vampires and locations they are associated with

[palmaceae]

What's the deal with New Orleans and vampires? Is that just something Anne Rice came up with? And Transylvania, I guess that was just Bram Stoker and Vlad Tepes? What are some other hot spot vampire locations?

(Re history battle: hopefully it'll be up soon. Sorry, RL got in the way!)

Comments

[artaxastra]

New Orleans is just like that. I love New Orleans! :)

I always think there ought to be vampires in Savannah too.

[palmaceae]

I was just writing an ad copy article about New Orleans and I so want to visit. It looks fascinating. Especially the voodoo.

[ms_geekette]

The food ain't bad, either. ;-)

I also highly rec seeing whomever is playing as the Preservation Hall Band...just be sure not to fall through the floor! (They play in room that has seen better days--at least they did when I saw them 10+ years ago.)

[coffeebuddha]

If you're talking about vampires in literature, then New Orleans makes sense as a setting because it's so steeped with the supernatural that it seems like vampires would fit into the lore pretty easily. Plus, it'd be easy to find someone young and drunk to feed off of and there are so many crypts/tombs that if you wanted to play up that stereotype, then it'd be easy. Or, if you want to go with the 'gentleman' stereotype, then there are plenty of old, stately manor houses to stick the character in.

So long as your vampires don't sparkle, then pretty much any place with an active nightlife-New York, London, etc-would work for a modern vampire because it would make it easier to feed.

[feurisa]

If I remember correctly, the slavic countries had a myth about the dead rising which was present long before Bram Stoker. It dates back to the dark ages when medical science wasn't very good and some of the illnesses that people would contract made it appear as if they had died or were "walking" dead. Things like comas and vegetative states were also unknown so those people would be buried and exhumed later as proof of vampire activity with the apparent signs of life after "death", because they were still technically alive

[a_blackpanther]

I suppose the whole Vla Tepes thing began with him being called Vlad Dracul (which is "devil" in Romanian) and him impaling some bad guys. And some other Hungarian rulers being rather creepy (see Elizabeth Bathory).

[aceofhadeon]

Actually, Vlad was the son of Vlad Dracul. Dracula means little dragon or son of the dragon. Dracul received the name because of his membership in the Order of the Dragon. The Order's outward focus on foreign threats, namely the Ottoman Empire, was also aimed at achieving a level of domestic cohesion.

But anyway, every country has its own vampire legends, so take your pick. The Slavs are closest to our version in a lot of ways.

[a_blackpanther]

Yes, I know, but (I'm not sure when this happened) dracul now means "devil". I'd be interesting to see when the change occurred really and if it had anything to do with the legends surrounding Vlad Tepes.

[a_blackpanther]

Actually I'm wrong about that, considering the articulated "-l" at the end it literally translates "the devil".

[whytewytch4]

Agreeing with what others have said, New Orleans lends itself to ANY supernatural activity. The fact that voodoo is such a big part of the culture helps that feeling as well. Went there years ago & it was totally believable that the dead could walk there or that ghosts could be seen on every corner. Saw a ghost in Savannah, so I totally agree that would be a great place for vampires, too.

And from what I've read, Transylvania is similar in its aura. Also, what feurisa said is true. No one knew of comas in those days--someone who woke up from being "dead" would have been a supernatural creature. Sorry I'm coming into this late--it seems like all I've been doing is agreeing with others. LOL!