Nosferatu, Lord Ruthven, or Carmilla: What Sort of Vamp Are You Looking For?
A man’s character is his fate.
—Heraclitus, On the Universe
As we’ve mentioned, there are as many different types of vampire personalities as there are human ones. After all, except for those few vampires who were born into their fate, all vampires were humans prior to becoming creatures of the night. In fact, were you to have met the vampire you are drawn to when he was in his human form, you may have been just as attracted to him then as you are now.
There have been quite a few scholars and historians among the vampire population, and over the centuries, repositories of their collective knowledge have been established all over the globe, the most notable libraries being in Vienna, Baghdad, Madrid, Kiev, Venice, Kyoto, Santo Domingo, Damascus, Thebes, and Detroit, though their specific locations remain shrouded in secrecy. Even in the twenty-first century, there is still very little trust between Homo sapiens and Homo striga, and vampires generally feel safer keeping their information among their own kind, so it is almost impossible for non-vampires to access the historical records. From time to time, however, information does leak out, and the following is partially based on Valentina Luzio’s doctoral dissertation (Universita di Bologna, 1935) on intercultural vampire stereotypes, but it has also been pieced together through information we have gleaned through conversations with our vampire associates.
Over the centuries, vampires have classified their own kind, and in the past, these classifications became the root of a rough caste system that some vampires still adhere to today. For the most part, though, the terms are now used as loose slang, similar to the way that humans have coined phrases to describe those who share related predilections, tastes, and behaviors, such as geek, goth, hippy, or tree-hugger, although the vampiric terms encompass much more than tastes in music and clothing or sociological worldview. The terms of vampire classification that we have come across are Cicuta, Interfector, Tombeur, Silenti, Transeo, Philologi, Misericordia (also called Tristus), Vespillo, and Sanctus.
The Cicuta, also called the Rictus, are least likely to be accepted by human society, and are, sadly, also the least likely to be accepted by other vampires in general. Some vampires have a peculiar adverse reaction to the transference of the vampiric pathogen whereby their physical appearance is drastically altered: They lose their hair, their features become elongated, their eyes protrude, and a permanent and irreversible inflammation of their joints causes stiff movement and a clawlike rigidity in the hands and feet. Cicuta minds function as any other vampire’s, but their appearance is so startlingly different that they find it almost impossible to find any acceptance whatsoever among humans or vampires. Usually these afflicted vampires choose to live in isolation, either on secluded estates or literally underground. Occasionally, small groups of Cicutas can be found cohabitating, finding comfort and companionship with those that share their condition. The Cicuta were parodied somewhat in F. W. Murnau’s 1922 film Nosferatu.
There are two types of vampires that humans, and often other vampires, need to be wary of: the Interfectors and the Tombeur. The Interfectors are ruthless killers, ultimate hunters who view humans as livestock. They are brutal, but not necessarily cruel, and rarely toy with their prey. Universally, Interfectors perceive their transition into the vampiric state to be an initiation into a higher state of being, not transcendent or spiritual in nature, but rather a promotion to the top of the food chain.
Interfectors’ cousins in savagery, the Tombeur, are much more complex in their hunting habits and their perceptions. In “The Vampire Maid,” Hume Nisbet aptly describes a Tombeur’s charged relationship with a human:
It was a rapid, distracting, and devouring infatuation that possessed me; all day long I followed her about like a dog, every night I dreamed of that white glowing face, those steadfast black eyes, those moist scarlet lips, and each morning I rose more languid than I had been the day before. Sometimes I dreamt that she was kissing me with those red lips, while I shivered at the contact of her silky black tresses as they covered my throat; sometimes that we were floating in the air, her arms about me and her long hair enveloping us both like an inky cloud, while I lay supine and helpless.
Like the Interfectors, Tombeurs perceive their vampirism to be an initiation into a higher state of being and relegate humans to base foodstuffs. Unlike the Interfectors, however, the Tombeur are not straightforward predators, and there is a secondary purpose to their hunt: sexual gratification. They take full advantage of their saliva’s hypnotic and psychotropic effects on humans, the mystique that surrounds vampires, the seemingly unnatural attraction some humans have toward vampires, and the potency of the Tombeurs’ own sexual drive to lure humans into complex carnal relationships that culminate in feeding. They are consummate seducers, and some Tombeur feed, completely and terminally, on their conquests, while others create henchmen that are little more than sex slaves. Neither fate is something we would recommend to any of our readers.
The Silenti reject human society completely, and are, quite literally, the living dead. Either due to trauma, sociopathic psychological conditions they possessed while human, or through a desire to embrace this peculiar aesthetic, they adopt many of the stereotypes and trappings of the vampire-as-undead. Some act as monstrous killers, akin to the murderous ways of Interfectors, while others are more peaceable, but no less strange. E. F. Benson vividly describes a Silenti, in “The Room in the Tower” as:
Mrs. Stone as I had seen her last in my dreams: old and withered and white-haired. But in spite of the evident feebleness of body, a dreadful exuberance and vitality shone through the envelope of flesh, an exuberance wholly malign, a vitality that foamed and frothed with unimaginable evil. Evil beamed from the narrow, leering eyes; it laughed in the demon-like mouth. The whole face was instinct with some secret and appalling mirth; the hands, clasped together on the knee, seemed shaking with suppressed and nameless glee.
