#gothic literatue

[la-femme-au-collier-vert]

I’m sure some of you may know this already, or have more insight, but I stumbled across the manga The Poe Clan by Moto Hagio, a serial that went on to have tremendous influence on the Shōjo and Yaoi genres. It tells the non sequential story of Edgar, a 14 year old “vampirenella” and his vampire “family.” Published in 1972 it came out before Interview with the Vampire and a lot of the scenes and subjects were striking to me in their similarity. For example, it concerns vampire children, a vampire girl who looks like a doll and does not survive, Alan, the male love interest who precipitates his turning through an incident where he knocks a family member down the stairs and believes he killed him before Edgar appears in his window and begs him to come with him. I haven’t finished, and I’m not saying this was a direct reference or something that Anne Rice even was familiar with, but I am wondering what was in the water in the 70s that these elements in vampire and Gothic fiction were coming together.

[chill-in-heat]

Riverrafting

A bubble raft of equal sized bubbles adopts the hexagonal pattern of a honeycomb. [1] It was floating on the water [2], the saloon garden. She must be near the home but It was absurd trying to remember, when at any moment a wave might submerge her raft forever. [3]

The high presences of the trees surrounded her as if they stood forth at her coming. [4] On every side there seemed an outstretching of greenery moving in equally repetitive fashion. [5] There were special gates covered with greenery leading into all the four parts of the garden. [6] The courtyard wasn’t paved with the usual austere slabs of gray stone but was full of plants and fruit trees. [7] At the front they formed an aetoma, a freely floating baldachin, with the eleventh strip serving as a ceiling. [8] Gothic forms lived on, but little by little they fell silent, ceasing to speak, to recall or instruct. [9]

It must have been years since she had seen Kati. Wondering about the new one, Takeshi.

Natural gifts like his were hard to match. [10] Heavens, what a pair of legs he had! [11] She also picked up two now faded tattoos on his right forearm ("trust her" and "FOREVER violent") [12] and told him:

"They are like a pair of glasses on our nose through which we see whatever we look at." [13] "I don't even wear glasses." [14] Takeshi stated.

Lethe disembarks and floats over to him. Deftly she lifts off his glasses. [15] And reassure him, there's nothing wrong, freedom and fear are always together like an old married couple, each willing to die for the other. [16] The glasses, chinked, vibrate. [17] Kati looks at her japanese companion.

"Your old fashioned spectacles! This requires a completely new style of dress." [18] But Takeshi stayed calm, master of his violence. "Don't worry about me. [19] Dress designing... is to me not a profession but an art." [20]

Takeshi clads himself with periwinkles.

It was not in everybody’s interest that the skirt should be short [21], altough, at that time, he had appropriately fruity tangerine coloured hair. [22] But Kati would say their tastes did match well. [23]

"If you like it, you may take it back with you, as a souvenir of a future friend," she said serenely. [24] A whole new relationship between Takeshi and his truth was beginning to be formulated here. [25] One that he knew all to well. It can’t have come from lack of confidence. [26] A dangerous confidence [27]:

To succeed in getting drunk, but on pure water, that they might turn into butterflies.[28]

The [undramatic] surroundings are forgotten once again. [29] And hence, the whole poem loops back upon itself without closing. [30] Kati and Takeshi are gratefully ignorant again. Thank you ,vuokrasopimus It never fails to work its magic. [31]

[1] Ball, The Selfmade Tapestry Pattern Formation in Nature, [2] Hugo, Les Miserables, [3] Calasso, The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony, [4] Woolf, Night and Day, [5] Asimov, Complete Robot Anthology, [6] Gothein, A History of Garden Art, [7] Calasso, The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony, [8] Semper, Style in the Technical and Tectonic Arts or Practical Aesthetics, [9] Serres, Angels A Modern Myth, [10] Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, [11] Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, [12] Duncan, The James Bond Archives, [13] Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, [14] The Young Pope, [15] Greenhalgh, Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, [16] The Young Pope, [17] Greenhalgh, Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, [18] Asimov, Complete Robot Anthology, [19] Beckett, Waiting for Godot, [20] Koolhaas, SMLX, [21] Laver, The Concise History of Costume and Fashion, [22] Carter, American Ghosts and Old World Wonders, [23] Koolhaas Obrist, Project Japan, [24] Borges, Collected Fictions, [25] Foucault, History of Madness, [26] Hatherley, A New Kind of Bleak Journeys Through Urban Britai, [27] Glotz, The Greek City and its Institutions, [28] Deleuze Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus, [29] Steel, Hungry City How Food Shapes Our Lives, [30] Serres, Hermes Literature Science Philosophy, [31] Deitz, Of Gardens Selected Essays Penn Studies in Lands

[macaulaytwins]

[literally-studying]

[ 28.10.17 / Saturday ]  A Week of Spooky Reads [ 4/7 x ]:

↳ Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier

“The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic - now mercifully stilled, thank God - might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion as it had before.”

