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.

Vampires Pt 4

Are vampires all evil?

The question as to whether vampires are all evil challenges the semantics of the word evil. Without a doubt, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and so we are all evil to one degree or another. So, the word you and I are speaking about right now is taken to mean evil as in contradictory to God on all accounts.

In the case of the demon possessed vampire, this creature is evil without argument. The agenda driving the demon is to contradict God. This is done brazenly and no mistake is made concerning the intent.

There are, however, vampires that are indwelt with the human spirit still. To say that these vampires do evil is accurate. They contradict God's righteousness every time they take a human life. We know that this, of course, is to survive. Feel free to engage me in debate as to whether a vampire of this nature is committing an unforgivable act when it is only done to survive.

The word unforgivable is the key point. Is it forgivable if a vampire kills, then goes through the process of repenting and seeking forgiveness, and then, overcome with need, kills again? Is it forgivable if a vampire kills and knows that he or she will kill again? It is the way a vampire survives. Human blood must flow through a vampire's veins and no other will suffice.

Let's take a moment to consider alternatives. It is true that a vampire can sustain himself on blood bank supplies, but the frequency of dependence is raised because that blood has already begun to die. A vampire can take blood from a willful giver to stay alive, but the instinct to kill is usually dominant and overpowering. A vampire that bites and doesn't kill will inevitably begin to make countless other vampires with the introduction of the virus. So, killing is almost a necessity, but I stress the word 'almost'. Some have lived lives devoid of killing, but their carefulness can never be lax.

To answer the question, all vampires are not evil. They are drawn to the tendency to commit evil, but they struggle with need and instinct in a way that is foreign to us. They compete with their sin like we would compete with not eating or drinking for prolonged periods. Even this, however, is a weak analogy. Capturing the vampire's true draw probably cannot easily be analogized. Thank God for those that yield to conscience rather than their thirst. They are likely stronger in their resolve than I.

Further questions will be addressed.
Who was the first vampire?
What is thirst?
Are there covens?
Do child vampires grow up?
Who is the oldest vampire?
If you have your own question, please leave me a comment.

Vampires Pt 3

Do vampires live forever?

Being that a genuine vampire is indwelt with a demonic spirit there can be no doubt that even with the shedding of the flesh the demon is an eternal being. However, the question is likely aimed at whether the flesh can go on living forever, so that is what will be addressed.

In actuality, the genetic recombination and adjustment caused by the viral reprogramming gives the body a stem cell for every fleshly component but the blood. The blood, a sacred element under God’s law, breaks down over time regardless. (The only blood that actually perpetuates is that of Jesus Christ.) It seems, in the case of the vampire, that for all the good of the virus, the blood breaks down more quickly and isn’t regenerated as with unaltered humans–thus the reason for the addition of a means to replenish it through the ducts in the fangs and the origin of the legends that record vampires as blood drinkers. This need for blood keeps the system functioning. I mention this because a vampire that is devoid of fresh blood, given enough time, will eventually die. This death, however, cannot really be considered full death.

Death, it seems, is temporary if the spirit (demon) remains with the body and blood is reintroduced. A portion of the living blood cells will convert into stem cells (a property of the still present, non-living virus code residing in the blood residue left in the body) and the body will eventually regenerate to the point of complete functionality. Once life is in the vessel again, the demonic spirit can reattach to it. Without the presence of a spirit, however, the body, even if it responds and rebuilds, will be empty and lifeless. It could be equated to a tree: alive, but lacking any awareness.

Now, as you can see, this nature carries with it the peculiar ability to regenerate indefinitely and even come back from the dead. It can therefore be concluded that the vampire’s flesh will, in ideal conditions, never die. Unending life is only stopped by the complete destruction of the vessel–often accomplished by burning it. The burning must be complete, leaving no possibility for reintroduction of blood to the virus in order to stave off the vampire’s resurrection.

In the case of a vampire still indwelt with a human spirit (this happens when the virus is introduced but death never occurs and a demon never inhabits), death can result from a prolonged bout absent of fresh blood. For the human spirit, once the body is dead, the spirit cannot remain and is immediately called to Sheol or Heaven. This irresistible experience occurs with a human vampire as well.

