A vampire is a human transformed into an undead supernatural being of great power. Examples from folklore are often described as having swollen bodies and dark complexions, although once codified in literature, they appear as lanky, corpse-like creatures with pale skin. These beings of European folklore subsist on the vital essence of the living, usually blood, preferably that of a virgin or innocent. Vampiric humanoids exist in legends worldwide, from the Penanggalan of Malaysia/Indonesia to the Jiangshi of China. This exhibit concentrates primarily on European entities and arguably its most famous example, Dracula.
Written by Bram Stoker in 1897, Dracula is a gothic horror novel first published in the United Kingdom. Presented in the epistolary style, the story unfolds through letters, newspaper articles, and diary entries, with no central protagonist. One of the main characters, Jonathan Harker, travels to Transylvania on a business trip and stays at the Castle of Count Dracula, fleeing when the nobleman is revealed to be a vampire. Dracula follows him to England, where he causes havoc before being ultimately defeated by a small group of killjoys, including Abraham Van Helsing.
Now in the public domain, Dracula has been adapted to film over thirty times, including a well-known series by Universal Studios and later by the British company Hammer Films, famous for their lurid, exploitative tone. Although not the first work of fiction to feature vampires, Dracula helped popularize this type of undead, shaping the modern vampire archetype. Its influence is seen in franchises such as Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, Grandpa Munster from the 1960s television show The Munsters, and the angst-ridden characters of the Twilight series.
This research guide serves as a companion to the exhibit, linking it to various digital and print materials about Dracula that are available through the Syracuse Libraries Collection.