[mindless-mars]

the gays truly run this website

[gothic-aesthetic-gal]

𝔐𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔚𝔬𝔯𝔨𝔰

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔑𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔅𝔦𝔯𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔏𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔅𝔞𝔱

Tanz der Vampire reader insert (2nd person), readerxKrolock. Gender neutral. TWs: some violence, blood (duh), references to forced marriage and being made to put on a dress, very occaisional swears, and very mild sexual content (not graphic)

After an accident leaves you stranded deep in the forest, you encounter an imposing castle and are invited to stay by the mysterious Count von Krolock. You soon discover that your host and his son are not all that they seem, with strange habits, and odd happenings in the castle...

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

𝔐𝔶 𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡 𝔦𝔰 𝔐𝔶 𝔅𝔬𝔫𝔡

Tanz der Vampire Krolockxreader. Reader insert (1st person). Male/masc presenting reader. TWs: gendered language, some violence, blood (duh) and some mild sexual content (not graphic).

After being sent to a castle in a remote part of Transylvania to conduct some legal business, (y/n) finds his reclusive host Count von Krolock to be increasingly unnerving. With strange occurences and superstitious warnings, (y/n) begins to doubt his sanity, drawing ever closer to his mysterious host...

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[maxuwunoon]

married @earnkeen‘s gothic literatue discord servers creature.

nobody showed up to the wedding tho

[cook-the-beans]

Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius surprises with its green spaces, charming squares, hipster cafes, churches, history and artistic vibe.

Phrasing the recent tourist ad that went viral: Vilnius is ‘the G-spot of Europe: Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it’s amazing’

Old Town

Vilnius’ Old Town is truly beautiful with pebbly streets, period buildings, pastel-coloured walls and quaint little streets.

Vilnius Historic Centre is protected by Unesco, is one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe and a delight to explore.

Pilies Gatvè is the hub of touristic action and the main entrance to Oldtown.

Gediminas Hill

The Gediminas Tower is the lasting part of a castle, located on top of a hill. From here you have panoramic views of the Old Town. (€5)

If you are not up for the walk get the funicular to Gediminas Hill (cable car) can take you for €1.50.

Hill of Three Crosses

The Three Crosses is a monument erected in 1989. Not a super interesting place in my opinion, but the views during sunset are quite nice.

Palace of The Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Is a well-presented museum with a mix of old palace ruins, history of the leaders of Lithuania, archaeological finds and Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art collections. (€7)

The best part is the 3D virtual reality tour that you can take to see and feel the past.

Cathedral Square

Cathedral Square is a place that buzzes with life. Here you find the Vilnius Cathedral the main Roman Catholic Cathedral in Lithuania.

The Cathedral sits right in front of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.

Churches

Smaller charming neoclassical and baroque churches are there to be found around town like the St John’s Church, St Anne’s Church and the Church of St Peter & Paul.

The campanile of St John’s Church is the highest viewpoint in town – €2.50, a great place to contemplate the beauty of the city.

Užupis

The Užupis district is a cool and edgy neighbourhood that sits across the river from Old Town Vilnius. Užupis declared itself an independent republic on April 1, 1997. Created by bohemians and artists is a home for the dreamers.

This place has its own flag, its own national day (April 1st) and its own constitution. It is packed with trendy bars, galleries, boutiques and restaurants.

On Thursdays, nearby Tymo Turgus food market is the destination for organic produce, there’s also plenty of street food.

 Jewish history

Vilnius’ Jewish Quarter is a particularly pretty section of the city’s old town. This area of Vilnius is all cobblestone streets, paper lanterns, and carved wooden doors.

There are a few museums to visit in the area dedicated to the history and the people that used to live there and about the genocide.

Art scene

Checking out the street art is an absolute must. The cobbled streets of Vilnius are dotted all over with amazing pieces of street art. There is a map here with the most famous street art.

You can’t miss the Open Gallery in Vilnius a long-term interdisciplinary project and cultural initiative, located in the post-industrial district Naujamiestis.

Here you will find tons of creative projects such as paintings on the factory walls, installations, sculptures, performances, etc.

