For the love of blood

Twilight - you have to have been living under a rock to not know what it means. The series phenomenon has taken the world by storm, selling more than 100 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 38 languages. Meanwhile, the third instalment of the Twilight saga film series is due to be released at the end of June and is expected to break box office records with its 3D debut and "Twi-Hard" fans began camping out 4 days before the release. Meanwhile, the New Mood DVD, is also available for sale at leading entertainment stores. 


The undead has left us in a vampiric frenzy.


Three things you didn't know about Vampires


Many researchers can trace the belief in vampires back to prehistoric times, although the term vampire was not made popular until about 18th century. The myth of the vampire has certainly evolved and considerably adapted to suit storyline and plot, with Stephanie Meyer's vampires "sparkling" in the sunlight as opposed to bursting into flame.


Here are a few other non traditional takes on vampiric folklore:

1. Vegetarian vampires

A classic children's series, written by James Howe, depicts a cuddly house pet wreaking havoc on all salad kind. Bunnicula grows fangs and sucks the green out of your lettuce, leaving a petrified white vegetable - now that's something to sink your teeth into.

2. Vampires get sick

In the True Blood DVD of the TV series, vampires are inflicted by a disease called Hepatitis D - while harmless to humans, it can leave the undead weakened for up to a month leaving them vulnerable to being kidnapped or staked. In actuality, Hepatitis D is an very real strain of the hepatitis virus that, along with Hepatitis B, affects the function of the liver - and humans are not immune.

3. Vampires love garlic

Along with sparkling in the sunlight, Meyer's vampires defy every convention of blood suckers - her protagonists have their first date an Italian restaurant, with plenty of garlic in sight. "Almost all of the superstitions about vampire limitations are entirely false in my world," says Meyer in an interview. "Vampires don't really have any limits, other than the self-imposed guideline to keep their existence a secret."


Meanwhile, many other classic vampire characters, including those created by Anne Rice, are impervious to the traditional means of killing - that is stakes, crosses, holy water and garlic. Her creations' only weakness is sunlight and fire.