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12. the Female Vampire in Popular Culture

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12. the Female Vampire in Popular Culture U. MELISSA ANYIWO 12. THE FEMALE VAMPIRE IN POPULAR CULTURE Or What to Read or Watch Next INTRODUCTION The vampire has had a chequered history that mirrors attitudes towards women over time. Presented as outside acceptable femininity—single, independent, homosexual, and eschewing biological reproduction—female vampires reflect the unending fear of the powerful woman. As a result, vampiras in mainstream visual culture have typically been formed from the simple template of the Whore or Temptress. There are in fact hundreds of representations of the female vampire dating to the Lamia of Ancient Greece. However, the most significant representations in contemporary culture of unfettered, overtly sexualized women arise from two core texts: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella Carmilla (1871) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897). If the male vampire reflects our cultural fears of the Outsider, then the vampira is the manifestation of patriarchal societal fears. Yet as with the contemporary romantic male, the modern vampira image alters slightly depending on the context of authorship. The following chapter provides a short introduction to some of our favourite works (films, television shows, novels, and webseries) for students and scholars alike, which present the most explicit versions of these templates from Carmilla offshoots, to contemporary images like the Warrior Woman. CARMILLA AND ITS OFFSHOOTS Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1871) is an intensely erotic gothic novella recounting the life of the Countess Millarca Karnstein (Carmilla is an anagram of Millarca), who lives through the centuries by feeding on young girls (particularly her descendants). This novella, which predates Dracula by over a quarter of a century, represents the most complete vision of the female vampire: a lesbian seductress who desires to overturn patriarchy by A. Hobson & U. M. Anyiwo (Eds.), Gender in the Vampire Narrative, 173–192. © 2016 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved. U. M. Anyiwo promoting female independence from men, and the rejection of biological reproduction. Its dreamlike narrative and romantic style make it an essential read. The novella has resulted in innumerable “adaptations” since its release, and inspired many more (including the lesbian vampire movie genre). Blood and Roses (Le sang et la rose), Roger Vadim (1960) [Motion picture] This oft-forgotten classic features a Young Carmilla jealous of her friend’s engagement, whose obsession leads her to the tomb of a female vampire. Complex, philosophical and engaging, this French film offers an interesting take on the image of changing womanhood right in the heart of Second Wave Feminism. Carmilla, Jordan Hall and Ellen Simpson (2014–2015) [Web series] A modern take on Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic novella, which embraces the legacy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars, this transmedia narrative consisting of thirty-six 2–5 minute webisodes (at the time of writing), follows Silas University freshman Laura Holli, as she investigates the disappearance of her roommate while dealing with her strange, nocturnal, replacement, Carmilla—who may or may not be a centuries-old vampiress. A truly modern take on vampirism and sexuality perfectly reflective of Millennial concerns. THE LESBIAN VAMPIRE FILM Uncoincidentally coinciding with the backlash against Second Wave Feminism, Lesbian Vampire films built on the core themes of the exploitation genre popular at the start of the 1970s. Popularized by the British Hammer House of Horror Studios, the use of the historical and literary images of Carmilla (and the Hungarian “blood” Countess Erzsébet Báthory) allowed producers to titillate audiences, while confining vampirism and lesbianism to a “safe” fantasy structure. Often shot in multiple versions suitable for television all the way to hard-core pornography, lesbian vampire films generally feature rich, decadent women (like the original Carmilla), who seduce the young and innocent. The Vampire Lovers, Roy Ward Baker (1971) [Motion picture] The first part of Hammer House’s seminal Karnstein Trilogy (1970–1971), this movie tells the story of lesbian vampire Marcilla Karnstein (Ingrid Pitt) and her seduction of the young, innocent Emma Morton (Madeline Smith). Focusing on the titillating nature 174.
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