Vampires, werewolves, and Otherkin, oh my!

[Bastemhet]

So- I would like to hear from y'all and what you think about the verity of the existence of said things. What makes one a true vamp/werewolf/otherkin? Is this possible? Why or why not? How does your religious practice view this (if you have one)?  

[Underworld Priestess]

Hmm well there are a lot of answers to that. There are real vampires in a way, meaning in the way that some people are killers that thirst for blood and there are people sensitive to sunlight. Werewolf idk I want to say no. I do believe in OtherKin in the sense that someone's spirit or soul is or is connected to certain "mythical creatures" like fairies and such. This can be shown in their personalities, actions, beliefs, etc. It has been awhile since I read about Otherkin, although what I did read was very interesting.
Religiously, I am Pagan, so personally I believe that there is a touch of mythical in our world, although I cannot speak for all.
But that is just my opinion.

Btw, I love your outfit.  

[Bastemhet]

celticfireguardian

Hmm well there are a lot of answers to that. There are real vampires in a way, meaning in the way that some people are killers that thirst for blood and there are people sensitive to sunlight.

What separates a vampire from a psychopath or someone afflicted with, say, lupus, or any other disease that causes sun sensitivity? Heck, when I was taking tetracycline for my acne, one of the common side effects was sun sensitivity!

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Werewolf idk I want to say no. I do believe in OtherKin in the sense that someone's spirit or soul is or is connected to certain "mythical creatures" like fairies and such. This can be shown in their personalities, actions, beliefs, etc. It has been awhile since I read about Otherkin, although what I did read was very interesting.
Religiously, I am Pagan, so personally I believe that there is a touch of mythical in our world, although I cannot speak for all.
But that is just my opinion.

Being Otherkin is reflected in their beliefs? So all they have to do is believe it and act like it? Hmm...maybe I'm missing something but that sounds more like cosplay to me.

Quote:

Btw, I love your outfit.

Thanks! 4laugh  

[CuAnnan]

Sophist

So- I would like to hear from y'all and what you think about the verity of the existence of said things.

I should make an info dump about this.
We don't have an analog and you can't really make one without raping the hell out of our culture.

Sophist

What makes one a true vamp/werewolf/otherkin?

In the otherkin senses of the words, from my perspective, nothing.
In the literal sense of the first two, tough call. They mythologically exist in my culture, with two references for vampires and shape-changers galore. However, aside from that time I did Morning Glory, I've never seen a shape changer.

Sophist

How does your religious practice view this (if you have one)?

In the case of vampires as unClean things that should not be.
In the case of were*, determine on a case by case basis.  

[Collowrath]

Sophist

What makes one a true vamp/werewolf/otherkin?

Well, in Slavic mythology, upír and vlkolak (vampire and werewolf, respectively), are not really so different. Usually, when there is a difference, it is to describe the separate Western literary devices - the words are used interchangeably in much the same way Westerners interchange "spirit," and "ghost."

That said, a vampire or a werewolf is an un-dead revenant risen to wreak havoc and revenge on human beings, essentially. As far as Otherkin go... if they really feel they are actually an animal, so long as they aren't hurting someone else, I'd leave them to it. I just think they're anthropomorphizing animals a bit much.

Quote:

Is this possible?
Why or why not?

*shrug* As far as being a vampire or werewolf? Not unless they died.

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How does your religious practice view this (if you have one)?

Please take note - my perspective stems from a cultural one, but is expanded from a personal viewpoint that is probably not in common with most Slavs, heathen or not (though, looking into the mythology, I don't think I'm far off).

That said: vampires are the expression or manifestation of an impurity and should be removed with impunity before it can do more damage than it already has.  

[TeaDidikai]

When English translations of my Baba's folktales reference Vampires and Werewolves, they reference beings that have either died or been cursed and are unclean.

There are traditions in place to keep this s**t from happening. ~shrugs~

However, there is room for the term vampire to be figuratively applied to unclean people who engage in what is tantamount to soul rape- the theft and violation of another person's non-corporeal essence that in turn disrupts what English might describe as homeostasis. You'll have to pardon the translation. Explaining it in the terms that my family uses would require a working understanding of the dialect my family speaks and the cultural concepts therein.

As for Otherkin, they are humans who identify as non-human for whatever reason. A banana may identify itself as an apple all it wants- that doesn't make it one. I have never met an otherkin who actually has much in common with the animal/myth they self-describe as.

This one chick went off on me because I pointed out that unlike people whose bodies don't match their genders- since gender is a social construct, the ability to change one's body to match ones gender is a completely different kettle of fish from people who indulge their humanity up until it doesn't make them special enough.

And I habitually want to punch people in the face who claim to be dragons trapped in human bodies, but that's mostly a byproduct of some individuals I have lived with in the past being completely insane and molesting my stuffed animals.

I have an ace in the hole when it comes to people playing at being something else too. It's something I am hoping Deo will eventually be able to comment on through some of the stuff I have shared with her.  

