浅析西方“吸血鬼”文化与东方鬼文化对比分析

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毕业设计（论文）

题目：浅析西方“吸血鬼”文化与东方

“鬼”文化之对比

2012年6月

Comparative Analysis of the Culture Between

Western Vampire and Eastern Ghost

GRADUATION THESIS

(Grade 2008)

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURE BETWEEN WESTERN VAMPIRE AND EASTERN

GHOST

Comparative Analysis of the Culture Between

Western Vampire and Eastern Ghost

浅析西方“吸血鬼”文化与东方“鬼”文化之对比

摘要

随着全球化的不断发展，跨文化交际也越来越重要，并且深入到我们生活的各个方面，“鬼”文化作为世界性的文化现象，中国和西方都有着悠久生动的鬼文化。人们对于“鬼”文化的精神追求也不断深入与发展，这是一种精神文化的象征。同时，了解东西方“鬼”文化的异同也能够促进跨文化交际中精神文化的交流。

中国的 “鬼”是人死后的灵魂；而西方鬼文化的代表是“吸血鬼”。“鬼”的观念的产生不仅是因为古人对大自然的崇拜和畏惧，还是古人对黑暗的畏惧，对理想精神生活的渴望。“吸血鬼”文化是西方文化中的重要组成部分，“吸血鬼”又称血族，是西方世界中一种有名的可怕生物。由于他们具有永生的特点，因此他们的行踪十分隐蔽。

本课题将主要通过对比的手法来比较两者的异同，最后在总结全文的基础上，再次强调鬼与吸血鬼文化的重要性，并探讨东西文化根源与现实功能，以及中西承载的深厚文化内涵。

关键词：吸血鬼；鬼；文化；对比

Comparative Analysis of the Culture Between

Western Vampire and Eastern Ghost

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURE BETWEEN WESTERN VAMPIRE AND EASTERN

GHOST

ABSTRACT

With the development of the globalization, the intercultural communication is more and more important. At the same time, it has influence our life deeply. As the global culture phenomenon, the culture of the ghost has the long history both in western and eastern countries. People have the strong aspiration on psychological culture for western \and eastern \symbol of spirit culture. At the same time, it can also promote the communication of spiritual culture in cross-cultural communication by understanding the similarities and differences of western vampire and Chinese \

The \’s death, while the \in western ghost culture. The production of the \of the ancients, but also the fear for darkness and the longing for ideal the spiritual life. Vampire culture is an important part in western culture. Vampire, which means bloodthirsty, is the western world famous monster. They live in secret, because they will never die.

This paper will focus on the comparison of the two aspects. What's more, it discusses the cultural root and the functions of reality and it inherits the profound cultural connotation between Chinese and western culture.

Keywords: vampire; ghosts; culture; comparative

Comparative Analysis of the Culture Between

Western Vampire and Eastern Ghost

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Comparison of vampire and ghost...................................................................................3

1.1 The background of vampire ................................................................................ .........3 1.1.1 The early origin...................................................................................................3 1.1.2 The reality cause..................................................................................................3 1.2 The causes of Chinese ghost culture........................................................................... .4

1.2.1 The fear for natural force.....................................................................................4 1.2.2 The desire for the psychological life ...................................................................5 1.2.3 The political reason..............................................................................................5

1.3 The similarity of the origin of vampire and ghost.........................................................6

1.3.1 Both came out with people's image......................................................................6

1.3.2 In order to meet the demand of human................................................................6 1.3.3 Due to the fear of dying.......................................................................................6 2 Characteristics of vampire and ghosts.............................................................................8 2.1 The characteristics of the vampire..................................................................................8 2.1.1 Basic features.........................................................................................................8 2.1.2 other features..........................................................................................................8 2.2 The characteristics of Chinese ghost..............................................................................9 2.3 The similar features of the two culture...........................................................................9 3 The influence of vampire and ghost culture..................................................................10 3.1 The effects of vampire culture......................................................................................10 3.1.1 On life aspect.......................................................................................................10 3.1.2 On entertainment..................................................................................................10 3.1.3 On spiritual...........................................................................................................11 3.2 The effects of Chinese ghost culture.............................................................................12 3.2.1 On literature and art............................................................................................12 3.2.2 On historical research.......................................................................................13 3.2.3 On human life...................................................................................................13

Comparative Analysis of the Culture Between

Western Vampire and Eastern Ghost

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 15 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................... 17 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 18

Comparative Analysis of the Culture Between Western

Vampire and Eastern Ghost

Introduction

Culture is a kind of historical phenomenon. It was produced with the development of human society. Although China and western countries located in the different area of the world, the social development course is the same roughly. They are both development from the primitive society to modern society. Therefore, they have many similarities in culture. \its similarities. As the worldwide cultural phenomenon, \in China and western countries. Chinese \\and the longing for ideal the spiritual life.

