The Transylvanian Folk...
The Cursed Badguys?
It's strange, isn't it..... this instinctive fear humans have of darkness? Personally, I like darkness. It's quiet and peaceful, and it gives you time to think about things. They say the Night is evil....Evil expands at Night. Predatory Animals most often hunt at night, or at Dawn or Dusk. It depends on their eyesight. Most Feline predators like leopards hunts best in almost complete darkness, where their low-light vision outmatches the eyesight of the prey. Those predators which hunts at day are usually "Raw Force" predators, who rely on the brute strenght and speed of themselves. (i.e. Cheetah). But, to the theme:
Vampires
In the legend, the first vampire was Vlad Tepes (1431-1476), Lord of Castle Dracul in Transylvania. He became a vampire when he damned god and god cursed him to live forever to stalk the night. He became Vampirus Nosferatu, The only vampire which haven't died. All other vampires are lesser vampires, bred from the blood of Dracula. These legends make some sense, but since I am a Disbeleiver to the Cristian Faith, it seems unbeleivable. I know about the true Vampires, the disease who created the legend.
Pyroforia, the Cause of Vampirism
Pyroforia is a genetic blood disease, who goes from father to son for generations. It lies latent in the body of those who bears it, until it is triggered, most often by massive blood loss. The disease leads to aversion towards sunlight because the skin becomes very vulnerable. Only a few minutes of exposure leads to serious skin burns. The skin of the diseased becomes pale green. The mouth and teeth of the diseased becomes blood red because of dead red blood cells, and the gum shrinks, causing the teeth to appear longer and sharper.
Garlic is said to be a good protection against vampires. True. Garlic contains a substance(diakyl-disuphide) which causes great pain to the diseased. In legends, those bitten by vampires die to rise again the next day as vampires. In transylvania, the diseased was so common that almost everyone could get it. The only thing that could make the pain leave for the diseased was red blood cells. Now we have medecines for the disease.
Listen to this: A diseased person bites another person with passive pyroforia, to drink his blood. The massive blood loss triggers the disease, and the blood loss also make it look like the person is dead. The new "Vampire" becomes hyperactive the next day because of the disease, but he can feel the pain in his body. He starts being up at night, because sunlight hurts him. He is averted by garlic, since it causes great pains. His teeth look longer, and his face becomes paler (Because of Blood Loss), and his hearing is enchanted. He starts roaming the night in search of the one thing that can releive him of the pain for a while: Blood. Can you see any similarities? Are you still afraid of Vampires? The disease can be treated now, and it is almost extict. The truth is in here!
Werewolves
There is many reasons for the story of werewolves. One of them may be stories of wolf-childs(Children adopdet by wolves), like Romulus and Remus. These children grow up amongst the wolves and runs on all four, and the hair becomes long and furry. A wolf-Child who survives until he's twenty sure look like a man-wolf. Another reason might be a skin disease, which makes the thin, small body hairs grow just as the normal head-hair. A guy covered with gray-brown fur over the body may be very frightening, and he looks like a wolf... strange, isn't it.
