Cultures, countries, and peoples are replete with myths and legends. Some repulse us, many hold our interest, and a select few enthrall us. Werewolves, Angels, Dragons, and Vampyres continue to endure. Of these, the Vampyre is the most complex. Whereas Dragons and Angels have been viewed as wise and usually benevolent creatures and Werewolves have been feared, none save the Vampyre carries the quality intrinsic to sentient existence, and that is connection to the Other. Thus, even when the Vampyre was viewed with revulsion, there was a silent fascination burgeoning that grew into admiration and beyond.
Vampyres are in many ways the closest to the human experience I believe. Angels - and Daemons by association - are non-corporeal beings and are therefore beyond the realm of human existence or experience. The Werewolf or Lycanthrope, while admirable to some, still does not represent human existence beyond the very primal. Dragons are well beyond the scope of this little article. Suffice it to say that they forever remain beings that at best we can only observe and learn of from afar.
And so we finally come to the Vampyre. Within this immensely powerful being we find amplified every quality of human existence from ridiculous to sublime; from base to supremely noble.
We in the Community understand this, but what of those who are outside? What is it that draws them to the mythos of Vampyre? We know that Vampyre is present in the collective consciousness of practically every culture both ancient and modern even though the qualities of the Vampyre may differ radically. Despite the many attempts to characterize the Vampyre as Evil, still the Vampyre draws unto it people of all beliefs and non-beliefs. So we come face to face with the vexing questions of why the curiosity is so strong; the desire so great to learn of the Vampyre, and for some to become Vampyre.
I do not think it is one single answer. In fact anyone who claims that there is a simple explanation for everything has not the wit to grapple with Knowledge. Let them watch American Idol and worship at the altar of the Next Big Thing. We are all of us here because Vampyre - whether by sweet seduction or unrelenting merciless will - has brought us here.
The answers to these questions become more troublesome in that within the mileu of our extended family are as many beliefs about the Vampyre as there are family members. Some believe the the Vampyre is immortal. Certainly one can argue quite easily and volumes have been written that Death is the prime reason religions arose. Death is both the great mystery and the mystery most feared. But the Vampyre does not tell us of the transition and so we have but stylized tales of the transition. Even Christ, whom Christians believe defeated Death, never spoke of His experience as an immortal except to say that His believers would have eternal life.
So immortality is a reason, but not compelling enough. What about power? Attractive indeed is it not? And yet power is within our grasp both as individuals and as a collective at all times. We do not use it wisely or even at all, but nonetheless it IS there.
I think that the reason is one I stated at the beginning: connection to the Other. As I flip through profiles I see many who state in one manner or another that they desire to be alone, that loneliness is preferable. But how can this be? By joining, by creating even the most meager of profiles, the person desiring a solitary existence has surrendered that. This is a Community. While there are communities of every stripe and staple, the Vampyre is unique in view at least because our path - whether we choose the Dark or the Light - is one of heightened existence. We strive to marry the carnal with the spiritual at all times. It is a double edged sword because we seek this balance and can do so more easily because we remain open to ideas and accept shifts in paradigms more readily than our non-Vampyre counterparts. But because we are in a sense transcendant, we seek connection with what can be termed the Other with more need than any other sentient. The Other is not merely person, but it is also idea, belief, conflict, resolution, beginning and ending. The Other is the synergistic experience that the Vampyre MUST have to thrive. Look closely at the questions we ask, and test my theory.
I am looking forward to spirited discussion with you, the Other.
