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Vampire Ankh

What is a vampire ankh? And how did an ancient Egyptian symbol become linked to real vampirism?

An ankh is a symbol. www.symbols.com defines it as: The ancient Egyptian staff sign or god staff ankh, which was also the hieroglyph used to symbolize reproduction and sexual union. According to other sources, it meant life and zest for life.

The definition of life or zest for life is where it links to those affected with vampirism. Real vampires are very much linked to the need for living life giving energies from other living and natural sources. We are very aware of how energy connects to the cycle of life. Visually the ankh symbol incorporates both a representation of the male and female sexual organs. The sexual union created life and thus insured eternal life – you living on thru your heirs. Hence symbolic reference to the cycle of life.

Real vampires have always needed to be a bit secretive about what they are for fear of misunderstanding, and before this modern era, persecution. Yet we have always needed to meet, to gather in friendship, understanding and to share knowledge. In the days before the internet, we did so in small groups face to face. We gathered in coffeehouses, taverns, pubs, homes, etc. One of the best ways we had to notify others of a gathering was to use real bulletin boards in our gathering places. But you couldn’t very well post a big note that said “hey all real vampires meet here at 7pm on Tuesday”. Doing such would have drawn too much attention – and a lot of nut cases, gawkers and wann-bes. So the way we communicated was thru the use of symbols. Every local vampire group had their own set of local symbols – and each person or establishment (where meetings were held) had their own individual sigil or signet. A combination of symbols with a date and time was then posted on a lower corner of a public bulletin board. If you knew the key, you would then understand the message – to others it would just look like gibberish. A common message might be: Tuesday night Annabel’s Tavern meeting with LA.

In the early & mid-1970’s a wave of interest in all things Egyptian swept the US as a blockbuster exhibit of Egyptian antiquities, the Treasures of Tutankhamen, toured major US museums for two – three year period. It was during this time, that many local vampire groups around the country started use the Egyptian symbol of life or the ankh as the symbol for real vampires. They felt the connection to the ancient symbol and its meaning of life. The use of this symbol or sigil was then picked up by Hollywood and is seen the 1983 vampire movie, The Hunger. The real vampire use of symbols and sigils was then further reinforced in fiction when such role-playing games as Vampire: The Masquerade exploded on to the dark culture scene in the early 1990’s.

The current use of the ankh has become blurred between reality and fiction. It is used as a Goth fashion accessory, a game symbol and as a symbol of real vampirism. There are even places that will sell you an “official” vampire ankh. Most real vampire wear an ankh. And by tradition, it is not an ankh they purchased themselves. A good friend and fellow real vampire gave the ankh to them as acknowledgement that they too belong in the real vampire community. For real vampires the ankh is still used as part of that unnoticed world of symbols used to identify ourselves to each other

Veritatem dies aperit.

LA. Judge / nodecaf
VC Magazine Editor

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