Therefore, the idea of the vampire stems from cannibalism, and the concept of putting someone's body inside your own to obtain more life. Vampires are creatures that maintain immortality by sucking blood from humans and animals. They are night creatures, and the sight of sunlight turns them to stone, or sometimes dust. Typically, they are characterized by black capes, long corpse-like bodies and the ability to fly, although whether or not these characteristics were included in the original vampire myths is not known. They sleep in coffins, can't stand churches, and scream at the sight of garlic.
Vampires are also highly sexual, and they often prey on members of both sexes.
There are several creatures that may have acted as precursors to the vampire. The leech is perhaps the most basic, representing the idea of a slimy, forboding creature taking human blood. This myth originated in the hills of South America, and still exists today. The myth of the fury, or a women that sucks the life from a sleeping victim, was created in Greek times to represent the wrath of the Gods. These creatures were released upon the earth to suck sould through the mouths of their victims, and send them to agony-filled torment in Hades, or Hell.