Inspired by Unknown Achievements

A while back I bought the writings of Josephus. I read a little of it, but put it down to finish the other ten books I was still trying to read at the time. Today I picked it back up.

I've done a lot of thinking over my years about a civilization far advanced for its time that has since been largely forgotten. Much of it started when I spoke with a friend who introduced me to the author Graham Hancock and his book Fingerprints of the Gods. I've since read the book through twice and am always provoked to thought and study because of it. Hancock proposes his own theory about a long lost civilization that could have been Atlantis.

I took his book to indicate the evidence for the flood and the establishment of an advanced people under the leadership of a man named Nimrod. I have a hypothesis that things like the map of Admiral Piri Reis are likely little traces of that first civilization that built the tower to rise above another flood.

The map seems to depict part of the coast of Antarctica, an impossible knowledge during the 16th century when the Turkish Admiral made his map. The Admiral, when he presented his work, made it clear that he'd used some other maps from the library at Constantinople, but didn't mention which maps or their probable antiquity. The map is a little misguided since it runs the coast of South America into the coast of Antarctica, but the general coast line is discernible and lines up well with modern, 20th century knowledge of the real coast line. According to Graham Hancock, the coast line was covered by ice and had been for fifteen thousand years preceding the Admiral's map. This date is calculated according to scientific estimates from contemporary scholars cited in Hancock's work. It can be assumed, for our purposes, that Antarctica probably was not covered in ice at the time of Nimrod and his tower. The implication, if you're still following and haven't fallen asleep, is that the map might well have been based on older maps that were perhaps based on even older maps dating back to a time of great antiquity.

I'm so impressed by this line of thought because it makes for some good fiction, but also because it may indicate that the start of history, where we draw the line between it and prehistory, may have been an emergence from a dark age rather than the beginning of our advancement. The age preceding may have fallen only because of the confusion of languages that occurred with Babel. Before this, the whole world might have been explored and documented. We may never know what heights the tower builders may have reached in the realm of knowledge, but the search is pretty fun.

I love this kind of stuff, but I don't get a lot of opportunity to go down these roads of thought. It's nice to throw off the yoke and delve into it every chance I have. I look forward to the next time, whenever that might be.

Difficulty and Rejuvenation

Today was a rather difficult day, but I made it through. School work is tough. I have to do it to get my degree since it was one of the stipulations in my review from Bryan. He explained that he didn't want to see me end up losing out on any future opportunities because I lack the degree. So, I'm going for my IT degree in Software Engineering with the University of Phoenix.

I managed to keep positive for the majority of the day. I pushed through all of the work for my team, by myself, and then capped it off by almost finishing my work on my individual paper that's due on Monday.

We went to church then and heard Pastor Tom preach. He taught on Galatians 2. I seriously felt like I'd never heard any of what he said before. He spoke about Paul, Titus, and Barnabas going up to Antioch to investigate the Christian Gentile phenomenon and whether it was necessary to induct a Greek follower into the Jewish religion before he or she qualified for Christianity. The current series is called "Vote No on Religion" and focuses on eliminating the religiosity, or works, as a means to gain acceptance by God. Paul sums it up at the end of Galatians 2 by saying "if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Now, this is a great truth, but there was a great deal more. For instance, Tom spoke about Paul's statement, "I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain." (verse 2 of chapter 2) He explained that Paul really believed what he had been doing was right, but thought it wise to seek counsel as to whether he could be mistaken. Tom informed us that he seeks God's will with great sincerity to know whether he is telling us what is the right thing to do. He mentioned that things he's said have caused people's lives to be completely changed--they've up and moved or something on that kind of large scale. With that kind of power to reach people and affect them, he says it's really important to be sure what he's saying is right.

