Dracula is a classic! 🙏 First published in 1897, it depicts the journey that a group of companions must embark upon after uncovering the existence of vampires. The journey is chronicled through several different characters' diaries, and documents the harrowing task laid out before them: to KILL Dracula! 😱
So this was my first time reading this classic, and I was pleasantly surprised! I had always assumed that Nosferatu was the original vampire to first appear in media, but it turns out it was Dracula. In fact, Nosferatu is based off of Dracula! 🧛♂️
So to learn they Bram Stoker basically invented the mythology of the vampire almost entirely of his own imagination, is incredible! I have a tremendous amount of respect for that reason alone 🙏
The vampiric lore is about as traditional as it gets. Dracula is considered the "father of the undead," first coming into existence perhaps sometime during the 15th century. Many people liken him to Attila the Hun, or Vlad the Impaler. Unfortunately, Stoker never explains HOW Dracula became the first vampire. However, any subsequent vampires are the result of conversion: they have been "baptized" in vampiric blood! 😬🩸 This involves the transfer of blood, usually through a bite on the neck.
Aside from that, it is all of the classic lore. Vampires are weakest during daylight, but can change form in the moonlight. These forms include: mist or fog, a wolf, or a bat. They cannot tolerate the smell of garlic. They also cannot be anywhere near holy items, including the crucifix, holy water, or the Eucharist. Vampires can convert others to the undead and are helpless to Dracula's will! They can hypnotize people and put them in a trance. Vampires can also control the "mean spirited" animals, to an extent. These include: wolves, bats, owls, cats, and rats.
All in all, it was a great book! 🙏 Very LONG, but the use of several different protagonists made things more bearable. Given that Stoker was Irish, there was a lot of religious symbolism and references, and since I have been growing more in my faith, I truly appreciated that. This is a book where I actually didn't mind the female characters, which does not happen often! 😄 I believe it is because I saw a lot of myself in Mina. The ending was quick and unsatisfactory, but it was nice to have a bittersweet ending for such a morbid tale! 😱😬
