Vampire and faerie folklore might seem like they come from different worlds, but there are actually some intriguing overlaps between the two. Both entities share traits that highlight humanity’s age-old fascination—and fear—of otherworldly beings that intrude upon our world with supernatural powers and ambiguous intentions. Here are some of the key similarities between vampire and faerie lore:
1. Liminal Beings Connected to the Supernatural Realm
Otherworldly Origins: Both vampires and faeries are often described as beings from other realms. In vampire lore, vampires are sometimes considered “undead” or linked to a shadowy, cursed world. Faeries, on the other hand, are associated with an ethereal dimension, such as the “faerie realm” or “Otherworld,” which exists alongside the human world but remains mostly hidden.
Associations with Death: Vampires, as undead creatures, obviously have strong ties to death and the afterlife. Similarly, faeries were sometimes seen as spirits of the dead or guides to the underworld, especially in Celtic lore. Some even believed that faerie mounds were ancient burial sites, suggesting that faeries might have once been human spirits transformed by the faerie realm.
2. Glamour and Mesmerizing Powers
Hypnotic Influence: Both vampires and faeries are described as having a “glamour”—a magical allure or hypnotic ability to captivate and control humans. Vampires, especially in Gothic literature, are known for their seductive charm, able to lure victims with a mesmerizing gaze. Similarly, faeries can use glamour to appear more attractive or to create illusions, drawing humans into their traps or to the faerie realm.
Shape-shifting: Both vampires and faeries are said to have shape-shifting abilities. Vampires in various legends can transform into bats, wolves, or mist to travel undetected. Likewise, faeries are known to disguise themselves as animals, especially birds or foxes, or even change their appearances to trick humans.
3. Ambiguous Morality and Trickery
Dangerous Ambiguity: Both vampires and faeries occupy a morally ambiguous space, with motives that are not always clear. While vampires are often predatory, they can sometimes appear benevolent, forming complex relationships with humans. Faeries, though not inherently evil, are known for their capricious and mischievous nature. In folklore, they are often just as likely to help as they are to harm, leading to the common saying that faeries are “fickle.”
Deception and Trickery: Faeries are notorious for trickery and deceit, using illusions to confuse or mislead humans. Vampires, too, are known for their cunning, often charming their way into a person’s life or home before revealing their predatory nature. Both beings thrive on manipulation, preying on human vulnerabilities.
4. Rules, Boundaries, and Permissions
Need for Permission: In many cultures, vampires cannot enter a home unless invited, representing a clear boundary between their world and ours. Faeries, similarly, often need permission to take a human to their world or to cross certain thresholds. Breaking these unspoken rules—such as accepting faerie food or joining a faerie dance—can lead to dire consequences.
Protection Through Folk Beliefs: People used specific rituals, charms, or objects to ward off both vampires and faeries. For vampires, things like garlic, crosses, and holy water were thought to repel them. For faeries, iron, salt, and certain herbs were said to keep them at bay. This belief in specific deterrents reflects a fear of these entities’ power and an attempt to maintain a boundary between their world and ours.
5. Kidnapping and Feeding on Humans
Kidnapping of Humans: Faeries are infamous for abducting humans, especially children and beautiful young adults, and taking them to the faerie realm. Vampires, too, are known for luring humans to secluded places for their own ends. In many legends, both faeries and vampires hold their captives for extended periods, sometimes releasing them under strange circumstances.
Feeding on Life Force: While vampires famously feed on blood, faeries are often described as feeding on human vitality, beauty, or youth. Some folktales describe faeries as draining the life force or essence of those they capture, sometimes leaving them withered or sickly. In this way, faeries can be seen as a type of energy vampire, thriving on the lifeblood or energy of humans.
6. Time Distortion and Eternal Life
Immortality and Agelessness: Both vampires and faeries are associated with eternal life. Vampires are traditionally immortal and, once transformed, stop aging. Faeries are also often seen as ageless and immortal, existing outside human concepts of time.
Distorted Time: In faerie lore, humans taken into the faerie realm might return to the human world to find that years or even centuries have passed, even though it felt like only hours to them. Similarly, some vampire stories (especially in later literature) involve vampires who “sleep” for long periods or experience time differently due to their undead nature.
7. Supernatural Weaknesses and Vulnerabilities
Vulnerability to Specific Elements: Vampires have weaknesses like sunlight, garlic, and crosses. Faeries are similarly vulnerable to iron, which is believed to repel them or break their magic. This concept of specific vulnerabilities creates a sense of balance, where humans have a way to defend themselves from supernatural harm.
Bound to Certain Laws: Both faeries and vampires are often bound by rules or oaths that limit their powers. Vampires, in some legends, are bound to rest in the soil of their homeland or may have to follow certain ritualistic behaviors. Faeries are constrained by their own realm’s laws, and breaking them often results in dire consequences for them or those who interact with them.
8. Associations with Thresholds and Liminal Spaces
Crossing Boundaries: Vampires and faeries both operate in liminal spaces—thresholds between worlds. Vampires are often creatures of the night, existing between life and death, while faeries exist between the human realm and the faerie realm. Both are said to appear or become more active at twilight or midnight, times associated with transitions and portals between worlds.
Summary
Both vampires and faeries capture humanity’s fascination with “the other” that exists beyond our world but crosses into it, sometimes in ways that are helpful, seductive, or dangerous. Despite their differences, they share common themes of glamour, boundary-breaking, ambiguous morality, and feeding off human vitality. These similarities may stem from shared archetypal fears—of the unknown, of losing autonomy, and of being deceived or overpowered by supernatural forces.
