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Why is almost every single vampire destroyed by daylight if they are exposed to it ?

Thats just a myth.

Some movies have theorized that it is the UV radiation in light that does a vampire in. However, that is mere speculation. The religious would say the light is from a deity of theirs and it is that 'power' which does them in — good vanquishes evil, that sort of thing.

Light, if focused on our skin can severly burn skin. Humans burn, but at a much slower rate... they call it "Suntanning".

that is just Myth

you cannot always believe everything you hear.

Just what hollywood made up.

Fictional and movie vampires get destroyed by light. It's a myth, however some people in real are not feeling comfortable in bright light or daylight, but they are not destroyed.

Solar Urticaria is an allergy to the sun...it causes hives and sores on the skin...rashes and resembles a sun burn but more pain..it can go away after you reduce exposure to the sun.

good point jens the uv radiation does burn human skin . I guess in the movies vampires being already dead the skin would burn faster

For vampire it is a myth but for those who have the XP symdrom it is sort of a reality, they get burn by th esun,to a dangerous and deadly point if left there, I knew 2 little girls who were like that, their lives were only about night, and ppl tend to judge them.

As for me, the sun does afect me and deos hurt me, but ti is not deadly and unless I stay more then 1 hour totally expose under a strong sun I am fine, but a direct exposiur for a long period burns my skin, I cant get a tan, I get burned.

Because myth and fiction tell you it is that way!

i have photo sensitivity which basically means bright lights hurt my eyes so i have to wear reacterlight glasses or shades or walk around with my eyes closed I burn yes but so does everyone who doesnt use sunblock

almost all vampires have light sensitive eyes.

i think thats just a myth.

it is just a myth i hav 2 b out in it all the time

Hollyweird made it up.

that is somthing that was made up in a fictional event for us to believe if it were true than the mere thought of vampires would not exist since majority of life are day walkers right ?

made up stuff cuz if they walked around during the day then hollywood could not make them out to be the stuff of nightmares?

Hollywoods make believe world that vampires will die with light. hollywood had to give weekness so their main roles would not die off.

People believe to much of what they see on TV. Although there is a rare disease that makes some people intolerant to sunlight.

according to the myth, I think it's more than just uv rays...otherwise you'd have legions of vampires terrorizing the neighbourhood in the day time wearing sun block

Disease aside,I read that the sunlight thing began with Lillith.When her and Gabriel fought,not hollyweird.

And Cinderella had to be in before midnight or the coach would become a pumpkin again. Either we are talking about the fictional or the real, if you try to mix and match it just confuses the issue. Only vampires in fiction/movies have that weakness.

an urban myth probably

just a myth, esp. light can be a metaphor for goodness and pure. Like in the Lilith story.

it's just myth

All that is is movie myth

Movie myth. But if play with the thought. Vampires are dead so what will protect them against the sun when even we living humans need protection in strong sun? A dead body simply havent any protection as living ones have.

i think it is a myth

if its a myth then the hole coffin is a myth as well?

Like many have said, a mere movie myth. The only reason for that is the some people believe the lack of skin pigment in vampires will cause them to instantly burst into flames. Not true. There are people with said cases that have to be in darkness, and by wary of sunlight, but they're not going to burst into flames!

the is cool to know

I think it's more symbolic than anything. Vampires are supposed to be creatures of the night and should be feared. Most fears are vanquished by the light of knowledge.

just a theory.

Just a Myth.I have no problems with the sun and I live in the desert ,although I know people who have trouble with the sun,but they have never Burst into flames.
KA

Well, if it is a myth, legend, or whathaveyou...Then explain to me why I get blotches, blisters and what not whilst in the sun for a very short time??

On a personal basis, this happens when I am in the sun, no matter what temperature it is.

I throw most myths out the window when it comes to my person. When an individual actually experiances these things, you tend not to take things for granted.

i thank the hole burst into flames part is fake but then i have problems going out in the sun light if i'm not wearing long pants and a long sleve shirt i cant be in the sun light but i do go blind in all sun light

that's only in the movies -- I believe that vampires perfere the night because it's safe and never come out during the day ,, and it just carried over to that fairytale ..

The original "vampires" (Vlad, Bathory, etc) inspired the fictional tales. None of them were injured by daylight. I saw someone say "It's just a myth". Of course it is. The modern day "vampire" as so many proclaim to be is not the same as the mythical creature. Apples and oranges, two different things. The traditional vampire that most movies and novels portray is a non-existant figment of someone's imagination. Argue all you want. There is a "Nu-Vamp" culture out there. (I coined the term, BTW).

NU-VAMP,nice I like it as for the question I agree w/^.

Well, this topic does severe damage to a few people who claim to be 'real vampires' and in the same sentence claim to be 'harmed by sunlight'. Sounds like they're more like 'real hollywood vampires' then.

The daylight is a myth created by Hollywood, however, through out the bible light is good and dark is evil. Since vampires are associated with evil, they are also associated with darkness.

It is a myth ..however, most myths have some truth...There is a sun sensitive skin disorder that exists.. where exposure to the sun can be fatal...perhaps a person suffering from this disorder was said to be a vampire.

some people are just naturaly alergic and burn severly when exposed to the sun

I think its just a myth.

