Hemlock Grove - Typology

Though reviews have been mixed, the Netflix series Hemlock Grove holds a special place in my heart. I am not sure whether it is simply the weird melange of various horror elements, or if it is just the disturbing essence of something that lurks beneath the service, unspoken by characters who are not quite aware of it themselves, but I have lapped up the first two seasons, begun to read the novel and am awaiting the third, and final season, with great anticipation.

For those of you who have yet to hear of this series (for something Netflix has made itself, it has seemingly not made much of a fuss about it), I would undoubtedly recommend it. The series begins in a small Pennsylvania town, which suffers a terrible string of murders: young women found savaged by some unknown beasts. A young Roma boy, the scion of a wealthy household and a whole cast of other characters seek to uncover the truth. Of course, everything is embedded in the supernatural it a wonderfully dark mixture of tropes and concepts from gothic horror integrated into a modern setting. 

Anyone who has not seen the series can do so on Netflix, but do be careful about reading this entry. There will be spoilers. 

So, given my interest in identity, particularly MBTI, and my love for the series, it was only a matter of time before I prepared an entry on its characters. Thus, without further ado, here are my MBTI analyses. 

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Peter Rumancek - ISFP (The Composer)

Above all, Peter's actions are informed by a strong sense of self and personal values, formed through this self-hood and through the environments through which he has lived. Having been raised as a Roma, he has internalised the values of these people (or at least the values as they are represented in Hemlock Grove). This is where his sense of self stems from, those he deems to be his people: his family. Familial ties are more important to him than anything else and Peter truly cares about those whom he considers to be part of his inner circle, which eventual begins to include Roman, Letha and various others. He is willing to do whatever it takes to help his mother when she is imprisoned, even at expense of himself. This demonstrates a strong Introverted Feeling (Fi). This is very much followed by Peters perceptiveness. Peter notices things and is appreciates novel sensations and experiences, such as his love of exploration and always wanting to see what is beyond the horizon. This is his Extroverted Sensing (Se). Of course, Peter has access to a whole world of symbols and hidden meanings, through his dreams. Though his ability to decode them is relatively undeveloped, he is led by gut instincts which guide him at key moments, this being demonstrable of Introverted Intuition (Ni). Finally, Peter's inferior function, Extroverted Thinking (Te) comes forth in his impulsive behaviour and general inability to plan ahead. Even when he tries to prepare in advance, things tend to go awry. These functions lead Peter into being an ISFP - the Seeker and Keeper of Human Values. 

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Roman Godfrey - ESFP (The Performer)

Scion of the Godfrey family, Roman overindulges in physical sensation. Sex and cigarettes form a huge part of his lifestyle, and he has a predatory attitude to his relationships with women, often using some of his latent supernatural abilities to coerce them into giving themselves to him. He always seeks out novel sensations in which to indulge himself, and has developed quite the appreciation for the finer things in life. This is demonstrative of a dominant Se. Following this is Fi, for Roman has extremely strong feelings for those whom he is close to. He adores his sister, Shelly, his cousin Letha, and holds his mother with increasing contempt as the season progresses. As the story progresses, the intensity of his bond with Peter increases until Roman is almost dependent upon him. Most people pass him by without him caring, and he only takes his feelings out on others if they are pent up, and usually through physical means (sex and violence), hearkening back to his Se. Roman is not the most proficient planner, though his tertiary Te expresses itself through his ability for force his will upon the eternal world. This manifests through his powers, which always take a toll on him and leave him reeling, but which do enable him to make others do as he wishes. Finally, Roman's life is hugely influenced by visions, images and symbols, a hidden world which he has intense connection to, yet cannot fully understand. This is his inferior Ni, allowing access to, but not full appreciation of these hidden mysteries. Roman struggles with the things he sees in his dreams, far more than Peter, and while informed by gut instinct, less so than Peter. For these reasons, Roman is an ESFP, the Motivator Presenter.

