the like as a supernatural 'condition'.

Something like 'Buffy the Anaemia-Healer' wouldn't have the same cultural cache and nor would it tap into feelings of teen angst and persecution complexes.

Merri, of course the supernatural aspect of these myths IS the reason they remain popular today. Anne Rice made a fortune telling vampire stories. I guess my main reason for posting this was to draw attention to the basis for the legends. I'm a big fan of finding out the origins of things, kind of a geeky quirk of mine. I agree though, perhapse we need such legends to exorcise aspects of our own personalities such as the teen angst you mentioned

Originally posted by Andrew78
Merri, of course the supernatural aspect of these myths IS the reason they remain popular today. Anne Rice made a fortune telling vampire stories. I guess my main reason for posting this was to draw attention to the basis for the legends.

Whilst I agree with the general point about medical conditions, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a vampire-related thread on here where someone doesn't touch on a medical or psychological condition as an alternative to a supernatural one.

One of the most recent vampire-related threads has discussed how certain 'medical' explanations are now becoming quite favourable amongst self-confessed vampires/hunters/fans but through a conspiracy lens, rather than a supernatural one per se. 'Vampirism as pathology' seems to be the new take on it these days, although obviously rabies, porphyria and their ilk are too 'old hat' and mundane and the actual contagion is more 'exotic' and 'exciting'.

I'm pretty sure that thread-starter will be along for this thread too.

I'm a big fan of finding out the origins of things, kind of a geeky quirk of mine.

I agree though, perhapse we need such legends to exorcise aspects of our own personalities such as the teen angst you mentioned

I know I can appear as dismissive of these kinds of supernatural entities, but I'm not a debunker as such. It's just that I'm actually more interested in why people want to believe in vampires and werewolves than in actual vampires and werewolves themselves. The role folk belief has played historically and how that 'folk belief' has now morphed into mass communication pop-culture is genuinely interesting in its own right. The social, political, economic &c influences that inform these beliefs can often paint a pretty weird and dark picture themselves.

It is very interesting to look at the cultural aspects of the vampire phenomenon. The first account I can remember off the top of my head was a short story where they were reffered to as "Vampyrs" or such. This predated Stoker's novel Dracula by a year or so I think. The first screen vampire was of course Count Orlof in F.W. Mernau's 1922 silent film Nosferatu. Before it was a movie in 1933 Dracula was a popular stage play in New York. In the 1950s legendary English film studio Hammer Films brought Dracula back into popularity with its series staring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Richard Mathison's novel I Am Legend was the first book to look at vampirisim as a disease, a notion which has become popular in this age of the virus. Anne Rice with her popular series of books took the vampire and made it a tragic romantic creature which gave it appeal to a whole new generation. The reason such myths remain popular is because of the human being's constant desire to be more than he is. Look at the fate of a human being. We are born into a cold and violent world. We work our whole lives at mundane jobs. We're told when young that we can be whatever we want but the truth is much more hard to swallow. Most of us go ur whole lives without ever knowing fame, wealth, and power even on a modest scale, and then we get old, sick, weak, and die. The desire to be something else, anything else is a common inborn desire in the human psyche. Vampires are just another aspect of said paradigm.

Originally posted by Andrew78
The reason such myths remain popular is because of the human being's constant desire to be more than he is. Look at the fate of a human being. We are born into a cold and violent world. We work our whole lives at mundane jobs. We're told when young that we can be whatever we want but the truth is much more hard to swallow. Most of us go ur whole lives without ever knowing fame, wealth, and power even on a modest scale, and then we get old, sick, weak, and die. The desire to be something else, anything else is a common inborn desire in the human psyche. Vampires are just another aspect of said paradigm.

I disagree. Whilst that goes some way to explaining why some people might think they are vampires or why they'd like to become vampires, it doesn't really cover the 'popularity' or 'interest' of vampires generally. Vampires are understood and relayed by pop-culture are amalgamations of different beliefs originating in different places over the years. The idea of a vampire being something that people would like to be, is relatively recent one depending on how far back you take a belief in vampires. For the bulk of such a time line, any belief in vampires was more of less synonymous with a fear of vampires; a revulsion.

Why does it have to be a disease? Why can't we considered as normal as anybody else? I don't understand why we have been given such a bad reputation.

reply to post by SeenAndNeverHeard


They're not saying that Vampirism is a disease, but rather that the vampire myth comes from certain syndromes which can cause sensitivity to light, lack of iron, or whatever. It's a good theory, I've heard it before. It's not saying that people are diseased because they are vampires, but rather that "true" vampires are a result of a medical condition and that's where the vampire legacy comes from.

Why do you keep saying we? If you suffer from one of these diseases above then yes it is a disease and it's not normal simple as that. However if you are one of those people who have convinced yourself that you are a vampire for no other reason then because you really want to be one. Then dont worry man I consider you normal because there is actually nothing special about you.

I'd imagine that, to really solidify the origins of these myths, you would have to mix in an element of psychosis. I've known psychotics who have an urge to rape, murder, drink blood, and engage in cannibalism. It's positively horrifying.

Mix this condition with either of the above conditions, and BAM! Werewolves and Vampires!

In "primitive" cultures, we call it Wendigo psychosis. When it happens in the "developed" world, we just wait for them to start acting on these obsessive thoughts, and then simply call them serial killers.

Unfortunately, unless they've committed a crime, they're going to remain in society. People who should be in the mental hospital seldom spend more than three days under hospitalization, in contemporary America.

Horrifying.

[edit on 18-4-2009 by theWCH]

In truth I am a vampire, I enjoy the taste of human blood. Do I need it to survive? no clue. But I do know that I am in a better mood after I have drank and a soothing feeling sweeps over me. I am not super natural just a human.

Anything that drinks blood is probably considered a vampire, but remember kids there are different vampires out there and not all of them drink the red nectar.

[edit on 073030p://30b4 by VampireZio]

I've got a condition similar to porphyria called pyroluria. My heme production is compromised. I'm a bit anemic, but have this under control now. I used to have a horrible sensitivity to sunlight. Couldn't drive during the day without shades. It's all about zinc depletion which happens with porphyria too.

Is it pure psychosis wanting to drink someones blood in this instance, or is their any possible medical reason? Would a compatible blood type be of use to someone through oral ingestion? I'm leaning towards, no way!, but am not entirely sure.