Vampires Throughout History*

One of the oldest references to a vampiric creature, almost 4,000 years ago, is the “Ekimmu”—a Sumerian or perhaps Babylonian word. The Ekimmu was a spirit that would attack the living and drain them of their energy; sometimes embodied as a phantom and sometimes as a rotting corpse. The Ekimmu arose from violent deaths and improper burials of forgotten people. They returned from the grave and tormented (by leeching) people.

“Rakshasas” were flesh-eating demons found in cemeteries in Hindu mythology. They caused illness or mischief.

Ancient Greeks called their serpentine vampires — beautiful from the waist up—“empusas” and were considered seducers of men.

This was not unlike the medieval versions of the vampire—the incubus (male) and succubus (female). These were demons of sexual prowess, and the seductive demons were blamed for sensual and sexual dreams. 

Modern mythology is linked closely with the Romanian strigoi morti or “dead witches” who died and were revived by a pact with the devil. They left their graves at night to drain the living of blood, could appear as attractive but carried a foul smell, and were repelled by garlic.

From Victorian Vampires (a final grasp of  Victorian England’s blood aristocracy and resistance to the British Empire cultural hold) to Consumerism vampires (such as the 1987 film "Lost Boys") for 200 years, the myth of the vampires remained focus on prowess and danger of "The Other."  This intended to drive "proper" and "socially-acceptable" behaviour. 

Buffy, The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, and True Blood all focused on females with whom vampires interacted. The vampires became a catalyst for female consciousness.

Vampire Academy focuses on two women's coming-of-age stories within the narrative of the vampire world. Rather than vampires as "the other" the vampiric world exists to explore important social issues that exist in our present-day world.

Because the world is "fantasy" then consumers are more comfortable in examining these issues and important discussions around class, castes, race, lgbtqia rights, and more.