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Here is something That came across by a question some one asked me recently. Bats and vampire? It has occured to me but havent had time to research . Bats do they become vampires? Vampires are the same as bats? Every one really wonder or cared to know There are vampire bats but they arnt the same as Vampires. And Myself I do not believe that the bat turns into the vampire But the vampire may turn into the bat.

I research a lot on vampires of myth and I can't think of one that turnes into a bat (lots of other things but no bats).

I think this is something that Bram Stoker came up with.

As you say there are vampire bats - they were named because when they were named the term 'vampire' had comne to mean blood drinking

Hello,

Yes, I believe what Artemka has said for that is just myth...

Rather than sucking blood, vampire bats make a small cut with their teeth and then lap up the flowing blood with their tongues. These bats are so light and agile that they are sometimes able to drink blood from an animal for more than 30 minutes without waking it up. The blood sucking does not hurt the animal. Even though bat bites themselves aren’t harmful, vampire bats can spread a disease called rabies. This disease hurts farmers’ livestock, especially cattle herds. However, vampire bats can actually be quite tame.

The relation betwen vampires and bats is something made up by Stoker, and is not something prevalant in origional vampyre myths and legends.

I would have to say that this is completely myth. There are vampire bats as you have already pointed out; however, no where in the research that I have conducted have I found where a vampyre was able to transform themselves into bats.

i don't think one creature having a certain appearance can take another physical form... vampires take on a human form, and humans have different genes with bats.. i dont think its impossible for someone to shrink their spines and have wings..

The whole vampires turning into bats thing is just a myth that gives flying rodents a bad reputation. Vampire bats don't become vampires. They already are. Vampires don't turn into bats and flap away.

Although that would be cool.

like people have said before a vampire turning into a bat is a myth just like saying that they sleep in coffins or retreat from the site of garlic. In reality no one can know what the abilities of a vampire are until you have been in the presence of a vampire.

I believe it is a myth that vampires turn into bats and bats turn into vampires.

I do not believe either takes form of the other, I believe it was just a tv stunt to make it more interesting

definately a myth and with the advantages a vampire already has it wouldnt need one such as that

I have never found an corelation whatsoever between vampires and bats. this is fiction. myth. yes, the vampire of lore could change at will into animals, but never a bat. mainly wolves.

Lokk at the legends BEFORE Stoker and you will find no referance to bats.

I can assure you,that I have never been a bat in my whole life time...
:-)
But always wanted to own one cuz they are so cute!

No...I believe the Bat morphing is just a myth that adds to the mystery of the Vampire lore. Although there have been beings who are able to morph into shapes of animals, I would think that a bat is not one of them, not because, I suppose that it couldn't be done, but more likely that the shapes morphed into are of a more noble character...ie: Wolf, Raven, Eagle, Bear etc..etc..much from Native American Lore.

But the Bat lore itself....no, I believe it is only to add to the mystery and depth of chilling enticement for writers and readers anticipating such occurances.

But then again....what of the bat as a totem on a shield or coat of arms what might that signify???

I suppose there is more than meets the eye....or senses involved.

There alot of ideas and myths about the vampire/bat issue. Some from the author Bram Stoker.Vampire bats..since they drink blood they were considered the logical choice for a human shaped vampire to turn into.Although astral flight does not require a vechicle I suppose this would again be a logical choice to use.

I don't think vampires are like bats thats like sayin werewolfs are like dogs, I mean I never heard of a fruit vampire but I have seen a fruit bat and most of the time vampires can see with out sonic sound waves, I think vampire bats who suck blood helped get vampires associeated with them... but I feel they are nothing alike

I think that yes vampires can turn into a bat, and a bat can turn into a vampire..... On Cartoon Network..... In real life... no.....

well from my learnings it is that the vampire either turns into a bat or wolf. Or both.

But this could be a myth or real. I am not 100 percent sure.

I assure you, I have never turned into either a bat or a wolf. Does that mean a vampire cant turn into a wolf. Who knows. legend has to have some basis in fact. at least in part. We do know there have been (unverified)accounts throughout history of people morphing into animals.

so, yes, I suppose its possible. I have learned over time to never completly discount anything, just because it doesnt make sense to the rational, scientific mind. Does one not think there are things in this life that just cannot be explained? sure there are.

