Vampires: Fact and Fiction. Energy self-defense

The very first vampire in history was a woman named Lilith - at least that's what the ancient legend says, and this is confirmed by the Hebrew texts, which claim that it was Lilith who was the first wife of Adam before Eve. It was Lilith who, turning into a snake, persuaded Eve to taste the forbidden fruit. "Layil", translated from Hebrew as "night", which is probably why Lilith began to be called the spirit of the night or the Vampire.

She can be an angel who knows the secrets of birth, the lord of demons who attack sleeping or lonely travelers. This tall, silent woman with black flowing hair, she was an evil spirit and the queen of succubus. Her name comes from three names of Sumerian demons: Lilitu, Lilu and Ardat Lili.

She can harass and corrupt babies, and often substitutes or kidnaps newborns by drinking their blood and sucking the marrow from their bones. According to the Talmud, she refused the help of angels and swore to do the worst of all evils, for which she was punished by the daily death of one hundred of her demon children.

Five theories

In general, there are five theories that tell about the very first vampire, they name different times and different historical figures: Lilith, Cain the disciple of Lilith, the priest Valek, Queen Kemet, or eight French knights. Who actually was the first vampire in history, one can only guess. But the existence of vampirism has already been proven.

At least for the time being, the relative or progenitor of the symptoms of vampirism - the most mysterious disease in history - porphyria is almost in danger of extinction.

This rare form of genetic pathology, which affects one person in 200,000. In this disease, the body is unable to produce red blood cells and suffers from a lack of oxygen and iron in the blood. In the tissues of his body and blood, pigment metabolism is disrupted, and hemoglobin decays from exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet radiation).

Real events and fates of people

Part of the hemoglobin becomes a toxic substance that corrodes the subcutaneous tissue. Therefore, irreversible consequences occur with the skin, it acquires a brown tint, exudes and bursts under the influence of sunlight then covered with ulcers and scars. These inflammations deform the cartilage of the nose and ears and also the tendons, twisting the fingers. The skin that frames the lips and gums dry out and shrink, exposing the incisors to the gums, resulting in a grinning effect.

Porphyria also affects the teeth, which become red or red-brown. Patients have pale skin, are exhausted during the day, and feel energized at night. This disease was considered incurable until the end of the 20th century; it destroyed a person not only physically, but also had a detrimental effect on his psyche, manifesting various disorders from hysteria to delirium.

The stories about vampires are based on real events and the fate of people who suffered from porphyrin disease in severe forms, which occurs most often due to the incest of close relatives. In 25% of cases, the disease is inherited. Make a vampire a normal person possibly using chemotherapy and continuous blood transfusions.

So, the main vampire myth is, of course, the first vampire. Cain. But there are a lot of ambiguities here:
1) whether he actually existed (in my version he existed, but whether he survived to this day is another question)
2) Did he kill Abel? And if so, for what? (I will send everyone who wants to delve into this into religion. Personally, two weeks in libraries was enough for me)
3) If Cain is the first vampire (which is also not a fact. He could be just a namesake. Or even the name was distorted over time) is he himself the source of vampirism or just the vampire closest to him? (the question is by no means an idle one. Because if Cain is the source, then with his death all vampires should have either died or ceased to be vampires. So, if they are still who they are, then Cain exists somewhere)
4) There is a widespread version that Cain found Golconda (another myth: The traditional belief in it is strong, in particular, on the island of Santorini, where volcanic dust keeps the bodies untouched by smoldering, the Greeks had a saying "send a vampire to Santorini." They believe in Golconda (or the paradise of the vampire, where vampires do not experience bloodlust), a kind of vampire nirvana in life, when they cease to be tormented by thirst, pain, light and silver. With this, Cain was forgiven for his sin and now lives as a mortal, only forever.
5) And completely vice versa. That at one time Cain personally slaughtered and drank all the Antediluvians and then he himself was imprisoned. And now he is just waiting for someone to release him and he could finish what he started. Drink all the vampires, wipe their very kind from the face of the earth (and possibly people too) and start all over again / end this world.
6) That Cain created the Plague of Justian and, in general, was on the side of the people.

