Of Vamps and disease

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

I was reading through the archives, and came across the Column: Did vampires suffer from the disease porphyria–or not?

I was thinking- maybe the vampires had rabies?

  1. People with rabies are sensative to extremes, hence the repulsion from garlic’s smell and sunlight
  2. Rabies is spread through bites. Bingo!
  3. As far as I know, bats can carry rabies
  4. Putting a stake through the heart of a rabies sufferer will kill them
  5. Being a nerve disease, causes insanity.

Fangs and the rest is probably just legend. I’m just an average guy, so I’m no expert on either noun in the subject line :slight_smile: so if I’m way off, well, I just heard this from somewhere else.

2

Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, Evil, glad to have you with us… and an interesting first post!

I have edited your post to provide a link to the Column under discussion, makes it easier for others to track. Thanks for listing the title of the Column, I’ve just converted it into a link for you.

3

Could be something to this. This article from Australian Skeptics:

The main publiciser of this theory, though is one man: neurologist Juan Gomez-Alonso. Some back-up studies from other sources would be interesting.

4

2 things about the bats though, 1 bats can have rabies, but it is very rare for them to spread them. 2 very few vampire legends, if any, concern bats, thats just something hollywood added.

5

The connection between vampires and bats is not a Hollywood creation. It is mentioned in ‘Dracula’, well before Hollywood ever existed. It has its roots in older eastern Eurpean folklore.

You’re not the first person to make the connection bewteen Vampirism and rabies Evilreaver. The same connection has been made with lycanthropy, where it seems even more obvious.

Another connection frequently made is that between vampirism and syphillis. Traditionally vampires are not hapless victims of animal bites as are many werewolves. Vampires traditionally created by a deliberate ritual, with or wihout the victim’s consent. Vampires are also better able to conceal their true natures and are more seductive. There is also a strong sexual element to much traditional vampirism.

6

Crapola. I would swear there was a column (a Staff Report) about the origins of vampires, but search can’t find it.

7

Wouldn’t rabies, being fairly rapidly fatal, seem kind of a poor choice for a condition thought to confer immortality?

I’d be more inclined to believe syphilis first. At least one can suffer from it over an extended period. On the whole, though, I’m in the porphyria camp.

8

Quite the opposite I would think. Vampires invariably rapidly die after ‘contracting’ the condition.

9

LOL!