[Xemem]

I made this while back and have not had the chance to post until now(exept at the vampire church but that place is always dead...pun intended)

some notes for reading the following: this is a first draft, and a rough over-view of a further down the road full blown research paper. It is geared towards the average reader. Comments and constructive critisizm is welcome.
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The origins of Vampires.

Lilith/Lilitu/Lamia/Lilin is a woman(or woman like) demon, who practiced taking the young for the purposes of feeding(in most cases male infants...but in some instances young men or women of un-cirumsized or virgin pewrsuation...the basic emphasis being on taking the most naturaly healthy human possible). No mater the exact name, they are all first described around the 6th century BCE, by the hebrews and babylonians, the Mesopotamians and the Greeks. (who at the time were in contact).

The physical description is at its most basic, that of a beautiful young women. More complex descriptions ( and for the reason that they exist along side the other descriptions, almost definately, either a metiphore for personality, or some sort of shift in apearance apon revealing their identity). They can posses the qualities of night animals of the ground and sky.

It is difficult, to with any certainty, affirm or dis-regard some details about this creature in its various forms and names... Such as Lilith being the first first wife of adam (an idea formulated in the middle ages with some substantiating evidences), weather they are night- demons, storm-deamons, or night/storm goodesses ect.

What we do know is that:

- All the tales originate around the same time and region.

- They are all described as basicaly the same creature in each of these cultures.

- In almost all tellings, they reproduce(or induct into their society), and create demi-forms of them selves that spread out.

So what am I saying? Around 2500 years ago every one starts telling the same story.... A story about a woman that is dead as a woman, and live as a demon. One that feeds on humans of some standard of purity. who loves the night(never mentioned in being sighted in the day) and hides their true nature as much as possible. but posses abilities of night animals of the earth and sky. they predate mostly but have also been known to seduce, and definately mingle amongst us until it suits them to strike.

... this could possibely (and is most likely in my opinion) be the first vampire.

It may be possible, at this point, that the reader wonders why their is no mention of male vampires of this make. It seems to be that there simpley were not any. Make of this what you will, Metophoricaly. But by the origanal tales male vampires only existed as a mater of literary convienience. first for what ever ancient social purposes and then later for early novels by such famous authors as Braham Stoker. The Male vampire is more of a methode, by men, to take away from what these tales a ment for.... empowering women, wherein, the given culture of the tale looks down on such a thing... By the way, I am not saying this from a byist perspective, as I am in-fact a man.

Now romans did get a hold of these legends and tweak them, so to speak. they eventualy were alterd beyond recognition by the Romans and the early Christian church. This is expected...cultures that differ greatly from those that they rule over(in what ever fashion they may happen to), from what I have seen tend to do one of two things with ideals of the subordanant society, when it comes about that such ideals or tradition conflict with said dominate social order.

These are:

A. They will make theological war against such things, making it ill-legal to practice or believe.

B. They will attempt to adopt, conform, and controll, to suit their own purposes, the offensive/sacraligious thing.

a (possible) example is the Irish/Scottish Banshee:

The creature Banshee is one that by its cry speaks of the death of a family memeber, and by its sight seen ones own. Though the creatures origins are very detailed, and can be proven as being native to Ireland. It is intersting that a different creature of nearby origins (Celtic/Scotish), the baobhan sith was prenouced Baahan shee...So where is this going? The Romans of course. They had been there for a spell and no cought brought with them their own tales. One such tale being that of the Strix/Strega. This creature is similar to the Celts Baobhan shee, which in name and by some descriptions lines up with the irish Banshee.
The Romans in all likely hood, adapted their version of a vampire like (emphasis on, vampire like) creature from the earliest tales of the Medateranian.

This is all speculatory of course... The basic idea though is to show (in an odd way, yes), the idea of how delution of orginal form through the handing down of may operate, and how this could have been utilized by maily the Christian church. Now though I can't speak for ancient Celtic/Scottish/Irish tradition. The romans did this with just about every thing they encounterd ( that is copying, then altering it to their purposes).

So why did I mention all that stuff about how the legend diludes?

to show that not every one who got a hold of the idea kept it true to its origins. the point is that after the Romans take hold of it (and then the church). it gets all...messed up and confused. It is simpley hard to trace where it went in its pure form from its earliest conception...all evidence shows that it died as it origanaly was. but then the legend does reimerge...and at that, whole. In Romania(former Walachia) their exists stories of such creatures. the Romanians specialize on them though. their stories focus on the details of the danger of these beings and how to deal with them.

Point is?

It seems that if one were to treat this as a real creature, then one could say of its origins and journey through time, that it came to be in the Meditarianian and with the roman expantion remissed for some time existing only on the fringes of society...over the centuries, here and there it reimerged briefly in the public eye, only to fade again into the shadows....until it found a silent little area of the world where it could thrive. from there it was popularised in litterature and later on the silver screen. This being seems comfortable with being dramatisized, yet indiferent to the prospect of fame.

...It has been around for thousands of years, surviving where it can.

[©allum]

Scots were Celts @_@

[Xemem]

By that you are of course refering to this?

It is intersting that a different creature of nearby origins (Celtic/Scotish), the baobhan sith was prenouced Baahan shee...

Celt is broad term used to describe any one of the inhabitants of the british Ilse, yes.
And you are wondering maybe why I di not just say celtic or scotish but conjoined the two as an either or thing?

That was done to the affect of distinguishing irish from scotish, while also teing it to the rest of britany(to show a segragatory point, where one legend differs from the other, culturaly and geographicaly).

I suppose it is not your typical litterary device but with this explination I hope it now serves its purpose better.

and actualy scots are* celts...most people do seem to have a concept of such things as being in the past but celtic tradition and life style is still very much alive.

I my self am a Neo-Pagan, of early Irish and and late german decent, and some thing of a non-practicing wiccan leaning between gregorian and dianic doctrine. (not that I wouldn't like to practice more...just can't find a coven in my area, and I am social in that respect).

[Neraphym]

Wasn't Lilith Adam's first wife?

[Xemem]

Yes and no...The concept of adam having a first wife originated in middle age europe. many legends have a similar creation story and all those legends come from peoples who were in contact with each other when these simliar stories origanated.

[Matt The Miner]

*image removed*