As was originally stated, a demon, even if the body is lost, can reinstate himself into another vampiric host. This has happened and can theoretically continue forever. During the time apart from the previous host the demon sometimes falls into the same routines he carried out while in the flesh. This phenomenon has been noticed by the living and attributed to the ghosts of the dead. In actuality, it occurs as a side effect of the separation between demon and host. The two have taken on each others’ identities while united and the separation sometimes leaves the demon confused, disposed to wander with the adopted traits until they wear off.

The identity crisis can become a challenge when a demon moves from one vampiric vessel to another as the memories transfer with the demon into the next person. It requires discipline to differentiate between the two persons and sometimes results in schizophrenia.

I’ve digressed slightly, but I thought these interesting sub topics worth discussing. In case you missed it, the answer to the initial question is yes, vampires can live forever, but they can also be killed.

Further questions will be addressed.
Are vampires all evil?
Who was the first vampire?
What is thirst?
Are there covens?
Do child vampires grow up?
If you have your own question, please leave me a comment.

Vampires Pt 2

Where did the virus come from?

It can be said that things began to change approximately 6,012 years ago give or take a few months. It started with the coming of a serpent of old (Revelation 12:9, 20:2) when, indwelt by the already fallen Satan, it spoke to the second human–a naive and trusting woman named Eve. It was not long from this time that Adam, the first among humankind found that his wife had eaten of a forbidden fruit. Nobody really knows his motivation, but he decided then and there to join his wife in rebellion against God’s only edict. The consequences of this choice would forever alter the course of all history.

The serpent was cursed to run along his belly for the rest of time. One could infer from this curse upon an animal species that it was this being’s willingness to be defiled by the indwelling of a demon that it was punished. It can be further speculated that this willingness between species is precisely what categorized them into clean and unclean groupings in later years. (see Genesis 7:1-2 for a reference to clean and unclean animals even preceding the Law of Moses).

It is perhaps a faulty speculation to think that animals are inclined to do anything other than what is natural and innocent, but the early chapters of Genesis demonstrate that animals have at least some capacity to be controlled by good and evil forces. Maybe this gives us a better idea for the reasons behind ancient gods of the pagans appearing to look like animals. Baal was often depicted as a bull.

Moving beyond this line of thought, it is still evident that the presence of demons in our world has occurred from the beginnings of creation. These demons, it seems, are pretty obsessed with indwelling flesh. (see Luke 11:24, Matthew 12:43 for the reaction of a cast out demon)

It seems also that the demon is met with torment when occupying the flesh of a living man. (Matthew 8:16 and following verses depict demon possession as a debilitating situation) If the possession is so difficult to manage without going mute or crazy it would benefit the demon to gain possession of an emptied vessel. This could be the basis for legend–what was done to gain full possession of movement, thoughts, and speech.

It is recorded as myth and legend, but nonetheless disturbing since it was believed, at one time by the masses, that those who were supposed to be dead could rise from the grave with sinister motivations. Hindu mythology recounts the belief in creatures known as Vetalas: beings that are created with the union of corpse and demon. The motive behind the union was never really investigated, but the general consensus was that they existed simply to torment the living. Sometimes they were considered protectors of a village, but at a cost to those living within. The possessed-dead beings were said to be responsible for causing miscarriages, the death of children, and a driving force that led to madness.

These beings, if we choose to believe the root of the legend, could have been created by demons wishing to bypass the possession of the living, preferring instead to inhabit the dead. The positive of inhabiting the dead was the absence of a soul to contend with. The negatives, however, were vast. The deceased body would inevitably be wrought with brain damage the longer it was left dead. This would thereby cause great confusion to the demon as he brings himself to bear with the mind of the vessel. The body would undoubtedly be difficult to manage the longer it was left to decay. The brain, even if it were very fresh, would be filled with memories, desires, and impulses that the demon would be forced to either submit to or contend with. The appearance of the deceased person would be recognizable to those still living that knew the individual in life.

These drawbacks might explain a few questions about the legends. In the event that a dead person was possessed the demon would come into union with the mind of that vessel and, just as we are largely driven by our thoughts, memories, and emotions, the demon too would experience these sensations. (This might be very unusual if the demon had never possessed a person before.) Those sensations would likely draw even a demon back to the family they now remembered. This could account for many of the legends that occur throughout history of people being visited by their dead relatives. The levels of brain damage coupled with the evil nature of the demon would also lend credence to the claims that deceased relatives were coming back and attacking old friends and family. Just as a bear that feeds on the food of humans becomes more dangerous because of his familiarity with man, a demon is more dangerous when he is drawn to humans–regardless of the innocence behind the initial attraction, the violent nature has the tendency to take control.