Its just a myth. Although I really like Stephenie Meyer's theory of Vampires sparkling in sunlight.

It's a myth, they don't get destroyed... it may be uncomfortable for them.

It makes the movie shows exciting I guess.

If you are going by some of the old ways of thinking when people who were severe anemics and had no iron in their blood then it makes sense since they lacked pigmentation it makes them very sensitive to the suns rays and tended to blister the skin. These people needed blood to survive back then and were thought to be vampires but now they can just take iron pills.

Because they are very allergic? Its only a myth created by hollywood.

It would make for a boring movie if they weren't hurt by SOMETHING..

it is a myth. I do have a sensitivity to sunlight because the light hurts my eyes. It doesn't kill me though.

Rev. Ravyn

It is a myth, it was said that a long ago because a lot of vampires didn't like to go out in the sun so they stayed indoors in the day, and party at night.

Although it is just a Myth and just something Hollywood has come up with, there is an interesting story I have heard as to why vampires do not like the sun.

It centers around the Christian religion and dates back to the time Jesus was crucified. As many are aware, Judus was the man who supposedly turned Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified.

It this particular account or myth, it is said that Judus was the very first vampire ever to walk the earth, and that his transformation to the living dead, or undead was a curse put on him by God because of his betrayal of Jesus.

Judus was so distraught after he had betrayed Jesus and felt such guilt in having turned him over such as he did--for money(silver)--that he hung himself at dusk--just as the sun was going down. That was the last sun he would ever see with his own eyes because at the moment of his death, he was cursed to live forever as a vampire. When the night fell upon Judus he embarked on a new existance, as a new species.
He would never see the light of day and only darkness.
In some accounts, vampires are burned by touching silver. This is an additional curse that was first put on Judus. Since he was so greedy and silver pieces is what caused him to turn against Jesus, he would never be able to touch another silver piece again without feeling it burn his flesh.
Also, because of his undying guilt that he felt, he could not stand the sight of crucifixes and could not bring himself to enter a church or any symbolically holy place.
In further accounts of this myth, vampires cannot die--not by stabbing, drowning, shooting, or any other means. The only way a vampire could really be killed is by hanging, and only if it were to be done when night meets day(dusk or dawn). The story is a bit more elaborate than this naturally, but you get the jest of it. :)
I do not believe it holds any water--but its interesting nevertheless!!

It is a myth, but it was started as far as I know, by Bram Stoker in his book "Dracula".

like everyone else said its a myth... But a rooted in some what truths..

There is a condition that is mistaken for Vampirism quite often. The a flicked person has an allergy to Light, mostly sun light. They burn quite fast as in walking to their car they receive a 2nd or 3rd degree burn . Just sitting in indirect light brings them great pain..

Because special effects make movies more interesting.

Real vampires can exist in daylight but their eyes are quite sensitive to it. The one I knew years ago went outside a great deal but always wore sunglasses.

Praise be to Nocturnal Goddess for that interesting bit of info.

From the Encyclopedia of the Undead: In the folklore of many cultures, the vampire was able to infiltrate society . . . in 19th century lit, vampires moved about freely during the day --- Lord Ruthven, Varney the VAmpyre, and Carmilla, to name the most famous.

From 1922 with Nosferatu (the silent film) that all changed.

bloodmother note: More importantly from a creative standpoint, sunlight allows the author to set the boundary of action for vampire characters . . . the rising and setting sun and approaching dawn creates a moment of tension, or signals a scene change allowing the humans to "digest" during the day what the vampire hath wrought at night.

well, Vampires are uncomfortable in sunlight but we're not going to burst into flames. its just a little more uncomfortable for us than humans.

I learned long ago not to believe everything I see in the movies.....but it did add an interesting component to a vampire story

that is a myth.

the UV in the sunlight, reacts stronger with the vampire skin, burning it heavily, but not to a destructive degree...

there is no flame or explosive reaction, just a quick burning, like a suntan only to a higher degree, can cause boiling of skin, blisters, and harsh rashes in under an hour.

I agree, its a myth, but the type of vampires in movies are myths. As far as the UV goes, I think its part of the supernatural side of vampires. Hey, it makes them vulnerable.

I think also, when these myths were being created, nobody saw what they thought were vampires during the day, so they just assumed vampires couldn't be out in the sun.

That is a myth.. That does not happen.

its a myth, light's supposed to be pure and good, and vampires are always represented as evil, unless reformed...so, they dont' mix...it's like the whole cross thng...the book, "peeps" takes a look at vamprie aversion to light and crosses and stuff, its fictional, but takes a cute look at stuff.

DrainingMeSoftly - You kept saying 'us' but it wasn't in reference to humans which everyone is. Why did you use it in reference to vampires?

that´s a holywood myth... vampires are not destroyed by daylight... what you can find in modern times is that some of us have less tolerance to sunlight... but that´s all...

The sun represents "gods light". Good vs. evil,therefore vampire bad (dark /night) God good (day/sun-brite). See easy for the public to understand. Good for Hollywood ,heroes need to win.