Without going into more detail, I'll just recommend that you download the sermon or watch it online. It may not be tonight's (it might be Sunday's), but I'm sure he'll still cover many of the same things. He did go over on time, which I'm always grateful for, but probably will not when he does it again tomorrow. I praise God that my Pastor can kindle the flames of my relationship with Jesus so well. I'm continually inspired and rejuvenated each and every time I hear him deliver a message.

Now I'm closing off the night by unwinding through writing. I hope to eventually slide back into writing my Atomorphism story on a more regular basis as well. Time is difficult to come by right now, however, so it may be a little while before I can develop a good system for managing all of this. I'll ask for your prayers on this matter. As it is, I stay up too late so I can get out some of my pent up creativity. The next day I always get up tired. I'd like to correct all this. So pray for me. Thanks.

Back to my blogging slash stress relief

I really enjoy posting on a blog. I've gotten away from it in recent times and have felt a certain level of dissatisfaction with myself. I went back and read a few posts from elder times and it reminded me of what it was like when I posted regularly. Since life is fairly interesting again I've decided to get back into it. I transplanted my blog postings from my new blog (which flopped) to this blog (home sweet home). I'll carry out the rest of my life from here.

Now I'm in a new job as a programmer, which you'll see a lot about in future posts. I'm working on an all new writing project with the working title of Atomorphism; it's a little bit like a Christian Harry Potter, but not really. I'm also working, mostly for fun, on a vampire lore/history/speculative/fictional work; you'll see that peppered throughout my previous posts here. Maggie and I have recently set our sights on moving to Oregon in the next few years. We've purchased a second house with two partners out in Apple Valley and put renters into it. And, I've started on my Bachelor's program with the University of Phoenix.

The school work has got me bound up right now. I recently read in an article somewhere that writing about things important to you (blogging) helps to alleviate stress and promotes a healthier existence. I do seem to remember that posting on my blog was a good way to shed some stress.

See, with my job now I'm working a lot more, so school doesn't come as easily as it did in times past. Now, I happen to work late every once in awhile, I take frequent trips to Phoenix (where I always work late), and my work takes a tremendous amount of brain power. With those factors I'm having a difficult time mustering the mental agility to be able to do school work. It doesn't help that there're learning teams I have to deal with.

As posts progress you'll be able to catch up on my current dealings. I'd love to go on and explain everything that's happened, my various pent up thoughts, and allow for any spur of the writing musings to jump out into the post, but it's late and escape to the comfort of sleep and dreams is calling to me. Watch for future posts.

Vampires Pt. 8

Can vampires steal the blood of another vampire?

The moment human blood enters into a vampire's body it begins the process of degeneration. The blood breaks down until it becomes unsuitable for continued sustenance. It is at this time that the vampire must drink. The old blood disintegrates and comes out the pores and waste organs. The need to shower, therefore, does not end with the eternal gift.

Because of this process, it is very uncommon for one vampire to steal the blood of another. It can be done in dire times to prolong the vampire's conscious state at the end of the dogged thirsting, but usually only by permission and not by force. Most likely, the vampire that would need to steal the blood is probably weak and unable to overpower another of his or her kind. In covens, however, some of this goes on to assist the ill-coordinated young ones.

In some cases, a strong and advanced one will share his or her blood with another. This blood is usually well preserved because the older vampire has sustained it, so the transmission is nearly what it was when it was drawn from the victim. The evolved virus, too, is transferred into the younger creature. This can mean new strength, power, and sustainability for the younger vampire. The giving of blood from an ancient vampire to a fledgling of only a century or two, therefore, is on par, in terms of magnitude of change, with the transition from mortal to immortal.

Finally, in the process of making a new vampire, the virus is introduced as venom might be. The existing blood in the victim is drawn out and then they are tasked with feeding, in return, on their creator to revive themselves and begin the transformation from mortal to immortal. This blood is rich with the virus and will cause the process of change to take place quickly. If only a small amount of the virus is injected, the body's immune system may reject it and eradicate it, or the transformation will be slow and probably agonizing.

