The vampire has held its place in superstition as long as any other creature. The vampire of today is, for the most part, quite different from the one of ancient times. In researching the vampire lore, I attempted to find out just how different they are. I wondered what people thought of them now compared to yesteryear.

A comparison of various popular sources for vampire lore against the myths of history. Do all vampire have fangs? Can all vampires reproduce? How do the popular vampires of the 20th century live and die and hunt and feed? S. A. Rudy takes a look at five modern vampire themes.

I miss you, dark angel,
In ways I never thought
I would;
As A cup-companion,
A partner in adventures,
Confidant & co-conspirator,
Fellow-lover of pseudo-life:
We hunted together
In the shadows, the cloak of the night.
Even though Another wooed me towards the Light,
Seduced me for time into the Day.
But it did not last,
The sun set.
You remind of the patient Darkness
In my own soul;
The windows which, drawn, could be curtained
Or withdrawn to show a glimmer of shuttered light.

In the village of Blow, there was once a Shepherd, who died for unknown reasons. Several days after his burial, he took to reappearing in his village and tormenting the people there. Anyone on whom he visited would die within eight days. His case would be unremarkable, but for what happened next.