Hey, I'm a McDonald! Well, 1/4 anyway. My grandma was Mary Donald Huey McDonald from Glencoe.

In Nova Scotia.

But she sounded pure Scottish.

Was she in Cape Breton, Caroma?

Wow. 250 posts later, I can safely say that this was my favorite crazy argument since the gerunds.

Good Dana, because I have more...

I always think of Americans of Irish and Italian descent (the Catholics) and possibly Greek as being very prideful in their heritage because it wasn't so long ago that we had the first Catholic President. And I don't believe we've had an Italian-American president ever. And it certainly wasn't too long ago that they were semi-segragated into neighborhoods. Certainly in my mother's time.

My m-i-l's family is from Charlestown (Irish-American Boston neighborhood) and my f-i-l's family is from East Boston (Italian-American Boston neighborhood). My m-i-l's father called my f-i-l a DP (displaced person) when m-i-l & f-i-l were dating.

Like I said I'm not saying that vampire myths have not become an american cultural reference cos they have, only that they are not an American cultural creation.

[disclaimer: This topic has been addressed to death already, but I'm having an awful day, got some probably horrible news that I don't feel like sharing and don't do any sort of mind-numbing craft, so I'm going to post instead.]

I'd like to comment on the "not an American cultural creation" statement. As has been stated, pretty much every culture has a vampire myth. The indigenous peoples of the Americas had vampire myths. Ancient Asian and African peoples did. So it's not even close to 100% (or even 50%) European myth, and is in fact also an American myth.

Um. I believe that Romans had vampire myths (involving victims having their noses bitten off), and I've got a pretty strong feeling that there are variations on the theme of blood-sucking monster/undead in Asia and South America, although I may be talking shite.

Not talking shite at all, Fay.

Yes and no christianity has been spreading for around 2000 years vampire myths aren't that old. And although America has a myriad of cultural roots they have only been reworking them in movies for the last 50 years or so.

I believe (but here I may be talking shite and I hope Nilly and/or billytea or someone with more knowledge will either correct me or back me up) that the vampire myth predates Christianity. One of the vampire myths is that Adam's pre-Eve wife Lilith is the/an ur-vampire.

finally...

It's none of my business at all, because I'm an un-UnAmerican, but I always thought "UnAmerican" was a source of pride to those Buffistas who, in part, self-define as not being from North America. It seems to me that calling this thread Non-American is more dismissive than "UnAmerican". And I think another un-Un already pointed this out upstream, but when North Americans post here, I don't think it's with the attitude of "we are and you aren't and neener" but rather we know we're un-Un.

I believe (but here I may be talking shite and I hope Nilly and/or billytea or someone with more knowledge will either correct me or back me up) that the vampire myth predates Christianity.

This is true; strictly, the European vampire myths are Eastern European myths, which themselves probably originated from contact with the Far East (where they have a long an illustrious career). There are references to vampires in Ancient Babylonian and Assyrian writings, and they apear in Ancient Greece as well.

One of the vampire myths is that Adam's pre-Eve wife Lilith is the/an ur-vampire.

This is also true, and can be dated (IIRC) from Ancient Babylon.

Cultures are infinite -just like coast lines.

Incidentally - was it Billytea who suggested "Are you now or have you ever been: UnAmerican Buffistas" as the next thread title? Because I'm still loving it.

Incidentally - was it Billytea who suggested "Are you now or have you ever been: UnAmerican Buffistas" as the next thread title? Because I'm still loving it.

Not me, though I'd be happy to see it happen.

Incidentally - was it Billytea who suggested "Are you now or have you ever been: UnAmerican Buffistas" as the next thread title? Because I'm still loving it.

Jim suggested it: Jim Eaton-Terry "All Ogle, No Cash -- It's Not Just Annoying, It's Un-American" Feb 2, 2003 11:05:28 am EST

And Nilly comes through with the Nillying! Proving once again that she is in fact a computer program, not a flesh'n'blood mortal. Go Team Nilly.

Apologies to Jim.

Proving once again that she is in fact a computer program, not a flesh'n'blood mortal.

Yes I am a flesh'n'blood mortal, and all the Buffistas who have met me can attest to that - oh, wait, never mind.

Which means, thanks for the compliment, Fay.