The problem is that Tepes was just a really nasty guy who

The Differences Between Werewolves Vampires

If you’re a die hard Twilight fan, then you probably think canada goose outlet canada goose coats that the only real differences between vampires and werewolves are that one of them sparkles and the other needs a flea dip. Or, if you’re a classic horror movie fan, werewolves are obviously directly related to Lon Chaney and all the vampires in the world were bitten by Bela Lugosi.

The truth is a little less Hollywood and a whole lot more complicated. The truth may not even canada goose clearance be the truth at all, but legends and folk tales born of medieval fear and uncertainty. buy canada goose jacket cheap The truth, as we know it, indicates that the only real similarities between vampires and werewolves is that they’re both steeped in European tradition and caused those folks to do some seriously odd things to their recently deceased relatives.

buy canada goose jacket To find the true differences in creatures known as werewolves and vampires, we have to first throw out everything we know. Forget the Halloween costumes and the Warren Zevon songs (and the badly written Count Sparkula novels). Forget Lestat, Gary Oldman and Count Chocula (though we are keeping the Count from Sesame Street, ah, ah, ahhh.) Teen Wolf was fun, Canada Goose Parka but. just, no. buy canada goose jacket

To figure it out, we have to start at the beginning.

The History of the VampireThe beginnings of the tale of the vampire are a little murky. Stories of undead beings that return to Canada Goose sale terrorize the living are as old as time. To find the origin of these blood sucking baddies, we’ve got to sort through documents, stories, handed down tales and about a million pieces of other literature. What we’re looking for are specific tales of creatures returning from the grave to feast upon or otherwise do harm to living humans.

cheap Canada Goose In Medieval Europe, many Canada Goose Jackets things were simply misunderstood. In order to explain away what would later become known as the natural process of decomposition, exhumed bodies that did not appear to have properly rotted away were often considered vampires. This was especially prevalent in towns and villages where several unexpected deaths occurred relatively quickly. It couldn’t have been tuberculosis, or anemia or any other disease that would be identified over the next several centuries. It must have been the mark of the vampire. cheap Canada Goose

canada goose uk outlet In these terrorized villages, the recently dead would have been dug up and, if the body appeared to have not decomposed, if the nails or hair had cheap Canada Goose grown (which does occur after death) or if there was still blood located in the heart (don’t ask how they determined this, seriously) then canada goose black friday sale the poor sap would be proclaimed a vampire. The townspeople would then have someone, usually a member of the clergy, completely destroy the corpse. It would http://www.mycanadagoosejacket.org have been decapitated and, in some cases, the heart would be removed. Often pieces of the body or the entire body itself would have been burned to ashes. canada goose uk outlet

Of course, some folks on the fringes of society would have us believe that vampires are, indeed, real. They point to Bram Stoker’s legendary novel Dracula, which borrowed heavily from Eastern European folklore and the real legend of Vlad Tepes the Impaler of Wallachia (now Romania), The Son of the Dragon, also known as canada goose Vlad Dracul, who delighted in running his homeland red with the blood of those that he impaled on huge stakes. They also argue that Countess Elizabeth Bthory de Ecsed, a Hungarian royal who lived in the 1500’s and liked to bathe in the blood of virgins, was an example of a real vampire. The problem is that Tepes was just a really nasty guy who liked to brutally torture his enemies (and, in some cases, his own subjects) and Bathory really was just a nutjob.

canada goose store Most legends have similar themes when it comes to killing a vampire. Nearly all involve removing the heart, or at least staking it with a wooden spear. Decapitation was another popular way to destroy a vampire. Often burning would be included as well, either for the heart or the entire body. Vampires could be injured by holy water and garlic, and could often not cross running water. There isn’t much evidence for vampires having to be invited to enter your home. canada goose store

uk canada goose outlet This isn’t even taking into account what popular culture has done to the myth of the vampire. They’re no longer creatures of the night to be feared. They’re strikingly handsome with perfect hair, tons of money and all the girls are chasing off after them screaming “BITE ME, PLEASE!” There’s also role playing games, television shows, movies, books canada goose deals and people in the realm of the internet arguing that, not only are vampires real, but they, themselves are blood drinkers. uk canada goose outlet

