The writers of fantasy have often been found to draw upon the classical elements as a part of their worlds' cobhas. Golems, national emblems, and elemental powers are common usages for what many ancient cultures believed to be the building blocks of all creation.

I am a nature person, so I very much enjoy elemental aspects of stories. Their being common does not hinder that. However, there is always room for creative branching-out when it comes to writing.

Remember the four humors? The ancient medical belief that our bodies are ruled by four fluids, produced by four organs? Why not give them a comeback?

Let's take an example. We see how often the symbolism of blood plays into myths and legends. Why not apply equal status to the other humors? Vampires suck the blood of their victims by seduction. The heart and the blood are the humor in play when a vampire conquers the will of its victim by playing to passions and lust. Why not have three other life draining monsters to complement the first?

"Phlegmpires", who correspond to the humor of the brain, might seek out the intellectual and present such powerful arguments for their case that the victim has thought themselves to the point of apathy, giving the monster power over him. The vampire of the black bile may have similar effects as a dementor, seeking out the down-hearted and causing deep-seated depression as it takes its victims. The vampire of yellow-bile could work its victims into a rage that keep it from thinking clearly as it succumbs to the monster.

There is one new twist on the notion, anyway. Where do you think the humors could find their use?

Cool idea! It would be interesting to have a story where a vampire hunter has to hunt all four kinds of vampires, facing off against the unique powers of each one.

Originally, vampires were supposed to represent a twisted anti-sacrament, finding life in the blood of their victims, the exact opposite of us finding life in the blood of Christ. In some ways I think this is why vampires are so appealing as villains because they're exactly the opposite of all good in a direct way, not just shapelessly evil.
Is there any way this four humors thing could be given theological significance for the other three kinds of monsters as well?

I really like this idea. Would the other three monsters get 'life' by drawing out the specific humor that they correspond to? Would they, too, suck that specific humor from the bodies of their victims?
Or would that be a too obvious stepping stone in the tradition of vampires, leaving readers feeling like they encountered something slightly new, but not as full and developed as it could be?

Areth,

Ka

I wrote a story on the relation to the Eucharist once.

I was envisioning it has drawing the fluids from the body in a similar way. The biles are a bit harder to reach than blood though.

Meep! I love them. o.o They're so cool.

Thanks. I like seeing how different systems of thinking can change the creatures we usually work with.