Category Archives: Vampire History
The origins of the Vampyre term Black Swan
In 1997 I coined a term called Black Swan for my partner Lucianna at the time. She wanted to participate in the vampire world but didn’t identify as a full Vampire. So I came up with the term which was original “My Swan” out of respect for her instead of calling her a ghoul or familiar. So here is the Black Veil as presented in the book Black Veils: Master Vampyre Edition 888.
Black Swans
Within the Veils, “Black Swans” are non-Vampire individuals who are intimately knowledgeable about the Black Veils and are friendly allies to their vampire friends. They are often involved in the Vampire subculture and associated with a Vampire, and can be friends, donors, dayside family members, lovers, or even potential Vampires yet to be awakened. The term Black Swan was coined at the New York City (Gotham Halo) Vampire nightclub Long Black Veil in 1997, for those who would bring their friends, parents, siblings, and lovers to the club.
One misconception within the Vampire World is that all Black Swans are donors. This is certainly very common, but it is not always the case. Many are even lifestyle Vampires who wear fangs, dress up, and know a great deal about the Vampire culture, philosophy, and traditions.. Often Black Swans are practicing the dayside elements of the Vampire lifestyle known as “lifestylers.”
In contrast to Black Swans are “White Swans’ who are against the Vampire lifestyle to varying degrees ranging from very hostile to just annoying. These individuals can range from a girlfriend, friend, sibling or parent who strongly mocks or dislikes the Vampire lifestyle. They often will say things like, ìWhy are you wearing fangs?î or ìYou are really only living in a fantasy world, so stop it.î
Black Swans are to be treasured by Vampires and are strong allies. Treat them well and with respect, they are not pets but individuals with open minds and often resonate strongly with the Current and Vampire World. Even though the term originated at Long Black Veil it has become used by the Vampire Community throughout the world.
Legendary LE BAR BAT NYC
Before MOTHER / Long Black Veil, during Limelight and at the edge of Columbus Circle existed the legendary venue LA BAR BAT was located at 311 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019. The Vampire Community gathered here before the birth of Gotham Halo. Here Anne Rice hosted book signings, Tony Sokol’s La Comedie du Sanguine performed, and USA UP ALL NIGHT did specials there. Closed in the late 1990s this venue was a masterpiece of gotham architecture.
BLACK VEILS – The Modern Vampire Mythos
A excerpt from BLACK VEILS MASTER VAMPYRE EDITION
The Modern Vampire Mythos is defined in Black Veils as the collective impact of all of the legends, film, literature, fantasy and mythology related to the vampire from all time periods. From ancient times almost every culture has included some sort of vampiric mythological figure in their superstitions and lore, ranging from the Lilitu demons of ancient Sumerian and Jewish myths, the Incubi / Succubi of Medieval folklore, the faerie like Baobhan Sith of the Scottish Highlands, the Strigoi of Romania, the bloodthirsty Gods of Central and South America and the ghoulish predators of Asia and Africa.
These past legends have collectively given rise to our own modern vampire mythos. One can say that this modern mythos began with the Romantic Movement literary work of author John William Polidori; the short story “The Vampyre” published on April 1st, 1819, featuring the suave British nobleman vampire character Lord Ruthvan. This more modern view of the vampire was expanded upon in Victorian literature works such as the lurid serialized penny dreadful Varney the Vampire (1845-7) and the gothic horror of Carmilla (1871). Then all radically changed with the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897, and from there the Modern Vampire Mythos exploded into mainstream culture in a very refined manner.
The Vampire Mythos was truly defined and evolved in 20th century though thousands of incarnations in film, television, literature, role-playing games (RPGs), video games, merchandise and even spawned an entire Vampyre lifestyle subculture. The biggest influences of the past 100 years on the Vampire Mythos, aside from Dracula (in films from 1931, 1958, 1979 and 1992), include Barnabas Collins from the gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (1966-71), Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles novels (Interview with the Vampire published in 1975) and the tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade (released in 1991). All of these interpretations have influenced and illustrated what a modern Vampyre can be; that is regal, aristocratic, angelic anti-hero, who is immortal, powerful and highly social yet extremely independent. The Vampyre is a powerful being that many of us wish to become. We can see them reflected in our own primal desires and a as monster that we can relate to, and many times sympathize with.
This is the modern 21st century Modern Vampire Mythos and its spirit is the Vampyre Current.
Father Sebastiaan 
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