Canada Goose Outlet The History of the WerewolfWerewolves also have their beginnings in multiple cultures spread all across the globe and time itself. The myths and legends apparently started in Greek mythology, where these shape shifting wolf human hybrids were called lycanthropes. Canada Goose Outlet

Canada Goose online Though the legends do appear in literature first in Canada Goose Outlet Greek culture, the Native Americans also had shape shifting legends. The French have their own term for werewolves, they’re called the loup garou. Russian folklore called them oboroten. Canada Goose online

cheap canada goose uk Essentially, a werewolf is a man or woman who, either by birth, bite or curse, can transform into a wolf like creature. In some legends, the catalyst for the change is the appearance of the full moon. In other legends, these shape shifters can take the form of other animals or even other humans. cheap canada goose uk

Throughout European history, the werewolf has been revered and feared as a kind of boogeyman. Europe’s werewolves were usually very evil men who changed form to hurt, torture and kill their enemies. Interestingly, werewolves were also considered to be “of the devil.”

Canada Goose Jackets There are a few records or remarks about werewolves in European history. Vseslav of Polotsk, a one time prince of Kiev, was believed to have been a shapeshifter. He was into sorcery and alchemy, and his detractors began a rumor that he turned into a form resembling a wolf whenever he felt the need to prowl the city. The Beast of Gvaudan terrorized the French countryside in the 1760’s. Though the creature or creatures were described as giant wolves, the legends that attributed these mass killings of livestock, and later humans, to werewolves have pretty much been debunked. Canada Goose Jackets

The Navajo, a Native American tribe, also has legends of buy canada goose jacket shapeshifters. The skinwalkers were evil witches who had the ability to canada goose coats on sale change into different forms. The Navajo were so scared of these shapeshifters that they would only wear the skins of domestic animals for clothing, afraid they would either incur the wrath of the skinwalkers, or become one themselves.

canada goose coats on sale As with vampires, the legend of the werewolves has been completely transformed by Hollywood. Though they are still creatures of the night, scripts and stories have werewolves only changing form at the full moon. There are varying reasons why someone would become a werewolf as well. A potential werewolf would either have to be bitten, born a lycanthrope, or cursed by a gypsy or some other crazy blue haired old lady. The methods of killing a werewolf almost always involve death by some sort of silver object, usually a bullet. canada goose coats on sale

canadian goose jacket The odd thing is that there is a canadian goose jacket clinical use of the term lycanthropy. Patients who suffer from this disorder actually do believe that they are werewolves, or other shape shifters. canadian goose jacket

ConclusionsFor the most part, vampires return from the grave to wreak havoc on humans and werewolves usually use the full moon to transform into creatures that strike fear in the hearts of mortals.

canada goose factory sale Vampires and werewolves should be relegated to folklore and those poor, frightened, unenlightened people in Medieval times. Most of these legends are made up stories that explain away things that these folks just weren’t qualified to understand in their time. canada goose factory sale

canada goose black friday sale Though they are seeing a popularity in fiction and films that they’ve never had before, they are just that. fiction. As pop culture would have it, yes, one of them sparkles and the other needs a flea Canada Goose online dip.6 years ago from Minnesota canada goose black friday sale

canada goose clearance sale Very entertaining hub. I’m a huge vampire book/movie fan, guess I’m more team Edward than Jacob. Seriously, I find it fascinating to trace back the origins of legends and myths, so I found this hub very interesting. Nice job!6 years ago from VA canada goose clearance sale

Canada Goose Parka I get tired of mythologies that pit the vampire vs. the werewolf anymore. I would like to see some vamp/wolf cooperation Canada Goose Parka.