The reason of the vampire culture popularity is benefited from the literature and film partly. In the west, there are lots of literature and movies about vampire. From the literature and films, thus we can know much about the vampire, and know the process of vampire's image changed from the monster to noble beautiful perfect biological. Both the ghost and vampire film and television works have appeared frequently on the screen, and have got the big success.

Owing to the opening-up of China and the rapid development of economic globalization, it provides many opportunities for Chinese and western people but it also brings some problems. As the important part of the Chinese and western culture, Chinese ghost and western vampire culture is the common product of human spirit activities. Knowing the differences and similarities between the Chinese and western culture, we can better to solve the conflict of cross-cultural communication and contradiction.

This paper will focus on the comparison of the two parts. The first part of the paper will analysis the root causes, background and development of western \and Chinese \vampire through the image analysis. The third part will analysis the influence for people society. Finally, based on the summing up the whole paper, this thesis emphasizes the

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importance of ghost and vampire culture. What's more, it discusses the cultural root and the functions of reality and it inherits the profound cultural connotation between Chinese and western culture.

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1 Comparison of vampire and ghost

1.1 The background of vampire

The legend of Vampire is originated from the fear and worship for blood of western people. The development of understanding the world and human themselves was formed gradually, and the process is very long. The ancient western people feel difficult to understand disease, death and physiology phenomenon, especially for blood. Therefore they imagine many kinds of monsters. The vampire is the typical one. This shows that western human ancestors fear of nature.

\there is a complete history of the documentary record, that is the history of the vampire.\

As a symbol of the life, the blood has an important status in the Christian and the tide of European civilization. From the beginning, blood act as the symbol of evil and mystery. Therefore, it laid a solid foundation for the appearance of vampire.

1.1.1 The early origin of the vampire

According to the Bible, the origin of vampire is Cain. Adam and Eve were drive out of the Eden garden by the God. After that they lived in wild. They gave birth to a lot of children. Cain is their first child, the third people of the world. As Cain killed his own brother and be punished by God. Cain must make the living with people's blood. Although he can live forever with the blood, he only can live in dark place and be cursed after his generation. After that, Cain married with Lilith (Lilith first appeared in Sumerian myth, the first wife of Adam in the old agreement of Judaism, for she dissatisfied with God then left the Garden of Eden). Lilith taught Cain howto suck the blood from people to gain power.

According to this, some one think Lilith is the real one of the original vampire. Actually, all of these are invented by later generations, but these laid the foundation for the literature of vampire. It is also the most popular statement about the origin of the vampire.

1.1.2 The reality cause

Actually, there are many other versions about the origin of vampire. But one of the most

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convincing and also the most scientific basis statement is about the plague during the dark period of the middle century.

During the middle of the 14 century, at the east Europe range of the east of Prussia, Silesia and Bohemia, these areas spread with disease. In order to avoid infected, people did not distinguish whether the patient is really die or not, and buried those people in a hurry. Few days later, people open up the grave for some reason, they found that body changed the posture, and even some body still stained with blood. In fact, it was because that the people who buried at that time has not really dead, they were just in a deep coma. And after they waked up, they were struggled in the grave.

However, in the poverty, block and foolish place, the people said that was the vampire. Then, the ghost stories about the vampire were spread quickly. When they cannot rely on the government and themselves, people began to seek the liberation and a relief in spirit. Thus, it caused the legend of vampire for hundreds years.

1.2 The causes of Chinese ghost culture

The \Chinese traditional culture. It reflects many aspects of the people's values. We can not simply consider the ghost culture as superstition. After all, the awareness of ghost culture has rooted in the people's mind. We should know the rooted cause of the production of ghost culture. Analysis the related materials and customs can help us know better about the ghost culture. According to this, we can know more about the ghost culture, then use it do some contribution to human-being.

