Okay I suffer from being photosensitive, I can't go outside that much during the day because my skin burns as soon as the sun touches it. It also severely hurts my eyes.
Anyway what I am trying to get at is, are vampires so photosensitive that when the sun touches there skin that it so intense they turn into ash?
Do you think that it is strictly movie based or real?
i think it is movie based. exspecially if the sun has the skin turning into ashes although it seems like anything is possible in this world. But i know people who get burned by sun very easily. that i do believe in.
FacelessUnknown,
Your rudeness is uncalled for. If you cannot handle yourself in a decent manner while discussing, then you will find your posting privileges revoked rather quickly.
I will not warn you again.
For me i do go in the sun but i am so fair skin i burn fast.. But no ashes involved.. Great question darlin..
I have sensitive eyes but thats because of another reason. My question to the author is : When you say your skin burns is it immediately or does it take a few minutes?
my eyes or light sensetive have to wear perscription glasses not just sunlight but all lights. stupid thing, but not light sensitive to sun. but great post
sorry all i had a vampire blonde moment .. I talked about sunlight in general and the post is about eyes.. I have light blue eyes and oh yes for sure my eyes are light sensitive. Just kinda ignore my posting from before about sun in general..
undervampiregaze< i believe the post was about all sensitvity to light not just eyes. so Just letting you know.
i believe it's more lore and myth based than actual fact... at lest to the extreme of burning to ash.
i do believe most vampires would not enjoy bright lights of any kind, they would probably prove most uncomfortable to sensitive eyes and skin, as well as it's hard to stalk your prey in well lit areas.
from a medical point of view
there are many reasons for light sensitivity from photophobia to medications that affect the eyes to photosesitivity in skin
i'm sure many of these very real disorders added to the legend of the vampire
It takes exactly 90 seconds for my skin to start burning to answer your question.
Yes, good point, but lol I have no phobia and that is true it seems like the vampire fear the sun.
I believe that some opinions here are movie based and have never heard of anyone burning up into ash with the exposure of sun. I mean no offense by this by any means.
I do have light sensitive eyes because of my eye color but that does not make me a vampire nor does it keep me out of the sun.
I do prefer the night rather than the day but yet again..that does not make me a vampire.
Well.... do keep in mind....
If sunlight was fatal to you.... you would be afriad of the sun as well....
I'm in the same boat you are in, HalfBlood....
yesterday, I was walking the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ... and it only took me 45 minutes to be sunburned....
My neck and arms are very red, and in serious pain.....
Fortunately, I had dark Sunglasses made or else the sun would have damaged my eyes as well....
Today.... I wore enough sunblock to prevent any further damage......
But it won't help heal the damage I already inflicted on myself.
you would think after 33 years, I would be smarter....
:P
Sounds like you may be allergic to the sun, it's a well documented allergy.
Very true there Xzavier...I have a brother who has an allergy to the sun and he will break out in a rash first and foremost.
To ash? That's definitely movie based.
Photosensitivity is a rare trait, and was misunderstood long ago. When the sun and it's rays were seen as gifts from the gods and you could not stand them, I suppose they assumed that you were evil because of that.
I must agree that it is a movie based effect. I am moderately photosensitive, but I don't turn to ash just from being in the sun.
actually I was diagnosted with photosensitive du to the meds I take.
If a room is too bright even lights hurt my eyes. I can't go under the sun otherwise my skin starts by itching then it burns and become red like if I was a lobster in boiling water and that happens in less then 10 minutes of direct sun exposure.
When indirect exposure then it takes longer, if I am cover then it is fine. I can't go in a bikini on the beach I am force to go with a t-shirt and shorts, with loads of cream for baby.
I am not the only one in my area so it is not to bad, 2 of my friends are the same.
My doc says with time I will be able to easely go out more often for longer periods.¸
But for now I enjoy my evening job so I am not expose to much.
I knwo it is not du to my vampire lifestyle but to a medical situation I can't avoid.
