For centuries the myth of the vampire has scared people all around the world. One of the reasons humans are so frightened of vampires is their lust for human blood.
But what you might not know is that vampires don’t really lust for blood, but that blood is a requirement for their wellbeing. Without blood consumption, vampire bodies would not be able to function properly (more on that later).
It’s actually more common for a vampire to develop a trusting relationship with a human who allows their vampire friend to drink their blood as needed.
You would think that if vampires drink blood into their bodies, they should be able to bleed it out of their bodies, right? Right…well, kind of.
If a vampire has recently consumed blood and it remains in their bodies, then, yes a vampire can bleed.
However, if a vampire has been starved of blood for a period of time, then there won’t be enough blood in their bodies to for it to come out of an injury site.
What does this mean about vampire injuries? Keep reading to find out how vampire injuries differ than human injuries, types of injuries vampires can suffer from, and how they are able to heal from those injuries.
A brief history of humans and vampires
Of all the creatures, the vampire reigns as the most fascinating. What we actually know about them is based solely from their depiction in entertainment: magically empowered and beautiful supernatural beings.
The real vampire is a much darker creature. However, our human connection with vampires is ancient.
Because of this, vampires exist in every culture around the world. Befriending humans, drinking their blood, and living secretly amongst us.
As modern societies have become more distant from ancient traditions, vampires have been disregarded and believed to be nothing but fiction, a devastating separation for our blood-drinking comrades.
If humans to believe in vampires, their belief is based on their fears and believe that vampires are evil and out to get them.
This belief comes from the tie between vampires and demons. The thirst for blood is attached to demons. So, vampires are falsely accused of being demons.
Vampire healing abilities
Vampires have what is called accelerated healing. This gives vampires the ability to heal at a supernatural rate.
Vampires can regenerate, recreate, and fully recover from these injuries in a matter of seconds:
- gunshots
- broken bones
- brain aneurysms
- knife wounds
Injuries that take longer to heal from:
- blood loss or blood starvation
- having their hearts taken out (if the heart is set on fire the vampire will be killed with no chance of recovery)
Most injuries are not long-lasting for vampires. It takes seconds to recover from any kind of injuries in the body, with one exception: the vampire’s heart being taken out of their body and set on fire.
Speed of healing varies from vampire to vampire. A vampire who drinks the blood of the human being has the capacity to heal the wounds quickly compared to a vampire drinking the blood of the animal.
Vampires don’t naturally produce blood on their own. Hence the need to consume it in the first place.
They genuinely need to consume human blood to function properly. It’s not just for the taste!
Related Questions
Are vampires alive?
The only thing about vampires that is alive is their mind and/or soul.
Vampire bodies are engines fueled by the consumption of blood. Whether that be human or animal blood—the preference is always human blood.
It’s similar to putting fuel in a car. Human blood is like choosing premium non-ethanol fuel at the gas station. Much like a car, vampire bodies have certain maintenance requirements.
Although they appear to have bone and muscle, their tissues are dead and are unable to function without consistent blood supply from an outside source (aka humans).
Their bodies are ice cold and their skin is hard to the touch. They do not blink, breathe, nor does heart pump blood—hence the need to consume blood by drinking it.
Starving a vampire of blood would cause their body to seize and become immobile. They wouldn’t die, but they would remain paralyzed and unable to speak or move, similar to a human coma.
Do vampires feel pain?
Yes and no. Do vampires perceive pain? Absolutely.
For a human, pain is experienced through a chemical reaction between nerves and tissues in the brain. Our brain sends pain receptors to the site of injury to tell us that we have been hurt.
However, because vampire nerves and tissues are already dead, no electrochemical interaction within the brain can occur.
So, for example, a vampire could feel a bullet from a gunshot wound tear through their skin and shatter within their bodies, but the pain associated with this would be dampened by the total lack of chemical reactions in their bodies.
Any pain a vampire feels is only as a thought in their mind as they become aware of what is physically happening to them.
Are vampires immortal?
Vampires can indeed live forever.
The supernatural ability to heal is a huge plus for a vampire. Imagine living your entire immortal life without being able to recover from your injuries?
Can vampires die?
All we can say is this: there is no record available in history about the death of a vampire.
We know this for sure: no vampire has ever died of natural causes (aging).
With that said, it is possible to kill a vampire by extracting their heart and setting it on fire.
Do vampires age?
Vampires do undergo an aging process, just not in the same way as humans do. They do not age on a genetic level.
Despite having a feeble appearance, older vampires are still extremely powerful and agile.
So, exactly how old can they get?
Ancient history offers some clues in ancient China.
There is said to be one vampire in the Emperor’s court through the entire Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which would put his age at 550. Having said that, we are certain that vampires live for centuries—much longer than 500 years.
Vampire aging process
Vampires eventually lose all of their hair as they age. That’s right, vampires go bald. This gives a distinctly aged look, along with their with smaller-looking muscles and a bow of the spine.
These exterior changes have nothing to do with a vampires strength or healing abilities. On the contrary, vampires grow even more powerful as they age.
Vampires: fact vs fiction
Books like Twilight showcase a completely different view on vampires and mythical creatures in general.
Like any blockbuster movie, what you see on screen is nothing like what happens in real life.
It’s important to rely on ancient literature when researching vampire wounds and injuries.
Any injury caused to a vampire will have the same impact as it does on a human body, however, it is important to note that the vampires healing abilities and dead tissue is what makes the pain or wound seem minimal.
