Topic: Castlevania and it's vampire lore

[K.G. Morder]

For a game where the main antagonist is Dracula and vampires LIKE Dracula, there have been a few discrepancies with the way he works.

For one, Dracula was never weak to sunlight, being able to daywalk with limited power.

For another thing, Brahamn Stoker vampires create other rvampires by sharing their blood with the victim, not just biting.

Now, Castlevania has broken BOTH of those one time or another. Mainly with Dracula being killed by a ray of sunlight, or with Walter, (more or less his predecessor) turning Sara into a vampire just by biting her.

Now i'm certain there have been other examples, but I havent played ALL castlevania games.

So, discuss?

[Pentagram-cracker]

Well you have to remember that Castlevania isn't Bram Stoker's novel, it's a modern vampire action game loosely based on the story. The "Modern Vampires" as they're known are different from those in the classical myths and stories. Sunlight can kill them instead of just weakening them, they are able to turn others by just biting instead of giving them their blood, and in some cases like the Blade movies or John Carpenter's vampire movie crosses are potrayed as useless against vampires (though they still seem to work in the Castlevania games).

I'm not really sure why these rules have been changed in films and games, but that is what tends to happen to a lot of myths and stories. They always change over time like the Greek myth of the Sirens starting off as bird-like women then evolving into more mermaid-like beings in recent potrayels.

[K.G. Morder]

Except Castlevania's Dracula IS the Braham Stoker Dracula. The timeline explicitly includes the book in it's timeline.

[Inccubus]

Check this out: http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/traits.html

I'll bet many people have plenty of misconceptions about what was actually presented in the novel.
However, Castlevania didn't adopt the novel until Bloodlines.
Let's not forget that the series was originally inspired by the Universal/Hammer movies.

[Munchy]

Just because Dracula hasn't made someone drink his blood doesn't mean he won't. Have faith! (Ew...)

There are some other folklore vampire rules. In more rural areas, they were thought to be peasants and poorer villagers. I guess CV64 kinda touched on this, but not many games have had lesser vampires. I suppose the zombies would half-assed count, as the pop culture idea of carnivorous zombies stemmed from a hybrid of these legends and the voodoo zombie, a guy turned into a brainless manservant via zombie powder.

On a pretty much totally unrelated side note, I think Barlowe of OoE was named for the main bad guy vampire in Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot.

[darkwzrd4]

Well, given the different versions of vampires in entertainment, it's fair to say that everyone has their own definition of what a vampire is as well as the weaknesses and strengths.  Typically, vampires have all of the following:
they're almost always undead
superhuman strength
some form of magical powers

Regarding the whole sunlight thing, I think it depends on how powerful the vampire is.  Only the strongest can withstand sunlight and when exposed to it, they are greatly weakened from the strain their bodies are under.  As for how people are turned, it seems to depend on how the writer of the story wants it to happen.  I've read some vampire stories in which the only way to be a vampire is to be born one.

[crisis]

I thought vampires only sparkle when caught in daylight :]

[X]

I know that most vampire stories involve a vampire tainting a human with their own blood, thus causing them to become a vampire. But Dracula I think is an exception. Not only can he turn people with his blood or just by biting them, but he also has the curse he creates as well. This curse can force vampirism on to humans and force them to become vampires without any of the aforementioned. The curse of Dracula is Castlevania's own law that gives Dracula these abilities. for the whole sunlight gig, I think Dracula is immune to sunlight, but only if he's fully powered up. But like in the ending sequences of SCV4 or PoR, once Dracula has been beaten down and is at his weakest, then sunlight can kill him.

-X

[Inccubus]

I thought vampires only sparkle when caught in daylight :]

No! The only thing that should sparkle is Lafayette!! ;P

[A-Yty]

Haven't you heard? Vampires today are charming stalkers looking like teenagers who sparkle in sunlight or social misfits trying to integrate into society by drinking artificial blood.

[Gunlord]

Also, keep in mind that Castlevania is based on the *movie* Draculas to a significant degree--remember "Christopher Bee" in the credits of the first game? XD Since the movie dracs were vulnerable to sunlight and stuff, it's not surprising the Castlevania dracs are the same way.

[Nagumo]

Except Castlevania's Dracula IS the Braham Stoker Dracula. The timeline explicitly includes the book in it's timeline.

Could you show me proof of that? Bloodlines' orginal intent was perhaps to include the book into its storyline but there is no evidence that is still the case.   

[uzo]

Could you show me proof of that? Bloodlines' orginal intent was perhaps to include the book into its storyline but there is no evidence that is still the case.   

Wasn't it included in the timeline?

[K.G. Morder]

Ther very timeline says it. (yknow, that image?)

1897: Belmont descendant, Quincy Morris, keeps Dracula at bay.

[Nagumo]

Yes, but where does it exactly say on the timeline that this event is the same as the one depicted in Bram Stoker's novel? That's the point I'm trying to argue.