Introduction to Vampire Slaying

You might have noticed that the Orientation handbooks never mention the supernatural problems you could run into during your time at Uni. Although it's unlikely you'll be attacked by Vampires it's best to be prepared. No matter how much you yell for help, no Vampire Slayer is going to come to your rescue (trust me I've tried), nor even a Halliwell sister. You're on your own. But don't worry, once you've read this article you'll know how to keep yourself safe from a nasty bite on your neck.

Vampires have been in Australia since before European settlement. In Aboriginal folklore they are referred to as Yara-ma-yha-who (No, I'm not making this up!) The Yara-ma-yha-who lived in trees and would drop down on victims and drain their blood. Vampires are rightfully feared. Not only are they demons who kill people but they look for the most part like normal people.

Vampires create more of their kind by drinking most of the blood of a victim and then letting the dying victim drink the vampire's blood. The victim soon dies and not much later will awaken as a Vampire. If it's suspected someone will become a Vampire it is possible to prevent the transformation by burying the body face downwards.

Most people believe Vampires can change in to animals, most commonly a bat, but also a rat, wolf or cat. This is just one of many supernatural abilities that have been attributed to Vampires. Witches and Werewolves are more likely to become animals than Vampires. Vampires do have superior strength and senses than humans.

How can you tell some one is a vampire? Well their fangs are a good sign, but are not very prominent until they ready to feed. Before this they look kind of ordinary though pale from staying out of the sun. An attractive element to becoming a Vampire is the promise of eternal youth. Ironically a Vampire has no reflection in a mirror, so no matter how they youthful they look they can't see it for themselves. They also have trouble getting their hair right.

Fortunately for us potential victims a Vampire can not enter a living person's house, unless they are invited in. Once invited in they can come in any time they want. The moral: be careful who you invite into your home. So if you're in danger run home and you should be okay as the Vampire will run off when dawn approaches.

During the day Vampires have to hide themselves from the sunrays. A lot sleep in their coffins which provide a secure, but not very spacious sanctuary. If a Vampire is hit by direct sunlight their bodies will ignite and burn to ashes quickly. Not even a sunscreen with SPF-30 will help them.

The most common and popular way to kill a Vampire is to stab it with a wooden stake. The stake itself is not too important, as long as it has a sharp end and is made of wood, but it must be driven through in one blow. A Vampire's body is particularly weak in the upper chest so you don't need a lot of strength to do so. It's best to leave it to the experts because if you miss you're very close to a very dangerous creature. An easier thing to do is to set fire to a Vampire. A Vampire's body is flammable and will burn up quickly. Either method will leave you with only a pile of ashes.

Religious items are also useful to ward off the undead. Most people are unaware however that you need to have faith in the symbol. There is no point holding up a cross if you have no belief in Christianity, you might as well hold up a rubber chicken. Holy Water, properly consecrated, is like acid to a Vampire but it's hard to get, as most supermarkets don't stock it, although surprisingly some do.

If you want to know more about Vampires you could check out my sources: the TV series 'Buffy', 'Angel', and 'Count Duckula' and the films 'From Dusk to Dawn' and 'Interview with the Vampire'. Just stay clear of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' unless you can stand Keanu Reeves' really bad English accent.

Page created by: Paul Frawley

Last Updated: 21 Sept 2000