What does a vampire feed on? Blood. Simple answer right? Well, not so much. Does a being really need to drink blood before they are considered a vampire? Or is it the act of taking anything part of a victim’s body that makes one a vampire?
Take psychic vampires for example, they do not feed upon blood yet they’re considered a form of vampire. These people instead feed on the life force of others (also known as pranic energy). Not once does a drop of blood touch their tongue. But they do take something vital from a person, it may not be the all important blood, but it is their energy, their life force.
Then you have the vampires of folklore from all over the world. Remember the pishtaco and the churels? They are two separate vampire species that come straight from ancient folktales. Both of these vamps feed on blood, but, that’s not all they take from their victims. They also feed upon their male victim’s semen, gross but true. And the pishtaco doesn’t stop at just blood and semen, but eats its prey’s fat as well. Does that sound vampire-like to you?
The same goes for the strigoaica of Romanian lore, a vampire that feeds only on the life force and milk of cows. No blood, just milk. The shtriga is yet another vampire species that feeds upon the life force of others, and honestly I could go on and on listing each creature that does so. Then there are mythological demons that are said to feed upon souls. Does that make them a vampire too? And what of mermaids? Few would consider a mermaid a kind of vampire, but many merfolk from lore were believed to kill their victims by feeding on the person’s breath. Not blood, but still they’re taking from their victim.
So is that all that’s necessary? A vampire is any creature that takes from the body – be it blood, energy, breath, or some other bodily fluid?
What do you think makes a vampire?
– Moonlight
