Pre Dracula

Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 357 - Pre Dracula

I promise you that after this and the following episode, I will begin a series of episodes about the big one - at least the big one in the field of vampirism - Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  You see, before there was the blood-drinking figure in a black cape, there were reanimated corpses (also known as the “undead”) who caused harm to the living. In Slavic and Germanic traditions, these beings were often blamed for disease, crop failure, or nocturnal attacks. For example, 14th-century chronicles from Bohemia describe an undead shepherd named Myslata who rose from the grave to kill villagers until his body was exhumed and burned. Similarly, various communities buried corpses with hawthorn stakes or steel needles to prevent them from returning.  In a very real sense, belief in vampires - also called revenants - is strangely intertwined with Christianity.

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Transcript

Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 357 - Pre Dracula

I promise you that after this and the following episode, I will begin a series of episodes about the big one - at least the big one in the field of vampirism - Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  You see, before there was the blood-drinking figure in a black cape, there were reanimated corpses (also known as the “undead”) who caused harm to the living. In Slavic and Germanic traditions, these beings were often blamed for disease, crop failure, or nocturnal attacks. For example, 14th-century chronicles from Bohemia describe an undead shepherd named Myslata who rose from the grave to kill villagers until his body was exhumed and burned. Similarly, various communities buried corpses with hawthorn stakes or steel needles to prevent them from returning.  In a very real sense, belief in vampires - also called revenants - is strangely intertwined with Christianity.

Now with the spread of Christianity, those perceived undead figures were reinterpreted as minions of Satan. The Church framed vampirism as a perversion of resurrection, contrasting Christ’s rise with the undead’s corruption. Crosses and holy water became deterrents, and rituals such as repeating funeral services or exorcisms were employed to "purify" suspected vampires. Notably, the 12th-century chronicler William of Newburgh documented English cases of undead figures, though these did not drink blood.

But by\ the 16th–17th centuries, vampire panics in Eastern Europe (for example, Bulgaria’s "plague vampires" with metal rods piercing their graves) merged folk practices with Christian rites. This period bridged medieval revenants and Stoker’s Dracula - this is where your garlic aversion and staking come in.  Later, Edgar Allan Poe wrote of what many critics consider a metaphorical vampirism—artistic obsession draining life.

Medieval vampires were - now stay with me on this one -

Localized threats, tied to specific communities rather than aristocratic figures like Dracula.
2    Diverse in form, from animated corpses in Norse lore to witches in Roman myths.
3.    Ritually neutralized through physical desecration (e.g., dismemberment) rather than symbolic acts such mirror avoidance.

Poe was to later use a more symbolic form of vampirism in some of his stories - a force that draws more from psychological and metaphysical fears than the folkloric undead.

Now it might be surprising to learn that Medieval Europe—disparaged as the Dark Ages—did not know the concept of the blood-drinking creatures of the night. The legendary vampire emerged more recently, in fact. The vampire postdates witch-hunts, and werewolf trials.

The concept of the vampire as an undead creature inflicting harm originated in Eastern Europe, specifically in Bulgaria, a thousand years ago. Make no mistake, this was a legend isolated among the Slavic people. It was not widespread or well-known. As a word, vampire translates roughly as “ghost monster,” and that label helps explain these early beliefs. 

Slavic vampires were non-corporeal (lacking a physical body), having more in common with a poltergeist. The vampire wrought havoc, often as a spreader of disease in a village, but the vampire did not create other vampires with its bite, and it didn’t consume blood. This early vampire was no suave creature in evening dress. It was a ghost-like being that might best be described as filthy, destructive rats.

The vampire entered western history, leaving its seclusion fairly late. War is to blame for spreading the belief. In 1686 (six years prior to the Salem Witch Trials), the German-speaking peoples of the Holy Roman Empire gained control of Hungary, and thereby took control of a Slavic population. Imperial troops learned the vampire legend from Slavic peasants during the occupation. Soldiers carried the idea to cosmopolitan centers such as Vienna and Berlin. From there, the vampire moved to Paris. From Paris to London. From London to the Americas. The word vampire first appeared in English in 1732 (the same year George Washington was born). 
Traveling East to West, the vampire legend took on new features. Rather than a ghost, for example, the vampire became a risen corpse, full-bodied. Most notably, the vampire assumed the need to consume blood. This addition to the legend was an 18th century Western idea. Believe it or not, blood drinking added a scientific element to the vampire belief. 

