There are no vampires in the Vampire Community

We begin with the Vampire Mythos.
Vampyre Identity and Vampyre Culture are inevitably tied to the Vampire Mythos.
We, Vampyres, are a people of the Vampire Mythos, in that our self-identification and our cultural self-expression as Vampyres will in some capacity reference the figure of the vampire from popular culture.

A vampire in the most common understanding of the word appears as a creature which drains the life (often in the form of blood) of humans to sate their own needs, enrich or prolong their own existence.

Vampyres do not believe that they are literal vampires as they appear in popular fiction or folklore.
While some Vampyres might believe there to be some hidden truth to vampire stories, namely historical ‘Living Vampires’ who have passed into myth, Vampyres generally do not make any fantastic claims of possessing qualities commonly associated with the vampires of popular fiction or folklore.
Vampyres are perfectly able to distinguish fact from fiction.

Indeed, the reality of Vampyres as a modern cultural phenomenon is a fact that is beyond any doubt.
Since at least the latter half of the last century there are people like us – people who name themselves Vampyres for a wide variety of reasons.

What is commonly known as the ‘Vampire Community’ is in fact not a unified community but a collection of networks, groups and individuals who are associated with each other by virtue of their shared self-identification with the vampire as a category of person or as an archetype.

For our own purposes, we define Vampyres as individuals who are part of the Vampyre Subculture, or Vampyre Culture.

Note that we are observing the anachronistic spelling with a ‘y’ when referring to our kind, emphasizing and affirming our belonging to Vampyre Culture, with the benefit of helping to distinguish our kind from the vampires of fiction and folklore, spelt with an ‘i’ in the conventional way. (While not all vampire-identified people participate in Vampyre Culture, many are familiar with or adopt certain cultural ideas, customs, symbols and terminologies of Vampyre Culture.)

THEORIES ON VAMPYRE IDENTITY

Both outside of as well as within the ‘Vampire Community’ one will likely encounter arguments that Vampyrism may be a health condition or disorder, a sexual fetish, an escape fantasy, or a religious belief.
We believe that Vampyrism understood as the phenomenon of modern Vampyres is severely misrepresented by completely reducing the whole diversity of Vampyre Identity to any one of the aforementioned explanations or rationalizations.

Despite unfortunately sounding like one, Vampyrism – as we understand it – is NOT a medical condition or psychological syndrome in the sense that Vampyrism cannot be sufficiently represented by completely reducing it as such, although attempts have been made to link certain facets of Vampyrism to various physical or psychological conditions, suggesting that there may be an empirical condition underlying some cases of Vampyrism.

Likewise, Vampyrism – as we understand it – is NOT a sexual fetish in the sense that Vampyrism cannot be sufficiently represented by completely reducing it as such, although there can be sensual, erotic aspects to Vampyrism, and individuals may experience excitement or receive gratification from or during certain Vampyric acts or complement their practice of Vampyrism with participation in fetish, kink or BDSM activities.

Further, Vampyrism – as we understand it – is NOT an escape fantasy, in the sense that Vampyrism cannot be sufficiently represented by completely reducing it as such, although Vampyrism has been proposed to be a reaction to trauma, abuse or feelings of isolation, and some individuals who regard themselves as outsiders or outcasts might be attracted to Vampyre groups, which in some cases can take on the role of surrogate pseudo-families.

Lastly, Vampyrism – as we understand it – is NOT a cult, religion, religious belief or religious practice in the sense that Vampyrism cannot be sufficiently represented by completely reducing it as such, although Vampyrism can have religious or spiritual facets, which can be studied in the context of alternative spirituality or new religious movements.

In Black Rose Society we prefer to regard the phenomenon of modern or Vampyrism, to be primarily a matter of identity – personal, social and cultural.
Approaching Vampyrism this way – as a social phenomenon and culture – allows us to appreciate a wider range of complexity and diversity of perspectives found within the different strata and subsects of Vampyric communities without confining us to a too narrow definition of the nature of Vampyrism, or – more precisely – of Vampyre Identity.

