There are many myths in regards to the creation of the first vampire. And, as pointed in the superstitions category, the myth itself is very old.
According to some I found all over the internet, the first vampire was none other than Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 disciples.
Legends tend to be born when people don`t know what exactly happened to a character and tho` we “know” what happened to Jesus after he was sold for the 30 pieces of silver, the ending of Judas`s life is uncertain.
According to the gospel Judas was overtaken by remorse and he committed suicide but there is also an obscure legend that sustains that Judas is at the core of the first vampire bloodline.
Because of his betrayal of Jesus God cursed him and his descendants ‘to walk the earth forever’. His suicide was not the end but the beginning! [people who commit suicide come back as vampires].
A variation sustains that God turned his back on Judas and allowed one of Satan`s demons to slay him [cutting him] and give Judas to drink his own unclean blood.
When Judas awoke, he supposedly rebelled and did not accept his new fate.
Satan mocked him:
‘ For your aide in delivering the son of God and His followers into my hands, I have made you my son, that you may rejoice in Darkness and taste the dark and bitter fruits that you have sown’.
‘I will not be so. I taste the fruit of my sowing even now and it tastes bitter and too foul. I will fight you and your darkness, I will stand between you and His followers and shield them from your evil. I betrayed my friend and I am damned forever, but I refuse to betray Him again’.
Those of his vampiric bloodline rose to become the Iscariots – believe believed to be the children of Judas Iscariot, instead of hunting humans, they are known to hunt other vampires and demons in an attempt to redeem for the ultimate betrayal.
It is believed that vampires are repelled by anything that would remind them of that crime: silver [30 pieces of silver], crosses [Jesus was crucified due to his betrayal], stake of wood [ it was believed to be an aspen-wooden cross].
Note: My personal opinion… Tho` it is interesting and tends to fit in the vampire lore, I cannot pretend not to notice the holes in the story.
It did spawn a nice movie [Dracula 2000] but the sequels ruined it.
๑۞๑ Related: ๑۞๑
† Superstitions
† Legends
