Quotes On The Vampire Lore

"Vampirism was one of the most demonic outbreaks of mass hysteria ever to sweep the world. Its origins are rooted at the beginning of time and almost all of them are founded on superstition."

- Anthony Masters, author of The Natural History of The Vampire

"The origins of the vampire myth lie in the mystery cults of oriental civilizations...the Nepalese Lord of Death, the Tibetan Devil, and the Mongolian God of Time."

- Devendra P. Varma, author of The Vampire in Legend, Lore, and Literature

"The concept of the vampire is not only firmly rooted in legends and folk-myths of antiquity, but also established by facts of history and eye-witness accounts."

- Devendra P. Varma, author of The Vampire in Legend, Lore, and Literature

"[T]he vampire (or its structural equivalent) was a universal figure in human culture, which emerged in the natural course of life. That is to say, the vampire probably emerged independently at many points in human culture. There is little evidence to suggest that the vampire emerged at one time and place, and then diffused around the world from that primal source."

- J. Gordon Melton, author of The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead

"The vampire is the night-prowling symbol of man's hunger for - and fear of - everlasting life...The mixture of attraction and repulsion...is the essence of the vampire concept."

- Margaret Carter, author of the preface to Varney the Vampire

"There are reasons for talking mummies and roaming vampires - psychological ones. Psychologists tell us that nearly every one of us has a hidden fear of being buried alive."

-Thomas Aylesworth, author of Vampires and Other Ghosts

"Whether we read books and watch films about vampires for psychological reasons or simply for entertainment, each of us keeps the vampire myth alive. While we may be able to understand rationally that vampires do not exist, who among us does not start at the shadow at the window, the squeak in the dark?"

- Daniel C. Scavone, author of Vampires

© Angie McKaig

The Myth Of Cain

One of the most current and popular myths involving the vampire origin is that of the Biblical character, Cain.

Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain, a tiller of the ground, and Abel, a shepherd. Both brought offerings to God, Cain brought the fruits of the ground, and Abel, brought one of his flock as an offering. God approved of Abel’s offering, but not that of Cain’s. Cain became very angry at this. As he and Abel where in the field on day, Cain rose up and struck his brother repeatedly until he was dead. God asked Cain “Where is your brother?” and Cain answered “Am I my brothers keeper?”. God asked Cain what he had done, that his brothers blood cried to him from the earth. For his punishment in slaying his brother, Cain was cursed, the ground would not produce anything for him any longer, a fugitive and vagabond he would be. Cain told God his punishment was more than he could bear, to always be hidden from the face of God and driven out from the face of the earth. Cain also told God his concern of being killed, but God set a mark upon Cain that if any should harm him, they would suffer punishment sevenfold. Cain then left into the land of Nod.

In myth, it is said that the curse that God had set upon Cain was to be cast into a world of darkness with a continuous craving for blood, and this curse has been passed from generation to generation, all the way up to the vampires of today. It is said that when Cain went into the world of darkness, that he became acquainted with Lilith, the first wife of Adam. She had given some of her blood to Cain, which awakened him to his ability. After wandering for years in the wild, he returned to being amongst the mortals where he built a city called Enoch. There, Cain created the second generation of vampires by turning three mortals, they in turn created a third generation of vampires in vast numbers, and Cain finally forbade the creation of vampires from thence on.

After some time, the city Cain had built was destroyed by a flood. Cain ended up abandoning the city and leaving all the generations of vampires behind to do what ever they wanted, but before he left, he reminded them of his command to not create any more vampires. The vampires completely rebelled against Cain’s command and made a 4th generation of vampires, who rose up against the elder vampires of the third generation, killing all but a very few.

Over the next 1000 years, At times, it was said that a person who claimed to be Cain appeared here and there. One of his most heightened appearances is known in a story in which he appeared amongst a band of gypsies and embracing a man by the name of Ravnos, after his father had been killed by other vampires. As time went on, Ravnos was introduced to Ennoia (Ennoia was the daughter of Lilith, and half sister of Cain.)Ravnos ended up turning Ennoia into a vampire. Ennoia later betrayed Ravnos and caused death to come upon Ravnos. Because of this, Cain cursed her. Ennoia later became known as the creator of the clan Gangrel. It is said that if Cain ever makes any appearances, it is done rather speedily.

© Larae of Darkness Embraced