As vampireyui said, a lot of photosensitivity can be caused by certain medications. I have avoided sunlight for about twenty years now because I get so sick in it. It is a lot more likely to be a medical reason than a vampiric one. It would be a really good idea to get checked out properly by a specialist if you are able.
spontaneous human combustion? lots of theories but who knows, personaly i have a sensitivity to sunlight and certain fluorescent lights
Since vampire history started appearing, they have been allergic to daylight & only walk the night. It's one thing that has always stuck with vampires until recently. So I will say yes, I believe they are photosensitive
I think it's movie based but I know that many people are senitve to the sun. I am.
idrk about this one.......there are many ppl such as albinos and geneticly born ppl that are sensitive to the sun.....but they dont turn to ash......i mean maybe if there was a flamethrower involved lol......but otherwise i have never seen it....
I would think any creature (human or otherwise) who lived in darkness could or would be affected with "Photophobia" or "Porphyria"; however, the extent to which the sun effected vampires was different with each as, according to historical and mythological lore, vampires were able to be out and about at mostly every time of day. So I think the idea that vampires turned to ash from exposure to the sun was used for the special effect qualities it had in the movies.
* * * * * * * *
"Orlock (--"Nosferatu" (1922)--) is the first vampire to die by the rays of sunlight, an invention of Murnau's that differs from Stoker's novel. In the novel, Dracula dies by having a stake driven through his heart - sunlight was essentially harmless. Do not forget that Dracula was able to walk around during the day without getting burnt to a crisp - the difference was that sunlight made him powerless. Though "Nosferatu" was not initially popular nor did it receive too many theatrical showings for many years, the other film better known to audiences to introduce sunlight as deadly to a vampire was 1943's The Return of the Vampire, which starred Lugosi as Count Armond Tesla who had a werewolf as an assistant."
* * * * * * * *
Reference:
Nosferatu (1922)
my eyes blur with some swelling, and the pain of the light but not just the sun, floresant lights seem to put a lot of strain on my eyes i have a perscription for tinted glass for driving and reading. sometimes not a fun thing to handle. and the headaches that always seem to follow when its time to retire.
The idea about undead vampires burning to ash from the sun actually comes from very old myths and legends and is based on the concept that light (sun light especially) is a symbol of purity and goodness because God created it.
I too am extremely sensitive to light and especially sunlight. I wear sunglasses from just before sunrise to just after sunset even on rainy days and even indoors at times. I can get a sunburn in under 15min. I use sunblock with an spf of 85 the highest currently available and still get sunburned within an hour or less. When I was younger my parents would get mad at me because I generally used only a 25watt colored (usually blue or red) light in my room to read by. If I read with brighter light (especially white) I tend to get a headache. Most people use 60 to100 watt bulbs in their house for lighting i generally use 40 watt.
I think your situation is medical based, I do not believe that you are a vampire. The sunlight could be causing an allergic reaction on your skin. And the light could be so bright it is making you squint.
Solar urticaria is a form of chronic hives that is caused by exposure to sunlight. People with this condition experience itching, redness and hives on areas of skin exposed to sunlight. At times, symptoms can be confused with a sunburn, although solar urticaria can occur within minutes of exposure to the sun, and goes away much quicker (less than a day) after sun exposure has stopped
i got this from a website
xeroderma pigmentosum, in which the responsible genes have been identified recently. The involvement of EB virus infection has been suggested for the development of hydroa vacciniforme. Solar urticaria and polymorphous light eruption may be immediate and delayed type of autoimmune photoallergic reaction, respectively. Quinolone antibiotics of oral use and topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are common causative agents of drug-induced photosensitivity. i am really sensitve to the sun i try to avoid the sun as much as possible!
The information was taken directly from here.
It is not enough to say that you got it "from a website." You need to include the website, book, or article that you copied and pasted from to avoid plagiarism. Thank you. ~Meeper
ah yes, good point, i also have light-sensitive eyes..... when i have my own place i usually have the windows covered or in the case i am in now, i have to keep my back to the windows... when outside, i have to have sunglasses on of some sort, which sometimes doesn't work..
most places have flouresant bulbs now a days, so it is hard for me to stay a place of employment very long
There are many causes for photo-sensitivity: genetics, environmental, diseases, allergies and medications. How the sun effects the skin is largely determined by a chemical in the skin called melanin that determines skin tone and the ability of the skin to protect itself from the sun. Some of those in ancient times due to the lack of understanding may have played into the beginning of the myths surrounding vampires and the sun. The majority of the myths we know associated with stereotypical vampire came from the 16th through the 18th centuries. Medicine and science were still in their infancy really then. At that time also religions and superstition still played a very large role in things. Scientists at that time had to get their writings approved by the church and many were labeled as heretics and executed if what their scientific writings disagreed with what the church said was correct. When scientists began saying the sun not the earth was the center of the solar system it was considered heresy. When I was a child I had a sunburn so bad that I had blisters up to 3" in diameter and close to 1" in height, I wonder what they would have made of that in those days? There have been stories of spontaneous human combustion throughout history and even in modern times. To the best of my knowledge it has neither been proven or disproved. I know there are cases of people that have burned to death in a room and investigators have said the person was the apparent source of ignition in the room but they cant explain how the person caught fire.