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Letha Godfrey - ESFJ (The Harmoniser)

Above everything, Letha cares for others and wants to ensure that everyone is getting along. This care is not reserved for people she is close to, but for everyone. She offers emotional support to those who have witnessed the terrible murders, even though she is not close to them. In doing so, she specifically offers her support, as an aide, someone to listen. Her emotions likewise change depending upon whom she is with. She picks up on her father's stress when he drives her home from the clinic and immediately seeks to reassure him. When she goes into labour, she wants above anything else to support those around her, even though she is the one having the experience. These all demonstrate a dominant Extroverted Feeling (Fe). Secondary to this is her Introverted Sensing (Si), for Letha is very much informed by her past experiences. The lessons her parents have taught her stick inside her head and she does not rebel against them quickly. When her father tells her to do something, she might complain and object, but she often does it. She has learnt many lessons and is able to use her experiences to inform the present. Despite her relative ignorance as to the supernatural elements in the series, Letha is able to spot connections quickly and is able to pick up on unspoken problems and tensions, even when people are trying to hide things from her. Furthermore, she does not shy away from these potentials, instead earnestly wishing to learn more about them. This is her tertiary Extroverted Intuition (Ne). Finally, Letha's inferior function is her Introverted Thinking (Ti) and she does not spend much time trying to organise her own thoughts. This leads to a feeling that often she is bumbling through the world, rather than organising everything in her head, for she is guided more by emotion, care and her own experiences than abstract reasoning. Thus, Letha is ESFJ, a hostess of the world.

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Shelly Godfrey - INFP (The Idealist)

Largely due to an oppressive upbringing and an inability to vocalise her thoughts, Shelly has been forced to live in a world entirely her own, internalising everything. This has undoubtedly led to the formation of her dominant Fi. Shelly has a very small inner circle of people about whom she cares, yet she is willing to do anything it takes to protect and help them. Take, for example, her actions in protecting Peter, Letha and Roman, actions which led to her getting shot. Furthermore, with Roman, she cares for him so much that she literally glows with happiness when he touches her face. Shelly demonstrates a wealth of inner emotion. For instance, when she is corresponding with her uncle, she is verbose, clear and extremely expressive. Following this is her love of ideas. Shelly reads and paints and seeks many ways of absorbing and exploring, even if she is unable to go out into the world and seek her own place, she demonstrates an auxiliary Ne in her interest in novelty. Shelly is driven by a want to understand things and to do so from new perspectives. She has, however, absorbed many lessons from her experiences, particularly those with her mother, Roman and Dr. Pryce She has taken these lessons to heart and they certainly make her more cautious when encountering new things, particularly in the flesh. This is her Si. Beneath is all is her Te, which is undeveloped and prevents her from being able to get the wealth of thoughts within her into the outer world. The constrictive environment of her life and that those around her constantly strive to control her means she struggles to affect her environment as she would like. Due to this, Shelly is an INFP, making life kinder and gentler.

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Destiny Rumancek - ENFJ (The Teacher)

Much like Letha, Destiny wants to ensure that those around her are safe. Of course, she cares about her family, particularly Peter, more than she does others, yet at the same time she demonstrates a wealth of care for those she is not so close to. She cares about Roman, even though she has many reasons not to, and goes out of her way to help him and Letha. Destiny faces great risk, often her own powers, in order to protect those around her. She bares the risk because she cares and she cares without much discrimination. This, and her willingness to forgive (not to mention her ability to manipulate others), are the marks of a dominant Fe. Of course, second only to her compassion is her immersion within the world of hidden meanings and symbols. Her mystical side allows her access to a whole realm of representations and messages and it is her task to not only understand them, but also to take instruction from them. This visions enable her to see the world as she wishes it to be and then she has to make it happen. This is her Ni. Destiny has a physical side. She enjoys pleasure and sells a diluted version of her gifts to the public, which a fair amount of farce. Furthermore, she has style and wants to present herself properly. This is tertiary Se. Finally, we have an inferior Ti. Destiny lives in a world of emotion and instinct, not in an analytical dominion of logic.Thus, Destiny is an ENFJ, the Envisioner Mentor.

