BLOOD

Nothing has so defined the vampire as its relationship to blood. The vampire was essentially a bloodsucker, a creature who lived off of the blood of humans. Quite early in his visit to Castle Dracula, Jonathan Harker was lectured by his host on the general importance of blood. He noted that the Szekelys, we of the Dracula blood," helped to throw off the despised Hungarian yoke. He further noted, in a line which would take on a double-meaning, "Blood is too precious a thing in these days of dishonourable peace. . ." As Harker tried to understand his desperate situation, he noted that Dracula had bad breath with a "bitter offensiveness, as one smells in blood." He discovered the secret when he found Dracula asleep with his mouth redder than over and on the lips were gouts of fresh blood, which trickled from the corners of the mouth and ran over the chin and neck . . . It seemed as if the whole awful creature were simply engorged with blood; he lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion." Harker lamented his role in freeing Dracula in London.