If it turned out that there was a rare degenerative illness that prevented sufferers from absorbing nutrition from any source other than blood, would you agree that sufferers of that illness were vampires?
Ack. Okay, I guess I have no choice but to add yet another qualifier. :-)
How about: Vampires are very long-lived humanoids that derive their longevity from drinking blood. I can’t think of a mundane example that fits that description. Which I suppose was Phil’s original point: the only useful definition of “vampire” is one which excludes everything that could plausibly exist.
Vampires are very long-lived humanoids that derive their longevity from drinking blood.
Vampires are humanoids that don’t have a functioning heart and which retain the memories of the human host whose death was necessary for their creation. (And they sure as heck don’t glitter—that part is critical!)
If it turned out that there was a rare degenerative illness that prevented sufferers from absorbing nutrition from any source other than blood, would you agree that sufferers of that illness were vampires?
Ack. Okay, I guess I have no choice but to add yet another qualifier. :-)
How about: Vampires are very long-lived humanoids that derive their longevity from drinking blood. I can’t think of a mundane example that fits that description. Which I suppose was Phil’s original point: the only useful definition of “vampire” is one which excludes everything that could plausibly exist.
Vampires are humanoids that don’t have a functioning heart and which retain the memories of the human host whose death was necessary for their creation. (And they sure as heck don’t glitter—that part is critical!)