I believe that they dont turn to ash but it hurts them. my neice and nephew have a condition that keeps them locked in the house all day and even the lights in the house must be very low as it hurts them. they play at night and most of the time sleep during the day. someone once said to my nephew they thought he was part vampire he laughed and said it might be!
HalfBloodThrice....here is your original post...please re-read it and you will see why people are posting as they are:
Okay I suffer from being photosensitive, I can't go outside that much during the day because my skin burns as soon as the sun touches it. It also severely hurts my eyes.
Anyway what I am trying to get at is, are vampires so photosensitive that when the sun touches there skin that it so intense they turn into ash?
Do you think that it is strictly movie based or real?
No offense hon..but the way you worded it you compared your condition to that of a vampire's alleged sensitivity to the sun.
The skin turning to ash I believe is purely movie based. As far as the eyes being so sensitive to light and your skin burning so easily. Have you been to your doctor. You could have an allergy to sunlight. I have a sensitivity to light I have to be careful how long I am out in the sun. My eyes will hurt and I burn easily and get bad headaches.
my eyes are also highly sensitive to sunlight. though, i do go into the sun and tan out rather nicely, and dont mind the sun at all. i believe vampires burning under the sun is movie based as well.
Since the ones that are supposed to burn up in the sun light until they are ash are supposed to be the walking dead it's not likely to really happen since they only exist in myth, legend and fiction. Under the right circumstances a living vampire could spontaneously combust but it would likely involve the presence of chemicals like certain fertilizers and or pesticides. Without an accelerant it's not likely to happen to a living vampire.
HellHathWings is essentially correct for some people sunblock only helps a little. That is 1 of the reasons that unless it's about 100F outside I wear a leather jacket when I ride my motorcycle. Hopefully as LCD technology becomes cheaper and more efficient someone will invent a pair of sunglasses that uses LCD lenses so that the tint can be automatically and manually adjusted. They already have this technology for welding hoods, the lens is clear until you start welding then it instantly becomes nearly opaque.
i think its kinda possable... maybe it could burn them serverly but im not sure that they would turn to ash...
I burn easily in the sun, due to like other's fair skin. The worst medical condidtion I received was melodomia. Which was cured. Since the ooze is being distroyed the sun rays are becoming stronger.
I do agree alot of medications can cause sun damage quickly. The medication bottles will say do not expose yourself to the sun. Reta A is one medication that I know of that you should not apply and go out into the sun.
I wish those well who cannot be in the sun long, for I know it does not make one's day pleasant at all.
I think that the turning to ashes from sunlight is strictly movie based since it requires rather high temperatures to burn skin to ashes.
But I think that some hollywood writers have used this condition as an inspiration.
A friend of mine have photosensitic eyes so she had some red and black full cover contacts made and has helped her a great deal.
It's sad that when a vampire goes into the sun it combusts and burns. I think this has to do with the fact they're creatures of night. Evil if you will.
i think its just in the movies that they turn 2 ash i have the same problem i acually blister if i say out in the sun 2 long and during the day where ever i go i have 2 where sun glasses
My eyes have always been sensitive to sunlight, I have to wear sunglasses all year round, sometimes indoors as well if it's particulary bright. Perhaps the old myths were based on historical cases of people with hyper photosensivity, after all, there's no smoke without fire, but the myths obviously blew the condition out of all proportion.
mystic i am right there with you on that... alot of poeple ask why i have sunglasses on inside... it gets annoying, but i would rather that happen then not go out & enjoy my life w/ my friends & loved ones!
The XP syndrom is related to this, cause it is even more then just the eyes but the complet body that has issue holding the day light or fluorescent, causing from small istshes to burning on the skin th eeyes, and other pain related to this sort of exposure.
