Do Vampires Turn The Willing?

by Lena Nilsen
(Norway)

Question:
Where do vampires live and do they attack humans?
Do vampires stalk humans? If a vampire were to bite me, and I told her/him that I wanted to become one, would they turn me?

Answer:
The mythology of vampires has existed for thousands of years in hundreds of different cultures all over the world. If vampires do indeed exist, it is reasonable to believe that they live just about everywhere.

There are reasons to believe that some communities (covens) of vampires have settled down in certain areas, most likely underground and out of the prying eyes of humanity. While these communities could be located anywhere, they are thought to be mostly concentrated in Europe, where vampires began. Both western and eastern European countries most likely house the "domestic" vampires, though many are believed to travel constantly in small, nomadic groups in order to evade detection. Many vampire-related deaths in a small area would most certainly attract unwanted attention, so it is more than reasonable to believe that most vampires move around quite a bit.

Vampires do indeed attack humans, and they also stalk them if necessary. Like most hunters, though, they will pick easy prey that will not attract attention or investigation. Above all, vampires do not want to be discovered for what they are, and it is believed those who attract attention are punished by the others for endangering them all. So while a vampire may stalk a particular human as prey, it is unlikely that they would remain interested if the hunt became overly difficult or complicated (unless, I suppose, they really liked that sort of challenge).

As to whether or not a vampire would turn you if you asked, I suppose that would be up to the vampire. Thanks to the rash of vampire novels, there is a belief out there that vampires are very interested in turning humans. There is little reason to believe that this is the case. Just like some people like to try to make exotic, wild animals into domestic pets, a vampire turning a human is exceedingly rare.

For one thing, vampires are a small community and need to stay that way in order to avoid detection. They are also responsible for those who they turn, so they have to be very careful about doing this. Creating a vampire then having it run to the newspaper to tell everyone about their experience is the exact opposite of what any vampire would want. If they are going to go through the effort of turning you, they must also go through the effort of training you and teaching you the rules, just like any parent who has a child.

Most people who get turned have been close to death already. Vampires can more easily get a willing victim to agree to be turned by promising them eternal life on earth when the fear of death is so imminent. These days I get email all the time from people wanting to give up their souls because being a vampire seems so cool, but traditionally this is not something anyone wanted to have happen to them.

It is entirely possible that a vampire would be willing to turn a person, but you'd have to put forth a pretty good argument why they should take on the responsibility of having a "child" while at the same time giving up a free meal.

-Mike