To the people of the time, blood consumption made the vampire more believable and more scientific than supernatural. Westerners were moving past the age of superstition (witchcraft was decriminalized in Britain and its colonies in 1735), so intellectuals of the time, when confronted with vampiric testimonies, conceived vampirism as a disease rather than supernatural occurrence. It’s fascinating that intellectuals didn’t dismiss the legend entirely. Rather, intellectuals sought to explain the phenomenon in terms of science.

In the 1700s, human blood was believed to possess medicinal qualities, and it was widely consumed as medicine throughout Europe and the Americas by people at all levels of society. Today, historians call this medicinal cannibalism. Blood was cheap in cost due to the common use of bloodletting as a physician’s tool. Blood was believed to be the vessel of the human soul, and by imbibing blood one imbibed life. What better medicine than a liquid with the residue of the human soul inside? Human blood was prescribed for everything from epilepsy to failing eyesight in the 1700s. 

The vampire - or dead creature - was viewed as medically savvy - I know this can be hard to take - and therefore, was medically savvy, and that dead creature, it came to be believed, consumed blood to restore life. That detail alone moves us away from “ghost monsters” and closer to Dracula (first published in 1897).

Remember that Medieval Europeans interpreted vampire sightings through a blend of pre-Christian folklore and Christian theology, framing them as reanimated corpses driven by evil forces. 

With Christianity’s spread, undead creatures were recast as servants of Satan. The Church used vampiric lore allegorically: just as vampires "consumed" sinners’ blood, Christians could absorb divine spirit through Communion. Protective rituals emerged, such as burying corpses face-down or placing stones in their mouths to prevent resurrection.  Later in the month, I intend to really delve into this comparison - some REALLY complex ideas.

Vampire panics often coincided with epidemics. Medieval communities linked unexplained deaths to revenants, interpreting decomposition signs (swelling, blood seepage) as proof of vampirism. For instance, William of Newburgh tied appearance of the undead to plague outbreaks.

And not surprisingly, it seemed creatures of the undead had different characteristics in differing areas.  For example, in England, creatures of the undead were criminals or suicide victims.  In Slavic regions, Suspected vampires were relatives who returned to harm kin, countered by hawthorn stakes or ritualistic grave encircling.  According to Romani beliefs, vampires could even marry or father children - blending folklore with social taboos.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Medieval vampires and the vampires of Varney the Vampire or Dracula was that medieval interpretations lacked the blood-drinking aristocracy of later fiction. Instead, they emphasized localized threats neutralized through physical desecration—laying the groundwork for 18th-century vampire hysteria.

And Edgar Poe’s symbolic vampires (such as in The Oval Portrait or The Fall of the House of Usher) later diverged from these folkloric roots, focusing on psychological rather than corporeal predation.

Now when you mention the word vampire, the story that first comes to most people’s minds is Bram Stoker’s Dracula - now remember this was 1897 - almost 50 years after Poe’s earthly demise.

And that novel came to hold enduring significance in literature and popular culture for many reasons -

Cultural Influence
Dracula redefined vampire mythology, establishing such tropes as aversion to garlic, crucifixes, and sunlight, as well as the ability to transform into a bat. Count Dracula became the archetypal vampire, inspiring over 700 adaptations across media and earning the title of the most portrayed literary character - not the most portrayed vampire - but the most portrayed literary character - by the Guinness Book of World Records. The novel’s public domain status in the U.S. further fueled its widespread adaptation.

Literary and Thematic Depth
The novel explores Victorian anxieties about modernity, sexuality, and colonialism. It juxtaposes technology (e.g., phonographs, blood transfusions) against Gothic superstition, reflecting the era’s tension between progress and tradition. Dracula himself symbolizes feudal oppression, while the protagonists represent Enlightenment values. Themes of female sexuality are also central, with vampirism portraying repressed desires and their societal consequences.