It’s free to visit.

Museums and Galleries

The Nacionalinė Dailės Galerija (called NDG), located across the River Neris from the centre has a collection of contemporary art.

The National Museum of Lithuania displays artefacts from Lithuanian life from Neolithic times.

For 15th to 19th-century Lithuanian sacred art, the Museum of applied art is the place to go.

Gate of Dawn

The chapel in the Gate of Dawn in the former city wall hosts the famous Madonna.

This place attracts pilgrims from all over the world who visit seeking miracles even if you’re not religious the gate is quite impressive.

Hales Market

The Hales Market dates back to 1906 and it’s one of the oldest markets in the city.

A great place to browse and check out the Lithuanian fresh produce and cuisine.

There are also a couple of coffee shops and fast food stalls in the market.

Literatu gatvė

Writer’s Lane, or Literatu Gatvė is a stretch of a street dedicated to Lithuanian writers.

Parks and gardens

There are many lush, green spaces in Vilnius and if the weather is fine, many locals and tourists alike like spending time in them.

Just outside of the city on the banks of the River Neris is Verkiai Regional Park, a great place with lakes, cycle paths and stunning green spaces. The park is always open and the entrance is free.

Bernardine Garden is a nice and peaceful place close to the Cathedral Square and the Gediminas Castle Tower

Vilnius’ botanical garden located on the outskirts of Vilnius was founded in 1781. The place is stunning and a must-see. Entry €1.5o

Getting to and around Vilnius

Getting to Vilnius is quite straight forward, with a city airport receiving flights from all over Europe. From the airport, you can take a taxi to the city centre (around 10 Euro), or you can also take the bus or train, both cheaper options.

Vilnius is a compact city, and most sights are easily reached on foot.

Free Walking Tour

It’s great to do a free walking tour from Vilnius With Locals. It lasts about 2.5 hours and gives a great introduction to Vilnius and its history and interesting sites.

It gives you a good “first look” in the city, the opportunity to speak with a local and get some recommendations.

Is Vilnius worth visiting? The answer is definitively yes!

Are you planning to visit Vilnius? Have you been? 

photography – all rights reserved – Ana Rocha

Vilnius, the very best things to do Lithuania's capital, Vilnius surprises with its green spaces, charming squares, hipster cafes, churches, history and artistic vibe.

[macaulaytwins]

The ghost of Cathy, shattering Heathcliff’s window: vibe check

[gothic-aesthetic-gal]

🦉𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔑𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔏𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔅𝔞𝔱 🦇

Tanz der Vampire Krolockxreader

Warnings: Some mild violence and gore (in keeping with the level you might read in classic gothic literature)

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

Chapter 1 - The Storm

The night was bitterly cold. The wind tore through the trees, their shadowy limbs lit by fierce lightning strikes. The rain poured from rolling black clouds and turned the road beneath the carriage to a slurry of mud. The only sounds over the booming thunder were the shouting of the driver as he cursed and wrestled with the dangerous conditions and that of the horses panic. You clutched your rosary tight against your bodice and prayed for safety as you were jolted around in your seat. The flashes illuminated flashes of the thick forest and steep cliffs. It shouldn't have been far to the village, where you hoped the locals would take pity on you and put you up for the night. You'd protested that the weather was on the turn and that it was dangerous to leave, but your step mother, eager to sell you off to a distant count, would hear none of it. Your mother died when you were too young to remember and your father had passed last summer. No sooner was he gone than your step mother fixed to marry you off so that you were no longer her concern. You had always resented her bad treatment of you, but this was enough to stir feelings of pure hatred into you.

The feeling of impending doom was too much - from what little interaction you had with your future bridegroom, you knew him to be three things. Old, cruel, and domineering. You might have cried, when you first learned of your fate, you had. You had cried for nights on end. Now it seemed there were no tears left.

Suddenly, the coach lurched first to the right, then to the the left with tremendous force. The horses whinnying sounded like screams and the driver cried out. Before you could react you were thrown across the box and everything went black.

Whether you had blacked out for seconds or hours, at first you couldn't tell. As your vision slowly swam back into focus, you became aware that the carriage had tipped onto its side. Gasping in pain as you examined yourself for serious injury, you were at least relieved to have found none  and used your boot to put the glass pane of the window out. Crawling out into the mud, you saw the horrible sight of the accident before you - the driver was dead, there was no doubting it, and all but one of the four horses were nowhere to be seen, broken loose from their tack. The one left was struggling in the mud, panicked and confused.

