Popular folklore is filled with depictions of werewolves and vampires
Popular folklore is filled with depictions of werewolves and vampires that are favourite monsters which have fascinated and scared the world for millennia. Werewolves are well-known pop-cultural monsters, and the belief about their existence has remained widespread amongst Indo-Europeans. Werewolf mythology has held some beliefs that men can change into wild predators that spread violence, destruction and rape amongst human subjects. On the other hand, vampires are more mysterious and parasitic in nature. Vampires in Slavic folklore are creatures that subsisted by feeding on the vital essence of the living (mostly blood). In Slavic folklore, the vampires were undead creatures that visited the neighbourhoods that they inhabited and caused death and mischief. In the present paper, we seek to compare and contrast the depiction of vampires and werewolves in ‘the vampire’ and ‘the werewolf’s daughter’. An assessment of the readings reveals that werewolves were depicted as being symbols of cruelty, savage behaviour and pure evil while vampires were described as being more mysterious and parasitic in nature.
In the folklore tale vampire, we can see that vampires were depicted as being seductive and sensual creatures which were a living embodiment of forbidden lust. This is in contrast to the depiction of werewolves which were shown to be horrific creatures that only meant to cause destruction. In the vampire folklore tale, the handsome fellow presents himself as being a fine man with a beautiful complexion who is dressed richly and neatly. He then used his gold to by nuts, gingerbread and wine foe the youths and girls. He, however, wanted to marry Marusia. The next day Marusia went on to find out where her groom lives, and he found him eating a dead man in the church. The young man was a vampire, and he insisted on Marusia marrying him. When she declined the offer, he killer Marusia`s mother and father and it only when she accepted the proposal. Marusia, however, seeks to find revenge after which her husband and son die. We can observe that the vampire is depicted as a handsome and charming man who takes advantage of Marusia to further his needs. The folklore tale ‘the werewolf`s daughter’ tells a story of a father who was a werewolf and who destroyed his family after he decides that it was too much work.
An analysis of both folklore tales reveals the element and theme of the inner beast within humanity, which suggests that man can be part savage and part man. In the vampire, the handsome man can be shown to be a representation of evil amongst mankind. The same applies to werewolves who because of the two-sided nature are shown to present good and evil in the world. In the werewolf’s daughter, the father is the father to nine ‘marriageable’ daughters and one day he decides that he does not want to care for them and decides to kill them one after the other. The same happens in Vampire, where the handsome man decides to kill his bride`s parents so as to lure her into marrying him. Such savage and cruel acts are a reflection of how we treat each other. It helps illuminate the darkness that exists within us and the consequences of acting upon it.
In conclusion, in both folklore tales, vampires and werewolf`s are depicted as being deceptive, cruel and savage in nature. However, the main distinction in the tales is seen since vampire are more mysterious and parasitic in nature, while werewolves are symbols of destruction, cruelty and savage behaviour.