Even before Stoker' gave us Dracula, vampire literature was certainly popular; the 17th and 18th centuries, in fact, would see a definitive spike as the 'vampire craze' took a firm hold. Although it would be virtually impossible to examine each and every piece of written work from that time period, let us step back and take a closer look at some of them, shall we? They are, after all, a precursor to our own modern novels, it seems only fitting to pay them homage for having paved the way.
One such work was the poem, Der Vampir written by Heinrich August Ossenfelder. Published in 1748, the poem contains strong erotic overtones; the spurned vampire lover of a devout Christian maiden threatening to return to her at night and 'teach' her that his love is more powerful than her mother's teaching-by way of draining her blood and binding her to himself for all eternity, of course. How's that for a pick up line, hmmm?!
One such work was the poem, Der Vampir written by Heinrich August Ossenfelder. Published in 1748, the poem contains strong erotic overtones; the spurned vampire lover of a devout Christian maiden threatening to return to her at night and 'teach' her that his love is more powerful than her mother's teaching-by way of draining her blood and binding her to himself for all eternity, of course. How's that for a pick up line, hmmm?!
"Der Vampir"
My dear young maiden clingeth
Unbending, fast and firm
To all the long-held teaching
Of a mother ever true;
As in vampires unmortal
Folk on the Theyse's portal
Heyduck-like do believe.
But my Christine thou dost dally,
And wilt my loving parry
Till I myself avenging
To a vampire's health a-drinking
Him toast in pale tockay.
And as softly thou art sleeping
To thee shall I come creeping
And thy life's blood drain away.
And so shalt thou be trembling
For thus shall I be kissing
And death's threshold thou' it be crossing
With fear, in my cold arms.
And last shall I thee question
Compared to such instruction
What are a mother's charms?
* Theyse (Tisza): it is the second biggest river in Hangary -- the biggest is the Danube.
** Heyduck: a semimilitary official of seventeenth and eighteenth century Hungary.
*** Tokay: a well known type of Hungarian wine.
Although the main character in Lenore, a ballad written in 1773 by the German author, Gottfried August Bürger, is technically, not a vampire, its influence on the genre is strong enough that I felt compelled to include it here. The poem tells the story of Lenore and her young fiance, William, a soldier who had failed to return home after the end of the Seven Year's War. Understandably concerned, especially after all the other soldiers began returning home, Lenore turns against God, cursing the unfairness of the situation and claiming that no good has ever been done for her. Her mother, on her daughter's behalf, begs forgiveness for the blasphemy, telling Lenore that William has probably found another woman in Hungary and abandoned her, and that Lenore would be best served by forgetting him.
At midnight, a mysterious stranger, who looks suspiciously like William, knocks on Lenore's door and asks her to go with him on horseback to their marriage bed. Of course, she complies. (silly Lenore!) So away they speed into the night on his black steed, riding at breakneck speed past eerie landscapes. Terrorised, Lenore demands to know why they are riding so fast, to which he responds that they are doing so because "the dead travel fast" ("die Todten reiten schnell"). Lenore asks William to "leave the dead alone" ("Laß sie ruhn, die Todten").
At sunrise, their journey ends and they arrive at the cemetery's doors. As the horse goes through the tombstones, the knight begins to lose its human appearance, and is revealed as Death, a skeleton with a scythe and an hourglass. The marriage bed is shown to be the grave where, together with his shattered armour, William's skeleton lies. The ground beneath Lenore's feet begins to crumble and the spirits, dancing in the moonlight, surround dying Lenore, declaring that "no one is to quarrel with God in Heaven" ("mit Gott im Himmel hadre nicht"). However, Lenore, punished with death, still has hope for forgiveness ("des Leibes bist du ledig/Gott sei der Seele gnädig").
In case you were wondering how much this influenced future vampire novels, Stoker thought it so inspirational that he included one of the lines "the dead ride fast" in his epic novel, Dracula. Just saying.
At midnight, a mysterious stranger, who looks suspiciously like William, knocks on Lenore's door and asks her to go with him on horseback to their marriage bed. Of course, she complies. (silly Lenore!) So away they speed into the night on his black steed, riding at breakneck speed past eerie landscapes. Terrorised, Lenore demands to know why they are riding so fast, to which he responds that they are doing so because "the dead travel fast" ("die Todten reiten schnell"). Lenore asks William to "leave the dead alone" ("Laß sie ruhn, die Todten").
At sunrise, their journey ends and they arrive at the cemetery's doors. As the horse goes through the tombstones, the knight begins to lose its human appearance, and is revealed as Death, a skeleton with a scythe and an hourglass. The marriage bed is shown to be the grave where, together with his shattered armour, William's skeleton lies. The ground beneath Lenore's feet begins to crumble and the spirits, dancing in the moonlight, surround dying Lenore, declaring that "no one is to quarrel with God in Heaven" ("mit Gott im Himmel hadre nicht"). However, Lenore, punished with death, still has hope for forgiveness ("des Leibes bist du ledig/Gott sei der Seele gnädig").
In case you were wondering how much this influenced future vampire novels, Stoker thought it so inspirational that he included one of the lines "the dead ride fast" in his epic novel, Dracula. Just saying.
From my grave to wander I am forced
Still to seek the God's long sever'd link,
Still to love the bridegroom I have lost,
And the lifeblood of his heart to drink.
