How did the myth of vampires originate?

Long-time National Geographic staff historian Mark Jenkins' new book, Vampire Forensics, is the basis for a new National Geographic Explorer television special premiering in the U.S. Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the ... Where did the belief in vampires originate? .... That's the origin of the cloak. read more

Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula has influenced how many people picture vampires. read more

From then on, the myth only grew and various characteristics of the vampires started doing the rounds that led to John Polidori's "The Vampyre" (1819) and finally resulted in the famous "Dracula" by Bram Stoker in 1897. read more

Many myths surrounding vampires originated during the medieval period. The 12th-century English historians and chroniclers Walter Map and William of Newburgh recorded accounts of revenants, though records in English legends of vampiric beings after this date are scant. read more