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Clementine Chasseur - INTJ (The Mastermind)

A member of the Order of the Dragon, Clementine has adopted their principles and thus has a clear understanding of the way in which the world works. She has been imbued with a vision, the image of a world in which the supernatural and the mortal are somewhat able to coexist, provided that werewolves and upir keep by the pact parisienne. Of course, she struggles with this, often seeming to want to simply purge the world of those which she views as beasts. Yet her faith remains strong and she follows the inner pull to create this vision of the world: her dominant Ni. Furthermore, Clementine is able to take her inner vision and shape the world before her accordingly. Her rigorous training enables her to plan and wait patiently for the correct moment to strike. Though she has her impulsive moments, Dr Chasseur plays the long game, biding her time until the best moment to further her long term plan. This is her auxiliary Te. Her tertiary function, Fi, manifests through her personal values and beliefs, which determine much of her morality. Clementine keeps a lot to herself, unwilling to reveal herself to those who are not extremely close to her. So emotionally insular, she is told that all she knows is how to take, she is unable to give. Underneath everything else is her inferior Se. Clementine is known to indulge herself in her pleasures, one of them being women, another being drink. She has a somewhat addictive personality, demonstrative of an undeveloped Se. Thus, Chasseur is an INTJ, one of life's independent thinkers.

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Norman Godfrey - ISFJ (The Protector)

Defined by traditions, Norman is dominated by his family name and his past. He is a relatively cautious man, slow to change and dependent upon the lessons he has learnt over his lifetime. Certainly, Norman is led by experience, rejecting out of hand gut instincts and visions, refusing to believe his own daughter when she claims to have been impregnated by an angel. He has certainly internalised the scientific method of a slow and steady approach to life and its sensations. This is his dominant Si. One of the few things that breaks him out of this caution, however, is protecting those he cares about. Truly, he has an inner circle of people for whom he would die if he had to, but Norman is far more caring generally and genuinely wants to help people. This is, after all, why he became a psychiatrist. This is his Fe. Norman possesses a tertiary Ti, which secures him as a consummate scientist. He is dismissive of visions and the paranormal, wanting a logical explanation and it takes him a long time before he is able to wrap his head around some of the things which are going on in his town. His rationality is a personal one, however, and he is more than willing to allow others to get on with their own lives, and is even willing to support people who are different from him. Finally, we have the inferior Ne, which imbues Norman with a niggling curiosity, the likes of which often get him into dire straights. A man fascinated with ideas, Norman Godfrey is always interested in novelty, yet he is tempered by his natural caution. Therefore, Norman is an ISFJ, service before self.

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Lynda Rumancek - ESFJ (The Harmoniser)

Undoubtedly the better mother of the series, Lynda is largely defined by her position as a mother. This role leads her into her unlawful activities, for above all she wishes to create a life for herself and her son. Her ties to the other Rumanceks are not inconsiderable, but she cares far more intensely for Peter. However, it should be noted that Lynda's dominant Fe manifests in the readiness with which she expresses concern for those around her, particularly those of whom she is initially suspicious. Though she keeps some distance from them, Lynda comes to care for Roman and Letha, even expressing some concern for Olivia, though this is quickly replaced. Lynda isn't stereotypically kind, instead she is more concerned with maintaining harmony and protecting herself and those she cares about. This is demonstrated in her willingness to make a deal with Olivia, though she disapproves of her methods. Throughout her life, Lynda has experienced much as this manifests through her auxiliary Si. She has memorised many tips and tricks, having spent a life on the run from the law. When presented with a problem, Lynda knows how to respond and she had learnt well the need for a contingency plan. Tertiary is her Ne, for Lynda shows a great ability to think on her feet and overcome challenges unconventionally, though these methods are all informed through her previous experiences. Less of a concern for her is inner, logical consistency, manifested in an inferior Ti. Lynda is wonderful at many things, though she does not spend much time organising her inner thoughts. Thus, Lynda is ESFJ, everyone's trusted friend.