In a new vampire the blood is the first to begin degenerating and the fangs, with their intricate ducting, are usually the last thing to develop. It is nearly required, therefore, that blood be given in large quantity to the fledgling. The absorption of it takes place and the body changes rapidly. The alternative is usually a painful, inexplicable (by doctors) sickness that often results in death. The line is fine and must be walked with great care to produce a new immortal.

It is also true that the ancients who make vampires often create the most powerful vampires of them all. The advanced ability to survive without drinking for decades can pass on, the infinitely more attuned senses are given over, and various other abilities manifest as well. This does, however, result in some overloading of the new creature and has often caused many to fall prey to madness where the mind simply cannot handle all the information and new experiences.

In the end, stealing is, in all probability, not the norm. Giving willfully, though, is a more common occurrence.

Further questions will be addressed.
Do child vampires grow up?
What is the oldest vampire legend?
Who is the oldest vampire?
Are vampires and zombies actually the same thing?
What's the step by step biological process of going from human to vampire?
Do vampires have super strength?
Can vampires change into animals (like bats)?
Is it true that, in some cases, the Slavic language calls vampires and werewolves by the same name?
Do vampires needs sleep?
Do vampires require food?
Are vampires smarter than regular humans?

Vampires Pt. 7

Covens

A Guild, an order, a ring, a syndicate, a clan. In vampire terms, it is a coven. The natural, humanistic desire to fulfill the need for social interaction is present even in the vampire. Truly, it is often easier to remain alone, but the ties that bind us in our mortal state also draw entities close in the immortal state.

As for demons...
Considering the demons that indwelt the man in Mark 5:10 "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many.", it is apparent that many demons end up congregating together. Perhaps this serves the purpose of security--protection from the more powerful beings out there. Contemplate the manner in which new demon-indwelt vampires are born, it takes at least two demons in league with one another to achieve the creation. As a reminder, we have already discovered that the human is drained of blood and life and that at the instant the human spirit releases the body the demon slips in. It is at this point that blood is reintroduced into the system to revive the deceased body. That means that two demons must conspire to create a vessel: the vampire and the uncloaked spirit.

The demon nature, as can be gleaned from the work of Satan, is to desire servitude from humanity. The legends of the gods and their human followers can lead one to believe that it was the goal of many demons to establish for themselves an order, populated by human servants. It is not beyond doubt that the greater demonic vampires began covens of human vampires to serve their interests and needs--forever doing his bidding and seeking his interests.

As for humans...
The human need almost certainly drives them to social interaction. If not already belonging to a greater society, the desire usually results in the lonely vampire setting his mind to creating a companion. It is recorded that huge and powerful covens sprung up from the simple desire not to be alone.

In seeking my talks,
I reached out and gave,
The wilting stopped for her,
And love and friendship sprang
-Ko'shek (Epicedium, civ)

Intensity of relationships is inherent in the vampire nature. Love is bound up in immortality and so makes the expression stronger and more meaningful. Imagine the bonds of friendship and love being tethered unendingly. Though life in one age erupts and then dwindles away like a lighted candle eats its wick, the tie remains. Through wars and famines, conquerors and kingdoms, the adhesion endures. Though vampiric expression is fearsomely strong and the bond made by blood is lasting, human emotion and reason still compel the creatures to act rashly and selfishly. The fighting and division, therefore, still occurs, but the magnitude of pain is greater than anything that a mortal can know.

So, covens grow and gain strength. Even the best managed divide, though. The ensuing battles between houses have decimated entire covens, wiping them from existence and it has ravaged others to the point of ferocious retaliation. The fighting makes stronger bonds in the core of the covens and, over time, galvanizes loyalties and relationships. Thus, the greatest covens are usually the most battle scarred of them all. The ancients that lead them have suffered the great pains of betrayal and desperation for love lost. Wisdom wrought by pain stays their course and establishes them as untouchable gods among lesser gods.