A lot is also said about Cain's abilities. That he left the Hunt and therefore weakened over time and is not much stronger than an ordinary person. Or (most) that its capabilities are almost absolute and only slightly inferior to the powers of the divine. In any case, it is clear that if Kain exists, even if he has almost or completely retired from the Hunt, his skills and strength, honed over millennia (if not tens), have been brought to a level that is even difficult to imagine.
Cain is a kind of Grail for vampires.

7) That the Emperor is Cain, who returned either to destroy the vampire family, or to test it, or just for fun. This opinion is supported by the vast, almost unique powers of the Emperor, as well as the ease with which he drinks other, even the most powerful vampires. The rate of growth of his power and the power of those he has turned is just as incredible, normally reserved for vampires,
very close to the Source. His ability to subjugate vampires, standing almost beyond the limits of the idea of \u200b\u200bthe abilities of a master,
would be easy to explain, because all living vampires are descendants of Cain.
The birth, youth and conversion of the Emperor are shrouded in many secrets and misunderstandings. He is quite different in appearance from his parents (they are typical representatives of the Alpine race: medium, even short, dark Brown hair; The emperor is distinguished by his tall stature, black eyes and hair, a pronounced representative of the savage race). Again the name, "Anika" and "Cain" have clear similarities.
However, all the arguments "FOR" are destroyed by at least one compelling argument "AGAINST". For at least six years, Anika lived under close human supervision. Two years in prison and four more years in a psychiatric hospital. Both there and there were observers from the Vatican (not because of him, just just in case, in order to comply with the Treaty and in case evil spirits get into such places, observers from at least one of the parties are always in large prisons and hospitals). The data is very solid and hardly subject to even the slightest doubt. At that time, Anika was human.

8) Long walk. It's common knowledge that ancient vampires "disappear" frequently. And if Cain, the first and second generations are rather mythical creatures, then the relatively numerous third generation is quite historical figures. And at a later time, vampires of incredible power regularly appeared. The fact that among the living vampires over three thousand years - one, two and ... all. In the past five thousand years, only three violent deaths of level one vampires have been documented. And all of them were, though not very many, but quite enough. Another fact: old, and as a result, very strong vampires disappear at some point. As a rule, this is explained by internal intrigues (and in recent centuries also by the activities of people), but ... Another version is that Cain (or another incredibly ancient vampire) is wandering somewhere and kills those who become too strong. Before their disappearance, these vampires often become antisocial, lethargic, and apathetic; they begin to abandon their duties and are absent from their lair or clan more and more often, and, at some point, leave not to return. No one knows for sure what happens on this Long Walk, maybe they burn in the sun (or end their lives in some other suicidal way) or someone actually kills them. There is also a version that they found their golconda and now live without killing and without contact with their fellows. Or the fact that they go into hibernation - the natural state of death for an immortal being.

Vampire in Slavic mythology - a dead man emerging from a coffin, drinking human blood. The Poles consider a bat with long fangs a vampire. As a rule, in most nations the most effective method the fight against vampires is holy water, silver, garlic and bell ringing. As far as clinical and psychoanalytic practice is concerned, vampirism refers to the patient's feeling that all his psychic powers are being taken away by someone else. A bloodsucker, a cruel person who exploits people who are subject to him, emotionally dependent on him.

Legend of Count Dracula.

Everyone knows that the name Dracul, which means "Dragon", belongs to Vlad the Impaler, which he inherited from his father, a member of the Romanian order "Dragon". Over time, the letter "A" was added to the name, which meant "Son of someone", that is, Dracula is the son of the Dragon.

There is another interpretation of the name Dracul, given by the church because of the cruel deeds that Tepes committed: the heads of traitors and soldiers, enemy armies were planted on huge stakes, rows of pierced bodies stretched for kilometers from the battlefields to his city. Enemies took Tepes simply for insane. Horrified by his cruelty, the attacking armies, which, by the way, outnumbered Vlad's troops, retreated. The clergy saw something satanic in him, so the name Dracula for them became synonymous with "Devil".

The pale, emaciated appearance of bloodsuckers described in books, which we often see in films, is nothing more than a belief of the time. After death, the body loses weight, becomes pale and bled. Therefore, it is believed that in order to feed and replenish the supply of blood, vampires must drink it. However, in those days it was common to take out the heart of the vanquished and drink the goblet of his blood, thereby showing his superiority, courage and strength.