Because vampires are supposed to be the "things that go bump in the night." Sunlight is our protector from all the big, bad things of the night. I'd relate it to someone being afraid of the dark. In the dark, they see things that aren't there, and hear noises, but flip the light on and everything they thought was lurking just goes "poof."

There IS an actual 'vampire condition' so to speak.

photophobia (fear of light).
For many people, photophobia is not due to any underlying disease. Severe photophobia may be associated with eye problems and cause severe eye pain even in a relatively low light setting such as a bar or club.

OR
Porphyria (see link)

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/3095/

Its a myth based off all evil shall be destoryed by the rays of daylights final truth. In other words day light is suppose to be pure and goodness, and destory all the wickness of night. Kinda like how werewolves are supposibly only allowed to transform during the full moon. Only myth. All though I agree they might not like the sun, destorying them is unlikely.

Myth, if we're talking realistic, modern vampires. However, if we're talking folklore...
One would assume that the vampires of folklore couldn't be in the sunlight because 1) their living-dead state would be a LOT more noticeable, and 2) they thought they were monsters, evil monsters of darkness, and back then it was a popular belief(and it still is) that light always beats darkness.
So a creature of the darkness would be hurt by the light.

Because Hollywood needed to put some more drama into the whole Vampire lore.

I would think that since vamps are made up, so is the sunlight theory. It all depends on who is making the movie or telling the story.

im always sleeping so I doubt sunlight can burn up a vampire, maybe they just need suntan lotion? you know like some redheads are real sensitive skinned so they need it, thats what i think lol

NocnaMora: when i say "we", i mean Vampires. because i'm a vampire. i feed on blood. i just ment that sunlight is uncomfortable for us (vampires) but we're not going to burst into flames.

My guess is that they have some sort of sickness that results in spontaneous combustion when in sunlight.

That of course is just my nonmedical opinion about a hypothetical creature.

Alot of you have answered simply with "myth" but what are vampires to most people? Vs modern vampires? Sunlight, can burn anyone human or vampire. Some are much more sensitive to the rays of the sun though. As for instantly burning into ash, well that's just a device that movie makers use to make their movies more "action packed".

That is just a myth I believe, the sun bothers everyone. not just vampires

I think it makes them seem to be even more mysterious and maybe even more romatic that they can only travel in the night.

It would all depend on what sort of vampires you are referring to or from which writer or piece of literature. But anyway, staying in context, in my opinion, I would say that daylight's fatal effects to vampires would be due to the fact that vampires were 'traditionally' viewed as evil and ugly creatures and so commonly associated with the darkness of the night. Then comes daylight which is commonly associated with hope and the end of the night's troubles, thus so believed to be also capable of 'repelling' or ultimately putting an end to vampires.

Well, maybe vampires are slightly insomniacs, so they manage to go to sleep very late at little hours in the morning, so if they get awaken soon after they just die of the light...it's how it goes for me at least... :D

I believe that is just hollywood invention. Vamipres are not getting destroyed by daylight. Proly their eyes have problems on strong light since their retinas are fully open, in order to have perfect nightvison, wich is causing problems on the strong sun light, but thats all.

Also, what Jamie said.

*laughs* You people STILL believe that old ruse?

Real vamps don't turn to dust in the sun, but at times, it sure as hell can feel like it. Our skin and eyes are extremely sensitive to the sun, which is why when we DO go and expose ourselves in it, we get blotchy, blistery, hivey. It's not fun getting sun poisoning after 15 minutes of sun exposure.

Some people are actually foolish enough to believe it, Akri.

Well basically its just a myth, but in the myth vampires are belived to be evil and therefore light/purity destroys them

That is a myth associated with the overimagination of writer's for books and movies. There is however a skin disorder that would cause someone to get severly burned if they are in the sun.

*blinks* Truly?

I could understand their need to believe that they require invitation to enter one's home... but daylight?

natural skin sensitivity

In reference to the Hollywood stereotype vampire, then I have to agree with devilness. But the stereotype doesn't exist...

I like that hyper-active suntanning idea. Maybe they have greatly reduced levels of melanin in the skin, and react similar to albinos.

I am not a vamp myself, but I still burn easy and am NOT a big fan of the sun.

I really have no explanation for this other then Hollywood gimmick

I have PT in the morning...I hope I don't burst into flames :)

qout on the eye thing i agree i dont think they will be destroyed from sun light how ever sestive eyes you light like alot of noternel creachers like bats possems and things of that sort sounds more realistic then bersting in to flames might go blied by bright lights but not be destroyed by it

I think that when hollywood came up with this myth there were tying it into the craetures of the night thing. Since night is dark and usually associated with evil, then the evil sterotyped vampire would fit into that category. Then why not make it interesting and have them die if they go into daylight.

I believe it has some truth to it. Not all of the myth's came from Hollywood, they came from centuries & centuries of hearsay, before televisions, before radio's...Etc.

Maybe because the night is seen as evil & darkness to most people, hence why they can wander.

& the light is obviously good...So they burn in it.

myth however the night time is the right time

I think people pick out the myth's that suit them. Or the myth's they want to be "real".

just a Myth

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