Again,look at the legend before and after Bram Stoker. Wolves, ravens, rats, even owls. but NEVER a bat. that was aded by Stoker for an air of mystery and horror. Bats trigger a primal fear in many people. it was used for that reason alone, I think.

Malecke

personally the question has come up a few times. I do not believe that a bat can turn into a vampire or vise versa, I believe that that whole myth legend or whatever you would like to call it came from the way vampires couldglide orfly through the sky, when people saw them they though they were seeing a bat and therefore stated it from then on.

myth is a funny thing I have never heard of a vampire turning into a bat but have heard tell of them turning into other things

it is a myth by Bram Stoker...almost as logical as the creatures in the Van Helsing movie

Yes there are many myths that have come out of Stokers book, Dracula but that is not the only book he wrote. He wrote some other things and short stories on vampires. My question is why do people question things from a fictional book? Many of these ideas are very modern and not in folklore and some created totally by Hollywood. In the Bela Legosi version of Dracula they were protecting the victims not with garlic and religious icons but with mainly wolfsbane, etc.

i believe in its just amyth,

LadyNightdancer

why do people question things from a fictional book?

... and its a good question.

To me something that we know was created just for entertainment is fiction.

Something that is a story but no-one knows why it was created (an element of truth, a scarey story to keep people in line) is myth.

Some people confuse pure modern fiction, with folklore, legend and myth and start asking questions.

We had people questioning if the original vampire being Judas Iscariot - Thinking there was some historical basis for something that was just a twist for a good movie in 2000

I agree that Vampires don't turn into bats, except in fictional stories. Vampire bats are just little blood drinking vermin. Actually, blood lapping vermin!

i think it is myth and all hollywood.....

Hmmm,if I remember my Stoker correctly,I think the He (Dracula) had control over things such as rats,bats,etc,but i dont recall him saying he could trasnsform into a bat,then again,it worked well for Lugosi

yes I agree with the one who types weird that they don't turn into bats but might have some sort of power over them and other animals...

its a myth. the vampire bat drinks blood. but to vampire people does this mean we are the same as bats? no.

A vampire may be able to morph into a bat or batlike creature but it would have the same mass it had in human form, Its ability to change shape would be base on the abillity to control its molecular structure. but it cant break the laws of physics 220 lb vamp would be 220 lb bat not a 22lb one.

i believe that the connection between bats and vampires were just something that was added to the story of vampires long ago for color.

Obviously a movie addition.
But it did have good aesthetic value, and gave a good little scare in the Bram Stoker movie, and a very natural one as there are many people who have an irrational fear of bats.

IS A MYTH ....
I DONT THINK A VAMP CAN TURN INTO A BATH....

I think bats would be more of a familar for vampires. After all they keep the same hour. I love the old movies were you can see the strings holding the bats.

It's a myth

I don't believe that a bat will/can/does turn into a vampire, but yes a vampire can turn into a bat. The other way around just doesn't make sense to me.

Completely a myth....I would say. However, a fun one to explore. Brought on by Bram himself, but still used in cartoons, etc.

And no matter how we spin it, the bat will always be corellated with the vampire. Any why not?

I think the connection between bats and vampires is purely fictional.

i agree thats just to sell tickets at the movies

myth. definitely myth. do you think i would still be in this house if could turn into a bat and fly away? yeah right.

the fact that vampire turn into vamps is a lie. it has never happened and was started from idiotcy based on the vampire bat.

i reckon it's all just a myth, would be nice to see though

i just found this and found it interesting, so i thought i would post it, just some fun facts about vampire bats

Vampire Bat Facts
A vampire bat doesn't actually 'suck' blood, it makes a graze on its host's skin to encourage a flow of blood and then laps the blood up with its tongue.
Vampire bats don't live in Transylvania ; there are three species and they all live in Central and South America.
Vampire bats rarely feed on human blood; they much prefer the blood of cattle.