In addition, there is an opinion that, having lost his beloved and trying to return her, Vlad Tepes entered into an agreement with Satan himself. Therefore, until now, in many tales and legends of the peoples of vampires, they are considered natives of Hell, the servants of the Devil himself.

Who is the first vampire? Legend of Judas Iscariot.

If we turn to the legends of the Jews, we can find interesting facts about the beginning of vampirism in them: cursing Judas, God said that Judas himself and his descendants would wander the earth until the end of time as night creatures. They believed that during his lifetime, Judas had red hair, and red-haired vampires were directly his descendants.

The same legend speaks of 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas for his betrayal. After an attempt to return this money was unsuccessful, Judas threw away the pieces of silver and decided to end his life by hanging. This explains the vampires' dislike for silver.

However, another legend says that Lucifer (the Devil) did not let Judas die by hanging and created a race of nocturnal half-humans-half-demons with red eyes, fangs and a deadly intolerance to sunlight.

How do you know if you are a vampire or not!?

You understand that next to you people look more tired and gloomy;
Interest in you eventually gives way to apathy;
There is an insatiable desire for blood, you feel excited just from the sight or smell of it;
Perhaps in your life there has already been an experience, or at least an irresistible desire to drink blood;
You are alone even in the crowd;
You cannot easily look at the sunlight, you are not left with a feeling of blindness and pain in the eyes;
Do you prefer a nocturnal lifestyle to a daytime one?
Since your youth, you feel a craving for everything supernatural, especially for vampirism;
As for diseases, this is rare for you, your health quickly returns to normal;
The common cold is bypassed when more complex and rare diseases occur more often;
Intimate intimacy gives you a unique boost of energy, a feeling of satiety and recovery;
Most likely you know who you were in a past life, believe in life after death;
You often get the impression that you are from another time, and maybe from another planet;
First of all, trust your intuition, because it is well developed in you;
Very subtle and sensual, impressionable, a man of mystery;
It happens that you anticipate events;
You are a little aristocratic, if I may say so, because you have a developed sense of style and taste, you prefer expensive fabrics and complex fragrances;
Your style is the personification of darkness, drama, gothic;
Electrical appliances go crazy near you (the kettle turns on by itself, the clock hand stops running, etc.);

Many of you will now decide that this is all about you, however, this is not at all necessary! The presence or absence of these signs actually does not mean anything if you do not know exactly the purpose of your attraction, if you do not feel an irresistible desire that you cannot control. It is this power of desire that speaks of vampirism.

Myths and reality.

Myth: vampires are attractive, alluring, strong personalities with hypnotic powers.

Reality: they are no different from other people, although they seem more charismatic and active.

Myth: vampires don't have to work.

Reality: vampires take on any job, thus providing themselves with both finances and human joys.

Myth: vampires can live forever, because they have already visited the afterlife and returned back.

Reality: vampires live like ordinary people, and can hardly boast even clinical death. Therefore, it can be said that they are mortal when their soul is not.

Myth: for vampires, contacts with garlic, roses, silver, etc. are fatal.

Reality: The vampire's diet is quite varied, he is not afraid of dishes with the use of garlic, and a rose can be dangerous only because it can prick your finger with its thorn.

Myth: the favorite and only drink of vampires is blood.

Reality: There are two types of vampires - bloodsuckers and psychological vampires. Some really need blood to saturate, while others just need to absorb human energy. Like humans, vampires can die of thirst.

Myth: Vampires are the personification and manifestation of evil.

Reality: it is very difficult to find a person in the world who can accurately define the terms "good" and "evil". It is also difficult to understand what a vampire is: good or evil; because there are many evil people in the world.

Myth: vampires are afraid of sunlight, so they practically do not appear on it.

Reality: due to exposure to the sun, any vampire can experience discomfort: headache, pain in the eyes, migraine, nothing more, nothing fatal.

Myth: There is only one way to kill a vampire - to drive an aspen stake into his chest, to take his head off his shoulders, or to take him out into the sunlight.