To answer the question, yes, there are covens. Those known to exist are most definitely led by humans and those only rumored to exist are probably guided by demons, but the fact remains that the human desire to seek one another remains. This trait is not shed with the passage into immortal life, but magnified and deepened even beyond our mortal comprehension.

Further questions will be addressed.
Can vampires steal the blood of another vampire?
Do child vampires grow up?
What is the oldest vampire legend?
Who is the oldest vampire?
Are vampires and zombies actually the same thing?
What's the step by step biological process of going from human to vampire?
Do vampires have super strength?
Can vampires change into animals (like bats)?
Is it true that, in some cases, the Slavic language calls vampires and werewolves by the same name?
Do vampires needs sleep?
Do vampires require food?
Are vampires smarter than regular humans?

Vampires Pt. 6

What is thirst?

The unabating call of unpolluted desire issues forward to the center of a vampire's mind. His power wanes as desire increases. The summoning invades the depths of the inhuman heart and with nearly tangible hands it grasps at and drags the creature to satisfy its craving. In human terms, it is like choosing not inhale breath or ignoring the smell of fresh bread on the fortieth day of a long and difficult fast.

The depth of the desperate urge is unfathomable to us. It would render a human absent of freewill if the emotion was coursing through his or her frame, but to a vampire it can be withstood--with great practice and even greater pain; it is a testament to the power of the creature. This demanding, nearly intelligently seeking force is known as the thirst. It is the thirst that all vampires feel—those indwelt with a human soul or an evil demon spirit.

The body, a creation of demons during the days of legend, was imperfect from its start. The commendable, yet still deficient efforts yielded the magnificent and powerful vampire species.

The new body had its ever increasing strength. Eventually it was discovered that it could heal itself from only small fragments of flesh. No natural death would ever prevail over it. Emotion and experience were heightened to sometimes excruciating new levels, and its five senses were just the beginning of what it could now experience. In all this, however, the new creation soon displayed its weaknesses. The creation was magnificent, but not without a price. Fire could destroy it, but this was manageable. The sun caused it to first burn and then become cancerous, so the vampire remained hidden away during daylight. But, above all else, beyond conscience and righteousness, there was the thirst. It was the instinct that ensured survival from its perpetual flaw.

Through trial and error much was discovered during the first days of vampirism. The blood, though it was attempted repeatedly, was too elusive to yield to the crafter's manipulation. It was God's law that ran through it, and, like gravity and the changing of the tide, this law could not be broken. The blood could not be changed like the flesh had. It degenerated over time no matter what blood was used. The only blood ever to continue eternally was that of Jesus Christ.

Because of this broken aspect of fleshly existence, the demons saw that the virus was altered. The virus was engineered so that it overwhelmed the vampire with the imprinted instinct to kill and drink. It gave them the scent of human blood as a tool for recognition. The force was as decided as the cyclic migration of the birds.

Each time a vampire would feed, the blood would last for only a while--it would then begin to die. As the blood died, the vampire would become increasingly lethargic and exponentially thirsty. The unfed vampire would drop into dormancy after too long a time--revivable by demons, but otherwise dead.

Now the vampire body took blood and adapted to it. After drinking, the strength in the body would return, and the vampire could go on for many days, but eventually, the thirst came back again. Again and again the killing and drinking would occur. The "blood cycle", it was called, began and the perpetuity of the cycle was understood and adopted as a way of life. Some called it being undead: a state in which one was caught between life and death. It was like a hell on earth to glean life again and again from the truly living so that those deserving of death could go on clinging to the imitation of life.

Oh, how this blood cycle would torment those human souls that fought against it. Animal blood would suffice, but the time it took for the body to adapt and the physical changes that inevitably occurred because of it were often too difficult to endure. The guilty conscience would lose out to the allure of human blood.

There were those damned creatures that held to life because they feared death and the unknown punishment that might follow. Because of this, they always returned to drinking. It was torturous to fear the eternal repercussions of drinking so much that it drove the fearful to drink all the more in order to stay alive and avoid the potential consequences that death might bring. Like an unending wheel of earthly guilt and punishment the thirst keeps on.