What makes one a Vampyre is – to the best of our understanding – ultimately tied to the very individual reasoning leading one to name oneself a Vampyre, to adopt the Vampyre Identity, and to participate in Vampyre Culture.
Put more simply, a Vampyre is potentially anyone who chooses to name oneself a Vampyre for one reason or another.
The individual reasons for why a person might identify as, or express themselves as a Vampyre, or as being Vampyric, are many and varied.

VARIETIES OF VAMPYRE IDENTITY

Rather than merely listing the various, ever-evolving categories and identity labels found within the Vampyre Subculture and the broader milieu of vampire-identified people, we decided to introduce you to the Vampyre Alignments developed by Black Rose Society. As a model, the Vampyre Alignments were first designed for members of Black Rose Society to help them communicate where — in the complex, and often contradictory, web of ideas that is the modern Vampyre Subculture (and milieu of vampire-identified people) — they might position their own individual Vampyre identity, including their personal story and journey. We hope that our model may assist individuals throughout their journey within the Vampyre Subculture as a tool for orientation, discovery, and reflection. Black Rose Society has always cultivated a culture of questioning and exploration and we don’t encourage our members to confine themselves in static categories, preferring to instead to encourage personal development and growth, to challenge and to break out of categories and systems which no longer suit them.

The Traditionalist

Traditional-leaning Vampyres generally have a tendency to seek closeness to the Vampire Mythos and the Vampire Archetype. They believe this closeness to be an asset for communities of vampire-identified people, fostering a connection to the actual or idealized origins of the subculture of vampire-identified people. They are often proud to name themselves Vampyres, and they fully embrace the heritage of Vampyre Culture. They will favour self-expression, self-empowerment and self-discovery using the Vampire Mythos or the Vampire Archetype. They may oppose striving for more acceptance of vampire-identified people within larger society or recognition as a valid identity group, preferring the traditional role of Vampyres as outsiders.

The Modernist

Modern-leaning Vampyres generally have a tendency to seek distance from closer association with the Vampire Mythos or the Vampire Archetype. They believe this association does not serve communities of vampire-identified people. They are often more critical of referring to themselves as Vampyres and they generally oppose or only reluctantly accept certain elements of Vampyre Culture. They favour the demystification of the phenomenon of vampire-identified people. They may strive for more acceptance of vampire-identified people within larger society or recognition as a legitimate identity group.

The Spiritualist

Spiritual-leaning Vampyres generally have a tendency to identify the nature or essence of Vampyrism as a variance or difference on a more spiritual or psychological level. They approach or experience Vampyrism as something that is spiritual or psychological in essence, more relating to the soul than to the body. They may not be concerned with there being an empirical condition underlying Vampyirsm, understanding Vampyrism to be part of their personal or subjective reality. According to them, being a Vampyre may or may not be a choice, something you can become, a spiritual path to follow, a tradition to be initiated into, a philosophy of life or way of being to embrace, as well as something you are born to be, depending on personal beliefs. Their view of Vampyrism tends to be more concerned with questions of spirituality, philosophy, identity, self-expression, self-empowerment, self-discovery and meaning, as well as with the general practice of enriching one’s life through engaging in vampiric acts or “feeding”, specifically referring to either consensual human blood-drinking between adults, or alternatively through various types of advanced energy work, in addition to magical ritual or spiritual practice.

The Materialist

Material-leaning Vampyres generally have a tendency to identify the nature or essence of Vampyrism as a variance or difference on a more material or physical level. They approach or experience Vampyrism as something that is physical in nature, more relating to the body than to the soul. They may claim Vampyrism to be based on an empirical condition, or otherwise to be based in empirical reality. According to them, being a Vampyre is generally not a choice, not something you can become, but something you are born to be. Their view of Vampyrism tends to be more concerned with the necessity of maintaining personal health or personal well-being through engaging in vampiric acts or “feeding”, specifically referring to either consensual human blood-drinking between adults, or alternatively through various types of advanced energy work.

BLACK ROSE SOCIETY 2021