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Dr Johann Pryce - ENTJ (The Commander)

Pryce is a man of vision: he foresees a world in which technology and science has overcome what he deems to be perfectly malleable barriers to human advancement. Death, life, all such things are there to be bent and controlled and manipulated by his intellect, but he is not blindly exploring for the sake of it. No, Johann wants to advance himself and prove what can be done. He views his science as greater than a world of myth and superstition with lycanthropes and upir both easily explained by his work...which can also serve to overcome them. His ability to plan and meet deadlines (but also his being so limited by them) is indicative of a dominant Te. Johann thinks of something and the world must bend to accommodate his will. Very little can stop him. These plans are fuelled by an inner vision, a determination for a future state which he wishes to bring into being. This is his auxiliary Ni, granting him a purpose, a vision for how he wishes to see the world. His wishes to become a renowned scientist, to do things that no other human being could dream of doing. It is this sense of directed purpose which filters up into his planning. As a man of science, Johann must be attentive to the state of things as they are and this is his Se: his tertiary function. Before he acts, Dr Pryce watches with keen eye, capable of noticing the most minute of details before synthesising things as they are with how he wishes them to be. Finally, we have Johann's Fi, his emotions, which are kept under control and largely ignored. However, when he grows angry, Pryce shows his anger through acts of violence. Of course, he is not easy to anger, for his feelings are his own, relatively unaffected by the acts of others. Thus, Pryce is an ENTJ, a Commandant Organiser. 

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Olivia Godfrey - INFJ (The Prophet)

I am sure that many will disagree with my typing of Olivia. They will see Olivia and INFJ and immediately refuse it, thinking that there is no way she could be. Yet this is why I think she is quite clearly an INFJ:

Olivia plays the long game and her goals are her own. However, she pursues them without doubt and without falter, willing to do whatever it takes to attain her desired outcome: a perfect child, an heir. There have been many failed attempts, and each of these have been slain, by Olivia's own hand. The way in which she wishes to future to be is entirely defined by her inward sense of purpose, by her internalised superiority and complete faith in the role of the upir. This is undoubtedly the work of a dominant Ni. Even when threatened, not that much can truly harm her, her sense of purpose wins out. Following this is an auxiliary Fe. Although Olivia does not care for others, save perhaps for Roman, she demonstrates far too much awareness of the emotions of others for her to lack this function. She has managed to achieve so much in her life through playing others, through winning over their hearts and minds, inspiring them to adore her. The feelings of others are hers to do with as she wishes. Without her Fe, Olivia would never have achieved so much. Of course, Olivia never doubts herself, or her purpose and many of her rationalisations stem from her tertiary Ti, through which she can rationally organise the contents of her own intentions. So aware of the emotions of others, it is only through the potency of her Ni and the support of her Ti that she can be so cruel. Her Ti enables her to retain her sense of superiority, to rationalise her disregard for others and their infinitesimal lifetimes. Underneath all of these lurks her inferior Se. Undeveloped as it is, it leads Olivia into addiction and a need for the physical. This comes out her in her need to feed, her reliance upon drugs to retain her thirst and her seemingly insatiable want for the pleasures of the flesh. Olivia demands extravagance. Only the best music, food and lovers will do for her. For these reasons, Olivia is clearly an INFJ, fittingly known as an author, for it is by her hand that so much of the happenings in Hemlock Grove come to pass.

The Beastiary: Entry III, Sentinels

Defined by their Sensing and Judging qualities, Sentinel types are defined by their pragmatism and their ability to devote themselves to the causes they consider to be worthy of their sponsor. They are excellent planners and managers, both of resources and of people, and excel in all things measurable or anything which concerns concrete facts. This is not to preclude artistic or poetic drives, only that those drives will often be defined by their groundedness.

The four types for discussion in this entry, and the creatures I have matched them with are as follows: ESFJs (Erinyes), ESTJs (Dragons), ISFJs (Valkyries) and ISTJs (Vampires).

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ESFJs (The Provider) - Erinyes

Within the extensive and complicated mythologies of Classical Greece, the Erinyes, whose name apparently translates as avengers of perjury, were deities of vengeance who existed to punish those who did wrong, most notably those who broke their oaths. Erinyes are more commonly known as the Furies and according to some sources, they are more ancient than any of the Olympian Gods (by which we mean Zeus and his "merry" household).