Reality: like any person, a vampire can die for any reason: be it the absence of a head, a stake stuck in the chest, or just hit by a car, AIDS, a gunshot wound. As for what a vampire turns into a pile of ashes in the sun, there is no limit to the imagination of screenwriters and authors of horror films.

Myth: instead of a bed, the vampire has a coffin, there is no reflection of them in the mirror, their favorite clothes are a long leather cloak, and they themselves are very pale and with fangs.

Reality: Vampires are no different from the rest, they can look and wear anything. No one is born with fangs, but no one forbids them to build up or put an implant, well, their pallor can be easily explained by a rare exposure to the sun.

Energy vampires.

Energy vampires exist, whether you can believe it or not. Far from one area of science has proven their existence, from psychology to physics. Psychologists understand energy vampirism as the result of internal dissatisfaction, an attempt to assert themselves against the background of the environment by humiliating and insulting the successes of other people.

Most often, this type of vampirism manifests itself in a work or home environment, when there is a forced clash of people of different social status and age, working on a common cause.

How to recognize a vampire among the close environment and protect yourself and your health from its negative impact?! First you need to figure out who we will consider an energy vampire ...

An energy vampire is a person who makes you feel tired, drowsy, lack of strength, longing after talking with him. Next to such a person there are often quarrels and scandals. In addition, it can be a person to whom we show a feeling of compassion, pity or irritation: a whiner, a harmful mother-in-law, a boor at work, an "eternally sick" relative. This person can be distinguished by a squeaky, loud voice, fussiness in movements, a cunning squint, pretense in actions and words. People say about such people "bad temper", but psychologists see hysterical traits in them.

The main personality traits of an energy vampire:

Rejoices in other people's experiences, illnesses, failures, tears;
Emotions of joy and happiness are alien, mostly negative mood;
Does not get along with relatives and neighbors, makes friends extremely rarely;
He tries to get as close as possible to the interlocutor, perhaps even touch;
Energy vampires are annoyed by the lack of attention to their person;
He likes to evoke feelings of guilt, anger, resentment in his opponent;
Does not miss the opportunity to offend a person, reproach and accuse, can give a negative assessment or comment without any particular reason;
All the time belittles the achievements and skills of his interlocutor;
Ignores the problems of others, calls at an inconvenient time for you, comes later than the appointed time;
The energy vampire speaks, regardless of whether the attention of listeners is riveted to him or not.

How to Spot an Emotional Vampire in 7 Steps:

Do you have an emotional vampire around you? A relative or friend, after communicating with whom you give up and leave your strength? Do you try to avoid unnecessary communication with him, not opening the door or ignoring the next call, so as not to listen to happy complaints, reproaches or problems? Then this article is for you.

Is there a pleasant, attractive, cheerful person in your circle of acquaintances who hypnotizes simply by his presence? Have you ever had a relationship in your life that started on a positive note and ended with your desire to avoid communicating with this person?

Emotional vampires are often quite charismatic people. They are looking for a victim with whom they could establish close contact or share common interests. And as soon as the connection is established, they take off their mask to more effectively saturate your energy and emotions.

Do you ever feel sleepy after talking to a certain person?

During communication with a person, an emotional vampire seems to be satiated, satisfies his hunger, therefore, his interlocutor often after a meeting has a feeling of fatigue and lifelessness, as if someone simply drank their strength. It is not necessary that this contact be real, many energy vampires are advanced enough to absorb energy even during a telephone conversation.

Do you try to avoid a conversation or meeting with a person, finding thousands of reasons?

Victims of energy vampires go to great lengths to protect themselves from harmful effects: they do not open the door, ignore phone calls, come up with whole legends - the reasons for the impossibility of meeting, and much more, because a vampire is an unwanted guest in the house.

Do you have a relationship that you cannot end, you ask the person to leave you alone, and ultimately after a week or two you yourself take the first step to find out how he is doing?

As you understand, such an emotional connection is very difficult to stop. As a rule, emotional vampires are good manipulators, once in their network, it is almost impossible to get out. By pulling the strings of guilt and shame, the vampire pulls you even further into the web of emotional attachment so that you cannot end this relationship.

Have you caught yourself thinking that you blame yourself, angry with yourself for the fact that so often you delve into the problems of a certain person, although you do not have warm feelings for him?

