Representations of. dove in Fiha and Television FILM & HISTORY: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL 41.2 (FALL 2011)Brenda Gardenour THE BIOLOGY OF BLOOD-LusT: MEDIEVAL MEDICINE, THEOLOGY, AND THE VAMPIRE JEW BRENDA GARDENOUR SAINT LOUIS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY Fearless Vampire Killers) tells the tale of two intrepid vampire hunters, Professor Abronsks and hs assstant, Alfred, who take up residence ata smal village fn near the dreaded vampire Count von Krolck’s castle. The inn is owned and ocupled bythe Je Shaga, long with his wife Rebecca,‘ his beautiful daughter, Sarah, and the blondaired, blue-eyed, bom Christan maid, Magda," whois the focus of Shaga’s sexual obsessions. Despite his unceasing efforts to posses her, Mages remains intact, safe within her bedroom, where she works and seeps within sight of her crux. One ight, having been bitten by Krolck and now a vampire ‘mse Shagal returns to the nn for another chance a the lovely Magda. He appears ther window and breaks through the glss, creeping forward through the shadows {vampires are wont todo. Seeing him, she recalls in hore, reaches above her head forthe cucfix hanging on the wal and holds tout against him convinced that he ‘llsrnk back. Instead, Shagal marows his eyes as he gazes upon the crucifix, tans TNs head coyy to one side and, waving one hand in plyfl csmissal of Magda’ foolishness, chortis na stereotypical Jewish brogue, "Oy, for youve got the Wrong, vampire!” “Ie character ofthe Jewish vampire Is used for comic effect in Polanss satilal Dance of the Vampires Beneath the auclence's laughter, however, the ‘aire Jew reflects long history of ant-Judaism in European culture that began in the latetwelfth and earythiteenth centres with the systematic application of Aristotelan natural philosophy to sues of theology. Scholars working in the Re in 1967, Roman Polansk's Dance of the Vampires (also known a The “In Hebrew, the name Rebecca 7229, means both "to bind into captvy” and “to be ‘captivating beautiful” combination made humoroushere because Mrs. Shagal is both controling (at one pont treating Shagal with an enormous cried sausage) and homely. > The name Magia provides hamorin both the Chistian and Jwsh contest: or Christians the name Magda alludes to Mary Magdalene, whom popular traction hols to have bea prostitute and therefore the object of male desire, wile Jews recogrize the rare Mag, nas meaning both ores” and “vary beaut” which ofcourse {sexact what she represents to shagal, who simply cannot penetrate her perimeter. * on these conflated categories in madieval i, se Ed Peters, The Macon, the Wiech, and the aw (Philadelphia: Univesity of Pennsylvania Press, 1978)-The authority of ‘Aristotle inmatters of theology s evident inthe elaboration of Tansubstantiation ‘defined atthe Fourth Lateran Counclin 25, On the use of Arstotein the medieval university, see Gordon Left, Prisand Oxfordin the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries’ institutional and intelectual story (New York RE Kreger, 1975) Fim & History: 41.2 (Fall201) 5Brenda Gardenour academic milieu of the medieval university combined the authority of Aristotelian iscourse with that of learned medicine to construct the paradigmatic Christian and ‘male body, which was both pure and perfect; against ths perfect male body, they created is inverted “other,” the unChristian female body, which was impure, corrupt, and even polsonous. Cast int this latter category, the imaginary body of the male Jew became cold and feminine, evil and calculating, sexually rapacious and starving for warm, moist blood: the paradigm of the heretical mother—the witch— who cannibaizes her young. ‘The anatomy and physiology of the vampire in F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: Ein Symphonie des Grauens (1922) depicts Count Orlock as a strange creature who frst appears, in a mediumlongedstance shot, emerging from the dark recesses of his cate through a shadowy archway, lasping his hands to his chest as if chilled.” His facial features are not discernible. As Hutter? approaches, however, the creature is suddenly revealed. Protruding from layers of dusty black woolen clothing and tucked beneath a black, brimless, Cantors hat,” Nosferatu’s gaunt and pallid face, shot in three-quarter profile, seems to float. While the vampire’ pallor evokes that of John Polidor's Lord Ruthven, whose otherwise handsome face has a “deadly hue” that “inever gained a warmer tnt.” Nosferatu’s distinct physlognomy owes more to Bram Stoker's sion of Count Dracula, with whom he shares Kohirimmed eyes, impossibly shaggy eyebrows with wiry “har that seemed to cur ints own profusion,” an exaggerated hooked nose with “peculiarly arched nastris," ané enormous, pale, “extremely pointed” ears.” fristoteian texts, "What Aristotle id wast provi a common theoretical {rameworkin a common vocabulay, the notion of asdlence as an organized body of ‘owlege with sown detningpinclples and conclusions." Quoted frm "The ‘iv and the Tree Philosophies” in The History ofthe Univers in furope, ected by de de Rider Symons (Camldge: Cambridge Univesity res, 991), 319- For the use of Aristotelian natural philosophy by medieval theologians, se Ed Grant, ‘The Nature of Natural Phlsophy inthe Midele Ages (Washington,DC Catholic University of America Press, 201). * count Orecula"maved impulsively forward an holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which made mewince, an effect which was nt lessened by the fact that t Seemed cld a ic, more ike the hand of dead thar avg mar.” Bram Stoke, Dracula (New York Bames and Noble, 1957) 20. “rtteris of course, the Jonathan Harker character in Bram Stoker's Drecula. * Bram Stoker's Count Dracula Ikevise “clad black from head to foot, without a singe speck of colour about him anywhere” (Orecue, 20), but he doesnot wear te speccally Jewish Cantor's hat. (thank Cantor Jef Klepper of Temple Snalin Sharon, Ma for assisting me with this identfeation) "John Polo The Vampyre: Tale (London Sherwood, Nely, and Jones, 819) 28, {had now an opportunity of observing him, and found him of a very marked Pyslognomy.Hs face was a trong, avery strong, qulle, with igh bidge ofthe thin nose and pecary arched nostrils with fty domed forehead, and ha growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. Hs eyebrows were ery massive, simost meeting over the nore, and with busty har that seemed to cut in its own profusion. The mouth, ofr a1 could seeit under the heavy moustache, was fixed Bnd athercruelTookng, th peculaly sharp wht testh These protruded over the lips whose remarkable ruddnees showed astonishing val naman of years. Fim & History: 432 (Fll20n) 3