I consider the factore is mainly du to the humans with all the light pollution, to many lights causing less facilty to teh eyes to adapt, also the fact the ozone is more thin causing the sun to be more powerful and influent on our eyes, skin, everything, also making spores rise more during day since the streinght of the sun ray are more and more increase as times goes.
very true masharia. it's a lot better than being stuck in a dark room until nightfall!!
You could very well be on the right track VM, with all the pollution and chemicals in the air, there's no way there can't be an effect on the skin, eyes internal organs etc, perhaps a few people had the condition in the past but they adjusted because they had too, simply because the lifestyle centuries ago was based mostly on living outside such as farming, outdoor markets, walking etc
Society/ people these days can go days or months without putting a step outdoors as shopping can be done via the net, work can be done on the p.c/telephone etc
please keep the post on topic, it is agravating when Dominars have to baby sit and delete post not related or when you click to view the new post to realize it has no value.
As for the light itself it is the positon of the sun that never changed and the Earth being mainly dammage and agress by its temporairy inhabitant.
The fact that more adn more are affected shows as a warning to the ones unafected. That it is still time to make changes so that less will be affected by the sun and the light.
Sort of a wake up call.
If you go back 50 years ago, there was less then these syndrom and less poeple bother or unconfortable by the light. It should be a small warning.
a few years ago on the new there was a story about a boy who couldnt go in to the sun. he had to wear a speaical suit. it was kind of sad.
I don't burn easily, but that's more based on my roots. When it comes to vampires turning to ash in the sunlight, I'd have to say that it is completely fictional. Hollywood, based. I know some people who are allergic to the sunlight, however, they can still go outside, provided they wear sunscreen and don't stay out for prolonged periods of time.
i do believe its movie and booked based. even though in the Twilight Series the vampires are not effected by the sun like normal vampires, which i thought was a good depiction.
But anyway about the post.
I am fair skinned. I burn i burn bad. and part of that is my fault for not wearing sun screen. but my eyes dont take well to being outside either. i usually have the lights off in the house too i like it being darker. and i usually am always wearing sunglasses outside.
but, that doesnt make me a vampire, jus a fair skinned scottish/irish girl!
my eyes burn too, but the skin, no... science shows us that body tissues don't turn to ash unless they are being creamated, and we're talking HUNDREDS of degrees here. I mean I've seen some pretty nasty burns in the hospital, but yeah. Definitely fiction.
I have mild photosensitivity and can understand how difficult it can be.
As for vampires I think it is all movie based. However if it were true it would be hard to prove considering that the vampire is dust and there fore there is no evidence of its existence.
Agreed, movies......books......Hollywood! ;) Besides, the sun gives vital Vitamin D to live.
I think the whole combustion idea is fictional.
Perhaps such perceptions came from a time when phosphorus was in it's early stages and had a nasty habit of combusting with pretty much any catalysts. Not to mention that people painted themselves with it to begin with. If you'd seen someone walk out into the sun with that, chances are they would have gone up in flames pretty fast. Things like that are enough to start a rumour, which may or may not turn into a legend. =)
The turning to ash thing is all hollywood. Though photosensitivity is definately not. I have Lupus and have to take medicine for it. Between the Lupus and the meds, I really can't go in the sun unless I put on like spf 75 sunblock. It sucks. I went to the beach and wore 40 sunblock and I looked like a lobster when I got home. We were only there two hours but it was plenty. I was sick until the burn went away. I hate it, but I know there are others who have it worse than I do. Oh and the eye thing, the sun bothers them too so I have to wear sunglasses when I am out in the sun.
some people really do get sick from the sun but its really rare
the ash thing is movie based for sure but i know wut u mean about the burning in 90 second im like that im allergic to uv ray or something of that sort but i also get little boil things too. it sux in the summer because i gotta wear long slevles for the most part.
My sister comes put in the heat bumbs they look quite bad, as for the ash thing again it is movie based!
For Every Legend There Are In The World I Dont Think They All Die If In The Sun Here Is A List From
http://www.geocities.com/jptempleuk/SBN/rules/vampire_legends_from_around_the_.htm
Check Out The Different Types And Decide For Yourself.
Asanbosam:
African. Asanbosam are normal vampires except that they have hooks instead of feet. They tend to bite their victims on the thumb.
