The Vampire, by Philip Burne-Jones, 1897. A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In Europea

Dec 9, 2025 · Vampire, in popular legend, a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood. Vampires have been featured in folklore and fiction of various cultures for …

Sep 13, 2017 · There are almost as many different characteristics of vampires as there are vampire legends. But the main characteristic of vampires (or vampyres) is they drink human blood. They …

Apr 10, 2024 · One of history's most famous — and bloodthirsty — legendary creatures, vampires have terrified human beings for centuries. In 1892, a group of frightened villagers in Exeter, Rhode Island …

Oct 26, 2024 · While the exact origins of the vampire myth have numerous sources, one of the first notions of vampires as threatening undead creatures roaming the night is often traced by academics …

Oct 16, 2024 · The idea of vampire-like creatures feasting on human blood has been around for thousands of years. According to Joseph Laycock, professor of religious studies at Texas State …

In most cases, vampires are represented as reanimated corpses who feed by draining and consuming the blood of living beings. The word “vampire” is mentioned in Babylonian demonology, and the even …

They have fangs, drink human blood, and can’t see themselves in mirrors. They can be warded off with garlic, or killed with a stake through the heart. Some, like Dracula, are aristocrats who live...

In European folklore, vampires are undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighbourhoods which they inhabited while they were alive.

Explore vampire origins from ancient myths to Dracula and New Orleans legends. Discover how blood lore shaped fear, folklore, and pop culture.