Vampires on the Net

According to the research and interviews in this book, Something in the Blood: The Underground World of Today's Vampires, blood drinkers are everywhere. While not all consider themselves vampires, they share a compulsion to drink blood, preferably human, though a few in the book would make do with animal if necessary.

Still, quite a few of these people believe they are vampires. While they scoff at Hollywood's interpretation of the modern vampire, they do enjoy the movies and books, especially the Lestat books from Anne Rice . What they don't want is to have people harbor negative views of them because of the movies and books.

Not all of the vampires in this book drink blood. Some consider themselves psychic vampires who feed on energy instead of the red.

Something in the Blood helps to dispel a few myths:
No, they don't have a problem with garlic.
No, they don't burn up in daylight.
No, they don't fly.
That bat thing... uh, no.
No, they do not harm people.
They only drink from willing donors.
No, they don't have the power to turn to mist or read your mind, but a few claim they have the power to "see" things or remember past lives.

Since the book is ten years old, I decided to look up some of the organizations and people mentioned-- see if any were still involved in the lifestyle:

The first is actually an international church for vampires. The opening flash is a fun, Gods-among-you type thing. If you want to be a lifetime member of the church you have to be willing to cough up 20 to 45 dollars for their bible. There is also a temple ring or a silver medallion available for purchase. My favorite part of the website is at the bottom in small print. Says, discriminate with care. Temple of the Vampire Like most of the other sites for vampires, they have a nifty FAQ section.

Vlad of the band, The Dark Theater, is one of the non-vampire blood drinkers. He says the "reincarnated from the original Vlad" is a publicity thing -- that he's actually reincarnated from one of Vlad's henchmen. I found him at myspace. www.myspace.com/tdt3

The Vampirism Research Institute and its founder, Liriel McMahon, did have a site on the internet but her institute is now closed. There are a few articles left here. VRI Office Or, you can follow her to her new project, Badblood Comics, BadBloodComic.com

There was a chapter about The Dark Rose Journal, an erotic underground zine that was popular in the nineties. I didn't find it on the web, but I did find its address buried in this huge list of vampire underground publications and clubs. Vampire/goth/fetish etc... Address List

I went on to search for other internet sites about real vampires today and found too many to list. After poking around in some, I discovered several interesting things in common. The majority believe only sick people take blood from unwilling donors. There are a lot of places to chat or meet up with other vampires and quite often, the desire to be a vampire stems from angst-ridden teenagers with a severe sense of isolation. They don't fit in, yet they have no desire to be one of the "mundanes."

I came across this term often -- have come across it in other groups as well. (I heard it a lot while researching hackers for a book.) While the definition of mundane is not particularly offensive, the use of the word in this context can't help but carry some derision. There is an explanation here. SphynxCatVP - FAQ - (SphynxCatVP) Why We Use The Term "Mundane" This site also offers support to vampires with advice, articles and ways to get in touch with others. SphynxCatVP's Real Vampires Support Page (v5 modern vampires vampyres psi sang .

Here's another site that offers support. Sanguinarius: IntroductionThe FAQ page has answers for questions such as "Should your donor have the same blood type?" and "How long do you live?" This last question will be a disappointment to most, I'm sure. This site also has terminology and lingo, as well as a section with typical questions about problems-- quite a few teenagers in this area. They have chats scheduled weeknights. I did find Something in the Blood on their recommended reading page under Nonfiction.

An article for vampires or people who are dealing with one"
"There is no "generic advice" to give those who believe they may be dealing with a real vampire. Those who are so inclined might try to help a friend or fellow group member explore their inner nature and come to terms with their destructive behaviors. Those who feel victimized can choose to end the relationship. Each case is different, and can only be judged by the individuals concerned. But it is important for anyone involved in magickal or psychic work to understand that vampires are a real phenomenon, and that, like all perils, they should not be greeted with fear or anger. Nothing is evil by nature -- only by choice. Terror of discovery (followed by ridicule or rejection) inhibits the self-development of many real vampires. When they reach out for friendship, they are often reaching out for help." From Real Vampires

Vampire origins offers information on ethymology, mythology as well as explanations of the different types of vampires. It also lists strengths, weaknesses, how to recognize one, etc.

This one offers info on feeding, origins and it has an essay on the Nature of the True Vampire. CRIMSON VISION: REAL VAMPIRE WEBPAGE & WEBLOG

For vampires in the GLBT community -- Queer Vampires

There may be an association for vampires in a city near you. Here's one in New Jersey... New Jersey Association of Real Vampires


And of course, what piece on vampirism would be complete without mention of the original Vlad Tepes, the man believed to be immortalized forever in Bram Stoker's gothic novel, Dracula Amazon.com: Dracula (Signet Classics (Paperback)): Books: Bram Stoker ? A fervently religious ruler with a love for torture, his reign was bloody in the extreme. For more: VLAD TEPES - The Historical Dracula This page has an area devoted to the reason why people still belive that Stoker used Vlad Tepes as inspiration.

Do your own search. There's an interesting, underground world of vampires out there. It's just possible you sit next to one at work every day.