Episode 132: Dark Fae: Vampires
The folklore of vampires in a nutshell, translated to Afrikaans, and how I reimagined it for my writing.
Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.
Copyright 2024 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.
Learn more about vampires in folklore here.
Get the transcript here.
Learn more about the author and her writing here.
Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com
Transcript
You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.
I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With over a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.
This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.
Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.
This episode is brought to you by my Dark Court Sisters book series. Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook. Three sisters. Three destinies. Three ways to destroy the world. Go to ronelthemythmaker.com/darkcourtsistersseries for more.
You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion. Go to buymeacoffee.com/ronel to support me.
We’re continuing our exploration of Dark Fae.
Today’s Faery: Vampire
Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel
The word “vampire” is rarely used in vampire folklore, rather “revenant” or “undead” along with the names given to these creatures are used. It is usually a blood-sucking fiend, though feeding on the life-force of its victim also counts.
The first vampire tales are connected to revenants, those who reanimate after death because of unfinished business, and then feed on their neighbours, etc. These were dark creatures, thought to be pure evil. The way to prove that what they saw was real, graves were dug up. Because the body loses fluid during decomposition, the hair and fingernails seem longer, the stomach bloats because of bacteria, and blood – as well as other fluids – leak from the mouth. This, though, to those who dug up graves, gave credence to the walking dead as all this seemed to them as proof that the dead person was indeed roaming around and feeding on blood.
The way to protect oneself from these creatures, as they were pure evil, was to have religious artefacts upon your person, such as a crucifix or holy water, that burns the vampire much like acid burns the human skin. Garlic and salt were also used to great effect – garlic, as it repels mosquitoes, another type of vampire, and salt as it is a pure substance.
The way vampires were perceived, changed through culture, place and time to reflect what the community needed protection from the most.
For the most part, the vampire in folklore is a glamorous stranger who leads unsuspecting young women to their doom. Which is how the vampire is used for social control, especially of young women, to listen to their elders and not run off with handsome strangers.
This is just one way that the idea of the vampire shifts to fit the culture and issues of the time.
Vampires were also used to describe some real diseases – such as rabies – that causes a person to be sensitive to light.
A lot of the time, because vampires appear human and mainly attack humans, it also personifies human violence.
Vampire fiction boomed in the 1800s and thereafter, especially after the publication of Stoker’s “Dracula”. Until “Interview with the Vampire” by Anne Rice in the late 1970s, vampires were as shallow as kiddie’s pools and had black hearts to match their dark natures. But since Rice’s novel, vampires across fiction started to have proper backstories, live full lives, be tortured by their existence, and fall in love. All these vampires were affected by the sun – usually bursting into flames – and could be killed by decapitation or a wooden stake to the heart. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fully encompassed this turn in vampire fiction, having the teenage vampire slayer fall in love with not just one, but two vampires. And let’s not forget the deeper connection between vampires and witches in “The Vampire Diaries” where it was a witch who created the first vampires to begin with…
For the most part, the fiction mentioned above drew from actual folklore to create their vampires. There are many tales of witches being vampires – especially in Africa, though there are tales of this kind in Portugal, Albania and more. A wooden stake through the heart was a sure way to keep a vampire in its coffin, though beheading worked too. And as vampires supposedly slept in their coffins during the day, it made sense that they feared the sun – and light, as they were creatures of the dark.
Whether a metaphor for the darkness within each of us, or real monsters out to feed off the life-force of humans, vampires have enthralled humans since the beginning of time. Though known by various names throughout history, it is now forevermore “vampire”; the word which shocks, seduces and frightens.
And now for my interpretation of the fae in an Origin of the Fae: Vampire
There are various types of vampires, but they all have some things in common.
They are dead, or rather, undead. Burn in the sun despite protective amulets. Turn others by giving them their blood and killing them. Their blood has healing powers, though rarely used because of the little side-effect of accidentally turning someone if they were to die with the blood in their system. Row of pointed fangs behind regular teeth – like needles more than teeth, though it can be hidden. Red-brown eyes, though can look human. Turn instantly to ash in sun without protective amulets.
Sleep in nests they make in sand (underground). Though some have retained more humanity and live among humans, taking protective measures to stay safe from the sun.
Uncontrollable bloodlust. When bloodlust overtakes them, they shed all semblance of humanity, with a gaping maw showing off their unnatural teeth, glowing yellow eyes searching for prey, screeching instead of regular voice, nails extending to claws, and skin mottling like a corpse. If starving, they’ll desiccate and mummify – blood will revive them. Need at least two litres of human blood a day. Cannot eat anything else. Not even animal blood. Travel in packs – easier to survive being hunted. Even those who prefer living among humans stay in covens for protection.
Unnatural speed, strength and senses (can hear and see better than their prey). And they are attractive to their prey.
They have an uncomfortable alliance with witches.
As a little bonus, let’s look at this faery translated to Afrikaans: vampier
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.
Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!
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No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.