Are VAMPIRES based on... mosquitoes?

It might be unintentional, but vampires and mosquitoes have a lot in common. Could this be foundation for breakthrough research or just a fun - but insane - idea? AI answers + funny content at the end

So here’s the gist of it:

• Mosquitoes are only active at dusk and dawn. They sleep during the day.

  • Vampires are said to be “burnt by the sun”. Thus they’d only be active at night (or and when the sun is less strong, thus dusk and down)

• They are both blood suckers.

  • Mosquitoes (female) must suck blood to lay eggs.

    • Vampires are said to make more vampires when they drink someone’s blood (although lately this concept seems to have fallen off fashion)

• Mosquitoes are scary and potentially deadly.

  • Vampires are scary and deadly.

• Vampires are scared of garlic (strong smell)

  • Mosquitoes’ sense of “smell”(?) Is quite good by being able to smell us from really far away. A strong smell would consequentially confuse them or scare them away. (In theory)

So I asked AI about it, here’s the result:

The concept of vampires has long captivated the imagination of people across cultures and time periods. While the depiction of vampires in literature and popular culture may vary, they are often depicted as undead creatures that survive by drinking the blood of the living.

One theory for the origin of the vampire myth is that it was inspired by the behavior of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals in order to survive and reproduce. Like vampires, mosquitoes are able to survive for long periods of time without food or water, and they are attracted to the warmth and scent of living beings.

Furthermore, the bite of a mosquito can be painful and can lead to the transmission of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus. These characteristics may have contributed to the association of mosquitoes with the undead and the concept of vampires.

Other things that may have contributed

In some cultures, the myth of the vampire may also have been influenced by the belief in the existence of spirits or the undead. In many cultures, it was believed that the spirits of the deceased could return to the living world in order to feed on the blood of the living. This belief may have contributed to the development of the vampire myth.

Another factor that may have contributed to the development of the vampire myth is the observation of the physical changes that occur in the body after death. When a person dies, their body begins to decompose, and various physical changes can occur, such as the skin becoming pale and the body appearing emaciated.

These changes may have been interpreted as signs of the deceased person returning to life in some form. In some cultures, it was believed that the spirits of the deceased could return to the living world in the form of an undead creature, such as a vampire.

Furthermore, the observation of certain natural phenomena, such as the rising of the full moon, may have contributed to the development of the vampire myth. In some cultures, the full moon was believed to have the power to bring the spirits of the deceased back to life, and this belief may have been incorporated into the myth of the vampire.

It is also worth noting that the concept of vampires has undergone significant evolution over time, and different cultures and time periods have their own unique versions of the vampire myth. In some versions of the myth, vampires are depicted as immortal creatures with superpowers, while in others they are depicted as more human-like, with a vulnerability to sunlight and the ability to be killed.

Conclusion (or TL;DR if you’re skimming)

In conclusion, the concept of vampires may have been inspired by a variety of factors, including the behavior of mosquitoes, the fear of disease transmission, the observation of physical changes in the body after death, and the belief in the existence of spirits or the undead. The vampire myth has evolved over time, and different cultures and time periods have their own unique versions of the myth.

Overall, while the concept of vampires has evolved over time and has taken on many different forms, it is possible that the myth was inspired, at least in part, by the behavior of mosquitoes and the fear of the transmission of diseases through their bites.

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References

I do not know the sources AI has pulled from so take all of that information with a grain of salt.

I thought this up while trying to fall asleep and worrying about not having managed to kill the mosquito in my room. I found AI’s opinion on it interesting and worth sharing. Definitely would love to read and write more on this concept.

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BONUS: funny stuff that came out of this idea

(will edit and add more if I receive suggestions!)

• Vlad the Stinger

• Dracularvae

• Vampires that transform into mosquitoes instead of bats

• Fangs? More like proboscis (the mosquito mouthpart by the way - here’s an article I found that explains stuff)

A kawaii vampire eating ice-cream generated with DALL-E 2 (do you agree that the tongue looks like a stinger?)