The ones that continually lived in guilt usually succumbed to the conclusion that all of their life was merely vanity. Life unending was pointless without a purpose; drinking and killing was no purpose. They began to free themselves by fire. A great many found immortality too difficult to traverse and sought the alluring fires. The animalistic madness that set in on those wishing to avoid the shedding of human blood usually led them to conclude their lives in the fires as well.

The death that the human vampires began to flock to became known as the Immortal Passing. The Library of Kamodd notes that this ritual became a venerated practice among the immortal. Once five lifetimes were reached, the vampire was given the opportunity to stop the futility of undying life in a dying world. Surprisingly, the answer was often in the affirmative and many an immortal passed into the afterworld that way. Some even wasted away four of the five lifetimes simply wishing to meet with the Immortal Passing.

The Books mention that it was often the battle against the thirst and the deaths it caused that drove vampires mad. The madness of a vampire was not a simple thing either. In a vampire mind, human reason went to war with the vampiric instinct. Division in mind actually caused pain like a real tearing in the mind. The instinct ruled so powerfully that it seemed free will did not really exist. So, most were driven to their ends, never living long enough to discover how it might have been.

It was well known, after a time, that the longer a vampire lived the stronger he or she became. This did not go unnoticed by the wise. Some chose to see the thing through to its end and found that over many centuries, the body began to keep the blood alive longer. The blood in the ancient vampire was still mortal and dying, but it was documented by the vampire Yurim that it could now last for decades at a time without replenishment. This adaptation could be analogized to the immune system as it adapts to new infections, so the vampire adapts to the preservation of its blood. Over time, a vampire body learns to heal faster, to react more quickly, and to last longer between drinking. That, of course, is only a small sampling of the power that accompanies an ancient, but that road of discovery is for another time. For now, I leave you with this basic understanding of the thirst: an unwavering, all encompassing, desire to drink human blood.

I have begun to realize a power over the call of blood. The journey marking each murder has lasted to my increasing satisfaction. Though, I long to be free of the shameful practice so that even three score is not yet enough.

-Yurim (Observations of the Kind, An Essay, 1938)

Bitterness and shame,

All is waxing,

All are aging,

Even we are ending,

Not flesh or strength,

Or our reflected face,

But our will and mind.

-Ko'shek (Epicedium, xxii)

The demon's cloak,

Is his sonathanos (vampire),

And the cloak is his door,

By blood he may enter.

-Ya'ray (Pondus, clxvi)

Further questions will be addressed.
Are there covens?
Do child vampires grow up?
What is the oldest vampire legend?
Who is the oldest vampire?
Are vampires and zombies actually the same thing?
What's the step by step biological process of going from human to vampire?
Do vampires have super strength?
Can vampires change into animals (like bats)?
Is it true that, in some cases, the Slavic language calls vampires and werewolves by the same name?
Do vampires needs sleep?
Do vampires require food?
Are vampires smarter than regular humans?

If you have your own question or a remark, please leave me a comment.

They Fell

They were called sons. A sect of the chosen breathing in the highest existence of enlightenment and breathing out praise. They walked on the beaches of eternal knowledge. The visual stimuli were of such immense gravity that the collective masses would have hardly understood it. The choir of voices singing the praise for creation would have been like an astounding ocean of sound. To have observed the perfect power exerted on all things--it would have been enough to impress on anyone the awe that casually demanded submission. These eyes that saw this all belonged to the heavenly host. We call them angels.

Who knows what possessed the third that chose to leave their creator and cleave to the devil. Though he is no doubt strong, he is no God. It has probably been said before, but some pondering has led to the likely proposition that these angels likely followed in rebellion but it is not clear whether they followed Satan as their leader. Wouldn't it be more likely that Satan is plagued with a disunified group of demons that all seek after their own interests? The power plays could extend into ridiculous realms.

