The document discusses the history and mythology of vampires. It describes how the legend of Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel helped popularize vampire myths. Vampire stories have existed in many cultures throughout history, with depictions ranging from those with green or pink hair in China to winged serpent creatures in Greek myths. While vampires do not exist, their portrayal in folklore and fiction involves traits like fangs, sleeping in coffins, burning in sunlight, and being killed by a stake through the heart. Modern vampire stories have evolved the mythology into a mainstream pop culture phenomenon.

1. By: Belen

2. Although vampiric entities have been recorded in many cultures and in spite of speculation by literary historian Brian Frost that the "belief in vampires and bloodsucking demons is as old as man himself", and may go back to “prehistoric times" Vampire legends In 1897 an Irish writer by the name of Bram Stoker published a book, it was about a Count who sucked blood of humans and resided in Transylvania in a large castle. The name of the book was "Dracula" - it was the birth of a legend - that of the famous Count Dracula. It also stirred up the legends and stories surrounding a forgotten historical figure, a man who went by the name of Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula

3. Starting out in the dim and obscure recesses of Eastern European folk tales and legends, the vampire has reached center stage in modern pop culture. From foul revenant of the grave, to super hero status within 100 years of evolution. Vampire myths go back thousands of years and occur in almost every culture around the world. Their variety is almost endless; from red eyed monsters with green or pink hair in China to the Greek Lamia which has the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a winged serpent; from vampire foxes in Japan to a head with trailing entrails known as the Penanggalang in Malaysia. More decidedly evil is the nosferatu, or vampire, in which every Roumanian peasant believes as firmly as he does in heaven or hell. There are two sorts of vampires, living and dead.

4. A vampire feeds on the life essence of their victims. What do the vampires do? What they do in their spare time: they cant do anything, because they don’t exist. The stereotyped vampire traits are familiar to any child: vampires have big fangs, sleep in coffins, are instantly incinerated by sunlight, and are best dispatched by a stake through the heart. But the most important "fact" that we all know of course is that there are no such things.

5. The vampire bible The Vampire Bible provides working assumptions that tap the mythic image of the Vampire. The Vampire Bible summarizes specific perspectives about reality that we have found are useful in producing results in the real world. Vampirism advocates measuring the value of an idea not by its truth, but by its usefulness. We judge an idea's usefulness by testing its results when we treat the idea as if it were true. We are completely practical even when it comes to the mythic and magical side of our religion. The Vampire Bible serves as a basic instruction manual for understanding and using a magical perspective that works. In less than fifty pages of condensed and clear language you will learn the essentials of our way of life.

6. Vampire Weaknesses Most Vampire lore contain these Vampire weaknesses; Holy Water, Garlic, pumpkins, rosary and crucifix Steak through the heart and Sunlight renders them powerless Count Dracula also cannot enter a victims house unless invited. Communion wafers were used in the book Dracula but mainly any thing with holy significance. Can't move when travelling over water unless tied was at its highest or lowest.

7. Citations http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_vampires_do_in_their_spare_time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire http://theshadowlands.net/vamp2.html http://www.castleofspirits.com/vampire.html