The fact that you constantly think about the alleged energy vampire further strengthens and confirms the existence of an invisible connection between you. Even with your thoughts, you make it clear that you are ready to give away your emotions, energy and strength.

As scary as it is to realize it, but often it is the close people whom we love and trust immensely that can drain our vitality. Is there a person in your family who likes to criticize you, take things and not return them, is looking for an opportunity to put family matters on your shoulders? If you answered "yes" to at least two questions, then next to you is none other than an energy vampire.

The most difficult thing is to end an emotional connection with a vampire if he is a member of your family, because he can go to the most insidious acts, up to threats and attempts to separate you from your loved ones. In addition, such a person has influence over other family members, therefore, such a threat develops the fear of being "alone" with this person, and continue his sacrifice.

Is there a highly erudite and intelligent person in your environment, who, moreover, has not received a proper education? Does he have an extraordinary artistic talent, gifted by nature? Is he so eccentric that he seems out of touch with reality?

The emotional vampire is very different from the average person, he is either extremely good or disgusting, a passionate and enthusiastic personality.

After communicating with an emotional vampire, an unprepared person may experience psychosomatic problems: dizziness, nausea, headache, rapid breathing, weakness and fatigue. In addition, strong experiences can cause an exacerbation of asthma, a jump in pressure, or a heart attack.

Energy vampirism is a consequence of a lack of parental attention and love in childhood. In order to attract attention, such children get used to manipulating loved ones, constantly teasing peers, snitching and capricious literally for any reason. In their opinion, this is the only way to get attention and encouragement from their parents. As psychologists say, "vampirism" characterizes the personality of a schizoid or epileptoid warehouse.

As for an actor, applause is important, and for a vampire, other people's emotions. He feels like a champion who set an Olympic record when he manages to bring his interlocutor to tears.

At a conscious age, it is practically impossible to correct or re-educate such a person - this requires a strong desire of the "vampire" himself, and several months, or even years of work with a psychologist.

What is characteristic of the "family" vampire:

firstly, he does not know how to enjoy life, as he is concentrated only on himself, loves only himself, when he may not experience similar feelings for others;
secondly, he often likes to make scandals at home, and for this he does not need a serious reason, a trifle is enough;
thirdly, jealousy is the main weapon of this person, it is a powerful way to keep the victim in a tense state in order to achieve a breakdown. Tell me, have you ever witnessed or been the target of emotional attacks from one of your family members?
fourthly, the "family vampire" is not able to provide emotional support, he is more capable and cannot resist constant nitpicking and reproaches, counting on your frustration and resentment. It is very difficult to show such a person that he is right, because in a conversation he reduces everything to "tram logic": "But you always ... but you never ...".
finally, the energy vampire often becomes unwell, up to physical faintness, seizures and dizziness, if he still fails to make a scandal. If the attack was, in his opinion, fruitful, he feels great, as if nothing had happened.

Based on the foregoing, there is only one way to disarm a "family" energy vampire - try not to be nervous, keep cool and calm during "rolls" of aggression.

Interestingly, Jesus had 2 Judas among his disciples. But the one who sold the Son of God was nicknamed "Iscariot" among the apostles. Judas received it to distinguish himself from another disciple of Christ, Judas, the son of Jacob, called Thaddeus. Referring to the geographical location of the city of Kerioth, the researchers say that Iscariot was the only native of Judea among the apostles (the rest were Galileans).

Judah (Yehuda) - praise of the Lord, "praise or glorified", Iscariot - a man (husband) of the city, settlement, keriof, keriof, kiriaf.

Judas Iscariot was born on April 1, according to the beliefs of the Lusatians and Poles - this day is considered unlucky.

About the young years of Judas Iscariot narrates "The Tale of Jerome about Judas the traitor." According to legend, the parents of Judas Iscariot throw the newborn in the ark into the sea, as they see a dream that their son will be the death of their parents. After many years spent on Iscariot Island, Judas returns, kills his father and commits the sin of incest with his mother.

