Almost no country is free from the folklore of blood sucking creatures. Gypsy groups coming from India tell of Bhuta, Brahmaparusha, and Rakshara roaming the night killing and sucking the blood of humans. Indian folklore also believed Vampires could change into not only bats but chickens, horses, dogs, cats, snakes, fleas and even fruits such as pumpkins, watermelons and household tools. When all is said and done the Vampire bat is really very nondescript. He is tiny and at full growth is only as big as an adults thumb. He mainly feeds off livestock and birds by using his sharp teeth to leave a gash and then lapping the blood and feeding on the red cells. This little bat has special anatomy adapted to its liquid diet allowing it to separate the red cells which it needs to survive.

The unique properties of the vampire bats’ saliva has been used in the study of Stroke patients. This study which appeared in the January 10, 2003 issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, tested a genetically engineered drug called desmoteplase, which uses the anticoagulant properties of the saliva of Desmodus rotundus, and was shown to increase blood flow in stroke patients. Maree Tozer Borg is the Proud Owner of The Vampire Shack, where you can find interesting articles on Movies and DVDs and general information on your favorite Vampire stars… She also has Vampire and Gothic related Jewellery, Books, DVDs, Fashion and just about everything else related.

The genres of folklore being historic categories with a social function and content and having their own means of artistic realization, continuously change their aspect in time and space according to the evolution of the people’s conception of life. Those, which do not correspond disappear within a day, the others undergo transformations according to the new social consciousness. Their function, their content and even their manner of performance change. Relieved, of their magical significance as well as their old train of superstitions, a series of ritual creations have been transformed or are in course of transformation into festive, ceremonial or independent artistic creations, in which the spectacular prevails. Called to answer new purposes, they are meant to enrich and beautify life. These facts, essential for the knowledge of the process of development of folklore, deal a powerful blow to the “traditional” conceptions according to which the genres of traditional folklore and especially of ritual folklore are considered to be petrified in immutable forms, their variants being nothing but the result of all kinds of combination’s of certain fixed of formulas.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to follow the eternal life of a child vampire? Does he hide it from his parents? Does he hide it from his friends? How does he attend school? And more importantly – does he drink blood from people’s necks to survive? A child vampire is destined to be a child forever and ever. But what if he wanted to live out at least one lifetime as a normal boy before disappearing into obscurity? And what if he didn’t want to hurt people and subject them to the same fate as he himself is suffering? Luckily, there are children’s books that deal with this very subject. A favorite among children, vampires always rank high. But a child vampire ranks off the charts. Children imagine what it would be like to stay up all night long and get to be a kid forever. While it all sounds great, delving into the story children see the downside and learn what it is like for one particular child who is living that life.

Is it really so great to live forever if you must take the life of other’s to do so? And what about all your friends who eventually grow up and leave you behind? These type of stories allow children to delve deep into their minds and explore the good and bad to any situation and to realize that not everyone is the same. They learn that some people may have secrets or crosses to bear in life and that being considerate of other people’s trials and tribulations is important. Books that explore the life of children vampires and other mythical creatures, are more sophisticated than the typical children’s book, yet still suitable and relatable to the child. Parents love the life lessons taught by a child vampire who at first seems like he is living the ultimate fantasy.

Tricksters are usually small in size next to the large, strong animals that appear in the same folktales. Tricksters survive by their wits, but they do more than just survive. They constantly play tricks on the animals around them, outwitting and mistreating their powerful neighbours even when these larger animals haven’t done anything to deserve it. Occasionally he overreaches himself and finds that he’s been too clever for his own good. It’s the Trickster who points out the flaws in our carefully managed societies. He rebels against authority, pokes fun at the overly serious, creates complex schemes and generally plays with the Laws of the Universe. He constantly questions the rules, and causes us to question these same rules. The Trickster appears when a way of thinking becomes outmoded, when old ways need to be changed.

The Trickster is a creator, a joker, a truth teller, a story teller, a transformer. We are most accessible to the gifts of the Trickster when we ourselves are at, or near, boundaries – when we are experiencing transition states. As an archetype, the Trickster, the boundary dweller, finds expression through human imagination and experience. Trickster tales are great favourites in many cultures. They represent the underdog who uses skill and cunning to outwit a superior. West African trickster animals have a significant presence in the New World, when they travelled as part of the folklore of enslaved Africans. The rabbit is best known as Br’er Rabbit in the folktales documented by Joel Chandler Harris in the USA. We also find him in his modern avatar, Bugs Bunny !

The spider is best known as Anansi, and you find him throughout the former English and French colonies of the West Indies. The role of the slave trickster tales was an important one giving a sense of pride and hope for the future. They showed that the weak could conquer the strong. The tales were devices that taught helplessness can triumph over virtue and mischievousness is better than malice. For the slaves, trickster folklore was also a weapon by which they were able to take subtle revenge on their masters.