The "Baroque" style vampire epitomized by Bela Lugosi in his 1931 
performance of "Dracula" helped create the romantic figure the vampire 
represents today. The handsome, wealthy "Count" who lured young maidens to 
their death with his seductive and dangerous manner was both attractive and 
horrifying to audiences the world over. Men admired his suave and debonaire 
demeanor, women swooned at his gentle yet deadly affections and all were 
enthralled with the promise of immortality. The mythological vampire 
represents man's fascination with Death. 

        Death has kept it's dark secrets safe from mortal man - but 
embracing the spectre of death, the vampire surrenders his soul for the
elusive answer to what lies behind the gauzy curtain of darkness and is
allowed to return to his earthly existance. The victim's blood which the
vampire partakes of, keeps his "dead" body from decomposing and must be 
replenished with a frightening frequency. Thus, the vampire is armed with an 
insatiable blood lust, supernatural powers, and the knowledge of what 
lies "beyond" life and as such is an enviable creature indeed. 

        Prior to the eighteenth century the vampyre was a dreadful creature,
who would leap upon it's victim's chest, tearing them open with huge 
claws to feed upon their intestines and internal organs. The beasts were 
the foulest smelling things to exist and while it smothered the victim 
with it's hairy buttocks, it certainly did not endear itself to the 
public's conception of "attractive". This "picture" of the vampyre was
closer to the original descriptions of the creature from the 16th and
earlier centuries.

         Our view of this offensive "original" vampyre was changed, due
largely to the writings of four famous authors. Mary Shelley, Dr. Polidori, 
Lord Byron and of course Bram Stoker. Thus we travel from the earlier 
dates of the 15th and 16th century into the eighteenth century gothic 
revival of this monster as he transforms into a cultured, well-dressed, 
well-mannered (except when he's hungry), well-travelled, acceptable 
member of society - whose mesmerizing stare and intellectual gifts are a
required presence to any social gathering. The 20th century continues 
to romanticize this creature with such superb works as Anne Rice's 
"Interview with a Vampire". The late 19th century and 20th century also 
reflect societies changing views on the role of the female sex. She is 
portrayed as every bit a monster as the male has been in the form of the 
vampiress, not just the victim anymore but an active seducer capable of 
great evil.


        The Vampiress illustrates perfectly how the "romantic" portrayal 
of the vampire is so very intricately linked with sexual desire. The torn
dresses, revealing more leg than was acceptable by ladies in public, the
heavy makeup showing pouting lips and the lustful stare found in both
male and female versions of the vampire are evident. Those in the film
industry quickly picked up on the audiences desire to "fantasize" about 
the sexual, yet deadly nature of the vampire and began creating movies that
intensified these motives of the undead. It began with Bela Lugosi's
depiction of "Dracula" and continued throughout the 20th century with
such works as; "Vamp", "Fright Night", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer",
"Dracula", "Interview with a Vampire", and many many others. 

        The vampire or vampiress's bite on the neck, was a very "sexual" 
act, as compared with the original creatures modus operandi - ripping 
open the chest and destroying the organs as well as sucking the blood 
from it's victims. Different kinds of societies give rise to various 
kinds of vampires - we now have psychic vampires who drain their victims 
through their emotional and mental abilities, these kinds of vampires 
become more common as we begin to place more importance on mankind's
ability to feel and think. Who knows what face the 21st century vampire 
will wear?


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