According to the apocrypha "Arabic Gospel of the Childhood of the Savior" (chapter 35 [Jude]), Judas Iscariot lived in the same village with Jesus and was possessed by Satan. When his mother brought him to the little Christ for treatment, Judas, angry, bit Jesus on the side, after which he burst into tears and was healed. “And that side of Jesus, which Judas wounded him, the Jews then pierced with a spear.” Subsequently, Judas Iscariot was accepted as a disciple of Christ.

Kiss of Judas (Kissing of Judas) - a plot from the gospel story, when Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ, pointing to the guards, kissing him at night in the Garden of Gethsemane after praying for a cup. This kiss was a secret sign pointing to Jesus.

By the way, according to some opinions, the kiss of the Jews when greeting each other symbolizes the kiss of Judas on that ill-fated night.

Having betrayed the Savior for 30 pieces of silver, Judas Iscariot realized that he had made an irreparable mistake. After Jesus Christ was sentenced to be crucified, Judas repented and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying: "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said to him: “What is it to us?” And, throwing pieces of silver in the Temple, Judas went and strangled himself. (Mat. 27:5). According to the most common version, Judas Iscariot strangled himself on an aspen or an elder tree, according to other beliefs, Judas wanted to hang himself on a birch, and she turned white with fear; in Poland they also believe that Judas hanged himself on a mountain ash.

The name Judas has become a household name for betrayal. According to legend, Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver (30 silver shekels, this is comparable to the cost of a slave of that time) for betraying Judas, which are also often used as a symbol of the traitor's reward. "Kiss of Judas" has become an idiom denoting the highest degree of deceit.

The Gospel of Judas is an ancient treatise, written according to scholars in the 1st century AD. and unrecognized by the official church. In this gospel, Judas Iscariot is shown as the only disciple to whom Jesus Christ reveals all the mysteries of the Kingdom.

According to legend, Judas Iscariot after his death became the first Vampire. That is why all vampires are afraid of silver (took 30 pieces of silver) and aspen (hung himself on an aspen).

Relationships between vampires and Christians have always been complicated, much more complicated than is usually shown in popular films and vampire novels. They changed from cold indifference in the era of the Roman Empire to fierce mutual hatred during the Middle Ages. In the countries of Asia and the New World, where people and vampires managed to work out acceptable rules for coexistence in ancient times, Christians did not have sufficient weight and authority to go against the broad masses in the destruction of the nocturnal people. In Europe, the Church had enough will and power to exterminate vampires, if not everywhere, then in very many regions, for example, in Germany, where for several centuries after the rampant Inquisition, not a single reliable case of vampire attacks was recorded.

It should be understood that Christian and vampire communities are very heterogeneous: they come across as rabid fanatics striving for victory at any cost, as well as quite ordinary inhabitants who live by the principle "I don't touch anyone, and let them not touch me." Of course, the latter are the majority, but they are very greedy for the speeches of fanatical leaders who want to drink someone else's blood, literally or figuratively. Both sides of the conflict wanted one thing - to survive, and saw the only way to achieve their cherished goal in the total destruction of the enemy. For Christians, who declared vampires to be creatures of darkness and servants of the devil, this was a matter of faith, and for vampires, over time, it became a matter of preserving their species. One thing is certain: Christianity and vampires have been closely connected for a very long time, and there is a version according to which this connection originated during the life of Christ, when he wandered around Judea in search of disciples and followers.

One of the fringe theories that has not gained much popularity among vampirologists is that Jesus was a vampire. It is based primarily on the words of Christ himself "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" ( In. 6:54), embodied in the sacrament of the Eucharist. In addition, the Gospel of Mark alludes to the fact that during the Last Supper Jesus gave the apostles his blood to drink: “And taking the cup, giving thanks, gave it to them; and they all drank from it. And he said to them, This is my blood... Mk. 14:23-24). Among other things, it is believed that the Resurrection of Christ was a manifestation of the ability of increased tissue regeneration, typical of many vampires. In other words, the founder of Christianity showed many indirect signs by which he could be classified as a vampire, but not everything is so simple.