Narrative Innovation
Stoker’s use of epistolary format—letters, diaries, and news clippings—creates a multi-perspective realism that immerses readers. This technique heightens suspense and lends credibility to the supernatural plot.  Telling a story through the use of letters, diaries, and news clippings gives the author more freedom in telling the story from various perspectives and from different viewpoints.

Enduring Relevance
The novel’s adaptability ensures its continued resonance. Modern reinterpretations, like the 2022 "Dracula Daily" Substack project, demonstrate its appeal to new audiences. Scholars also analyze its commentary on race, religion, and identity, cementing its place in academic discourse.

Dracula transcends its Gothic origins to influence storytelling, cultural symbols, and societal debates, securing its legacy as a cornerstone of horror and literary fiction.

But Dracula was not just a story that came out of nowhere.  The book is widely considered a milestone in vampire fiction.

Bram Stoker attended Trinity College Dublin where his background significantly shaped Dracula, blending his Irish roots, literary career, and meticulous research into Gothic folklore. Here’s how:

As manager of London’s Lyceum Theatre and secretary to actor Henry Irving, Stoker absorbed dramatic storytelling techniques. The novel’s epistolary format reflects his exposure to Victorian theater’s immersive narratives. His journalistic work for The Daily Telegraph honed his ability to weave realism into fiction.

Stoker’s childhood in Ireland introduced him to superstitions about the undead. These legends influenced Dracula’s traits, such as his need for native soil and vulnerability to stakes. Elizabeth Miller, a Dracula scholar, notes Stoker’s early exposure to Irish oral history shaped his horror sensibilities.

A visit to Whitby in 1890 inspired key settings, including the abbey ruins and 199 steps where Dracula appears as a black dog. Stoker researched Central European folklore at Whitby’s library, though claims he drew directly from Vlad the Impaler are debated; he likely chose the name "Dracula" for its devilish connotations in Romanian.

Stoker was able to channel Victorian fears of modernity, sexuality, and foreign influence into Dracula’s character. The Count’s inversion of Christian symbols and threat to English purity mirror contemporary anxieties about immigration and moral decay.

Dracula emerged from Stoker’s interdisciplinary life—Irish lore, theatrical flair, and scholarly rigor—creating a timeless monster rooted in cultural crossroads.

One area that I thought was especially interesting was how Bram Stoker's work at the Lyceum Theatre as Henry Irving’s manager in London influenced his writing style

For example, Stoker’s previously mentioned epistolary style—using journals, letters, and news clippings—mirrored the Lyceum’s multi-perspective productions, creating suspense through fragmented storytelling. This approach, akin to modern "found footage" horror, heightened realism while allowing dramatic reveals. 

His experience drafting 50 daily letters for Irving honed his ability to craft distinct voices, evident in Dracula’s layered accounts. The novel’s climactic scenes, such as Dracula’s coffin reveal or Lucy’s graveyard transformation, reflect Stoker’s exposure to stagecraft.

Macbeth’s influence is palpable in Dracula’s Shakespearean grandeur and Lady Macbeth-like manipulation (e.g., Lucy’s seduction). The Lyceum’s use of mist, hydraulics, and lighting inspired Gothic atmospherics, such as the Carpathian storms or Whitby’s abbey ruins.

Henry Irving’s domineering persona and hypnotic performances directly shaped Count Dracula. Stoker described Irving’s recitations as "spellbinding," echoing Dracula’s mesmerizing control. 

Managing productions taught Stoker rhythmic tension, evident in Dracula’s third-act urgency (e.g., the chase to Transylvania). Critic Ellen Terry noted Stoker’s backstage role in orchestrating such crescendos.

In essence, the Lyceum was Stoker’s laboratory, where he fused Gothic themes with theatrical innovation to redefine horror. And Stoker's 27-year tenure as manager of London's Lyceum Theatre under Henry Irving fundamentally shaped the themes and narrative techniques in Dracula and his other works:

The Lyceum’s lavish productions, featuring elaborate sets and dramatic lighting - most likely influenced Dracula’s visual and atmospheric intensity. Scenes such as Dracula’s castle entrance or Lucy’s transformation mirror Victorian stagecraft, with their emphasis on suspenseful reveals and elaborate effects. Stoker’s exposure to Shakespearean tragedies (e.g., Irving’s famed Macbeth) informed the novel’s themes of power and corruption, with Dracula embodying a villainous protagonist akin to stage tyrants - such as Shakespeare’s Iago or Richard III.

