Present Out Of Books The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia Of The Undead
| Title | : | The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia Of The Undead |
| Author | : | J. Gordon Melton |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 852 pages |
| Published | : | 1994 by Visible Ink Press |
| Categories | : | Paranormal. Vampires. Nonfiction. Reference. Horror. Fantasy. Supernatural. History |
J. Gordon Melton
Paperback | Pages: 852 pages Rating: 3.91 | 3255 Users | 68 Reviews
Description Conducive To Books The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia Of The Undead
This is a great book to have. Watching vampire shows and reading vampire books is great but actually knowing a little history about where vampires came from or should I say when was the first time anyone noted a vampire within history can give you a little more insight about them.In short, here is a few interesting facts that I found interesting.
1. Vampire and Blood relationship - We know that vampires are bloodsucker creatures - since ancient times, humans have been the connection between blood and life. Blood is identified with life - for example, in Genesis, god tells Noah - But you must not eat the flesh with the life, which is the blood. Some believe by drinking the blood of a victim would absorb the additional strength of the conquered. In the biblical sense, in light of the special sacredness of Christ's blood, the vampire took on added significance and drank blood in a direct definance of the biblical command. It defiled the holy and stole that which was reserved for God alone. (pgs 55 & 56)
2. The first person considered in the role-playing of the original vampire is the biblical character "Cain" - according to the story, the farmer Cain made an offering of the fruits of his work to God as did his shepherd brother, Abel. God rejected Cain's offering while accepting Abels. The resentful Caine murdered his brother in response to which God cursed Cain, and cast him into the outer darkness. The role-playing suggest that the curse was eternal life and a craving for blood, and that the curse has been passed to all present day vampires.
In the darkness he met Lilith the reputed first wife of Cain's father Adam. She shared her blood with Caine, which awakened him to his power. After wandering in the wilderness for many years, he once again lived among mortals and created a city. During his years there he created three vampires who comprised the second generation. They in turn created the third generation and as it grew in number, Cain forbade the further creation of additional vampires.
The stable situation of Cain's city was disrupted by a great flood. Renewing his command not to create more vampires, he left his progeny to their own desires, and began wandering again. The vampires ignored his admonitions, and created a fourth generation, who rose up and slew most of the elders of the third generation. Mean while, over the millennia, a person claiming to be Cain occasionally appeared. (pg 85)
3. The belief in vampires preceded the introduction of Christianity into southern and eastern Europe by the Gypsies who brought the belief in vampires from India that contributed to the development of the myth.
There was a divergence between two churches (Roman Catholic and Orthodox)in the 11th centry of what the theology considered for beliefs in vampires. The Orthodox believed if the soft tissue of a body did not decay quickly once placed in the ground, it was generally considered a sign of evil. That the body refused to disintegrate meant that the earth would, for some reason, not receive it - A noncorrupting body became a candidate for vampirism. The Roman Catholic believed that if the body of a dead saint did not experience corruption like that of an ordinary body or decay and it frequently emitted a pleasant oder and did not stink of putrefaction then it was considered a candidate for vampirism. (pg 117)
Vampirism is considered a Pagan myth or a form of witchcraft and there fore the christians associated vampirism with Santan. (Pg 118)
This book has all the information on every writer,movie producer, comic book, and movie that has ever made or recorded anything on vampires.
Be Specific About Books To The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia Of The Undead
| Original Title: | Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead |
| ISBN: | 0810322951 (ISBN13: 9780810322950) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Lord Ruthven Award for Nonfiction (1995) |
Rating Out Of Books The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia Of The Undead
Ratings: 3.91 From 3255 Users | 68 ReviewsWeigh Up Out Of Books The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia Of The Undead
Extremely thorough and expansive in terms of looking at the vampire as a literary, cinematic, mythological and cultural phenomenon--you'll find entries on everything from fan clubs to breakfast cereals, as well as how various cultures (Germany, India, China, etc.) interpret the vampire. One drawback: since the book was published in 1998, it misses out on internet culture; a revised/updated edition would be a fun read.Notice there is no twilight bs in this. :-)
Awesome!I got this book back in the early 90's so by today's standard it may be considered a bit out-dated. This does not make this book worth any less though! It's a very exhaustive encyclopaedia in terms of history (European, Asian, etc), myth & legend, movies, boooks, and so forth. It would be really, really nice to see a revised up-to-date edition, that also takes other media into consideration, such as music, games and the internet, in addition to what has been released since its
A great Encyclopedia of Vampires ^_^ - Found in Beijing at Bookworm library (http://www.beijingbookworm.com/) and read drinkin' a lot of american (bad)coffee ^_^
1. Melton, J. Gordon. The vampire book: the encyclopedia of the undead. Completely revamped, fully rev. and expanded ed., 2nd ed. Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1999. Print.2. ISBN 157859071X 13.983. The Vampire Book - Book Verdict April 1, 2011http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?ur...4. WH1a5. This is a comprehensive encyclopedia of vampire lore. It has more than 800 entries in alphabetical order ranging from directors and actors in vampire film to the historical origins of the vampire myth. The
Deffs a good book to own if you like vampires. It has fun facts, insightful descriptions, and much much more about all of your favorite vampire stories. To be honest, I have not read thee entire book. lol. Who would have the time? This thing is gargantuan!!
Thanks to my best friend ShaKishaBoo for this book! She saw it and knowing how much I love vampires, thought of me!
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