In fact, the source of the ghost is multiple, complex and changeable. First, the ghost is linked with the soul, and the soul is related with dreams closely. At that time, the people believed that though people were dead, but the soul is in the world. So, our ancestors draw the conclusion that people is made up by two parts, the body and the soul. The body can die, however, the soul never die. When people died, the soul delivered from the man's body, and then it becomes the ghost. It is just an explanation for the cause of ghost. The ghost culture comes out following the idea of ghost.

1.2.1 The fear for natural force

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The economic basis determines the superstructure. Any production of the social phenomenon has its profound social resource. And all of the productions can be obtained from the basis of social existence, including the \and technological level of the feudal society people, people can not explain the dreams and sudden death. Therefore they imagine the existence of \

In order to seek the life material, our ancients battled with nature for a long time, and separated themselves with the surrounding environment gradually. Then they had a clear sense of themselves, and knew the certain natural phenomenon and process. They found that some natural phenomenon can bring the enjoyment unexpected. However, some natural phenomenon can bring them disaster, even death.

When the human at that time could not get rid of the terrorist and fear of the natural force, especially all kinds of natural hazards that they couldn’t solve around them, they gradually formed the concept of the ghost and soul.

It also reflected that in the society of low productivity people is weak and feeble before the natural phenomenon.

1.2.2 The desire for the psychological life

In ancient society, the worker lived the life under oppression of the cruel ruling class. The contradictions between the ruling class and the public are extremely sharp. However, people did not dare to attack the exploiting class in public. They still wanted that something can help them to easy the pain, they hope some one can punish the evil people and give the reward to kind people. Therefore, people created a false ghost society that largely the same with reality society. In the false world, people can release the suffering and unfair of the reality world wantonly. In their mind, they can use the supernatural ability to reward kind and punish evil people. In this way, they can pursuit the social justice and the happy life in their mind. To some extent, the ghost culture meets the people's psychological demands. At the same time, these kinds of psychological needs in turn promote the development of ghost culture in China.

1.2.3 The political reason

In order to control people's thought better, political masters of the feudal society largely

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imported the Buddhist thought. The masters hype the Buddhism thought that \as a man sows, so let him reap\among the common people. The thought was the concept of ghost culture. Thus it played the role of maintaining the feudal grassroots for political power.

1.3 The similarity of vampire and ghost 1.3.1 originality:Came out with human's image

The important reason of the similarity between Western vampire and Oriental ghost culture come from the ancient people's distortion thought for dream and soul. Dream is fantasy. When Chinese and western people is still in the primitive society of low productivity, people's thinking ability can't understand the physiology phenomenon of dream. In the dream, people seem to go everywhere easily and meet anyone. This can not happen in reality world. In addition, the shape of vampire and ghost imagined by people is similar to human.

1.3.2purpose: In order to meet the demand of human

The ghost culture of the east can satisfied the feeling of missing the dead relatives for people. In addition, it also can meet the curiosity of human. Therefore, the vampire culture also has the same functions for human-beings. Therefore, people created a false ghost and vampire society that is largely the same with real society. In the false world, people can release the suffering and unfair of the reality world wantonly. In their mind, they can use the supernatural ability to reward kind and punish evil people. In this way, they can pursuit the social justice and the happy life in their mind. To some extend, the ghost and vampire culture meets the people's psychological demands. At the same time, this kind of psychological needs in turn to promote the development of ghost and vampire culture in China.

1.3.3cause: Due to the fear of dying

The life and health are the essential things for people, and yet people are linked with disease and death closely. It is a great threat for both Chinese and western people in ancient time. Therefore, it forced people to find a way to explain and pray for liberation in urgent need. However, their thinking ability is extremely low at that time, and people could not find the scientific explanation. Then, they gradually formed the concept of the ghost and soul. And the vampire also is an explanation for the plague and the rabies at that time in Europe.

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2 Characteristics of vampire and Chinese ghost

2.1 The characteristics of the vampire 2.1.1 Basic features

No shadow: people believe that vampire have no shadows. The shadow and image are the symbol of the soul, therefore, the vampire have no shadow.

The long and sharp fangs: vampire usually gains the blood by sucking blood of living people. Usually, they can hide the feature. It has become the main feature of the vampire. Actually, this statement belongs to the imagination of literature writers, as the early vampire does not like that. They need not have to access people, and they still can inhale the blood by using the pores of the skin.

The vampire can only move in the dark. No one can deny that this is a common feature of the vampire. People think the vampire fear of the sunshine.

Vampires do not need to eat, but they need to absorb blood. When they feel hungry, they will produce the strong desire for blood.