You unhooked it and, with some difficulty given your manner of dress and injuries, mounted it. It seemed to calm down a little. You were unsure what to do but soon resolved to keep moving once you heard the howl of the wolves. Staying put would be deeply unwise for the both of you, so you set off at a gallop along the muddy road towards the nearest dwelling in sight - an old castle looming over the valley.

When you arrived at the door, you and the horse were run ragged, soaked to the bone, covered in mud and could run no longer. Feebly you called out for help and used the great iron knocker on the thick oak door. Stumbling then, you slipped to the floor and found yourself gazing up at the moon. The clouds had finally parted and it shone with white brilliance down upon the castle. You felt yourself slipping out of consciousness then, and everything began to blur leaving only the throbbing pain in your head.

To the next chapter ⬇️

[gothic-aesthetic-gal]

🦉𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔑𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔏𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔅𝔞𝔱 🦇

Tanz der Vampire Krolockxreader

Warnings: Some mild violence and gore (in keeping with the level you might read in classic gothic literature)

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

Chapter 12 - Dressed in White

((Slight warning, this chapter gets somewhat steamy but never overtly pornographic, so if that kind of thing is not for you, you can always skip ahead and you won't lose any important plot))

Herbert was off to see his handsome student in the city once more and you and the Count sat at the dining table again. He'd watched you eat and you had engaged in some mundane small talk, avoiding the topic of your fight and whatever had been about to happen afterwards.

"I wanted to thank you" you said after a while, looking into the roaring fire.

"What for?" he asked.

"For hiding me here."

He smiled softly.

"I would not have handed you over my dear, surely you knew that."

"I hoped so, but I thought after our argument that maybe..." you trailed off.

"I was wrong to tell you to leave. You may stay as long as you wish," he interjected.

You smiled at this and sipped at your glass of wine.

"I meant to ask before, what became of my rosary?"

The count looked slightly unerved by your question.

"I put it in a box, I can retrieve it for you if you wish."

"Why did you take it?"

"There are many things which cannot harm us, but like the bite of the werewolf, the cross can cause us pain..."

"Oh, then I don't need it back. I was simply curious. I don't ever use it as much as anyone would like any way..."

He laughed at this.

"Is there anything else which has an effect on you? The sunlight burns you, a werewolf bite can kill you, and crosses cause you pain...?"

"Yes, all true. A silver stake to the heart also spells the end of us. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."

You shuddered a little at the thought and downed the last few sips of your wine at once. The fire was roaring in the hearth thanks to Koukol's efforts. The count might have thought you foolish but you had followed him out into the woods in the afternoon to help him gather logs.

"May I ask something of you?" You said tentatively, breaking the melancholy silence that had fallen.

"Yes..." he answered with a faint hint of concern in his voice.

"Could you break open the chest in my room? Only the duke has the key and I know not what it contains... but as far as I am concerned it belongs to me, not him".

"Of course, I will do it now," he said, rising from his seat and extending an arm to you.

The rain poured down outside as he led you up the steps and into your room. Grasping the iron lock in his hand, he crushed it like a walnut and the pieces clattered to the floor. You marvelled at the ease with which he could break something so strong for a moment, before stepping beside him and placing your hands atop the heavy chest. Lifting the lid, you were first met by the sight of seemingly endless folds of pristine white fabric - your wedding dress.

In a daze you lifted it from the box and held it against your body before the mirror. The dress was beautifully exquisite, there was no denying it, but something about it unsettled you. It symbolised capitulation, the golden walls of a circular prison being slipped onto your finger... the waterfall of crystal white fabric loudly announced your purity and fragility to the world. To marry the duke would be to destroy yourself, he would own you. Krolock regarded you with a soft expression and somehow you knew he felt what you did, somehow he knew what you were thinking in that moment. He gently took the dress from you and draped it over the chair beside the bed.

At the bottom of the chest sat a heavy purse filled with gold coins, a few items of fine jewellery which had belonged to your mother, and a few pieces of tarnished silverware in much need of a polish, as well as some of your father's documents sealed into a leather folder concerning his investments and land.

"This is not your worth," said the count, placing a hand upon your shoulder.

You turned to look up at him and felt small and insignificant in his shadow, wishing that you were like him so that you could be free from the heavy constraints upon you.

"I do not want to marry him, and therefore I cannot," you sighed.

"Good. It is better to be guided by your heart, to learn to do only that which you desire... to be free," he said, embracing you.

The soft velvet of his cape fell smoothly over you and you felt comforted by it; safe from all the horrors of the outside world.