Most of these demonic vampires choose to live in crypts, haunting graveyards like proverbial ghouls. Many vampire death cults have sprung from the philosophies and writings of Silenti, including the House of Azrael, whose members venerate death itself as the supreme deity and oblivion as heaven.
Not all vampires are inherently dangerous, and in our experience, we have found that in this day and age, the Interfectors, Silenti, and Tombeur are blessedly rare. Most vampires that are encountered nowadays are Transeo, Misericordia, and occasionally Vespillo.
The Transeo are vampires that have assimilated into human society, often reaching positions of power. Among the Transeo there are many celebrated politicians, scientists, businessmen, philosophers, artists, writers, and musicians, and, surprisingly, a large number of influential clergy and militarists. Not every Transeo is an illustrious public figure; many simply desire the comforts associated with reentering society. In the past, most Transeo posed as humans as best they could, concealing their true natures. In the twenty-first century, more and more Transeo are coming out in the open, and they form the backbone of most vampire-acceptance movements.
The Misericordia, or Tristis, are vampires that are consumed with a longing to regain their lost humanity, some to the point of being driven mad by the desire to be human once more. The shock of their transition into vampirism and the rejection they faced from friends and loved ones was devastating, and it compromises their ability to find solace and comfort. Unlike the Transeo, Misericordia cannot merge into human society, but are relegated by their own grief to the position of outsiders. Their inherent melancholy and morose temperaments make it difficult for them to cultivate relationships with either humans or vampires. Most vampires treat the Misericordia with a fair amount of derision, and they are sometimes hunted by Interfectors who see the perspective of the Misericordia as an affront to their way of thinking.
The Philologi are scholars and philosophers that have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge, utilizing their extended lifespan to further their research. They are usually reclusive, and some were once Transeo that have rejected the bustle of human society in favor of solitude.
The Vespillo are dedicated to assisting newly infected vampires in understanding and accepting their condition and learning to live with the challenges that vampires face. Vespillo, like the Transeo, tend to become members of vampire-acceptance movements, pushing for a wider understanding of vampires among the human population.
The Sanctus are considered by some pious vampires to be the saints of their kind, and from what we have gleaned, they are very likely the stuff of myth. These vampires are paragons that possess impossible, phenomenal powers that defy known physics, including the ability to shift shape, turn into a gaseous form, and command other vampires through will alone. The mythological Sanctus are venerated by some, but we have no evidence whatsoever that they truly exist.
The point is this: You should not under any circumstances believe that you understand your vampire after knowing them for only a short period of time. The personality and monstrous types that he or she could possibly be are way beyond your understanding. Take your time and tread very, very carefully.
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Other Types of Vampires as Represented in Myth & Legend
Asasabonsam: With metal teeth and hooked feet, these vampires are well suited to being James Bond movie villains. Hanging from trees in the African forests, they grab their victims with their feet and bring them up to “bite them on the thumb”!
Baital: Somewhat like the folklore of Carmilla, who transformed into a cat, or Dracula, able to become a dog, these Indian vampires are short and half-man/half-bat.
Bajang: These were beings in the form of weasels who were enslaved by Malaysian sorcerers and forced to kill many members of single families.
Baobhan: These vampires are similar to succubus in that they take the form of Scottish women who force men to dance with them unto exhaustion and then feed from them.
Ch’ing Shih: Similar to a will-o’-the-wisp, these Chinese demons’ nonmaterial forms are that of glowing orbs of light. They kill with their deadly breath (much like an old math teacher I once had) and also suck the blood from their victims.
Civateteo: These Mexican witches attack young children and mate with their fathers to produce vampire children.
Dearg-Due: These Irish vampires can be killed by building a pile of stones over their grave. They cannot shape shift to escape.
Empusa: An ancient offshoot of the Incubus and Succubus (see below), these Grecian female demons are either young women or old hags.
Ekimmu: Erroneously referred to by Montague Summers as Assyrian vampires, these are ghosts looking for peace.
Incubus or Succubus: These are two different forms of European sexual vampires.
Jararaca: These are Brazilian snake vampires who drink the blood of sleeping women.
Kallikantzaros: Actually closer to werewolves than to humans, these vampires are born between Christmas and New Year’s Day. When they are older, the Greeks believe, they will assume a half-man/half-animal shape between those same calendar periods and stalk their victims only to retreat down to Hell until the next year-end holiday.
Some other vampires in myth and legend from around the world include: Avarcolac, Brucolacas, Dracul, Kalika, Kattakhanes, Khadro, Krvopijac, Kwakiytl, Lamia, Lobishomen, Loogaro, Mulo, Nachzerer, Ogolgen, Otgiruru, Owenga, Rakshasa, Sharabisu, Shtriga, Strigoi, Strigoi Vii, Strigoi Morti, Stryx, Vampir, Veshtitza, Vrykolakas, and Wampir.