In the vampire clan, the status in their family is decided by the level of the ability. Certainly, for the vampire would not grow old, the actual live age has no relationship with the age like.

2.1.2 Other features

As the modern art beautified to the vampire image, the vampire also have the following characteristics.

They owe the handsome and beautiful faces. They often have their own castle, and they are noble originally. Moreover, they have the white skin and cold body. Having the extremely high speed, they have the incredible spirit power and so on.

2.2 The characteristics of Chinese ghost

The basic meaning of Chinese ghost culture is the soul after people died. The history of the ghost is long. That is to say, ever since the coming out of the words, the record about ghost also appeared. From the form of Chinese word of the ghost--\the glyph of the

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ghost looks like some one head wearing a big terrorist masks, and it is very similar with people. This shows that our ancestors had considered that the ghost is a monster with people close.

The \the soul after death, and that the soul is immortal. Consequently, many kinds of sacrifice custom about ghost came out. Along with the beautifying the function of the father and soul, the worship for ancestor played an important position in people's mind. Therefore, diverse sacrifice form appeared. Due to the diversification and widespread of the ancestor worship activities, the Chinese ghost culture has the strong family patriarchal characteristics. This makes the Chinese ghost culture distinguished with the western vampire culture obviously.

2.3 The similar features of the two cultures

Both the characteristics of western vampire and Chinese ghost are based on human-being. The image of the vampire looks the same with white people. And the image of the ghost in China also looks like the eastern people.

Both of them have the super power. The vampire and the ghost can move quickly. No matter the vampire or the ghost, they both have the kind and evil groups. Such as the film of the Chinese fair tale, it is one of the ghost story in The Strange Tales of Liao Zhai. It described a female ghost fell in love with a scholar. The beautiful and kind image of the female ghost-Xiao Qian had leaved the deep memory in many people's mind. The brothers in the TV show of The Vampire Dairy are the kind vampires. They still have the strong humanity.

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Conclusion

In this paper, we have discussed the originality, development and the effects of vampire and ghost by comparative analysis. We found that the similarities of the vampire and ghost reflect much same mind between western and eastern people. At the same time, the different parts also show the different national characteristics.

Culture has its similarities and differences, just as the vampire culture in the West and the

ghost culture in the East. In this paper, understanding the common and features of the two cultures we knew better to promote the mutual communication of different cultures. It also can bring the cultural heritage, the enjoyment of the spirit and material interests.

Although the vampire culture in the West and the ghost culture of East are imagined by people, it has also existence for a long history. Just as the myths and legends, they are all the production of history and culture. Author researched about the vampire and the ghost culture, it does not mean that we believe the vampire and the ghost real existence. Most people research them in order to analysis this kind of culture bring the influence for human-being.

According to the paper, we know that the ghost culture both in western and Chinese has influenced the mind of people deeply. At the same time, it has brought much effect on our daily life at all aspects. Although the ghost culture is just a product of our consciousness, it is also a kind of inevitable product of the society. We can not deny the existence of the ghost culture. On the other hand, we can not believe this kind of culture blindly. Some people just think it is a kind of superstition or unscientific explainexplanation. Only by dealing with the ghost culture correctly, can we make use of the culture reasonable for ourselves.

The vampire and ghost culture also have produced the cultural conflict and negative effect. With the continuous improvement of people's mind, the negative and backward factors will be eliminated inevitably. The essence, however, should be explored and utilized to make the contribution for human-being. In addition to, it also serves for the construction of socialist spiritual civilization. This is the purpose of our research.

Certainly, the paper has just researched some simple and superficial parts. Therefore, it still has much defect. In the future, people can research from any other parts to compare the vampire and the ghost, such as the future development of vampire and ghost, the method to

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decrease the negative effect, using the vampire and ghost culture correctly and so on.

Bibliography

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[1] H.P.Lovecraft. Supernatural Horror in Literature[M]. New York: St Martin’s Press, 1998(5)

[2] L.J.Smith. The Vampire Dairies[M]. Chicago: Harper Teen, 2009(10). [3]陈平原.神神鬼鬼[M].北京：人民文学出版社,1992(10).

[4]胡仲文.跨文化交际学概论[M].北京：外语教学与研究出版社,1999(6).

[5]郎晓玲.十八、十九世纪中英鬼小说主题学研究[D]. 中国优秀博硕士学位论文全文数据库(博士),2004(6).