ABSTRACT
Vampirism, like other religions, is practiced by people who commit themselves to an ideology, maintain ethical tenets within a hierarchical system and participate in rituals specific to their clans. Practitioners of Vampirism are referred to as Vampires and form part of an extensive subculture that includes Goths, Modern Primitives, Vampire Role Players and the Body Modification and Fetish Scenes. There are many facets to Vampire Culture and members range from dabblers, such as participants in Role-Playing Games, to the extremely devoted who are referred to as Real Vampires within the Vampire community. Vampire belief systems are dependent upon the person’s or group’s interpretation of a Vampire and may manifest simply as an aesthetic choice or an entire lifestyle based on a sophisticated Vampire philosophy.