In order to consider Jesus a vampire, you need to ignore a huge number of facts that clearly contradict this theory. Since we are not going to consider it seriously, it will suffice to mention only two: firstly, nowhere in the New Testament does it say that Christ himself drank someone's blood, and, secondly, he freely moved around Judea during the day, not at all afraid of sunlight. It would be rather strange if pious Jews would mistake for the Messiah a man who avoids daylight and preaches exclusively at night. In other words, Christ could not be a vampire, but it does not follow from this that vampires could not be in his environment. Moreover, there are a number of indirect indications and apocryphal myths indicating that at least one vampire constantly accompanied him almost until the Crucifixion.

We are talking, of course, about Judas Iscariot - the strangest of the apostles, about whom the evangelists say little and sometimes it seems that they simply did not know him very well. This could be the case if Judas preferred to stay awake at night, while all the other apostles communicated with each other and with the Teacher during the daytime. This version does not contradict the facts: in the Four Gospels, Judas appears either indoors when he invites the Pharisees to betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver, or in the evening at the Last Supper, or already at night in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Judas dies in the morning, after the rooster crowed three times. The Gospel of Matthew states that he hanged himself, and the Acts of the Holy Apostles states that "his belly burst open, and all the insides fell out." In all likelihood, there were no witnesses, and it is impossible to say with certainty that Judas died at all. As an immortal vampire, he may well have lived under a different name until the late Middle Ages, as there are some vague allusions in the legends of the time. It was rumored, for example, that Dracula and Judas are the same person, which of course looks like complete absurdity from a historical point of view.

Be that as it may, popular rumor has always associated the image of Judas with vampires. The Slavs considered redheads to be potential vampires, and it was believed that Judas was redheaded. In addition, this hair color was attributed to Cain, whom some supporters of the religious theory of the origin of vampires consider the ancestor of the nocturnal people. Another reference to the vampire nature of Judas can be found in European iconography, where he was sometimes depicted with a black halo over his head. This halo is nothing more than a reflection of the inner or particle of the great Hunger, which is the very essence of the vampire. Let me remind you that medieval icon painters and artists were not only well versed in symbols and signs, but often in one way or another were involved in secret knowledge, which today we can only guess or dream about.

The apocryphal “Arabic gospel of the childhood of the Savior” also informs about the vampire inclinations of Judas, according to which Judas Iscariot lived in the same village with Jesus and once bit the little Christ. In addition to the quotations already cited from the New Testament, there are other indications of the significance of blood in the gospel story of betrayal. When the repentant Judas returned the thirty pieces of silver to the elders, he told them: "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." With the money returned, the high priests bought a "land of blood" for the burial of wanderers. The phrase "betray the blood" or "you betrayed your blood" from time immemorial denotes a terrible crime among vampires or is an insult, worse than which it is difficult to imagine. Thus, Judas not only realizes the gravity of his act, but also assumes full responsibility for its consequences. So why did Judas the vampire first betray Christ and then repent of it? Why did the vampire follow Christ, and why did Jesus make him one of the apostles?

Christ and the Vampire

In the nearly two thousand years since the crucifixion of Christ, the story of Judas Iscariot has been explained and interpreted in a thousand different ways. Dozens of different versions of his betrayal fought for the minds of church hierarchs and laity, competing with each other both in originality and in shameless deceit. At the same time, important facts that are clearly present in the Four Gospels, for some reason fell out of the field of view of researchers, and their place was occupied by either minor details or outright fictions. We will not preach any of the sensational hypotheses that Judas pointed with his kiss not to Christ, but to one of the apostles who took his place on the cross, that Judas was an agent of the Roman secret services, or that Judas carried out the orders of Christ himself. Instead, we, remaining within the framework of the canonical version set forth in the Four Gospels, will try to comprehend the reasons that made Judas first believe in Jesus, then betray him, and then repent of what he had done.

Perhaps we should start with an obvious fact: not all vampires want to remain vampires forever. There are a great many reasons for this: some are burdened by a monotonous immortal life, others want to feel again all the charms and hardships of human existence, but most often the vampire simply gets tired of the insatiable Hunger that devours him from the inside. Most likely, Judas Iscariot was just such a renegade vampire who wanted to become a man again. However, this assumption alone is not enough to understand his psychology and motives. More importantly, he was also a Jew, that is, he believed in the almighty God, who could miraculously turn him back into a man. Judas prayed about this, but his prayers were not heard, he visited holy places, but God did not hear him there either, he looked for the Messiah, found him and followed him in the hope that he would be healed, like many others.

