The vampire subculture , or “real vampires,” is a modern subculture that exists in the countries of Europe and America and consists of people who consider themselves vampires and practice vampirism in one form or another or simply support the corresponding image. It is difficult to define a single direction of the flow - it can be considered both as a fandom group, and as a sexual subculture, and even as a new religious movement [1] .
| Vampires | |
|---|---|
| Occurrence | 1970s |
| Heyday | 1990s |
| Focus | fandom sexy |
| Spread | Europe America |
| Items | |
| Themes Vampirism Sexy vampirism | |
| Related | |
| Goths Sadomasochists | |
Content
History
The exact date of the emergence of the vampire subculture is impossible to determine, but it is assumed that it originated in the 1970s among admirers of the writer Anne Rice [1] . It was the novel “ Interview with the Vampire ” that largely served as the impetus for its birth [2] . To date, there are several relatively independent fandoms inside the movement - representatives of its “stylistic” trend can be especially enthusiastic players in Vampire: The Masquerade , Poppy Bright fans, or even Charlene Harris [1] .
The vampire lifestyle community spread to the UK in the 1980s and reached its peak in the 1990s [2] . “Vampires” of stylistic sense found mutual understanding with the Goths , many of whom used similar elements in their image, and partly merged with them [2] . Nowadays, some lovers of gothic and industrial music are sometimes unreasonably confused with "vampires", but in reality there is little in common between these subcultures, and they often defiantly distance themselves from each other [3] .
"Vampire Lifestyle" and "Real Vampires"
Researchers distinguish between two directions within the subculture - adherents of the “vampire style” and those who call themselves “real vampires”. The first are interested in vampire themes in art , turning it into a kind of hobby and imitating the appearance of their favorite characters; however, they most often see it as a game and do not practice drinking blood in everyday life [1] . The latter claim that “in fact” are vampires and really need human blood or energy to maintain normal well-being. The relationship between these two currents is very tense - the “style” vampires consider the “real” mentally unbalanced personalities, and they, in turn, contemptuously speak of the adherents of the “vampire style” as “ posers ” [1] . “Real vampires” are often considered a bad form to show interest in “style” hobbies — for example, literature or role-setting; nevertheless, these works had a noticeable impact on their own community. Even the “Black Veil” ethical code observed by many “real vampires” is strikingly similar to the Masquerade rulebook from the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, which they assess negatively [4] .
“Style” vampires often organize interest clubs - “ covens ”, “guilds”, “seekers” —with their own special rules of behavior, dress codes and slang [5] . Some activities of such communities (for example, costume parties) can also be held in places accessible to a wider audience - for example, in gothic clubs [5] .
Both groups of representatives of the subculture distinguish two types of vampirism, which they practice or act out - normal (drinking blood, using it is called sanguinaria ) and "mental" ("nourishing" the life energy of other people) [1] [6] . "Real vampires" can use all sorts of sexual practices related to blood, in this approaching with individual members of the BDSM subculture . They usually form couples with “donors” - those who give them their blood voluntarily [7] . Sanguinaria take blood in small portions, incising or piercing the skin of their “donors” (which are also sometimes called “black swans”); as a rule, they carefully check the health status of the latter for fear of various diseases [8] . “Real Vampires” comply with certain ethical codes governing their relationship with “ordinary” people; The most famous set of rules, the Black Veil, was developed in 1997 [5] .
According to “real vampires,” they need blood or energy from birth [8] . As they claim, the state of "vampirism" can only be transmitted genetically [8] . Most of the representatives of this direction say they are hypersensitive to sunlight, some also claim that they are allergic to garlic; many "real vampires" wear fangs or make operations to build them up [9] . The statements about supernatural abilities - mediumship , heightened feelings, clairvoyance, and the ability to control the thoughts and feelings of others are widespread (especially among “psychic vampires”) [10] . Some “psychic vampires” even believe in their own immortality, which is supposedly achieved through reincarnation [10] .
Vampires and Society
In modern society, “vampires” often become objects of ridicule and parody [11] . Their cartoon images can be found in a number of popular films and animated series (for example, in South Park ).
However, some "real vampires" who sincerely believe in their "other nature" and are characterized by an unstable psyche, can pose a threat to society. For example, in 1996 in Florida, a group of "vampires" led by Roderick Ferrell committed a brutal double murder, which caused a great resonance [2] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Laity. - P.349.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Laity. - P.350.
- ↑ Ladouceur. - P.182.
- ↑ Belanger. - p.9.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Guiley. - P.107.
- ↑ Ladouceur. - P.181.
- ↑ Ladouceur. - P.76.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Guiley. - P.105.
- ↑ Guiley. - P.108.
- ↑ 1 2 Guiley. - P.109.
- ↑ Laity. - P.351.
Literature
- Belanger, Michelle. Anthology of Vampire Voices. - Llewellyn Worldwide, 2007. - 245 p. - ISBN 9780738712208 .
- Guiley, Rosemary. Vampires. - Infobase Publishing, 2008. - 126 p. - ISBN 9780791093986 .
- Ladouceur, Liisa. Donor (Eng.) // Encyclopedia Gothica. - ECW Press, 2011. - p . 76 . - ISBN 9781770410244 .
- Ladouceur, Liisa. Modern Vampires (eng.) // Encyclopedia Gothica. - ECW Press, 2011. - p . 181-182 . - ISBN 9781770410244 .
- Laity, KA Vampire lifestyle (English) // ST Joshi. The Living Dead in Myth, Legend, and Popular Culture. - ABC-CLIO, 2010. - P. 348-351 . - ISBN 9780313378331 .