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In your opinion why do most associate the Ankh with vampires than any other symbol? And is there another symbol that you would chose rather than the ankh?

this sounds like it might get interesting! lol
i think that the vampyre is placed w/ an ankh because the ankh is the symbol of life and the vampyre that society knows is opposite, having no life.
actualy, i love the ankh, and, i really dont know any other symbol! i mean, everybody knows what the ankh is, and it doesnt have a negative view in most ppl's eye...so i think it is a good symbol to carry.

the ankh is a symbol of eternal life. When placed with the dead, it is a tradition to protect them in the afterlife with their strong energies. When Isis revived her dead husband, that was when the ankh was created.

I have often wondered why the use of the ankh to symbolizethe vampire. I suppose it makes sense being a symbol of life and such. But many differant cultures I am sure use differant symbols. This would be something good to look up.

This piqued my curiousity so I looked around abit online and in a book I have on signs, symbols and omens. The only thing I have really found to be prevalent is the Ankh and occasionally the bat. I guess the reasons for both are kinda obvious. And as for what I would choose, I don't know. I really can't think of anything better or that would be as widely recognized.

I think White Wolf had a lot to do with our seeing the ankh as representing Vampires.

eternal life is what i meant by life...lol
and yea, whitewolf had a lot to do w/ it...
well, he didnt put the two together, he just published it...

Morigetsu makes a good point, and I would just like to add to that. The ankh came around in ancient Egypt. It used to be that Kings and Gods were the only ones allowed to use the symbol as it denoted their power to give or take life. This ties in with the ways of Vampires, who enjoy eternal life, and also have the power to kill, or to give eternal life. I think it is appropriate also as it is an ancient symbol, and hearkens back to the ways of Egypt, the religion of which I have noticed many vampire groups refer to, particularily to Sekhmet.

That does make sense, I think a lot of Egyptian symbols could have a place in vampire history.
A different one that I think could be used is the Seba. Here's a description found on about.com
The Seba is the representation of star in Egyptian religious art. Patterned after the starfish, with five equidistant spokes, the seba was a symbol of the constellations, or star-gods. Enclosed in a circle, the seba represented the Duat, of otherworld, where the sun diappeared each night, and to wehich the souls of the dead ascended after death. The word seba means 'learning' or 'discipline' and is associated with doorways and gates.

as long as i have known, the raven has always been the symbol.

Nice answer morigetsu. I would have to say you've done your research and i quite agree. I also think that some vampyres do have other symbols as well but "eternal life" is the main symbol. It has history with the vampyre community and it's almost like a tradition type thing. YOu can't just change something like that.
-MixedBlood-

i believe its because of couse its a symbol of life and vr having the sybol, simply means that this place is not just another site but life of a community.

The anhk being a symbol for the vampire started(or atleats as far as i know of) with the kemetic order of Aset Ka. The order prefures to use a bladed anhk. for more information go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aset_Ka

The order also uses many other symbols but they areused just by that order as far as i know.

I have seen two different style ankh's. I quess it just depends on who makes them and for what purpose.

In hieroglyphics the ankh means both life and mirror. Sacred to the Mother Goddess, the ankh signifies eternal life and sexual union. The female sign is derived from the ankh. This is an ancient and powerful symbol.

Fascinating topic! I concur that the ankh is a good start to a definitive symbol of the vampire. I looked at the Aset Ka, and further into the Temple of Set (I followed the wikipedia links and associated topics) I was intrigued, but I did not fall sway to their ways, because I believe as vampire, human or otherwise, we should look into ourselves and paint our own symbol, and not let one source or group paint it for us.


This is mostly is a guard against cults, because I have read deeply about them, and I find them disturbing and are doomed. The answers really are within the individual, and although many of Left-Hand-Path (even some Right-Hand Path) idealogies are attractive, I must blaze my own trail.

personally i would chose a pentagram or a heartagram....but then again they mean different things to different people

so i would stick with the ankh

*The Ankh was, for the ancient Egyptians, the symbol (the actual Hieroglyphic sign) of life but it is an enduring icon that remains with us even today as a Christian cross. It is one of the most potent symbols represented in Egyptian art, often forming a part of decorative motifs.*

Depends what you think...iare vampires formerly human or a breed apart...who says that vampires do not belive in a higher power ?:)

i dnt think i heard of vampirc symbols i heard of wiccan and satinism symbols but not vampirc.......

the ankh is a symbol of life eternal and love everlasting as it is related to isis and osiris two dieties who had a love that transends time and space the circle on the top of the ankh represents a complete cycle,, It is places with the dead tobe with them in hte afterlife.. it is easy to se ewhy the vampires uise it as we are imortal spirits actually the anch also has refrences in sumeria as well basically same meaning..I have the sumerian vampire ankh tattoed one me actually ..and wear it as it was oen of my engagement prewsents from Emp this is a good question sis :)

~Cyn~

~Shadowdancer~

Im fairly sure because not only is it a symbol of life eternal, but it also came from the first "classic culutre". The egytians were everything todays vampire community stands for, community, family, knoledge, power, wealth and happiness. Using their most popular symbol makes sence to me.