ESFJ most accurately aligns with the Erinyes due to this type's love of loyalty. Providers want what is best for those around them and this can only be reached if everyone practices a fierce kind of loyalty. ESFJs seek to promote overall benefit for everyone and, though the Furies are fearsome and a curse upon those they are seeking, in providing an incentive for loyalty and companionship they (and their legacy) encourage honesty and comradeship, which allow peace for all to enjoy. Furthermore, Providers, like the Erinyes, take their duties with the utmost seriousness, devoting themselves to the benefit of those around them. Erinyes are single-minded when it comes to their task, unflinchingly dedicated. While this supernatural devotion is not exactly matched by the ESFJ, they are very passionate and focused individuals. That the Provider retains a keen eye on social status further reflects the way in which the Erinyes exist to deal with contractual (often social) problems. 

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ESTJ (The Enforcer) - Dragons

I should not have to tell anyone what a Dragon is, so I am not going to do so.

Enforcers are representative of tradition and order within the MBTI network of personalities, they are exceptionally capable to understand social traditions and ideals and then employ them in such a way to sway other individuals and unite them, often under the banner of the ESTJ. Likewise, Dragons are depicted almost always, as being among the most ancient of beings, whose very lives are tied to a world forgotten, yet whose existence is important, if not integral, to the functioning of the world. In much the same way, ESTJs seek to enable the persistence of certain aspects of human existence through maintaining, sometimes singlehandedly, the structures which have enabled society and human interaction to endure for as long as they have. It helps that Enforcers are excellent organisers of people, as are Dragons who are often depicted has having lived in sprawling empires eons before humanity, or something comparable, came onto the scene. 

In a more metaliterary manner, we can see Dragons as a stabilising presence within the fantasy genre, for depictions of them have extended back into history unknown and there are still novels and films and all manner of other media being produced today which makes full use of this ancient archetype. 

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ISFJ (The Protector) - Valkyries

Within Norse mythology, the Valkyries were the "choosers of the slain" a group of female entities whose role was to determine who would live and die in combat, as well as to collect the souls of fallen warriors who they deemed worthy and deliver them to Valhalla, where they would train for Ragnarok, the great battle which would remake the world.

Valkyries exist to support the Gods and ensure that they have the greatest chances when the dreaded battle finally arrives and likewise ISFJs are "all about" sharing their time, energy and compassion in order to support other people, especially if those other people are united with them in a cause they believe in. Protectors are, furthermore, loyal and enthusiastic, as are the Valkyries, who are entirely devoted to their assigned tasked. ISJFs are practically oriented and can handle themselves in practical tasks more often than not, which is reflected in the Valkyries who are masterful combatants, their very existence is, after all, devoted to combat. Even in basic namesake, Valkyries are protectors. Without them, the Norse Gods would lack the army they require to defend themselves and creation in the great battle. They are the first and last line of defence.

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ISTJ (The Guardian)  - Vampires

ISTJs are calm, pragmatic individuals who, though they are more than capable of experiencing strong emotions, are able to keep themselves under control in most situations. This is comparable to the Vampiric coolness with which these creatures are often portrayed. Traditional depictions consider Vampires to be aristocratic and collected individuals who are so terrifying due to their never being concerned. After all, when one is immortal and able to overpower any human opponent, what does one have to fear?

Guardians often excel in multiple areas at once, making them jack-of-all-trades. Vampires are so wide and varied in terms of their portrayal and given so many different abilities and skills that the very idea of a Vampire fits into this idea. Furthermore, guardians are restricted by their own set of rules, much like Vampires are confined by the limitations of their condition, be they whatever they are, forced to live off human blood and remain inside during the day being the two most iconic. 

This concludes the third entry. In the final part, I will discuss the Diplomat personalities: ENFJ (Dryads), ENFP (Fae), INFJ (Angels), INFP (Muses).