Because of these challenges, it would have been a goal of the early demons to devise a way around the very human drawbacks that they encountered. Mind you that the angels were probably privy to the knowledge of how things worked. They could observe the biological state of man and, in their vast ability to comprehend, they might have sought to introduce biological engineering into the world. This engineering could be done by introducing a virus that reprogrammed the DNA of humans. The virus, in theory, could be equipped to change DNA’s code to whatever they desired of it. The possibilities are innumerable.

That code could have been made and introduced into the world very easily. Consider the fact that God chose to send a flood over the entire earth to destroy all of creation. It causes me to wonder what warranted such a drastic reaction. Was it merely sin that brought the necessity of such annihilation? Or was it perhaps necessitated by a badly damaged genetic line? Could the virus–or variants made by successive experiments–have overtaken the population at large? What were the Nephilim? What did Genesis mean when it spoke of the sons of God who saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose? Could this union between the sons of God and the daughters of men have been accomplished from spirit to flesh? Or was it the offspring of genetically engineered supermen indwelt with the spirits of angels uniting with the daughters of ordinary men?

Of course, it may be that the sons of God were simply the “once righteous” or “sons of Seth”, but the ambiguity is such that this interpretation seems less than satisfactory. It seems unlikely since it is followed by the statement that the Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. It seems as though the heroes of old were known as Nephilim and they were identified uniquely because they were born by the sons of God and the daughters of men. The natural assumption is that this was somehow an unnatural union that produced a species–or many species–of half-humans known as Nephilim.

Therefore, it seems, that the virus we’re speaking of could very well have been the reason for a total annihilation of the inhabitants of earth. It also, could have been the forerunner to the more subtle form of the vampire. Let us examine the nature of the vampire.

A vampire is gifted with tremendous strength, speed, eyesight, hearing, regeneration of any portion of the body still indwelt with a spirit, and life that does not seem to have an end. The only weakness to a vampire is mutation of cells by ultraviolet light, death by fire, and the nagging mind of the old human (which loses poignancy over time). Even the mutation of cells can be overcome by cutting off the affected flesh. Even the removal of all of the skin from the body, which is usually all that is affected, can be recovered from.

The greatest drawback among vampire nature is the mind of the vessel. Alas, it is inescapable if the demon wishes to inhabit an adult whose mind has made concrete connections. (Maybe that’s why there’s so much child demon possession in Jesus’ time–children have less of a developed mind. See Matthew 15:22, Mark 7:24-30, Mark 9:17-18)

The nature of a vampire, given by the virus engineered by devils, is the perfect vessel for the evil spirits to occupy. Its dogged dependability as a method of inhabiting the flesh has shown itself to last effectively through the millennia.

Further questions will be addressed.

Do vampires live forever?

Are vampires all evil?

Who was the first vampire?

Vampires Pt 1

They were known by many names throughout the ages. Vetelas, strix, undead, and vampire. The legends always spoke of those that had died coming back to feast on the blood of relatives. It was thought that the victims themselves returned as vampires. It led to mass hysteria and exhumed bodies–burned and staked.

What is the true nature of the vampire? Here it is.

A complete vampire is created when another vampire bites him and drains him. Upon biting him, a virus enters. It essentially reprograms the DNA and begins a process of change from specifically tasked cells to base cells in the body. These stem cells will eventually have the capacity to reproduce any portion of the body that is damaged or destroyed. Before the process is able to complete, however, the victim is fully drained of blood and dies. During this process the vampire never releases the victim. A connection is made that is beyond the realm of human understanding.

At death, the spirit is released from the body and a new spirit enters–it is the demon. Remember that the demon seeks a vessel to reside in and is tormented whilst exposed and without a host (Matthew 12:43). Upon entry, blood is forced back to the vessel’s blood stream and the body begins to revive. As the body struggles to regain life the virus continues its work. It converts the physiology to a new type completely. The brain damage from death is repaired by the stem cells, the sensitivity to ultraviolet becomes acute, strength increases, the senses sharpen, the body ceases to age, and the teeth grow and link with the blood stream. The new code takes hold, the demon inhabits, and the vampire is complete.

The process can be applied to those that have already died as well. It simply requires the demon to enter and the virus to take affect for reanimation to be possible. This is because the virus even works on dead cells, mimicking the code that is present and setting to work to create living cells in place of the dead ones.

