Vampires V. Zombies

S.Long
ENG 2160-60
Prof. Newton

Vampires vs. Zombies     (Dead Until Dark and World War Z)

      Elves vs. Dwarves.   Pirates vs. Ninjas.   Super Shark vs. Giant Octopus.   All epic battles throughout time.   I now present to you one more: vampire vs. zombies.   This paper will compare and analyze (without bias) the history of each creature, focusing, of course, on the impacts made on literature (more specifically, using Dead Until Dark and World War Z as a guiding stone).   It will culminate in an epic battle royale.   Even I don’t know who shall be left standing.
      First up is the vampire.   Tales of this creature of the night date back to pre-history and have been told throughout the world.   The term “vampire” was not popularized until the 18th century, when great fear arose around Eastern Europe.   They are defined as a mythological being that feeds off of the life force (usually blood) of another creature (usually a person).   Older European lore usually describes them as living ghosts or reanimated corpses of evil beings, suicide victims, or witches.   In addition, they were defined as an evil spirit possessing a course, or a person having been bit by a vampire.   Such hysteria was caused that people were executed for suspicion of being a vampire.[i]
      Prior to our more modern “method” of creating vampires, in which case the vampire drinks the victims blood and vice verse, thus making it nearly impossible for one to prevent the change, there were many varied ways of stopping the demon in its tracks.   To make a vampire, in Slavic countries. A body would become a vampire if a dog or cat jumped over the body.   In Russia, vampires were any person that had rebelled against the Russian Orthodox Church while alive.   However, in Greece, a wax cross and piece of pottery were placed on the corpse, bearing the inscription “Jesus Christ conquers” would prevent the body from becoming a vampire.   In China, people placed sacks of rice near the body; supposedly the...