Thanks for reading!

Lilith: Redeeming a Legacy

Whether it is as the vampire "Goddess" (it's complicated) from True Blood or the first of all demons from Supernatural, the name Lilith has pervaded popular culture, especially the fantasy genre. Consistently, she is viewed as an "evil" character, as a corrupted being who seeks to tempt and lure protagonists into danger or perform some other great act of evil. Marvel adopted her not once, but twice, as the eldest daughter of Dracula and as the mother of all demons. In even more contemporary and young adult popular culture, there is a demon in Cassandra Clare's Moral Instruments named Lilith. 

Whenever a character appears in a book, a show or a game with this name, you know that they are going to turn out to be more than they might initially appear (take for example Lilith as she appears in Fable II or as she appears in something as far removed from Fantasy as Frasier) and you know that, more often than not, she will turn out to be your foe. Characters named Lilith are always female, always rebellious and almost always in possession of some dark power or part of some unholy hierarchy. 

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But who exactly is this figure of Lilith? Where does she come from?

The short answer is that Lilith appears as a highly mysterious and somewhat prolific figure in the Jewish mythologies of Assyria and Babylonia. Mentions of her are widespread and, as with many ancient figures, she seems to have a huge number of different incarnations According to most accounts, Lilith is a demon or somehow linked to demonic or dark forces. Often, she is associated with childbirth, as a negative influence who seeks to steal and devour children, or as a temptress who seduces and ultimately destroys men, thus preventing them from having children with mortal women.

According to some sources, once a child was born in a Jewish family, they would be given an amulet to wear, which would have been spelled in order to protect them from Lilith. This was often worn until the child was circumcised, at which point they were seen as protected by God through the Jewish Covenant. 

So, from this reading, we have an evil, monstrous figure indeed, one which deserves the legacy she has received: appearing throughout our culture as a seductress and corrupter, as a demon, a devil or a witch. And yet, this is not the only reading of the figure of Lilith, there is another...

Painting by John Collier

According to this second reading of Lilith, the earliest evidence of which is to be found in the Alphabet of Sirach, Lilith is no demon. In fact, she is the wife of Adam, as in Adam and Eve. Furthermore, she is Adam's first wife and, unlike Eve, she was not created from Adam's rib after he was created, but at the same time as him and from the "earth". Naturally, having been made from the same stuff as her husband, Lilith considered herself, and rightly so, Adam's equal and therefore she refused to submit to him. Thus, according to the legend, she leaves him and the Garden of Eden forever, refusing to return and somehow ends up mating with the archangel Samael (in religious texts, these things just seem to happen). 

We can read Lilith as a female version of Lucifer, though I would argue that the crimes of Lucifer are far greater than those of Lilith. True, both are defying what is seen as the will of God, a complex concept to be sure, but whereas Lilith is asserting that she is equal to Adam, Lucifer asserted himself as the equal to God. Hence, Lucifer is punished with damnation, whereas the story as to what happens to Lilith after her "rebellion" becomes immediately unclear.

So, the question I shall ask is this: if we are to read the story of Lilith in this second way, why does our culture continue to connect her name with evil and corruption?

If Lilith's only crime is that she, as a woman, wanted to be equal with Adam, representative of man, what is so evil about it? I think that we can find an answer within traditional, particularly religious, attitudes to gender and sexuality, attitudes which our culture, in spite of numerous assertions to the contrary, have still failed to entirely shake.

The rebellion of Lilith against Adam can be easily read as the threatening of masculine power by the feminine. She disobeys him, refuses to submit to him. This is her original crime and it is this transgression that has led to her demonisation. By refusing to obey her husband and perhaps because she is depicted as copulating with an Archangel, she is consider a tempter and a corrupter. True, Samael is not considered entirely innocent, but the majority of the blame is placed on Lilith, for she is the anomaly: a rebellious woman. 