In both cases, the resulting creature is then more demon than human, but the human mind remains. Often times the demon suffers an identity alignment with the host. That is to say that the demon begins to think the way the once living human did. The human mind is now his and he may even mistake himself for being that person. That means that the same emotions, memories, and habits resurface in the new life. This is why a vampire often finds himself visiting family he once knew and compulsively feeding on them.

There are, however, human vampires as well. These are created when the process to becoming a complete vampire is interrupted and never carried all the way through. If a bite occurs the virus is passed on, but if death never comes then the human spirit remains with the changing body. All the attributes of the vampire set in, but the spirit is still the person’s own.

Human life, by comparison, seems as a dull dream would seem. The senses were so unrefined and unevolved that experiences now seem distant and unimportant. The vampire life soon takes greater precedent as the ultimate experience.

Survival for a vampire relies on an avoidance of the sun since the ultraviolet rays damage the cells and cause horrible mutations and aggressive cancers that ravage in days rather than months. Keeping away from fire or any other sure form of complete obliteration preserves. And the blood of a fresh victim every few days or sometimes weeks keeps a vampire from declining into dormancy. The blood is the only element that does not reproduce itself. It is rejected over time as a foreign and threatening presence in the body. This, therefore, requires the vampire to suck the blood of humans to stay alive. Each time new blood is introduced it begins to break down and falls prey to rejection. The body starts to force it from its system and the thirst of the vampire becomes enormous. Sickness and pain result from not drinking and finally a form of death that is only returned from with the introduction of new, living blood into the system. This feeds the virus and the body revives itself.

Further questions will be addressed.

Where did the virus come from?

Do vampires live forever?

Are vampires all evil?

Who was the first vampire?

Christmas List

For those people who wish to get me something for Christmas, this is a reference list for you all. Some of the things I want are a little difficult to figure out, so I’m providing direct links to what it is and where it’s at. I’m doing this cause I’m not aloud to buy myself stuff when it comes to Christmas time because I could be buying stuff that people have gotten me for Christmas.

The List

X-10 Entertainment Anywhere System

This will allow me to integrate a computer with my entertainment center that can all be controlled by a single remote control.

Seminary for Free

So, I’m attending seminary. Well, actually, I’m attending seminaries–for free. See, I bought my Zen, and then I set to work learning how to use it, and then Jesus (Hey soos) showed me how to use iTunes which opened a whole new realm of possibilities for me. He showed me a bunch of free podcasts that he downloads and listens to. These podcasts are from those like Chuck Missler and William Lane Craig of Dallas Theological Seminary. Realizing that there was stuff from Dallas Theological Seminary I wondered if I could download anything from other seminaries, so I typed in seminary and a bunch of results came back. In particular, I downloaded everything available from Covenant Theological Seminary. CTS is a Presbyterian seminary, but they’re pretty close to what I believe, so it’s good listening. These lectures are enabling me to learn a great deal about church history, apologetics, and many other elements that they’d teach in seminary. The best part? It’s free.

Zen

Today I bought my Creative Labs Zen Vision: M. It was just over 200 smackaroos. As exciting as purchasing it, I’ve had a very uninteresting time with it so far–it came without a charge on the battery. So, I’ve been charging the thing all night.

Admittedly, I’ve played with it a little tonight. I got it charged up just enough to be able to play around with it for about five minutes, but that’s not near enough time. Tomorrow will be the true test of usefulness.

Why did I get it you ask? I got it primarily because I wanted rewind and fast forward. I know, that’s a seemingly weird reason, but let me explain. Wanting to listen to multiple sermons in a day I needed a player that could read in mp3 format, so I bought a CD mp3 player. It works fine, but I quickly realized that it didn’t have a rewind or fast forward built in. Sermons are about a half hour to forty five minutes. Sometimes, I can’t finish one in a single sitting or I miss something and want to hear it again, but I can’t rewind to hear it again and I can’t simply restart a sermon and fast forward to where I left off.

This dilemma led Maggie to the decision that she should get me an iPod style mp3 player for our anniversary. Unfortunately, she didn’t know enough about them to pick one out that I liked, so she told me her plan and said, “Buy what you want.” This led to a significant amount of research and eventually the decision to buy the strongest (in my opinion) of the players. I purchased the Zen. Now I have to determine which music service to use. If you have suggestions, I’m interested. Leave some comments.