As mentioned in the Books of Koshek, Arar (The curse) is mentioned as one such demon. Rising to power by subjugating humanity to his will he was finishing what Satan had started.

The antediluvian kingdom that he built saw multitudes bow to him. This is no small matter. You see, before the fall, all angels could manipulate and form the world around them. They could shape and build and push and pull anything they desired save for the bodies of humans--the ownership of that matter belonged to them. When the fall occurred, however, the demons lost the power to manipulate the matter around them. This was disconcerting at first, but they soon made a discovery: the ownership of the human body can be transferred from the human to the demon. When the spirit leaves, the matter remains. The matter that remains can then be manipulated. In this form it is called dark matter.

As you might guess, this became a gross power to Arar when the masses bowed before him. He was mighty among immortals and it only diffused at the flood and ensuing battle. The flood wiped the polluted human genetic line and the angels of the eastern lands battled and bound Arar to his prized elder tree in the garden he had made for himself to roam.

With his fall, the demons that served him dispersed or were bound and Satan assumed primary control. In his absence, Koshek and the other vampires persevered and eventually established shadow kingdoms of their own. The modern vampires were born.

Vampires Pt 5

Who was the first vampire?

Throughout history there have been stories and legends running rampant with the spirit of the vampire, or rather, the incarnate demon. The legends reach back extremely far. The most clearly defined origins for the vampire are seen in the etymology of the word vampire, or, as was used by Slavic peoples (who eventually became the Russians, Ukrainians, etc.), the word upir.¹ The first usage dates from at least the 10th century and some believe that the word and its meaning could have originated in the 7th century AD.² The word upir was originally found, indicating a wicked blood drinker, as a commentary piece in a Slavic translation of the Psalms dating from the 10th century.³ Some have gone further and suggested that the ancient Greek language has a form of the word, but supportive evidence is scarce.

Regardless of the word vampire (vampyre, upier, upir, etc.), the legends of creatures that desire blood are still intact in ancient memory.⁴ The stories reach back to the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian understandings of demonology. The Babylonians seemed familiar with the wanderings and torments of the undead. If you get the chance, take a glance at the 19th century work of Augustus Montague Summers, The Vampire, his Kith and Kin and observe his train of thought. It is a very well conceived, logical progression of thoughts and conclusions pertaining to the vampire.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll notice I’ve gone to the trouble of putting together a few resources for you to check out on your own (tip: use Google Language Tools for the Russian pages), but none of that really answers the initial question. The truth is, the first vampire is an unknown figure lost to the chapters of time. We can only look back so far. It is, however, safe to conclude that the first vampire is still living today--in some form or another--since he is most defiinitely a demon. He is likely one of the first that fell from heaven and took up residence on earth. His story is briefly mentioned in Genesis chapter 6 and debatably attested to in the writings of Enoch. In the end, however, your guess is as good as mine. No one really knows.



¹Chambers, W. & Chambers, R.Chambers’s Encyclopaedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge Retrieved 2008-03-11.

²Russian Etymological Dictionary by Max Vasmer. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.

³Sobolevskij, A. I.. Slavjano-russkaja paleografija. Retrieved on 2008-03-11. See The Original Here

⁴Summers, A. M. The Vampire, his Kith and Kin Retrieved on 2008-03-11.

Further questions will be addressed.
What is thirst?
Are there covens?
Do child vampires grow up?
What is the oldest vampire legend?
Who is the oldest vampire?
Are vampires and zombies actually the same thing?
What’s the step by step biological process of going from human to vampire?
Do vampires have super strength?
Can vampires change into animals (like bats)?
Is it true that, in some cases, the Slavic language calls vampires and werewolves by the same name?
Do vampires needs sleep?
Do vampires require food?
Are vampires smarter than regular humans?

If you have your own question or a remark, please leave me a comment.