"You are so beautiful," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear as he gazed deeply into your eyes.

"As are you," you replied, eyes combing over the angular features of his face.

He smiled.

"I would very much like to kiss you," you said, burying the feelings of shame that accompanied the confession.

Hearing this, he pulled you close to him, with one hand on the small of your back like he had in the dance, and the other cupping your face. Dizzy with anticipation time seemed to run slowly for a moment, and then he brought his lips to your own in the wash of pale moonlight. His lips were soft against your own and he kissed you gently at first, but as you mirrored his movements, you began to kiss him back with deepening intensity, throwing your arms loosely around his neck. He pulled you yet closer to him so that you could feel your heart beating loudly against his chest. You felt like the rolling waves of a stormy sea, breaking against the shore as he laid you on the bed. The cage of your desire was broken now, the bird within had finally set flight and there was no way to recapture it.

You methodically undid the buttons of his silken shirt, starting at the neck and working down. He began to gently kiss your neck and the wolves of the forest erupted in a chorus of howling as you melted in to the darkness. You had never felt so alive.

As you explored one another's body and soul a fragment of Sappho echoed around your head like a refrain: "love drives me on, that loosener of limbs, bittersweet creature against which nothing can be done". He seemed to light a fire in you which had always yearned to burn, and as you sank into one another you felt powerful and free.

When it was over, you fell back into his pale arms and breathed deeply as he held you. He kissed the top of your head gently and caressed your hair as you laid your head against his cool bare chest. There was nowhere in the world you would have rather been than with him in that moment and you wished it could last forever.

Continue to the next Chapter ⬇️

[gothic-aesthetic-gal]

🦉𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔑𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔏𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔅𝔞𝔱 🦇

Tanz der Vampire Krolockxreader

Warnings: Some mild violence and gore (in keeping with the level you might read in classic gothic literature)

🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯

Chapter 9 - Unholy Communion

Finding wolfsbane had not been easy, indeed, it had taken you all night. When finally you did find some, clinging to a rocky outcrop on the fringes of the valley, the sun was about to rise. Folding you into his pale ashen cloak, Herbert flew you both back with mere minutes to spare before the suns rays began to poke above the clifs and flood the valley below with light.

Stumbling into the entrance hall and pausing for your head to stop spinning from the speed of the flight, you ran to the kitchen clutching the bundle of leafy stems. You set to boiling a large pan of water and grinding the soft parts of the plant into a paste with the pestle and mortar. Adding the paste to the boiling water to create a strange liquid not unlike absynthe in its appearance, you rushed it upstairs to the count.

He was lying motionless in the bed as Herbert sat anxiously in a nearby chair. Passing the glass to him, he attempted to get his father to drink it, which he did very slowly.

You knew now that you would have to wait to see if it had any effect. Herbert looked tired so you convinced him to go and rest at least for a short while and he left you alone with Krolock.

You fetched more of the liquid, in hopes that the more he drank the quicker it might heal him. He struggled to drink and could barely be roused from sleep, saying nothing coherent for a couple of hours. After a while he seemed to become ever so slightly more lucid.

"Y/n". He whispered

"Yes, i'm here." You said quickly taking his gaunt hand into your own.

As you did so you noticed faint dark lines on his palm. Tracing them up his arm, folding up the sleeve of his white shirt, you found the source. The bite was festering, raised teeth marks lined in purple and the black lines of capilaries fanned out like lightning around the wound. You thought again about what the book had said: the bite of the werewolf had posioned his blood. The wolfsbane would not work with this late stage of infection, unless...

a desperate thought lingered in your mind.

He groaned and his face twisted and crumpled in pain. You pushed your fear aside as best you could; he had risked his life to save yours. You returned to the kitchen and dipped the cup into the green mixture until it was full. Then you began to drink it and the bitter taste was like nettles. After drinking as much as you could, you returned to the room and sat beside the count.

He seemed to notice your presence, and turned his face toward you.

"Y/n, my time is near. I, I want you to know... I am so glad that you came here, I -"

"Shhhhh" you interrupted, "it's okay, it will be alright".

He seemed to know then what you intended to do and his eyes widened.

"No, you can't", he said struggling in an attempt to sit up.

"It will be okay." You replied, firmly.

"Y/n... please"

"Let me do this" you commanded, rolling up your own sleeve.

