Open AccessVampire as a metaphor
Author(s) -
Bojan G. Jovanović
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
glasnik etnografskog instituta/glasnik etnografskog instituta sanu
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2334-8259
pISSN - 0350-0861
DOI - 10.2298/gei0452227j
Subject(s) - vampire , blame , metaphor , mythology , subject (documents) , history , sociology , aesthetics , literature , psychology , social psychology , art , philosophy , linguistics , computer science , library science
A vampire, as a demonized deceased human, is used as a specific metaphor to explain unknown sources of various troubles in a community. A malicious deceased one is a mythical creature and as such is to blame for the existing troubles in a community; the creature, in turn, becomes a subject i.e., a victim in a ritual performed to avert the difficulties, so that the community in question could return to its daily life. A myth revival establishes diagnosis and appropriate therapy for the crisis solving. On the other hand, during the next crisis a vampire as a part of the mythical and ritual pattern becomes a troublemaker again