Baital:
Indian. These vampires natural form is that of a half-man, half-bat creature roughly four feet tall. They are otherwise unremarkable.
Bajang:
Malaysian. The bajang normally take the form of polecats. They could be enslaved by sorcerors and forced to kill the sorceror's enemies, and some families were believed to be hereditarily stalked by the bajang.
Baobhan Sith:
Scottish. The baobhan sith (pronounced buh-van she) are evil fairys who appear as beautiful young women and will dance with men they find until the men are exhausted, and then feed on them. The baobhan sith can be harmed and destroyed by cold iron.
Callicantzaros:
Ancient Greece. According to Greek legend, a child born on Christmas will become a allicantzaros.
These vampires often appear in half-human, half-animal shapes.
Ch'ing Shih:
Chinese. Ch'ing shih appear livid and may kill with poisonous breath in addition to draining blood. If a Ch'ing Shih encounters a pile of rice, it must count the grains before it can pass the pile. They can be harmed and destroyed by normal weapons and by sunlight. Their immaterial form is a glowing sphere of light, much like a will-o'-the-wisp.
Civateteo:
Mexican. These vampire-witches held sabbaths at crossroads and were believed to attack young children and to mate with human men, producing children who were also vampires. They were believed to be linked to the god Tezcatlipoca.
Dearg-due:
Irish. The dearg-due is a standard European vampire, except that it cannot shapeshift and may be defeated by building a cairn of stones over its grave.
Empusa:
Ancient Greece and Rome. Empusas appear as either beautiful women or ancient hags. They are strongly related to the incubi and succubi (q.v).
Ekimmu:
Assyrian. These are vampires of the spirit variety. They are naturally invisible and are capable of possessing humans. They can be destroyed by using wooden weapons or by exorcism.
Hanh Saburo:
Indian. These creatures live in forests and can control dogs. They will attempt to lure or drive travellers into the forest to attack them.
Incubus:
European. Incubi (plural of incubus) are sexual vampires. They are spirit vampires of a demonic nature. They may enter homes uninvited and can take on the appearance of other persons. They will often visit the same victim repeatedly. A victim of an incubus will experience the visits as dreams. The female version of an incubus is a succubus
Jaracara:
Brazilian. Normally appearing as snakes, jaracara are said to drink the milk of sleeping women as well as their blood.
Krvopijac:
Bulgarian. Krvopijacs (also known as obours) look like normal vampires except that they have only one nostril.They can be immobilized by placing wild roses around their graves. One way to destroy a krvopijac is for a magician to order its spirit into a bottle, which must then be thrown into a fire.
Lamia:
Ancient Greece and Rome. Lamias are exclusively female vampires. They often appear in half-human, half-animal
forms and eat the flesh of their victims in addition to drinking their blood. Lamias can be attacked and killed with normal weapons.
Loogaro:
West Indies. Appearing as old women, these vampires go abroad at night as blobs of light, much like the will-o'-the-wisp.
Mulo:
Serbian. Mulos normally appear as people wearing white clothes. They are active both day and night, and can assume the shapes of horses or sheep. They eat their victims in addition to drinking their blood. Mulos are also known as Vlokoslak.
Nosferatu:
Central and Eastern European. The "traditional" vampire described in Dracula. Most vampires appearing in movies and books are of this sort.
Rakshasa:
Indian. The Rakshasas are powerful vampires of the spirit variety. They usually appear as humans with animal features (claws, fangs, slitted eyes, etc.) or as animals with human features (flattened noses, hands, etc.). They often appear as tigers. In any form, rakshasas are powerful magicians. They eat the flesh of their victims in addition to drinking blood. Rakshasas may be destroyed by burning, sunlight, or exorcism.
Strige:
Eastern European. These are "birds of ill omen" who will attack people at night, with a whole flock of strigoi sometimes attacking a single victim. The strigoi use their long,sharp beaks to peck holes in their victims and drink their blood.
Vampyr:
Serbian. The vampyr is naturally invisible, but can be seen by animals or by a dhampir. A dhampir is the (living) offspring of a vampyr, and is capable of seeing vampyrs and of harming them physically. Dhampirs would often hire out to destroy vampyrs. Vampyrs cannot shapeshift
Vrykolakas:
Medieval Greece. Described as being "swollen" and "distended," vrykolakas can walk in daylight without being harmed. The vrykolakas may only call to be let into a specific house once a night. In addition to sucking blood, vrykolakas also cause nightmares. They may be destroyed by exorcism or burning. In Crete, they are called kathakano.