I would agree the ankh is one of the most recognizable and mostly associated symbol to vampires. I really like the second pic above...will be looking for one like that...

i personally have a preferrence for black roses. i tend to use that symbology when i feel the need to. *shrugs* that's just me though...

well personally I tend to think we chose what symbols that others associate us with and such.

there are yeah two kinds but you know it all depends on witch one they want to associate us with and then maybe it might or might not be a bad or good thing

I think an Oroborus with a serpantine dragon eating its tail would be more appropriate for a symbol of vampirism to quote a site i found interesting " It describes a circle, and partakes of the symbolic meaning of the circle, which is perfect, eternal, and divides the universe into inside and outside. It is a magic barrier or circle of protection, and represents eternal life and perfection. The Ouroboros that swallows its tail is dynamic. It describes a spiral force, and partakes of the symbolic meaning of the spiral, which is cyclical, moving, changing, evolving. If we follow mentally the consequences of a serpent swallowing its tail, we see that in a magical sense it will reduce itself to a single point and vanish from the universe utterly. Hence the Ouroboros swallowing its tail represents the gateway between our universe and the absolute, or to put it more poetically, the Eye of God."

The ankh represent two egyptian symbols; that for life and that for eternity, forming the one solid meaning of eternal life... The anky can be seen in basically any piece of artwork depicting an Egyptian god or goddess... Because they were gods, they lived forever... The symbol later was used by the Christians... In the Christian Bible, those who believe in God will have eternal life in heaven... The symbol has more recently died out in the Christian faith and is now associated with the vampires of hollywood, for they can live forever... It has nothing to do with them being dead... They are technically dead, but technically alive... They, themselves, are like the gods of Egypt and the God of Christianity... The ankh is still a recognized figure of the vampire because of its past representations, although we cannot live forever... That is all I have to say for now... Good day...

*~Gylanah~*

vampire myth has come mainly from two tradition, the hindu myth and egyptian history.

i think the antk goes for the egyptian and the trisul, like a trident to the hindus as the kali suking blood god did have

I've never really thought of it, but when someone mentions a pentagram I think Wicca, as opposed to the Ankh I think of with vampires

Dark Greeting's, Everyone has good thought's on the symbolism of the Ankh as a Vamperic Symbol I never heard of the Blue Rose, just the Black one. Thanks
Dark Blessing's,
KA

I think the Ankh would represent the new life of a vampire...

I agree with what Shadowdancer has said. What i have learned of the Ankh it was the symbol of life and love. I can only assume that the use of the Ankh when it comes to Vampires it showing the connection of ever lasting life.

yea like ever one says it sybolizes life love, the things that vampires are said to most commonly idolize to, to love one for eternity and morn them in a sort of ritualistic way

my friend emmie (babyhalo go rate her!), she has an ankh tattooed on her, its a sign of eternal life

Personally I would rather create my own symbol to represent me. But that's just how I am - I try to be unique, yet part of me still yearns for something of the past. I'd be more interested in glyphs used by vampires to represent their own various houses.

the Ankh is a beautiful symbol, it contains so much within it. is age gives it wisdom, the thirst for wisdom many vampires do so posess. it contains great power and thus must be used wisely, as doth that of the Vampires nature. eternial life, bound in living or bound in death. i like much this symbol for our kind. yet why not have more than one to roam the night? not all vampires are alike in thier ways. Oroborus would be a powerful symbol indeed, but it would thusly need recrafting to fit the shadows we walk within.
a blue rose--- why doth we choose a BLUE rose? blue being cold? for blue tis often used for peaceful workings. are vampires in peace?
a black rose is baeutiful and dark, unusual and inspiring, so thusly i find it suits well, but it cannot inmy eyes stand on its own.
the Crow,or the Raven, i believe to be good creatures to aspire to, yet as a symbol? they are not so strong as the Ankh.
life, death, binding, wisdom, age, eternial.

I have the summeri an vampire ankh tattoed on me as well and thank you all who responded to my outlook on the meaning of the ankh

~Shadowdancer~

Who sais, by the way, that symbols were not put there for such reasons as to make us think about one thing while they hide a completely another one?

the ankh symbol goes back far more then what we think. the actul name of it is eye of ra whihc mean eye of god in old egyptian. which meant prosperity and light, besides of that in old celtic culture also meant the ribert of life from ashes, in due ages many have wrote about it associated with vampirisim becouse that is whata vampire those it gives life back to the person being biten. other symbol of light and life are also present for different culture which also vampirisim is effected for example the v symbol which was in many films in the past...

well enough about the anhk itself lets look at the culture itself, egypt has always had a large population of metaphysical practices. eygypt is where most magickal practices come from well atleast most modern practices. so egypt has always been shrowded in a sort of mystical veil. egypt also has one of the largest population of people who call themselves vampires and it also has alot of old houses and covens, so maybe the reason we use the anhk as a vampiric symbol is because we might have originated or the majority of the population originated from egypt

Very interesting and to think of a reason why would be speculation on my part .. I think its a very awesome symbol with many mysterious outlooks.. Its one of my favorites and I now have what you would call a Vampiric one .. for a tatoo

I have always seen wither a fangy bat or the entertwined serpets of the cadusis as the vampy symbol.....but maybe that's just who I hang out with.

why do have to go to such lenghts to explain it.....couldn't it be some guy somewhere thought it looked cool then told everyone that that was the vamp's symbol? Of course it could be it's association with Isis.........Then Again I Have No Idea.

Could be this, could be that.