[Underworld Priestess]

Sophist

celticfireguardian

Hmm well there are a lot of answers to that. There are real vampires in a way, meaning in the way that some people are killers that thirst for blood and there are people sensitive to sunlight.

What separates a vampire from a psychopath or someone afflicted with, say, lupus, or any other disease that causes sun sensitivity? Heck, when I was taking tetracycline for my acne, one of the common side effects was sun sensitivity!

Quote:

Werewolf idk I want to say no. I do believe in OtherKin in the sense that someone's spirit or soul is or is connected to certain "mythical creatures" like fairies and such. This can be shown in their personalities, actions, beliefs, etc. It has been awhile since I read about Otherkin, although what I did read was very interesting.
Religiously, I am Pagan, so personally I believe that there is a touch of mythical in our world, although I cannot speak for all.
But that is just my opinion.

Being Otherkin is reflected in their beliefs? So all they have to do is believe it and act like it? Hmm...maybe I'm missing something but that sounds more like cosplay to me.

Quote:

Btw, I love your outfit.

Thanks! 4laugh

In some ways you can consider a vampire a psychopath, but there are people who crave blood. It is some sort of mental thing, or in some cases they have like anemia and need the iron and so they crave it.

It is not cosplay when it is how a person truly is. They may not have even heard of Otherkin, it's just how they are.  

[Recursive Paradox]

I'm not terribly fond of the word gender identity or gender for all instances of being trans to begin with. I just have bodily dissonance. Male parts = inexplicably painful to have. Female parts = not painful to have. Identity is an afterthought to that for me. I am a woman (for myself) simply because of the need to end the dissonance and what is necessary to do so. Social elements are also an afterthought, sometimes not even given stock at all (i.e. I did before and do now whatever the ******** I want expression wise and ******** anyone who says anything regarding gender expectations on it)

I find it conceivable that there could be individuals out there who have bodily dissonance that makes certain human parts painful and needing replacement by certain animal traits (horns, fins, whatever). However, I have yet to meet even one single otherkin that actually has bodily dissonance or even some level of social dysphoria of any kind. So such an assessment remains in only theory and the majority of otherkin I have encountered remain firmly in the "attention whore" category.

Trans folk are in pain and are moving to handle that pain. Otherkin (as a group of teens) are (so far) pretenders with no pain, only a want for notice.  

[Recursive Paradox]

celticfireguardian

...there are people who crave blood. It is some sort of mental thing, or in some cases they have like anemia and need the iron and so they crave it.

Anemia doesn't make you crave blood. That's ridiculous.  

[Sivirs]

CuAnnan

They mythologically exist in my culture, with two references for vampires and shape-changers galore.

Out of curiosity, may I ask which ones (er, for the two vampires, not the shape-changers galore since that's a much longer list)? I've only tangentially looked into Celtic mythology before, and more out of a love of mythology and folklore than as a serious religious/cultural study, so I'm always interested in learning more.  

[Underworld Priestess]

Recursive Paradox

celticfireguardian

...there are people who crave blood. It is some sort of mental thing, or in some cases they have like anemia and need the iron and so they crave it.

Anemia doesn't make you crave blood. That's ridiculous.

For the misinformed:
The Science of Vampires an article, and it references a great book that I have read.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577037,00.html  

[Bastemhet]

celticfireguardian

Recursive Paradox

celticfireguardian

...there are people who crave blood. It is some sort of mental thing, or in some cases they have like anemia and need the iron and so they crave it.

Anemia doesn't make you crave blood. That's ridiculous.

For the misinformed:
The Science of Vampires an article, and it references a great book that I have read.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577037,00.html

That article does not support the idea that iron-deficiency or anemia makes you crave blood. The article says it makes people crave iron-rich foods, like a bloody steak or spinach.  

[Underworld Priestess]

Sophist

celticfireguardian

Recursive Paradox

celticfireguardian

...there are people who crave blood. It is some sort of mental thing, or in some cases they have like anemia and need the iron and so they crave it.

Anemia doesn't make you crave blood. That's ridiculous.

For the misinformed:
The Science of Vampires an article, and it references a great book that I have read.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577037,00.html

That article does not support the idea that iron-deficiency or anemia makes you crave blood. The article says it makes people crave iron-rich foods, like a bloody steak or spinach.

Like I said, they need the iron and it says that if you have anemia it makes you want that sort of thing  

[Sivirs]

celticfireguardian

Like I said, they need the iron and it says that if you have anemia it makes you want that sort of thing

I think the point Sophist is trying to make is that your article explains that anemic people crave *iron*, not that they crave *blood*. Biiiig huge difference, and definitely doesn't fall under "that sort of thing." Spinach does not have blood, for one thing, and yet anemics crave it as much as the rare steak. It's not the fact that the steak is BLOODY that attracts the anemics, it's the fact that a steak cooked more lightly has more iron in it, and just happens to be more bloody.