Text: The text of this poem is from John Stagg's The Minstrel of the North (London, 1810), pp. 261-268, and has been scanned and proofed by Jack G. Voller. Punctuation, case, and spelling are reproduced as in the original.

ARGUMENT.

The story of the Vampyre is founded on an opinion or report which prevailed in Hungary, and several parts of Germany, towards the beginning of the last century:

It was then asserted, that, in several places, dead persons had been known to leave their graves, and, by night, to revisit the habitations of their friends; whom, by suckosity, they drained of their blood as they slept. The person thus phlebotomised was sure to become a Vampyre in their turn; and if it had not been for a lucky thought of the clergy, who ingeniously recommended staking them in their graves, we should by this time have had a greater swarm of blood- suckers than we have at present, numerous as they are. Many and ingenious were the animadversions, both of the faculty and the clergy, to adopt some probable reasons for the physical cause of such an uncommon phenomenon.

It was asserted that a portion of the animal spirits, not having escaped at the decease of the body, had retained a power of volition; and, investing themselves with some part of the body which had not immediately yielded to putrefaction, they were thus enabled to make those prodigious excursions from the grave, and to return at pleasure, without any apparent inconvenience. Others were of opinion that these were a class of demons, who are supposed to be very numerous, who getting possession of any human excresences, rendered themselves partially corporeal, and perfectly visible at pleasure. From some of our modern voyagers it appears, that the notion of the existence of Vampyres was very generally known and credited among the Dutch, and some other settlements in America.

I do not imagine that a thousandth part of the world are acquainted with the reason why the secundine, immediately after the nativity of the foetus, is so carefully deflagrated by the obstetric and others, who preside at the accouchement. This was founded on the opinion that those numerous domestic demons, of whom they had such perfect belief, were tenacious of any opportunity that furnished them with a means of obtaining any portion of humanity, which they certainly preferred to any other animal substances. We may suppose that the umbellicum would make a very desirable jerkin for one of these gentry. Hence it has been, that since they had such a desire to render themselves in part corporeal and visible, as it pleased them, that when human excresences were not easily obtainable, they were forced to repair to the common slaughter-houses, carrion heaps, etc. there to array themselves in such habiliments as chance threw in their way. From which we may infer the reason so many of our common apparitions have, per force, been compelled to appear in the forms of horses, cows, sheep, asses, dogs, cats, etc. in fine, every sort of animal; so that many of these might, in fact, be said to be the ghosts of the animals they represent, rather than of any particular person.

Posted by Dracula's Guest Sun, 05/27/2007 - 11:10

 

Politics: garlic for 'vampire' opposition

October 12th 2007 (Trinidad & Tobago Express) -- Christine Kangaloo, People's National Movement (PNM) candidate for Pointe-a-Pierre, warned supporters on Tuesday to hang all the garlic they can find over their doors to ward off those opposed to the ruling party.

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Chapter 32: Decisions, decisions

*looks at LB as she walks up beside them...watches Demon put both the girl and her dog to sleep and smiles as he follows them back to the Inn*

Very interesting...very interesting indeed.

*as they enter the Inn DE walks to the bar and pours water into a glass and some into a bowl for the dog...then follows Demon and LB up to the girl's room...sets the glass on the nightstand beside the girl's bed and the bowl on the floor for the dog*

Can't have them mistreated, now can we? *smiles* At least not yet.

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Creating Order With Chaos?

What happens when theres a war?
Death and Malice is what comes to mind;
What is the point of war?....Order?
How do you bring about order with chaos?
In war there are casualties, heroes, and civilians;
But when the war is in your backyard
no one is safe and there are no heroes;
If the war is in your backyard there
is nothing 'cept casualties and despair.

Prince Angel
September 22, 2001

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I Tried the Day

I tried the day
And it betrayed me,
So I retreated once more
Into the Night;
Wrapped in soft folds
Of velvet numbness.
Time is nothing to the Dark;
It only has meaning for the Light.
Time is a consequence of
Those who seek to control
The presence of light;
Darkness doesn't care.

Greyvamp
March 2, 2002

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Chapter 30: Those men!

*wandering over to the window to see what poor little thing the boys have trapped, my brow furrows slightly*

"Those two....all that power, and all that vampyre testosterone! *shakes her head and watches for a minute finishing her drink and tossing the glass into the fireplace for luck*

"Well, I can't let them torture that poor thing...not when she might have something of benefit to me...She might be a good bleeder"

*smiles a bit wickedly and walks down the road towards the group....the girl seems quite afraid and a bit bewildered.....

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