Vampires

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"Few creatures of the night have captured our imagination like vampires.
What explains our enduring fascination with vampires? Is it the overtones of sexual lust, power, control? Or is it a fascination with the immortality of the undead?"

Feel free to post any vampire-related content here. I'll be posting various vampire media I enjoy just as a way of kickstarting this community but don't let that stop you from posting something else. I just wanted a place to discuss vampire movies, books, games, etc.
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Dracula Readthrough 2025, 8 July (aussie.zone)

submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

5 comments fedilink hide all child comments

CHAPTER VI

Dr. Seward's Diary.

8 July.---There is a method in his madness, and the rudimentary idea in my mind is growing. It will be a whole idea soon, and then, oh, unconscious cerebration! you will have to give the wall to your conscious brother. I kept away from my friend for a few days, so that I might notice if there were any change. Things remain as they were except that he has parted with some of his pets and got a new one. He has managed to get a sparrow, and has already partially tamed it. His means of taming is simple, for already the spiders have diminished. Those that do remain, however, are well fed, for he still brings in the flies by tempting them with his food.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I love to hear about english nursery rymes. It is very interesting this one remind me of the less grim "le fermier dans son pré". But this french nursery ryme doesn't look anything like what is happening in the book.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

Oh we have The Farmer in the Dell too!

But yeah, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is quite a bit darker.

The first three verses in full:

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly,
I don't know why she swallowed a fly – perhaps she'll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her;
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly – perhaps she'll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a bird;
How absurd to swallow a bird!
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly – perhaps she'll die!

And from there it continues building in that manner, adding cat, dog, goat, cow, and, finally, the final verse is (in full):

ending

There was an old lady who swallowed a horse...
She's dead, of course!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

The Famer in the Dell is quite close to the french one. But at our end everyone "beat the cheese". Like you sometimes "beat" dairy product to make them. I'm not sure how to translate it in English.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 hours ago

Whipped would be a better translation in this context. Took me a fair bit of searching to figure that out, because I normally associate whipped with cream, not cheese. Apparently some cheese can be whipped though.

The French Wikipedia has sheet music showing the rhythm of the song. And interestingly, it shows straight quavers. In English, I'd normally sing it with a swung rhythm, alternating crotchets and quavers.