Vampire bats are small. The commonest, Desmodus rotundus , is only 7 to 9 cm long.
Vampire bats take about a tablespoon of blood a night.
The Mayans, the ancient civilisation of Central America , revered the vampire as a god. Their bat god, Zotzilaha Chamalcon, is believed to be based on the vampire.
An anti-coagulant in the saliva of vampire bats stops the blood of their host from clotting, hence providing a continuous flow of blood. Research on vampire saliva may lead to a cure for blood clots in humans.
Like other bats they are sociable creatures, living in colonies of up to 100 bats.
They are caring towards members of their colony; apart from behaviour such as mutual grooming, they will even take care of others who are unable to feed, by regurgitating the blood they have collected.
Like humans, vampire bats have a nine month pregnancy. They will then suckle their single young for a further nine months.

thank you amalthearose for getting some facts into this discussion

There is another " bats " thread in the Gen. Disc. forum ( started by me ).
It has been RIP'd but it is still readable should you wish to do so.

It's a nice little fictional effect. Some vampires had the ability to take shape of animals such as wolves.

The idea of a vampire taking the form of an animal is nice, but not really true.

well, its obviously a myth, made up. and it also wouldnt be logical. if a bat turned into a vampire, how would it know what to do in a human like body? and what would it do?

I believe it is a myth...
Yes there are vampire bats but they are simply named for the reason of drinking blood from livestock and even having killed livestock...

well the only thing that bats and vamps have in common is the fact that the vamp bat drinks blood and was asociated with the vampire for that reason and only very old and very skilled vamps can shape shift but not to any animal form cause if they did they would become the animal inside out even in the mind thus becomeing the animal its self so no smart vamp would change to an animal other ppl yes cause their still in human form and can control the form from the subconcious i mean the only 3 vamps stronge enough to do the shape shifting thing would have to be Nasforatu, Vladamir Dracula, And Kain

Yeah.
Vampires And Bats
Have Nothing To Do With Eachother
Period.
There are Vampire Bats But that is Different Way Different.

they do not change into one another except as said on the big picture screen its just stupid parlor tricks to make millions in the movies myth all the way

i do not believe that bats are vampires or turn into vampires nor do i believe that vampires turn into bats

The pet bats living under my house are rather offended by that question.
And no, I've never observed one of them turning into a vampire

Hello,
I have second thoughts... Go to www.haemavore.com and this might help...

I don't really have an answer for you but think about this:

It's a question of Mass. OK, you have a 185 lbs. male Vampire. He turns into a bat. The basic law of Physics suggests that you are going to have a 185 lbs bat! I think something like that would stand out. Likewise, a 8-9 inch, 1 1/2 lbs. bat turns into a Vampire. Again Physics suggest that you are going to have a 9", 1 /12 lbs man. Now I'm all for a man I can carry around in my pocket but it's not to likely.

the odds of a vampire truly changing form into an animal are 0%. i do know a person who can slightly alter there image but true full body transformations in this time are unheard of.

i think a bat n a vampire are two diffrent things linked by a similarity ... drinking blood

most stories about vampyric being do not turn in to animals but look like people.

According to stoker the vampires can turn into bats.I personally dont believe this is possible unless you,re a bat spirited shapeshifter.But as for vampires,there is the vampire bat,but then again what is a leech,a vampire slug.

I too believe as many that the bat/vampire association is a myth. My familiars are cats probably according to my religious beliefs.

hmmmmm touchy subject of origins from what i have observed and researched the vampire bat has not realations with the vampires we all know and love but the do feed off the blood of small animals not only for blood but for sugar sorta like a misquito as vamppires can be born or made but if thats all you needed an opinion on thats all i have to say

No, I don't think bats and vampires are in any way connected other than the fact that they are night-dwelling creatures.

Pure myth... but it would be rather interesting... I believe that is why it has lasted so very long............

lol.. bats are fascinating.. but not related to vampires.. i'm just wondering if a thread about other shape changers would go RIA.. hmm.. it seems like some of the lizardmen legends involve the drinking of blood..
D

It would seem hollywood has a bigger effect on people then we would really want them to

god i hate hollywood i would rather we live in the dark ages then in today society to messy these days and to impure of all fakes

I think its a myth aswell

I think it's totally made up...Yet another aspect that has been played up by Hollywood

We fear what we do not understand. Bats are only seen during the night, adding to the fearsome aspect of them. Bram Stoker just used this to make his antangonist even scaryier.

No i think bats were put with the myth later on

Real Vampires cannot shiftshape :(

Would be a very useful tecnique if they could though :D

~Sir Jäger

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