Vampire

The symbol of a vampire on the basis of mental disease of the main character in „Vampire’s Kiss”   against a background of characteristic vampire’s images.

Today   the image of a vampire has became more and more universal and general. This myth originated in legends and folk stories. For ages, it was copied and used in many films’ productions. I will not exaggerate if I say that a vampire creates cultural archetype. It was present already in Slavic beliefs and is still continued in our times, composing many interpretations in literature and cinema.
Etymology of this word is not straightforward. According to Kamil Stachowski and his study Wampir na rozdrożach , the term – vampire - derives from the Turkish language, and firsts myths come from the area of today’s Balkans. The faith in them embedded in the Middle Ages, when Europe was windswept by wars and epidemic diseases. People explained unknown diseases   by supernatural powers, which the leaders of the Church often feared.
People imagined this creature as a man of a pale face, who, after   his death is brought back to life by the power of evil and under the cover of night attacks innocent people and feeds on their blood. This faith survived until the 19th century and still continues in a slightly altered form.
The   vampire became famous and popular in 1897, when, in London   Dracula by Bram Stocker was published . The prototype of his character was historic Romanian Prince of Wallachia Vlad   IV Tepes. After suicide of his beloved,   the protagonist of the book   betrays his soul to the devil,   renounces God and calls: “The blood is the life... and it shall be mine.”. Stocker created the protagonist mainly from worship of Romanian peasants. A very charming and gallant nobleman, merciless bloodsucker, typically of pale skin, can move only in the form of a bat, wolf or fog. During   the day he has to stay in a lair. Although the sun does not directly kill him, and he can move by day, he is much weaker. Dracula...