The Lyceum’s repertoire often explored contemporary tensions—science vs. superstition, gender roles, colonialism—which Stoker transposed into Dracula. The novel’s clash between modern technology (typewriters, blood transfusions) and ancient evil reflects debates staged at the theatre, while Dracula’s invasion of England allegorizes fears of foreign influence.
Stoker’s use of diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings mirrors theatrical scripts’ multi-perspective structure. This technique, honed through drafting Irving’s correspondence, creates a "backstage" intimacy with characters while maintaining dramatic pacing—a method critics liken to modern found-footage horror.

It is said that Irving’s commanding stage presence and egotism - yes, he was really stuck on himself - inspired Dracula’s charisma and menace. Stoker’s memoirs reveal he idolized yet feared Irving, paralleling the Count’s duality as both aristocrat and predator.

By merging Lyceum’s theatrical innovations with Gothic tradition, Stoker crafted a narrative that was as performative as it was literary, ensuring Dracula’s enduring resonance in both genres.

Finally - before looking closer at Dracula in future episodes - I would to examine the theme of blood in Dracula. In the novel, blood serves as a central metaphor for religious subversion, particularly in its distortion of Christian sacraments and its embodiment of Victorian anxieties about faith, corruption, and salvation.   Many critics believe Stoker used blood to amplify the novel’s religious undertones in several ways - 

1. Perversion of Christian Sacraments
Communion Inverted: Dracula’s blood-drinking parodies the Eucharist, where wine symbolizes Christ’s blood. While Communion offers spiritual salvation, Dracula’s consumption of blood grants physical immortality—a "dark mutation" of Christian redemption. His followers, like Renfield, replicate this inversion by drinking blood to gain power rather than submitting to divine grace.

Baptism as Corruption: Mina’s forced ingestion of Dracula’s blood is framed as a "terrible baptism," twisting the Christian rite of rebirth into a pact with evil. Van Helsing - hopefully all these characters will become familiar through future episodes - the character of Van Helsing explicitly links this act to Dracula’s role as the Antichrist, whose "blood baptism" binds Mina to him as a disciple of darkness.

2. Dracula as the Antichrist
Biblical Language: Dracula’s declaration that the character of Mina is now "flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood" echoes Genesis 2:23, positioning him as a diabolical counterpart to God. His blood-sharing rituals mimic Christ’s sacrifice but for selfish dominion, reinforcing his role as a "dark form of Christianity".

Sacred Objects Defiled: The Crew of Light uses Communion wafers (symbolizing Christ’s body) to repel vampires, weaponizing Christian symbols against Dracula’s perversions. This juxtaposition highlights the battle between divine and demonic forces.

3. Blood as Moral and Spiritual Pollution
Female Sexuality and Sin: Lucy’s vampiric transformation ties her sexual awakening to blood-drinking, framing female desire as both alluring and damnable.

4. Theological Duality: Blood as Life and Death
"Blood is Life": Dracula’s mantra subverts the Christian belief in Christ’s blood as life-giving. For vampires, blood sustains cursed immortality, while for Christians, it promises resurrection.

Redemptive Bloodshed: The final destruction of Dracula mirrors Christ’s sacrificial victory over sin. Yet their violence—staking, beheading—highlights the novel’s tension between holy justice and primal brutality.

By corrupting sacred rituals, blood becomes the medium through which Stoker explores the fragility of faith, the dangers of desire, and the porous boundary between divine and demonic.

Join Celebrate Poe for episode 358 - Feeling Her Hot Breath 

Sources include: Vampires: A Handbook of History & Lore of the Undead by Agnes Hollyhock, Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend by Mark Collins Jenkins, and In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires by Radu Florescu and Raymond T. McNally. 

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