The Vampire and Vampirism Netbook

From the introduction: The vampire, as we know the species, was originally a creature of myths and legends told over the flickering flames of the campfires, first in primitive hunting camps, then in peasant's hovels and lord's castle. The concept of life-stealing spirits of the night is a universal one. Vampires are predators whose natural prey, humanity is more usually the hunter than the hunted.