Lesbian vampire

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Illustration by D. H. Friston that accompanied the first publication of lesbian vampire novella Carmilla in The Dark Blue magazine in 1872

Lesbian vampirism is a trope in early gothic horror and 20th century exploitation film.[1]

Origins and early history

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Two early additions to vampire lore established an attraction to young, beautiful women, which persists to modern vampire mythos. The vampires in Slavic mythology, the wąpierz, were said to sneak into houses at night and drink the blood of people.[citation needed] Countess Elizabeth Báthory also inspired the vampire myth, and her alleged victims were all young women.[1]

The portrayal of vampires has had sexual connotations since the Victorian era, but at that time it was to demonize sexual behaviour.[2] The women in Victorian era vampire media were often portrayed as sexually transgressive and then punished for said transgressions.[2] As part of this moral panic, the trope of lesbian vampires appeared to reinforce heteronormativity.[2][3]

Carmilla and its adaptations

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The genre has its roots in Sheridan le Fanu's novella Carmilla about the love of a female vampire for a young woman:

Sometimes after an hour of apathy, my strange and beautiful companion would take my hand and hold it with a fond pressure, renewed again and again; blushing softly, gazing in my face with languid and burning eyes, and breathing so fast that her dress rose and fell with the tumultuous respiration. It was like the ardour of a lover; it embarrassed me; it was hateful and yet overpowering; and with gloating eyes she drew me to her, and her hot lips travelled along my cheek in kisses; and she would whisper, almost in sobs, 'You are mine, you shall be mine, and you and I are one for ever'. (Carmilla, Chapter 4).[4]

Carmilla is a constant presence in the protagonist, Laura's life.[2] Her role evolves from mother to lover, though their relationship revolves around Carmilla feeding on Laura.[2] When Carmilla is discovered later in the novella, the story plays on themes of patriarchy and homophobia as Carmilla is seen to be corrupting and tarnishing these young women.[2]

Dracula's Daughter (1936) gave the first hints of lesbian attraction in a vampire film,[5] in the scene in which the title character, portrayed by Gloria Holden, preys upon an attractive girl she has invited to her house to pose for her.[6] Universal highlighted Countess Zaleska's attraction to women in some of its original advertising for the film, using the tag line "Save the women of London from Dracula's Daughter!"[7]

Le Fanu's Carmilla was adapted by Roger Vadim as Blood and Roses in 1960.[2] Terror in the Crypt (1964) follows suit, with a portrayal of subtle lesbian attraction between a Karnstein descendant (possessed by Carmilla) and her victim. More explicit lesbian content was provided in Hammer Studios production of the Karnstein Trilogy of films loosely adapted from Carmilla. The Vampire Lovers (1970) was the first, starring Ingrid Pitt and Madeline Smith. It was a relatively straightforward re-telling of LeFanu's novella,[2] but with more overt violence and sexuality. Lust for a Vampire (1971) followed, with Yutte Stensgaard as the same character played by Pitt, returning to prey upon students at an all-girls school. This version had her falling in love with a male teacher at the school. Twins of Evil (1971) had the least "lesbian" content, with one female vampire biting a female victim on the breast. It starred real life identical twins and Playboy Playmates Madeleine and Mary Collinson. Partially due to censorship restraints from the BBFC,[8] Hammer's trilogy actually had fewer lesbian elements as it progressed.

In 2023, Dark Horse Comics's Berger Books imprint published the comic Carmilla: The First Vampire written by Amy Chu and illustrated by Soo Lee.[9] The story introduces Carmilla to 1990s New York, and the protagonist consults In a Glass Darkly while investigating the mysterious deaths of various LGBT+ women.[10] For writing the comic, Chu won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel[11]

In other media

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The 2010 animated series Adventure Time features a bisexual main character named Marceline the Vampire Queen, who is a vampire, and by the show's end starts a romantic relationship with fellow protagonist Princess Bubblegum, who it is implied she has a past romantic history with.[12] In the mockumentary vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, the female lead is a pansexual vampire named Nadja of Antipaxos.[13][14] The third season of the Netflix adult animation Castlevania introduces characters Morana and Striga, two female vampires in a romantic relationship.[15]

Blood of the Tribades, released in 2016, is an updated variant on the trope and was described as "a modern take on 70s Euro arthouse and Hammer lesbian vampire movies that...takes on today's stormy political climate, religious zealotry and gender issues."[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Weiss, Andrea (1993). Vampires & Violets: Lesbians in Film. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140231007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Stockstill, Ellen J. (2013), Fahs, Breanne; Dudy, Mary L.; Stage, Sarah (eds.), "Vampires, Border Crossing, and Panic in Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla"", The Moral Panics of Sexuality, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 44–56, doi:10.1057/9781137353177_3, ISBN 978-1-137-35317-7, retrieved 2021-07-15
  3. ^ Wohl, Sheri R. (2006). Sexuality and breached barriers in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla" (Master of Arts in Humanities thesis). California State University Dominguez Hills.
  4. ^ Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan (1872). Carmilla. Independently Published. ISBN 9781981089475. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  5. ^ Tudor, Andrew (1989). Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-16992-X. p. 31
  6. ^ Breen, quoted in Worland, Rick (2007). The Horror Film: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1-4051-3902-1. p. 126
  7. ^ Russo, Vito (1987). The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies (revised edition). New York, HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-096132-5. p. 48
  8. ^ Hearn, Marcus (1997). Barnes, Alan (ed.). The Hammer Story. Titan. ISBN 978-1852867904.
  9. ^ "Carmilla: The First Vampire TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics". www.darkhorse.com. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  10. ^ Chu, Amy (2023). Carmilla : the first vampire. Soo Lee, Sal Cipriano (First ed.). Milwaukie, OR: Berger Books. ISBN 978-1-5067-3464-4. OCLC 1336708491.
  11. ^ "2023 Stoker Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  12. ^ Moen, Matt (August 5, 2020). "In Conversation: Rebecca Sugar and Noelle Stevenson". Paper Magazine. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  13. ^ Rude, Mey. "The 10 Best, Gayest Moments From 'What We Do in the Shadows' (So Far)". OUT.
  14. ^ Reynolds, Daniel. "How What We Do in the Shadows Became Cable's Queerest Comedy". Advocate.
  15. ^ Galiz-Rowe, Ty (2 October 2023). "Every LGBTQ+ character in the Netflix Castlevania universe". Gayming.
  16. ^ Pierce, Bill (3 October 2016). "Blood of the Tribades'- Lesbian vampires fight and frolic in erotic horror". The Cinema Files.
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