These lines were taken from the poem written in 1797 by Goethe, entitled The Bride of Corinth, which explores the same concept of a dead person returning from the grave for their beloved (decided vampiric overtones there, folks). The story is turned into an expression of the conflict between Heathendom and Christianity: the family of the dead girl are Christians, while the young man and his relatives are still pagans. It turns out that it was the girl's Christian mother who broke off her engagement and forced her to become a nun, eventually driving her to death.
The first mention of vampires in English literature occurs in the epic poem, Thalaba the Destroyer, written in 1797 by Robert Southey. In this poem, Thalaba's deceased beloved, Oneiza, turns into a vampire.
In 1816, a group of friends decided to take a holiday in a villa near Lake Geneva during the unseasonably cold "year without a summer". I know "who cares, Ari!" Right? Well, you should, that's who! Those 'friends' were none other than John William Polidori, Claire Clairmont, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley, and that simple vacation turned into a ghost writing competition. Not only was Mary Shelley's entry the basis for Frankenstein, but it also netted us two of the first vampire tales in English literature, Polidori's The Vampyre, and Lord Byron's Fragment of a Novel. Sadly, Byron's novel would stay fragmented; he did not finish the piece.
A milestone in vampire literature was Elizabeth Caroline Grey's The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress published in 1828, believed to be the first vampire story published by a woman.
The first mention of vampires in English literature occurs in the epic poem, Thalaba the Destroyer, written in 1797 by Robert Southey. In this poem, Thalaba's deceased beloved, Oneiza, turns into a vampire.
In 1816, a group of friends decided to take a holiday in a villa near Lake Geneva during the unseasonably cold "year without a summer". I know "who cares, Ari!" Right? Well, you should, that's who! Those 'friends' were none other than John William Polidori, Claire Clairmont, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley, and that simple vacation turned into a ghost writing competition. Not only was Mary Shelley's entry the basis for Frankenstein, but it also netted us two of the first vampire tales in English literature, Polidori's The Vampyre, and Lord Byron's Fragment of a Novel. Sadly, Byron's novel would stay fragmented; he did not finish the piece.
A milestone in vampire literature was Elizabeth Caroline Grey's The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress published in 1828, believed to be the first vampire story published by a woman.
Comparable to today's 'young adult' books was the 19th century 'penny dreadful', pamphlets of short stories aimed at working class adolescents. James Malcolm Rymer took advantage of both the vampire craze and the growing rise in the 'youth market' and voila', Varney the Vampire was born. From 1845-1847, stories of Varney were voraciously gobbled up by eager readers. The serialization proved to be very popular, so much so that it was later published as a single epic book. The story was highly influential on future vampire lore, perpetuating many themes common in vampire tales today such as having fangs leaving two puncture wounds, coming through a window to attack a sleeping maiden, hypnotic powers, and superhuman strength. Varney was also the first example of a sympathetic vampire who loathes his own condition but is helpless to stop it.
In 1872, Sheridan Le Fanu would give us Carmilla, a novel which was first published in the magazine The Dark Blue in late 1871 and early 1872, and then in the author's collection of short stories, In a Glass Darkly the same year. It was one of the first novels to successfully add erotic elements into vampire literature, with a female vampire seducing the novel’s heroine to draw her vital fluids.
The story is presented by Le Fanu as part of the casebook of Dr. Hesselius, whose departures from medical orthodoxy rank him as the first occult doctor in literature. The story is narrated by Laura, one of the two main protagonists of the tale.
Laura begins her tale by relating her childhood in a "picturesque and solitary" castle in the midst of an extensive forest in Styria, where she lives with her father, a wealthy English widower, retired from the Austrian Service. When she was six years old, Laura had a vision of a beautiful visitor in her bedchamber. She later claims to have been bitten on the chest, although no wounds are found on her.
Twelve years later, Laura and her father are admiring the sunset in front of the castle when her father tells her of a letter he received earlier from his friend, General Spielsdorf. The General was supposed to bring his niece, Bertha Rheinfeldt, to visit the two, but the niece suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. The General ambiguously concludes that he will discuss the circumstances in detail when they meet later.
Laura is saddened by the loss of a potential friend, and longs for a companion. A carriage accident outside Laura's home unexpectedly brings a girl of Laura's age into the family's care. Her name is Carmilla. Both girls instantly recognize the other from the "dream" they both had when they were young. And so the story goes.
The story is presented by Le Fanu as part of the casebook of Dr. Hesselius, whose departures from medical orthodoxy rank him as the first occult doctor in literature. The story is narrated by Laura, one of the two main protagonists of the tale.
Laura begins her tale by relating her childhood in a "picturesque and solitary" castle in the midst of an extensive forest in Styria, where she lives with her father, a wealthy English widower, retired from the Austrian Service. When she was six years old, Laura had a vision of a beautiful visitor in her bedchamber. She later claims to have been bitten on the chest, although no wounds are found on her.
Twelve years later, Laura and her father are admiring the sunset in front of the castle when her father tells her of a letter he received earlier from his friend, General Spielsdorf. The General was supposed to bring his niece, Bertha Rheinfeldt, to visit the two, but the niece suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. The General ambiguously concludes that he will discuss the circumstances in detail when they meet later.
Laura is saddened by the loss of a potential friend, and longs for a companion. A carriage accident outside Laura's home unexpectedly brings a girl of Laura's age into the family's care. Her name is Carmilla. Both girls instantly recognize the other from the "dream" they both had when they were young. And so the story goes.
Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897. Enough said.
Please proceed to Assignment 6 for your homework.