| Powers |
Causing blights and crop failures
It is said in some Hungary material that the vampire can
cause whole crops to ruin. The Hungarians employed the
talbos, a kresnik who sole purpose was to protect crops
from the vampires. The kresnik were a mid-European
vampire fighter group. Causing impotence
This only applies to the Nosferatu
Control of animals
It is said that vampires can also control the actions of
wild animals. I say wild animals, because in most
literature domesticated animals tend to demonstrate fear
towards the vampire, or a need to protect their owner.
Create other vampires
Depending on which book you read determines on the
creation of the vampire. Some publications will have you
believe that the vampire will rise from a person being
drained on three occasions (Dracula), other books will
say that if you survive an attack from a vampire (Near
Dark, Blade), but have been bitten then you are more
than likely to become a vampire. One of the most popular
is that the person is willing to become a vampire, and
must drink the blood of a vampire to become one (Anne
Rice).
The process of becoming a vampire in all case has one
common denominator; the subject will die before becoming
a vampire. Or as Lestat said to Louis, "It happens to
everyone."
Eternal life
As I have already pointed out, the vampire is undead.
Once undead, the creature can not die through natural
means. They do not ail from illness, but they are not
invulnerable. They can still die from misadventure; at the
hands of another, daylight, fire and others, which I will
cover later on.
Flight
It is said that some vampires have harnessed the ability
of flight. This activity is normally associated with witches,
who would ride their broomsticks, but similarly the
civipipiltin of Mexico could also be seen astride a
broomstick. The West Indies loogaroo would explode from
their skin as a fireball, flying. Some vampires simply defy
the laws of gravity, by flying in the humanoid form and
others transform into flying animals, such as bats, birds
or insects.
Mesmerism
To mesmerise is to control by hypnotism. This apparent
feature has been widely used by Count Dracula in both
the books and the variety of hammer movies. The vampire
is able to control a human by the power of seduction and
suggestion, breaking their will, to command to do
whatever the vampire requests.
Misting or vaporising
The misting or vaporising of a vampire can be associated
with the beliefs that when the soul leaves the body in a
grave, that the soul becomes a mist. The vampire is said
to be able to exit an underground coffin in this fashion,
changing to mist and seeping out through the ground.
Senses
It is widely believed that the vampire has heightened
senses. Because the creature spends so much time in the
dark it must have a night-like vision, probably infrared.
Due to its animal associations with creatures like bats and
birds it is easy to assume that vampires have excellent
hearing. As for touch in some literature it is believed a
vampire can feel the throbbing of a heartbeat on the wall
surrounding its prey.
Speed
A vampire is said to be able to move with great speed.
The vampire's body is so well-tuned when it has fed that
it can demonstrate a number of complex movements in a
single heartbeat. It is so natural for a vampire to do this
that on occasion they forget the normal time a human
performs the same actions and reveal themselves as what
they truly are.
It is said in some Hungary material that the vampire can
cause whole crops to ruin. The Hungarians employed the
talbos, a kresnik who sole purpose was to protect crops
from the vampires. The kresnik were a mid-European
vampire fighter group. Causing impotence
This only applies to the Nosferatu
Control of animals
It is said that vampires can also control the actions of
wild animals. I say wild animals, because in most
literature domesticated animals tend to demonstrate fear
towards the vampire, or a need to protect their owner.
Create other vampires
Depending on which book you read determines on the
creation of the vampire. Some publications will have you
believe that the vampire will rise from a person being
drained on three occasions (Dracula), other books will
say that if you survive an attack from a vampire (Near
Dark, Blade), but have been bitten then you are more
than likely to become a vampire. One of the most popular
is that the person is willing to become a vampire, and
must drink the blood of a vampire to become one (Anne
Rice).
The process of becoming a vampire in all case has one
common denominator; the subject will die before becoming
a vampire. Or as Lestat said to Louis, "It happens to
everyone."
Eternal life
As I have already pointed out, the vampire is undead.
Once undead, the creature can not die through natural
means. They do not ail from illness, but they are not
invulnerable. They can still die from misadventure; at the
hands of another, daylight, fire and others, which I will
cover later on.
Flight
It is said that some vampires have harnessed the ability
of flight. This activity is normally associated with witches,
who would ride their broomsticks, but similarly the
civipipiltin of Mexico could also be seen astride a
broomstick. The West Indies loogaroo would explode from
their skin as a fireball, flying. Some vampires simply defy
the laws of gravity, by flying in the humanoid form and
others transform into flying animals, such as bats, birds
or insects.
Mesmerism
To mesmerise is to control by hypnotism. This apparent
feature has been widely used by Count Dracula in both
the books and the variety of hammer movies. The vampire
is able to control a human by the power of seduction and
suggestion, breaking their will, to command to do
whatever the vampire requests.
Misting or vaporising
The misting or vaporising of a vampire can be associated
with the beliefs that when the soul leaves the body in a
grave, that the soul becomes a mist. The vampire is said
to be able to exit an underground coffin in this fashion,
changing to mist and seeping out through the ground.
Senses
It is widely believed that the vampire has heightened
senses. Because the creature spends so much time in the
dark it must have a night-like vision, probably infrared.
Due to its animal associations with creatures like bats and
birds it is easy to assume that vampires have excellent
hearing. As for touch in some literature it is believed a
vampire can feel the throbbing of a heartbeat on the wall
surrounding its prey.
Speed
A vampire is said to be able to move with great speed.
The vampire's body is so well-tuned when it has fed that
it can demonstrate a number of complex movements in a
single heartbeat. It is so natural for a vampire to do this
that on occasion they forget the normal time a human
performs the same actions and reveal themselves as what
they truly are.
| Powers of a Vampire |