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If we harken back to the two traditional roles given to women within literature, we can see more easily how she is so easily likened to demons, devils and the like. According to a traditional attitude towards literary woman, one which is, thankfully, heavily outdated yet, unfortunately, still relevant today, women fit into the category of the Lady or the Whore. Ladies are noble, delicate, subservient the ultimate example of what woman should be according to traditional gender roles. They are significantly desexualised in that they do not participate in such activity, certainly outside of the marital bed, but this only serves to make them more desirable to the male characters around them. Whores, however, are seen as the complete antithesis to the traditional role of women. They are disobedient to or outside of, or at least on the fringes of, the patriarchal structure, and sexually free. This leads to the corruption of their image, the corruption of Lilith's image.

We can see, with no shortage of clarity, how the traditional has influenced modern representations of Lilith. Whilst she is, undoubtedly, shown as a tempter, she is almost always cast in traditionally female roles. In Supernatural, Lilith is the first demon, making her effectively the mother of all demons as well as the bride or daughter of Lucifer. The Lilith of True Blood is the mother of vampires and the bride of God. Modern representations of Lilith within fantasy all seem to buy into this conception of her as a demon and temptress, but also as a traditional woman.

What I am saying, then, is that, whilst I have no problem with the name of Lilith being used for demonic and seductive characters (I still think that such representations can be interesting, original and entertaining) I do think that her namesake can be used for a lot more. Yes, Lilith has diabolic connotations and those can be interesting to explore. But still, this alternative interpretation of her character and what she means within Jewish mythology means that characters named for her should not be eternally limited to the role of the harbinger of darkness and desire.

Interestingly enough, her namesake has been used in one manner, though not in the form of a character. There exists a feminist, Jewish magazine which uses her namesake to convey their message of respect for woman, their desire for equality as well as reconciliation with Judaism. Lilith is a name with many connotations and much potential and it should not be confined to the demonic.

Cover of the latest issue of Lilith

Death and Desire: Vampires and the Seven Deadly Sins

Though I have some more MBTI-related content in mind, I have devoted a lot of time to that over the past few months, so I think it is time for a little break.  

So recently, in anticipation of the final season next month, I have been using the SkyTV Box Set service to watch True Blood. Though not perfect, I have enjoyed the series so far (I am currently midway through the fifth series). This combined with the Steam Summer sale, which has allowed me to download the Skyrim DLC Dawnguard, has meant that I have been assailed with Vampires, both by the TV and on my computer screen.

In immersing myself in both of these top-quality pieces of entertainment, I have begun to reflect upon the Vampire mythology and what thinking about them might be able to say about us, as human beings, especially where the dark portions of our psyche might be concerned. When it comes to discussing the dark motivations of mankind, a good place to start is with the system of the Seven Deadly Sins, used in some branches of Catholic Theology. 

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For those unacquainted with the system, it seeks to categorise human misconduct into one of seven categories, in order to provide moral clarification for those wishing to avoid transgressing. Whilst Catholicism describes the sins in reference to God, one need not be a believer in order to make use of the system, for they can have a role in a secular ethic, though that is another blog entry entirely. 

Vampires in many ways embody several of these cardinal sins, though naturally different representations provide different emphases. Of course, there are a multitude of varying vampires in popular culture (not to mention classical literature and folklore), meaning that one could immediately be sceptical of trying to discuss vampires in general. But there are certain common traits when it comes to Vampires, and it is those traits which I shall be using above those attributed to them by any particular incarnation.

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Gluttony

Vampires feed on blood. That is perhaps their most central quality, considered to be even more intrinsic to them than, for example, their inability to walk in sunlight. More modern representations of Vampires include examples of those who can walk around during the day, but none, or at least not one of which I am aware, has even shown a vampire who does not require blood in one way or another.

Furthermore, the vast majority of Vampires are defined by their need and desire for it. Without the blood (in most representations) they would die, true, but they are more often than not depicted as finding the act of drinking the blood of the living as exhilarating. Defining Vampires by their desire to consume endless amounts of blood has clear links to the cardinal sin of gluttony, which can be defined in several ways. The overconsumption of food or drink is the most common definition and, whilst some Vampires may need to consume vast quantities of blood, the fact that their consumption is excessive when compared to that of a human is enough to link their appetite to gluttony. 