Wampir:
Polish and Russian. Wampiri appear exactly as normal humans and have a "sting" under their tongue rather than fangs. They are active from noon until midnight. A wampir may only be destroyed by burning. When the wampir is burned, its body will burst, giving rise to hundreds of small, disgusting
animals (maggots, rats, etc.). If any of these escape, then the wampir's "spirit" will escape as well, and will later return to seek revenge. These creatures are also called vieszcy and upierczi.
well you have to look at the many different vampire legends
not all are bothered by the sun
very interesting post, My eyes are sensitive to light simply because when the light does reflect in them i get massive headaches, but thatsfor another reason. as for burning to ashs that just hollywood mumbo jumbo, granted yes there is internal combustion some where i dont think that would apply as well,,but for people that have no pigmantation I would see how they would burn very badly. Just my opinions
I also am photosensitive, I cannot spend time outdoors in the sunlight without getting violently ill, migraines and burning severely. I can believe that those lacking skin pigment becuase of a genetic disposition may in some term have a chemical reaction to the sunlight becuase of their body chemistry and their blood may indeed become acidic enough to dissolve the body from the inside out. My eyes are indeed extremely light sencitive and I get sharp pains in my eyes, that spider web through my skull and create a building pressure at the back into the base of my skull.
I'm thinking that them burning to ash is more hollywood than anything. Though you can get really ill from being burnt badly by the sun.
I dont see the burning to ash happening, but indeed spontaneous combustion has several factors involved, please notes my posts in the thread about spontaneous combustion for further reading.
Spontaneous combustion would be a complete different topic I think.
Its such a rare case and doesn't happen all that often.
I have the same problem with the sun yet sadly its more then just burning easily I am allergic to it. I break out in hives and its stinks. I can't get over heated and chill out like normal people.
forgive me I got stuck in a debating mood and such with todays events and the enjoyment of such things. I shall leave the debating in other places and just enjoy the conversation as it is presented.
I don't believe in real vampires so I have to say movie based. There are some very rare conditions where sunlight can be fatal to people. I burn really fast as well and sunlight hurts me. It doesn't make me a vampire though, it makes me a pale blond lol.
I don't think the person that made this post was saying that she was indeed a vampire, more or less it is a comparison.
The turning to ash of vampires in my opinion is strictly movie based. Stereotyped by the media.
It takes me 10-15 minutes to burn, but that's because I'm fair. I walk around with a parasol looking a bit strange, in the summer i wear spf70 sunscreen, but who cares. My eyes are very light senstive and always have been, but that's because they're a very pale green colour. Pale eyes are usually more sensitive.
It is normal to be sensitive to the sun, lots of people are, it's has nothing to do with vampirism whatsoever fullstop the end. I know people who are what might be termed as allergic to UV light, some people just are, most are not, but that's the way it is. Some people are allergic to peanuts, most are not.
The whole bursting into ashes thing is completely movie bound, it's just to make vampires seem even darker, being nocturnal. No, just because you burn very easily doesn't give you a vampiric quality, I'm afraid to say.
it's not always like it is in the book. some of it comes from hollywood
It is mostly movie and book based.
I am photosensitive and when I am out in the sun too much it feels like my skin is on fire, and my eyes start to hurt which causes a really bad headache.
there is a difference between what hollywood throws at you and real vampires
turn to ash...nope....burn easily....yes....
I'm mixed and while I don't burn easily, my eyes are sensitive to sunlight....I don't go outside on sunny days unless I can cover my eyes or have dark sunglasses, and even then I have to stay in very shaded areas to avoid a major headache.
Now a days the sun isnt even good for you.. With the ozone and everything being as it is.. I do not know about you but i can live good without skin cancer..
technically it has some basis to do with biology.
there is a condition called porphyria, in which the afllicted person is superphotosesitive
yes the turning to dust is completely made up but yes photo sensitivity probably gave them the idea. Hollywood likes to make things more dramatic. Watching someone skin burn wouldn't be as cool and seeing them turn to dust.