Talk:The Giaour
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[edit] A Vampire Story?
I don't see how Byron's brief metaphorical use of the figure of the vampire makes 'The Giaour' a vampire story. Also, vampires were well known in England long before Byron (from the early 18th century in fact - King George II is indeed on record as saying that he believed in them) and even appeared in English poetry before Byron (see for instance Southey's 'Thalaba the Destroyer'). Polidori's 'Vampyre', as far as I can see, owes nothing to 'The Giaour'. Polidori created a new myth about an aristocratic globe-trotting bloodsucker, not the traditional folkloric vampire who drains the blood of its nearest kin, referred to by Lord Byron in his poem. Colin4C 01:56, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