In the Gospels we find many stories of healing and even resurrection from the dead, but Christ was in no hurry to fulfill the request of Judas. Perhaps Jesus wanted to test him, or Judas had killed too many people in his long life as a vampire for such a sin to be forgiven in the blink of an eye. However, he did not drive him away from himself, but on the contrary, he brought him closer and introduced him to the number of the Twelve. Whether the other apostles guessed that Judas was a vampire is hard to say. Maybe yes, maybe not, in any case, they did not love him, which came into direct conflict with the teachings of Christ. Perhaps Jesus needed Judas to test his disciples: after all, it is not difficult to love the Messiah and colleagues in the apostolic craft, you can even love publicans and Pharisees, but what about a murderer and the generation of devilish forces and, moreover, a person according to appearance, according to the mind and according to the aspirations to God?

It is possible that Judas was one of the most difficult tasks given by Christ to his disciples. According to the Old Testament Law, he had to be killed, and as quickly as possible, until he harmed one of the apostles or the Teacher himself, and according to the commandments of Christ, he had to be forgiven and accepted as an equal. The apostles failed this exam. Every day their hostility towards Judas only increased, and he could not help but feel it. He might even think that Jesus was simply using him as visual material for learning real his students, and he - Judas - will never become such a student. And the most terrible Judaic thought: what if Christ is not Christ at all, but just another false messiah in a series of others that flooded Judea during the years of the Roman invasion? Judas saw with his own eyes how Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. What is there! According to John Chrysostom, Judas, like the other apostles, received from Christ the gift of casting out demons, cleansing lepers and raising the dead, but he could not heal himself.

It is difficult to say what Judas thought in those days before the betrayal, one thing is certain - disappointment with Christ grew in him. Yes, he can do a lot of things that an ordinary person cannot, but magicians and sorcerers can do something similar. No wonder Jesus was suspected that his power was from the devil. Maybe that's how it is? How do you know if he is the true Messiah or not? And like this: Judas can heal and resurrect everyone except himself, because he is not a god and not a messiah, so if Christ is God and the Messiah, let him heal and resurrect himself. Let him suffer, as Judas suffered, and show his true power, and not magic tricks for commoners. Judas has nothing to lose: the rest of the apostles bypass him, Jesus, in response to requests to turn him from a vampire back into a human, does not answer yes or no, his faith in Christ has dried up.

Money was by no means the main motive for the betrayal of Judas, and the amount at that time was not so huge, although significant. Judas wanted to take revenge on Christ for deceived expectations, but not just to take revenge, but to repay "an eye for an eye", that is, to test Jesus in the same way as he daily tested his disciples and followers. Christ, of course, knew about the betrayal, or maybe he just guessed. During the Last Supper, he directly told Judas about this, and he left without even noticing that the Teacher called him human (Mk. 14:21). Throughout the night, Judas watched the Sanhedrin's trial of Jesus, and only at dawn, when the dawn causes vampires to itch anxiously on the skin and irritate the eyes, Judas realized that Christ had healed him the day before, although he knew about his betrayal. This was his parting lesson to Judas and the other apostles. Realizing what had happened, Judas returned to the high priests, threw them bloody money, and then committed suicide.

The legend of the healed Judas was very popular among European vampires during the Renaissance, when, due to the activities of the Inquisition, many vampire traditions were lost, and distorted Christian traditions, apocrypha and myths took their place. In addition, there were a number of holy places where vampires made real pilgrimages in the hope that God would cure their "illness", in addition, there are cases when vampires entered churches at night to venerate Christian shrines in order to turn people again. Of course, the restoring majority of vampires treated these clerical renegades with the greatest contempt. Often they were killed, and sometimes real trials were held, during which Christian symbols were publicly desecrated and destroyed. In some vampire clans, recruits even took an oath never to cross the threshold of the Church. All this suggests that in those days, vampires perceived Christianity not only as a threat to the existence of the nocturnal people, but also as an ideological sabotage against their traditions and foundations. Actually, since that time, the belief has gone that vampires are afraid of the Crucifixion, consecrated water and holy land, which is only partly true.