There exist many different attempts to define the Vampyre, put forward by various organisations and individuals, each with their own merits and biases. BLACK ROSE SOCIETY chooses to define the Vampyre as follows:
Vampyre (plural Vampyres)
- The Vampyre is an individual who is part of the Vampyre subculture, also referred to as Vampyre Culture.
The Vampyre subculture is an alternative subculture closely linked to the Gothic and other Dark Alternative subcultures. Also known as Vampyre Culture, it gained much of its current form in North America and Europe in the late ’90s and early 2000s, alongside the proliferation of the internet.
The modern Vampyre subculture is inspired by popular depictions of the vampire in literature, film, and other types of media, notably The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, their respective film adaptations, as well as films like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Blade, and Underworld. Beyond vampire media, individuals within the subculture often have an interest in alternative spirituality and alternative religious movements such as Witchcraft, Neo-Paganism, or Satanism; in role-playing games such as Vampire: The Masquerade; as well as in alternative sexuality, specifically Kink, Fetish, and BDSM. Drawing from these influences, the Vampyre subculture has created a complex collection of cultural codes, which help to unite the diverse network of individuals and groups making up the Vampyre subculture. Some of the more visible cultural codes include: Use of a secret argot or specialised terminology, a preference for black or dark attire, the wearing of silver jewellery featuring certain signets and symbols associated with Vampyre Culture such as the ankh-cross, body modification and the wearing of prosthetic vampire fangs.
Antedating the modern subculture, there have been various groups, covens and orders in both Europe and North America which we may recognise as part of the Vampyre tradition for their role in shaping the Vampyre lifestyle and philosophy. Some of these traditional groups readily integrated with the emerging Vampyre subculture, while others chose to remain apart, or, to retreat further into the underground. Notably, the Order of the Vampyre, founded in 1984, and the Temple of the Vampire, founded in 1989, are organisations of this category, both affirming their distinction from the Vampyre subculture. In Europe, especially many of the older European Vampyre Societies, either being groups focusing on lifestyle, culture, and aesthetics, or being associations of a more secretive breed, often dedicated to the exploration of Sadomasochism or the Occult, looked on with some uneasiness towards the youthful subculture, in part due to the media attention it seemed to covet, in part due to some of its outgrows being seen as distortions of the Vampyre essence. To this day, the European Vampyre Societies remain more hesitant to associate with the North American-influenced parts of the Vampyre subculture. - The Vampyre — in essence — is an individual who embodies certain qualities associated with the vampire mythos, and who uses the Vampyre Archetype as a guiding model for self-knowledge, self-transformation, and increasing their own life through the practice of Vampyrism. Qualities the Vampyre embodies — or seeks to embody — include: Nobility, Predation, Pleasure, Beauty, Power, Wisdom, and Immortality. Vampyrism is best understood as a way of being, or a lifestyle. For the Vampyre, Vampyrism is about cultivating an acute awareness and understanding of the forces that govern and sustain life, and, within the interplay of these great forces, to create for themselves an existence in accord with the Vampyre’s deep fascination and hunger for life.
Practices that are linked with Vampyrism may include: vampiric energy magick or energy vampirism, as well as consensual human blood drinking. It is important to note that not all Vampyres incorporate the practices of energy vampirism or human blood drinking into their lifestyle, and may favour one over the other, or reject both entirely. The practice of human blood drinking in particular — as well as, albeit to a lesser extent, the practice of certain forms of energy vampirism — can be a divisive subject amoung Vampyres, some regarding it as an essential part of being a Vampyre, while it is seen as a misrepresentation of the Vampyre essence and lifestyle by others. More nuanced perspectives emphasise the importance of context, intention, personal agency and ethics.
Disclaimer:
While BLACK ROSE SOCIETY recognises that there is a subsect of the Vampyre subculture that may use Vampyrism and its associated practices as a means to treat various ailments or perceived ailments, to lessen the symptoms of said ailments or perceived ailments, or otherwise address said ailments or perceived ailments, we do not encourage to use Vampyrism as a substitute for or alternative to medical treatment.