You cradled his head in your lap and took a deep breath. Then you pressed your arm to his mouth. At first he seemed to fight it, but it was not long before you felt the sharp pinch of two sharp teeth against your skin. In that moment you closed your eyes and focused on controlling your fear. Then there was a sudden jolt of pain as the teeth pierced the flesh, followed immediately by a strange rush of light-headed ecstasy.

Continue to the next Chapter ⬇️

[gothic-aesthetic-gal]

🦉𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔑𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔏𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔅𝔞𝔱 🦇

Tanz der Vampire Krolockxreader

Warnings: Some mild violence and gore (in keeping with the level you might read in classic gothic literature)

⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰⚰

Chapter 5 - Bisclavret

As you heaved open the castle's heavy front door a blast of icy air and a flurry of snowflakes were blown into the entrance hall. Fighting the elements, you struggled across the bridge and out through the open gates into darkness of the forest. Swept up by panic, you were not thinking of the dangers outside the castle, only the strange events within.

Under the watchful eye of a full moon you ran through the snow as fast as your feet could carry you. The trees were silent sentinels on all sides and the night was still now. You had been running for almost half an hour before you finally slowed to a stop to suck in many haggard breaths; pure adrenaline could only take you so far and now your energy was utterly spent.

After several minutes of recovery, just as you were about to press on, there came a sound from deep within the forest. A sound which made all the hairs on your body stand upright and your chest tighten. It was a howl, but not like that of the wolf pack - this was different, infinitely more guttural and wild somehow. It spoke of bloodlust and a desire to utterly destroy. Clutching your suitcase tightly you tried not to think about what might await you in the woods and only about escaping the count.

Finally, you reached a clearing in the forest, which gave you a hillside view down over the valley. The sight of the faint glow of the village beacon and snow topped roofs of a cluster of small houses warmed your heart and brought a sense of relief. The sleepy cluster of houses was still a good distance away though and your celebration was premature.

The sound of breaking branches at the edge of the clearing caught your attention and you spun around to try and pinpoint the source of the noise. The trunks of the trees were totally obscured by shadow, despite the bright moonlight, and it was impossible to see back into the forest. Then you saw something in the darkness - a large pair of glistening eyes. Red eyes that danced with hellfire and hatred. Fear filled your body and you froze as a nightmare stepped out of the darkness. It was part man, part-wolf, and possessed all the worst parts of both. Its shaggy fur was spotted with crimson blood and in its slavering jaws was the head of a stag. It looked right at you, across the short white expanse of the snowy clearing, and dropped the remnants of its prey. Standing for a moment on two legs it howled that same blood curdling howl and leapt forward. Bounding on all fours it came for you. You turned and ran but the snow was deep and you could hear its footfall and hot breath only a few paces behind you now. Under the snowcover your foot wedged itself under a root and tripped you.

Struggling in the snow you only had time to turn onto your back before it was upon you. It stood over you, its rancid breath hit your face and enormous teeth were inches from your face. The terrible eyes promised complete destruction. You couldn't help but scream.

Just as the beast drew back its head, jaws widening, something barreled into it from the side, knocking it over. Scrambling in the snow you saw a tumble of black leathery wings and the moonlight glinting off the awful teeth of the wolf man. There was growling and yelping and then, as soon as it began, the fight was over.

The winged creature, like some sort of giant bat, seemed to shrink into the upright shadow of a man and when he turned to face you, you recognised the face of Count Krolock.

Continue to next Chapter ⬇️

[sirenicornio]

It's just what I was thinking!! At first I thought The Poe Clan had obvious references to Gothic literature, mainly Interview with the Vampire. Until I came across the surprise that Moto Hagio did it first 😵 And, let's be honest, I highly doubt that Anne Rice had any contact in Japan to read the manga and get inspired. They were two women at two ends of the world with the same idea reflected in her works.

I’m sure some of you may know this already, or have more insight, but I stumbled across the manga The Poe Clan by Moto Hagio, a serial that went on to have tremendous influence on the Shōjo and Yaoi genres. It tells the non sequential story of Edgar, a 14 year old “vampirenella” and his vampire “family.” Published in 1972 it came out before Interview with the Vampire and a lot of the scenes and subjects were striking to me in their similarity. For example, it concerns vampire children, a vampire girl who looks like a doll and does not survive, Alan, the male love interest who precipitates his turning through an incident where he knocks a family member down the stairs and believes he killed him before Edgar appears in his window and begs him to come with him. I haven’t finished, and I’m not saying this was a direct reference or something that Anne Rice even was familiar with, but I am wondering what was in the water in the 70s that these elements in vampire and Gothic fiction were coming together.