Why Vampires?

Some time ago I took part in a questionnaire, and one of the questions was something along the lines of, "Why are goths so attracted to vampires?" Being of the lycan influence, I couldn't really answer that question with a confident answer. So, I want to know, why is it that goths love vampires?

couldn't tell ya.
I'm more of a witchy person myself

The affiliation with seduction, the taboo of sinking beautiful, elongated eye-teeth into luscious flesh, elegant clothing, super-human stamina & power, finesse, good-looks, immortality, not being able to go into the sun....
Perhaps?
Or maybe it's because of Anne Rice?
I agree with MoonRaven though. Witches are more my ideal, but vampires are a close second.

^I think WIR covered it well! The attraction to the bloodlust, the romance, the seduction... the wisdom and centuries of history that comes with living Eternally... and most of all, the connection between Vampire and Prey... the moment where their fluids mesh and they become one, invincible being... it's just sexy as hell.

Vampires are usually an allegory for passion, sex and seduction. Werewolves are usually an allegory for anger, violence and revenge. Both are predators more powerful than man in folklore, but while vampires feed while slowly turning those they feed on into one of themselves, werewolves usually kill and feed, only turning others in botched attacks.

Get into the metal and left hand path subcultures and there is quite a lot of association with werewolves.

Vampires have that romantic elegance element that is so attractive. The beauty is an inherent thing of vampires in most stories, the supernatural powers, the bloodlust...the art of seduction, that makes them take their preys to them in such unique ways.
The fear they inspire, but also the admiration they inspire, because of all their charm and elegance.
The fact that they live in darkness most of the time, their wisdom and their inmortality. Inmortality is an attractive thing for most goths...remember a lot of us wear ankhs? ~

Yeah, everyone pretty much answered it here.

Me? I don't like vampires at all. Give me some flesh-eating, slow-walking, gruesome zombies. The rott-ier the better. Yum.

marc17 wrote:

Get into the metal and left hand path subcultures and there is quite a lot of association with werewolves.

I guess it wasn't before long that I would get into metal.

I'd go with vampires every time. Beautiful and immortal and who doesn't enjoy having their neck sucked?

Blood is the life force and is pretty damn sexy in itself

This leads to me to yet another question. Are vampires the gothic equivalent of elves?

Hmmm! Interesting question but as I've just gone off on a Legolas fantasy I can be of no help to you.

Vampires are just sex on legs

^

Vampires = bloodletting = foreplay = sexy time.

That, in itself, is why Vamps are...well, vamps.

I sadly can't answer this question either. I'm a gargoyle ghoul.

I never could get into Rice.

Yep! Believe it.
Tho I do like the movie version of Interview... a lot.
I'll agree with the aforementioned reasons.

Plus the fact they could do cool things...while looking tres cool!

^They BUTCHERED Rice's book with that damned movie. It had awful casting (Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise... are you freaking kidding me?!)...and destroyed the feeling she was trying to portray.


She even said this herself, and that is why she has asked they they stop trying to make her books into movies. Same goes with Stephen King.

Not as much as butchered with Queen of the Damned

^Truth in that, yep. But I can forgive that a bit more, just because the casting was excellent.

Aaliyah got all my good sides. And Stuart Townsend is just sex appeal on ice.

No Queen Of The Damned was somewhat better than Interview With A Vampire was.
Besides Stuart Townsend made a much better Lestat than Tom Cruise.

^^ He did. Tom Cruise was just a no no and not as good looking.

I totally agree

When I was a lot younger, a saw some publicity material for Werner Hertzog's remake of Nosferatu (see, not all remakes are bad!) with a picture of Klaus Kinski about to lunch on Isabella Adjanti's neck. And something must have imprinted in me at that point, because to me now that is still the embodyment of romance, lust, what-have-you.

Now Baron Orlock / Count Dracula in both versions of Nosteratu is far from the handsome figure in many later vampire films. He's a beast! And maybe that hints at something else that makes vampires so appealing the idea of the beast inside of us (or somebody else) that could burst forth at a moment's notice.

For me, my "inner vampire" and "inner wolf-man" aren't that far removed from each other.

^^true

My fav author Kelley Armstrong has a series about 'Women of the Otherworld'
Some of her characters are witches, werewolves, demons, ghosts and a necromancer.
But she hasn't made a vampire character yet

MoonRaven wrote:

My fav author Kelley Armstrong has a series about 'Women of the Otherworld'
Some of her characters are witches, werewolves, demons, ghosts and a necromancer.
But she hasn't made a vampire character yet

It's only a matter of time, I'm sure...

Has anyone read that twilight series? I bought the first book but then I went and read the reviews on Amazon and a lot of them are less than favorable. Any thoughts?