Garlic - Tumblr Posts - Page 2
I know it's kinda late in the game for this question, but why garlic?
I'm aware of the idea that vampire stories were inspired by a real disease... I cannot for the life of me recall its name. And people suffering from it are sensitive to light and strong flavors and smells.
But is there anything more to it? The disease idea works to explain why garlic repels vampires, but why stuff it in the mouth of a decapitated vampire head?
And I saw that some have argued that Stoker was inspired by the Potato Famine, which he lived through, I gather. People would weaken and die, and some were buried alive. How does garlic fit with that?
Did Stoker find out about garlic from a specific source, and if so, what does the source say about it?
Interesting article! The disease I was thinking of is porphyria. But it's also very intriguing to see garlic linked to rabies.
I wonder, though, if the burning properties of raw garlic that they talk about in the article might be part of the puzzle. The article dissuades the reader from eating raw garlic because it can cause second degree burns (which, as an aside, yikes, and I had no idea). Traditionally fire was used to purify. That's why heretics and eventually witches were executed by burning. The Church believed it was necessary to burn the heretic/witch to cleanse the world of their corruption and evil. So... maybe stuffing garlic in the decapitated head of a vampire is less about garlic as a cure for vampirism as a disease and more a method of burning purification.
Though why not take the next logical step and burn the body?
I know it's kinda late in the game for this question, but why garlic?
I'm aware of the idea that vampire stories were inspired by a real disease... I cannot for the life of me recall its name. And people suffering from it are sensitive to light and strong flavors and smells.
But is there anything more to it? The disease idea works to explain why garlic repels vampires, but why stuff it in the mouth of a decapitated vampire head?
And I saw that some have argued that Stoker was inspired by the Potato Famine, which he lived through, I gather. People would weaken and die, and some were buried alive. How does garlic fit with that?
Did Stoker find out about garlic from a specific source, and if so, what does the source say about it?
Lol at garlic cloves choosing violence. And yeah, I’m surprised too as I do a fair amount of cooking and I’ve never had any negative experiences. Then again I may fall into the Mediterranean immunity they mention, and if so, I’m not even gonna question it.
Giving my “why not burn it with fire” question some more thought, I have a theory: secrecy. As far as I know the beheading and stuffing of garlic into mouths really only happens in stories...? And is therefore pretty different from witch hunting and heretic burning. Those situations emerged in real life and were deliberately public as a way to warn commoners not to fuck around with black magic/heresy or they’d find out. In stories, becoming a vampire is framed as involuntary (with the exception of Renfield). If anything, those dealing with the problem are emotionally attached to the undead monster in a way that inquisitors never were to the accused they put through public executions. It makes sense that they can’t and wouldn’t want to do anything as necessarily attention-worthy as burning a body.
Though, I suppose cremation was an option? I know Catholics are pretty anti-cremation but I don’t know how Church of England folks view it.
I know it's kinda late in the game for this question, but why garlic?
I'm aware of the idea that vampire stories were inspired by a real disease... I cannot for the life of me recall its name. And people suffering from it are sensitive to light and strong flavors and smells.
But is there anything more to it? The disease idea works to explain why garlic repels vampires, but why stuff it in the mouth of a decapitated vampire head?
And I saw that some have argued that Stoker was inspired by the Potato Famine, which he lived through, I gather. People would weaken and die, and some were buried alive. How does garlic fit with that?
Did Stoker find out about garlic from a specific source, and if so, what does the source say about it?
Why garlic? I asked a while back and today I read this:
“Straining the Limits of Interpretation: Bram Stoker's Dracula and Its Eastern European Contexts” by Ludmilla Kostova, published 2007
So...yeah. I did not see the phallic aspect at all, but now that you mention it...
In the article, Kostova argues that part of what's unsettling about Dracula is that he is both masculine and feminine. The efforts to defeat him ultimately force him into full feminization through staking (I hope that's not a spoiler at this point but I'll tag for it just in case).
Also fyi if you want to read the article, be warned, it does spoil something we haven't run into yet reading Dracula Daily.
Pomegranate Juice and Garlic
When you drink my blood, you will taste my innocence and purity. When I drink yours, I will taste your charisma and sensuality.
Me seasoning my popcorn: Lets drizzle on some butter, shake that big honking container of granulated/powered garlic over the bowl several times, then shake the salt shaker over the bowl once or twice, mix up the popcorn and repeat until the butter is gone.
Someone cooking steak or hamburgers: how do you want yours?
Me: Kill it with garlic and a little salt.
Someone seeing me adding more garlic to my steak: Wasn’t dead enough for you?
Me: Nope.
Me tasting any food that I have prepared for a meal: It tastes a little bland; should I add anything else to it?
The Taste Tester: Tastes fine to me.
Me: Should I add more garlic or a little more salt?
Them: It’s good but maybe a little more salt will bring out the other flavors.
we would be so lost without garlic