Furthermore, their hunger is more often than no depicted as something that is very hard to control, even if the Vampire in question is in possession of an extremely strong will. Should the temptation become too much, their humanity leaves them, as do their wits and they enter into a frenzy to consume and drink more and more. This goes beyond the sin of gluttony and hints at something more primal: the fact that humanity retains something of their original animalistic nature beneath the surface. 

This leads us to the second sin...

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Pride

The so-called route of all other sins, Pride is perhaps one of the most ephemeral and difficult to define of the sins, though this is what makes it so insidious, and so difficult to control. When the sins are used as a story telling device, Pride is often treated as being higher in the hierarchy than the other sins and often gains its strength from a pathological ability to manipulate and deceive its enemies. 

The first Vampiric quality which can be tied to this deadliest of sins is the hunger for blood, though this depends on the Vampire in question. On one reading, the attempt to control such a hunger could be seen as an arrogant assumption that an individual is able to change their own fundamental nature, though such a reading could be replaced with one which would cast the attempt at self-restraint in a far more heroic or poetic light. Furthermore, not all Vampires strive to control their hunger, with many of them, certainly in settings where the Vampires are exclusively villains, instead give in to their infinite hunger. 

Secondly, is the Vampiric quality of immortality. A staple of the Vampiric legends is that they are undead immortals, able to live endlessly unless they are slain, the method of which depends on the story. Indeed, in most representations, Vampires are often depicted gloating about their deathlessness, regularly doing so whilst degrading human characters through labelling them as little more than food or cattle. To claim immunity from death, to oppose what is often considered to be the natural order, that seems to be to fit perfectly into the category of Pride. 

Of course, one could easily turn the narrative on its head, instead claiming that Vampiric immortality is a great human achievement, but not one which is overly proud. I would personally disagree, for whilst there may be humble Vampire characters (I am in no way claiming that any of these sins apply to all Vampires, only to the concept of Vampirism in general), the act of rejecting ones own mortality through becoming undead seems to me to be bound up in the concept of Pride.

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Lust

Our final sin will come as no surprise to anyone who has seen anything produced upon Vampires in the last decade, for modern representations of Vampires seem to be unable to avoid turning them into beautiful, and seductive, far removed from the more traditional legends. A whole subgenre of literature named "paranormal romance" has sprung into being in recent years, rocketing to popularity with the polarising Twilight Saga and its like. So many of these romances claim to be exploring how Vampires, modern culture and modern relationships would interact, though most only manage to place the three elements together, before then descending into works which focus over-much on sexualising these creatures.

Through representing them as eligible for romantic attraction, though through persisting in representing them as outsiders and rejected (or, in the case of True Blood, making the task of their integration a central feature of the plot), they are transformed into paramours and used to represent forbidden desires. Lust as a sin was, in some traditional interpretations, intended to include any kind of sexuality, outside that of the marital bed. In a more modern and liberal understanding of it, it would be better to include certain kinds of deviant sexualities (with animals or corpses, for example) as well as overindulgence in otherwise health sexual activity. Vampires are literally dead. They are fundamentally outside of the norm, they are the forbidden, the tainted. This is how they link to lust. 

It may be the case that the sexualisation of Vampirism is something that can be solely blamed on modern culture, though I think this would be an overly simplified approach. There are a large number of traditional Vampire legends which speak of supernatural seductive abilities, though very few of these actually portray the Vampires as being attractive, instead saying that they needed to rely upon their supernatural powers in order to trick mortals into becoming their willing prey. Traditionally, they were less sexualised, though even in Bram Stoker's Dracula, there is a hint of desire between Mr Harker and Dracula's brides. So perhaps we can argue that Vampires are more sexualised in modern culture than they used to be. But then again, isn't everything?

So there you have it, some examples as to how Vampires can tell us of the darker portions of humanity. Naturally, this is in no way comprehensive, and there is a lot more I could say on this topic. Perhaps I shall, but that is for another entry. I hope you enjoyed reading.

Image by ro0t