Dhampirs

A Dhampir is a creature of Balkan and Albanian folklore. They are often presented as the result of a union between a vampire and a human. Dhampir possess various supernatural abilities similar to those of vampires such as sorcery, but without the usual weaknesses, such as the requirement of drinking human blood.

In vampire fiction, dhampir refers to any hybrid of one human and one vampire parent. They are not true vampires themselves, but a half-breed of both. Because of this, racial characteristics may vary. Some forms of media may present a dhampir as being significantly weaker than a vampire, while other forms of media may present the notion that a dhampir has the benefit of all of a vampire's gifts without any of their weaknesses. The most crippling vulnerability of any vampire is their aversion to sunlight - a trait that few dhampir seem to suffer from. This has given rise to a special nomenclature known as "Daywalker".

In fiction
On the WB Network television series Angel, there is a character named Connor, who is actually the biological child of two vampires, Angel, and Darla. Normally, such a union would not produce offspring, but due to mystical processes, Darla was made human again and was able to bear children.

The Marvel Comics character, Eric Brooks, aka Blade, is not a true dhampir, but possesses many of the same characteristics. He was born of human parents, but his mother, Vanessa Brooks, was infected by a vampire while pregnant with her son. She gave birth before giving in to the curse, and as a result, her son was a human who developed abilities similar to that of a vampire. Unlike vampires however, Eric was able to venture out into the daylight, though he did suffer from a traditional vampiric bloodlust.

Notes & Trivia

 * Dhampir may also be spelled as Dhampyr, which redirects to this page.


 * Daywalker and Daywalkers redirects to this page. This is the title often associated with Eric Brooks, aka Blade.

Comics

 * Razor: Bleeding Heart - Razor.