D&D Monsters in Fantasy Literature: What's Where?

[Allanon]

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[Li Shenron]

Vampires have a long story in european folklore, and their myth probably have benefit from numerous sources.

However, a couple of months ago I was watching an old horror movie and I suddenly wondered if the legend of vampirism might have developed from the real disease of rabid (spelling?).

At least some (but definitely not nearly close to being all) of the D&D vampire's traits may have something to do with symptoms of a rabid person, can some physician around comment about them? I am trying to make the following up, because I have no real knowledge on the disease:

- rabid disease is transmitted via bite = someone drained by a vampire becomes a vampire himself

- rabid disease is (among others) transmitted by dogs/wolves, bats, rats = affinity/shape to this kind of creatures

- one symptom is intolerance to strong light and strong odors = weaknesses against sunlight and garlic

- one symptom maybe hydrophobia? = that would explain the running water legend

- general behaviour of a rabid could be quite uncontrolled (rage?) = perhaps could explain exceptional strength and endurance

Add in some religious elements (impossibility to cure a disease may lead public opinion to add some supernatural to it) like "the cross is the only defense", or that the vampire is actually evil/possessed/dead, and popular phobia of plague spreading can do a lot to improve the legend.

These are just some thoughts I had a couple of months ago, completely unsupported by any source or medical knowledge, so don't take them seriously

 

[Allanon]

Vampires have a long story in european folklore, and their myth probably have benefit from numerous sources.

However, a couple of months ago I was watching an old horror movie and I suddenly wondered if the legend of vampirism might have developed from the real disease of rabid (spelling?).

Well you're actually not the first to see this link, Dr Juan Gomez-Alonso also had this hypothesis and published about it in 1998.
Here's some weblinks about it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/178623.stm
http://home.earthlink.net/~electrikmonk/Neuro/artVampire.htm
http://www.personalmd.com/news/a1998092105.shtml

 

[Wippit Guud]

Here's a few more...

Leucrocotta - Indian myth, described in the 4th century as "a wild beast of great swiftness, the size of the wild ass, with the legs of a stag, the neck, tail, and breast of a lion, the head of a badger, a cloven hoof, the mouth slit up as far as the ears, and one continuous bone instead of teeth; it is said, too, that this animal can imitate the human voice."

Bahamut - Not even a dragon, but a giant fish that holds up the world. "God made the earth, but the earth had no base and so under the earth he made an angel. But the angel had no base and so under the angel's feet he made a crag of ruby. But the crag had no base and so under the crag he made a bull endowed with four thousand eyes, ears, nostrils, mouths, tongues, and feet. But the bull had no base and so under the bull he made a fish named Bahamut, and under the fish he put water, and under the water he put darkness, and beyond this men's knowledge does not reach."

Tritons - Greek myth of "Ichthyocentaur" (centaur fish), human down to their waist, and then a fish's body.

Lemure - Roman myth. The souls of evil men who roamed the earth.

Peryton - Roman myth, half-deer, half-bird, but they cast the shadow of a man. They lived in Atlantis, and it was prophisized they would destroy Rome

Salamander - Greek. Not the big snake guy, but the Salamader was the spirit of elemental fire to alchemists.

Zaratan - First voyage of Sinbad, and in a lot of other stories (ilands that sink in the the ocean because they're big animals are popular), although most call it a whale and not a turtle.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I understand that most vampire legends are much closer to D&D ghouls and wights than to modern vampires. Not sure about that, correst me if I'm wrong. One thing I want to know is, where the heck did D&D vampires energy drain come from? I just cannot remember anything like it in anything about vampires I've ever read. It's always annoyed me, does anyone know its source?

 

[Wippit Guud]

I understand that most vampire legends are much closer to D&D ghouls and wights than to modern vampires. Not sure about that, correst me if I'm wrong. One thing I want to know is, where the heck did D&D vampires energy drain come from? I just cannot remember anything like it in anything about vampires I've ever read. It's always annoyed me, does anyone know its source?

As far as I can remember, previous versions of vampires didn't bite? (correct me if I'm wrong, people). So they needed a different way to have some sort of drain effect - voila, level drain.

 

[Li Shenron]

Well you're actually not the first to see this link, Dr Juan Gomez-Alonso also had this hypothesis and published about it in 1998.
Here's some weblinks about it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/178623.stm
http://home.earthlink.net/~electrikmonk/Neuro/artVampire.htm
http://www.personalmd.com/news/a1998092105.shtml

Astounding! Then my thought could be very well right after all! This articles also explain other particulars such as sexual aggressivity and fear of mirrors...

I knew nothing about this doctor's study, this idea just came into my mind when one evening I saw the very old horror movie called Cujo, about a rabid dog who hunts a mother and a child, and kills a lot of persons in the process. At the beginning, the dog becomes rabid from being biten by bats: I didn't know before that bats also transmitted the disease, and suddenly it all came to my mind bats->vampires (obviously because D&D is always running in some recess of my mind at all times ).

 

[Li Shenron]

As far as I can remember, previous versions of vampires didn't bite? (correct me if I'm wrong, people). So they needed a different way to have some sort of drain effect - voila, level drain.

Not sure about level drain... since "levels" are really not much of a real thing, I tend to believe it's simply a thing of D&D's vampires. Also it's one of the most scary ability for a RPG monster, since it may bring your PC back to many months of playing... perfect weapon for the coolest creatures!

 

[johnsemlak]

This comes from this internet site . My Google-Fu is strong

That's a great site. We must link that on in the D&D links section.

 

[Psion]

At least some (but definitely not nearly close to being all) of the D&D vampire's traits may have something to do with symptoms of a rabid person, can some physician around comment about them? I am trying to make the following up, because I have no real knowledge on the disease:
(...)
- rabid disease is (among others) transmitted by dogs/wolves, bats, rats = affinity/shape to this kind of creatures

Actually, that supposed ability is not part of early folklore. It stemmed from a beleif that those in league with the devil could change their shape; later the myths became conflated.