Has anyone else ever noticed that in a lot of monster stories that involve people turning into things,the virus or whatever is spread by a bite? werewolves,vampires,zombies,and im sure thier are others too. What do you think about it,and why do you think that is such a common theme?

Because viruses are easily spread by bites.




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Well yeah,but there not the only way,and there the only way to spread them in these stories.

Well it would not make for a good story if some man/woman was transformed into a vampire because another vampire sneezed on them. Same goes for the werewolf.


Example


woman walking alone in the wood's as usual in horror stories or movies...

werewolf jumps out...


woman screams as the werewolf pounces on her....Then it sneezes on her and then she suffers the terrible CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF!!!!


see.

i think the use of biting as a medium for transferring a disease that leads to the person transforming into something comes from the fact that it is the most primal way of connecting to a victim. it also embodies the the essence of what this monsters are in that you are changed from a normal, intelligent person to a, in most cases, mindless, primitive walking creature. you become something "less-than-human" and it seems that a savage bite would represent this "less-than-human" characteristic.

Thats a cool idea,I never thought of that before.

I would assume the reason for the biting is that nearly everyone has been bitten and we know that a bite hurts. With this in mind it would be easy for us to relate to some of the pain that the individual might be experiencing.

Yeah...but we've all been sneezed on too! (Sorry, couldn't resist)

I have to go with Xenojin on this one - its the classic way of spreading disease or death: rats, fleas, ticks, snakes, rabid dogs...

Although in this germophobic world, I wouldn't be surprised if some kid's movie came out "The Case of the Sneezing Werewolf."

One word: Rabies.

Bites from rabid animals have something in common with zombie, werewolf, and vampire bites. There is a painful transformation that occurs that ultimately results in abnormal behavior (and sometimes death).

Bites seem to be the scariest and most practical way of infecting people from a monster. I don't think we're capable of suspending our disbelief so much that we could believe zombies were infecting people with hypodermic needles. You need nothing more than a set of teeth to spread the infection. A bite is effective because it's so unexpected. A bite is like some hidden weapon that comes at you from out of nowhere. Ever notice in a zombie movie when there's a group of people someone always gets bit before they realize what they're dealing with? They say something like "Hey man, are you okay?" or "I think this guy is sick" before they get close and end up getting bitten. No one expects to get bitten especially when they're just trying to help someone that's in trouble. Even then they don't really understand what the bite means or what will happen because in most cases bites aren't fatal. It's pretty scary when you think about it.

I feel your pain! I've been there man. I...I just don't want to talk about it right now.

It also is by scratches too....because usually something has to be sharp and pokes into your skin

Well, really, what is more freightening than having your own body turn against you?

well if you think about it were more scared of creatures with human like features. Aliens scare people cause they are usually described as with human like features, bipedal, arms legs fingers eyes, along with werewolves, zombies, vampires, bigfoot, ghosts, demons, amongst others.
If a creature is 100% aniamlistic looking it is much easier for you to think "ok weird ANIMAL" but given strange human like traits you freak out and its much more creaturesque.
Though strange animals are still pretty scary on their own ones weve never encountered before or seen just that twinge of something close to us makes it seem a little supernatural and begins to make us worry.

I was thinking the same exact thing at first.... Then it ocurred to me that some of the older legends (Vampires, Werewolves) predate the understanding of a virus. So how come they started with a bite, rather than a scratch?

I think that the bites are commonly used because the mouth has so much bacteria in it. You could easily spread something by biting someone.

I read on a website about the history of vampire stories that the neck was used because the neck is considered a sexually sensitive area, and the writers wanted to add some kind of sexuality to get people to read them. That way they got around the taboo of open sexuality for the "proper" society of the time.

Wow,honestly i forgot about this one......But anyway. something I recently found out is that in old european legends of vampires,thaty thought they used thier tounge to suck out the life forces with,and not the teeth. they thought that because on the dead bodies that dug up,something happened during decomposition that caused the tongue to stick out,so that is what they thought they used. Just thought that was really cool.

Well... a lot of regular things are spread through the mouth, like a snakes/spiders bite/poison
Unless... they could just take their time and rape their victim, But i'm sure they don't want any STD's

It's fiction, the bite concept adds to the sense of horror.

I know that its fiction,But I guess the fiction side of it brings me to another question. What does everybody think is scarier, werewolfs,vampires,or zombies? And why? Also if you have any favorite movies about tham,what are they?

I think zombies are by far the scariest of the three.

i've noticed that too piper

Gah and I recently (Okay about a month ago) Watched something on Discovery about the legends of Vamps.....

Though, if I remember correctly from that show... one of the reasons that they usually bit a victium to spread the desease is because when most of the orignal stories were written, showing a kiss in literature was like a total taboo. The human body could be apreciated, but not touched.

The bite symbolized puncture, in other words sex. So, most 'infected' were in a way raped. At least that would work with Vampires and Were-creatures.

Though, with zombies... The other way one could become one was to piss off a practioner of Voodoo. They'd put a curse on you and you'd become theres, until they released you. You'd be living, but wouldn't be awake.

That is if I'm not getting my limited knowledge of religions mixed up. Knowing me... that might be the case.



Without a doubt... Vampires. Because, one, I'm not that religious, and two... I get queasy around blood.

Before I ever saw anything on this topic (think, when I was younger and reading about vampires, etc.)... I always thought that it was merely an act of intimacy, obviously an unclean one. The vampire's "kiss" (bite on the neck) is more than just a bite. Its deep connotations lie in the draw of intimacy, yet darker, more sinister. And some vampire fans will tell you that even though the bite infects, some will see beauty and sensuality in this brutality. If that makes sense. Reading on such topics, some are able to see the duality of its nature. People are often able to relate to both aspects.

I completely agree with what you said, Loner. In my opinion, vampire's bite has these meanings. As for werevolves, they bite because wolves and dogs bite, that's their way of attack and defence.


In real life, encountering them all would be unimaginably scary, although in fiction I love werevolves, and I like vampires. But yes, zombies are the scariest to me. They're dead and rotting!!!

That is what I read, too. It is the 'rape' and the surrender of the victim once the attacker has the power over them.

Everyone has been bitten at sometime in their life whether it be from a teething baby or because someone wanted what was in your hand. When you see some one else get bit, especially in a film with eerie music, lighting and the heavy breathing of the victim adding to your fear, it makes your mind "feel" the bite that you had before. This adds to the feelings from the movie and so people like it.

People like it--people rate it as good--film companies make another--1 film leads to a lots of sequals all using the bite format



George A Romero (spelling) used the bite in night of the living dead and as he has made some of the best horror films everyone has jumped on the band wagon and used the bite.
when you see a pair of tetth on a movie poster you dont need to read it anymore, you know its a horror film

well thats what me and me mate thought

If anyone can get me the name of that short story about the disease that turns you into a giant mosquito-lizard creature that would be appreciated, because in that story the disease is spread through sex. GASP. It came out at the time when AIDS was causing a big scare, and there was this real good short story, very gross though.