Screams spill into the cold night air. Vampires swoop in and out of homes, blood dripping down their chins. Bats fly around them, the vampire’s loyal pets. Is this what you imagine when thinking of vampires? Vampires, or blood-suckers, aren’t always what they seem.

For those who don’t know…

Vampires are are known for drinking human blood and roaming the night. They usually bite into their victim’s neck, which the victim sometimes turns into a vampire themselves. People believe sunlight kills, or weakens, these creatures and that the vampires have no reflection or shadow.

Where it all began

It all started with Vlad the Impaler, a vampire born in Transylvania, Romania. Some say he ruled the Ottoman Empire, and he earned his name by impaling his victims with a wooden stake. Some even say he dipped his bread in their blood and feasted upon them. Fortunately, he only lived from 1431 to 1476.

Why do people still believe vampires exist? In the Middle Ages, a disease spread that left bleeding mouth lesions, rabies, porphyria, which is a blood disorder that left skin blisters when exposed to sunlight, and many others. When a person died, and they were suspected of being a vampire, the people checked them for vampirism before burying them.

Are they real?

People who call themselves vampires do actually exist. They seem normal, and they are, but they drink small portions of blood a day to stay healthy. To avoid causing more chaos from vampire superstitions, vampires kept to themselves and drank their blood in secret.

Do you think vampires are real?