Vampire Questions Answered

I really enjoyed this. For those of you who don’t know what’s going on. “The Light-Bearer Series” post yesterday was postponed.
To make it up to my beloved readers, I asked for vampire questions.
I’ll answer them now.

The easiest first…(not in order asked)

Karen asked: Are there cross-breeds of any kind – or is it a simple ‘either – or’ situation?

Karen, There are some vampires at are much cooler or just downright weird compared to others. The Aswang she and other’s of this “Type” take off their skin or lower body, and fly around (just a head, arms, breasts and wings… but they have entrails hanging from them).
As to cross breeds, there are vampire-human hybrids. Throughout history, some male vampires can father children with human females.
I’ve never been able to find cross breeds between the vampires.

The Story Reading Ape asked: OK Mari, here’s one that has always puzzled me. Q. If, as legends have it, Vampires do not have reflections, how do they shave themselves? 🙂

Ape, your question made me smile. I think the best answer would be a few.
Some vampires don’t physically change after the “Turn” if you had to shave before, you’d have to afterwards. . . unless you were “Changed” right after shaving, then you’d never have to shave again. Other vampires continue to physically change, and they’d have to continue shaving.
Now for the reflection, Vampires have reflections. The no reflection came from the idea that a photo takes all or part of your soul. A dead or undead creature wouldn’t have a soul and as such shouldn’t have a reflection. Vampires just like a tree or a building are made of a solid mass and so they do have reflections.
Happy Shaving!

Karen Soutar asked: Not so much a factual question, more just me being nosey… What are your favourite vampire attributes? For example: do you like ‘em traditional, scared of crosses, no reflection, etc? What do you think of sexy, modern, (sparkly??) ones? 🙂

Karen S, Your question is the hardest.
The female in me loves the sexy modern vampires. 😀 No sparklies please. (Although that was a good idea to explain why they can’t go out in sunlight, but it twists my stomach because some can be in sunlight.)
The more I study vampires of the past, the surer I become of past vampires having OCD.
I can’t choose!
I love the traditional ones, who are afraid of crosses, (although they wouldn’t be anymore, the power behind the cross is the belief the person using it has in it. I personally don’t think there is that much faith anymore.)
I love the modern aristocrats: handsome, money, knows how to treat a woman. What’s not to love?
Oh, this is so hard. . . it’s like asking me to chose which of my children is my favorite.

As I said I really enjoyed this. I have a few ideas for continuing this Q & A in the future.

Extra huge Thanks and Hugs to Karen S, Karen, and The Ape for asking your questions.

The Jumbies

Today’s vampire comes from the Caribbean islands.

I think this is one of the scariest I’ve ever written about!

The word Jumbies is used collectively to refer to all vampiric creatures that roam the night. Jumbies look like a corpse candle as they fly through the night looking for a solitary traveler or children to drain of their blood.

They can also “ride” a person, draining the victim of life, by feeding from their life energy or sexual energy.

Jumbies are seen often in large cities as well as small villages. When in populated areas they often hide where the streetlights can’t reach. Some linger outside of windows searching for prey. You must never throw water out of a window. A wet Jumbies is a very dangerous and vengeful creature. Jumbies can be good or evil.

Since Jumbies are a corpse candle they can fly, but there is a limitation to their flight. They must stay above continuous ground; it can’t fly over water or a hole or off a cliff.

They can steal the voice of a child so they can speak. They also wear a fake human skin during the day hours, so it can pass as a human. At night, the skin is removed freeing the corpse candle to go hunting.

If you can find the skin. . . rubbing it with salt will cause it to shrivel up. When the Jumbie returns just before dawn and tries to put its skin back on, it’ll find that it won’t fit and the creature will die when exposed to the light of day.

I still have more Corpse Candle vampires for you. Come back next Wednesday for another installment of VAMPIRE WEDNESDAY.