Since time immemorial, vampires have been recognized as blood sucking beings from the netherworld that feed off the blood of mortals at night just to keep themselves alive. The term itself comes from the word ‘vampirism’, which simply denotes the act of feeding on the life essence of another person, according to Dr. Lawrence Wilson’s piece on Energetic Vampirism. Legend even has it that vampires were spawned from Lilith, a mythical creature known as the mother of all demons in ancient Babylonian folklore.

These days, it’s common to see vampires portrayed in horror movies in particular, seeing vampires’ origins through more popular legends such as Count Dracula’s. This tale is somewhat connected to Vlad the Impaler’s story and the whole Tepes family legacy. As a matter of fact, Vlad received the title of Dracula from his father, a man known for his war name Dracul given to him by an exclusive order from the fifteenth century. Dracula, therefore, literally translates into “son of the dragon.”

Come to think of it, vampires have brutal origins. Focusing on Vlad the Impaler’s story alone, people get an idea of how violent it was back in the day. Way before he was recognized as “the Impaler,” Vlad Tepes was simply the king of Wallachia. The name, consequently, came from his ruthless, borderline inhumane, style of execution, which involved goring enemy bodies on spikes stuck from the ground – a stark contrast to today’s image of vampires.

From books, to movies, to even digital games, fans of fictional horror characters mainly view vampires as menacing yet charming creatures. Written literature spawned Stephenie Meyer’s successful Twilight Saga – which also had an equally popular movie franchise. Films, on the other hand, feature classics such as The Lost Boys, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Interview with the Vampire, just to cite a few examples. In terms of digital entertainment, there’s a wide array highlighting old school video games like Castlevania by Konami, as well as modern iterations among Spin Genie’s roster of online slot games, including the aptly titled Blood Suckers.

Though it can be said that vampires are becoming more of a fad than terrifying night prowlers nowadays, they remain some of the can’t-miss- and can’t-go-wrong-classics. Why people, fans in general, continue to appreciate and patronize these mythical creatures remains unclear. But no matter which way they look at it, whether some prefer the more iconic – not to mention crueler – version, or the rather tamer remakes of today, vampires will always be constant in almost all kinds of literature.