Presenting Countess Carmilla, the Vampiress

Yay for another female vampire! If you remember a few posts ago, I talked about Countess Bathory, this week it's Carmilla. Written by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, it was published in 1972 and was one of the pieces that inspired Bram Stoker.

The Vampiress within this novel is a younger vampire by the name of Countess Mircalla Karnstein. The young Countess seems to 'lure' her victims all in a similar way. Her signature bite, however, is different. Unlike the male vampire who goes straight for the throat, this female vampire goes a few inches above the breast. Despite her undead nature, Mircalla, or Carmilla, if you will, looks quite stunning:

Carmilla has the ability to change into another shape and pass through locked doors, but has no ability to control the elements or mist. She is discovered at the end of the novel, in the coffin lying in several inches of blood. Killing this creature is similar to the way Dracula needs to be killed. Short of stuffing garlic in the creatures mouth, everything else bears a familiar note. A sharp stake is to be driven into the heart of the vampire and its head is chopped off. Next, the head and body are to be placed next to a pile of wood, lit on fire and reduced to dust. The ashes are then scattered into a river and that's that. Yucky...that's still a nasty way to die, not a pretty picture at all. Tune in next week for Sherlock Holmes versus the Vampire!  

Dracula...Take two

Art credit: ArtOfRivana from DeviantArt

Finally! I have stumbled upon the Vampiress! Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt's novel 'Dracula The Undead' (2010) is one of the many sequels to Bram Stoker's original classic. But who better to write a sequel than Bram's own great-grandnephew? The vampire figure here comes in the form of Countess Elizabeth Bathroy. The Countess is a ruthlessly cruel woman who kills for sport rather than purpose. Now, there are some notable differences between the vampires within this novel and the vampires within Bram Stoker's piece. One notable difference in Dacre Stoker's novel, is that the Countess seems much stronger than her predecessor, the Count. She has the ability to control her victim's mind and make them see what she wants them to see. Her five senses are tenfold that of a normal human's, which in itself, is already pretty intimidating.

What does, however, make this novel interesting is the mix with a notable unsolved historical case, Jack the Ripper. Among many of theories associated with the terrifying serial killer, Holt and Dacre have chosen to associate the Ripper with the vampire figure.

Let us return to the topic of the Countess, herself. The vampiress dresses like the traditional Dracula figure with her well-tailored suits cutting a distinguished air. This, in turn, gives her a powerful masculine presence. Not someone you want to mess with.

Check out the novel and you might find a few unexpected surprises. For all those who haven't read the novel, is it something you would be interested in reading?