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In Western Folklore The vampire bat was first tied to the vampire myth in the nineteenth century. Because bats are creatures of the night, in many cultures they came to be associated with the unknown, the supernatural, and more sinister aspects of life. In the Middle Ages, bats came to be associated with the Christian Devil and were often believed to be signs of and even agents of death. In Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897 the bat became inextricably associated with vampires. In Dracula, the bat is one of the creatures of the night that the Count rules and into which he can transform. It is seen early in the novel hovering outside Jonathan Harker's room at Castle Dracula. Ever since, the vampire bat has been seen as a vampire myth.

Water According to Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire expert in Dracula, a vampire could only pass running water at the slack or flood of the tide. In Russia, the corpse of a suspected vampire might be thrown into the river in the belief that the earth could not tolerate its presense. In Germany, the body of a person who committed suicide (a potential vampire was treated similarly. Also in part of Germany, water might be poured on the road between the grave where a suspected vampire had been buried and his home, as a barrier to prevent his return. Holy water became part of the "vampire kit" which was as effective as acid on humans. It burned and scared, though wasn't usually fatal. In Steven King's novel, Salem's Lot, water glowed indicating the approach of vampires.

Transformations: The vampire could traditionally transform itself into various animals, particularly a bat, wolf, or dog. It could also turn into a mist or dust like cloud. In Stoker's Dracula, the Count transformed into a wolf (to leave the ship that had wrecked at Whitby, a bat (throughout the novel, and as a mist (in order to enter Mina Murray's bedroom. The transformation into a mist also explained how the vampire could exit his coffin without disturbing the earth. This theme held up through most of the remaining adaptations of Dracula (esp. transforming into a bat.

Flying: Some vampires have the ability to fly. Most vampires of twentieth century literature and motion pictures flew only by making a transformation into a bat. The first major movie that showed flying vampires in human form was The Lost Boys (1987. And more recently, in Forever Knight, Nick Knight the main character occasionally took flight to catch a criminal.

Transylvania: Literally, the land beyond the forest, is the area of north central Romania most identified in the public mind with vampires. Its reputation is derived as the home of Dracula in Bram Stoker's novel (Jonathan Harker traveled to Count Dracula. In the fourteenth century, there were four main groups in Transylvania: Hungarians, Hungarian speaking Szekelys, Saxons, and Romanians. The Roman Catholic Hungarians tried to convert the Orthodox population and specific laws were passed to disenfranchise the Romanians. Hungary's increasingly oppressive control led many Romanians to cross the mountains into Moldavia and Wallachia. The migration south promoted the organization of independent central government in Wallachia in the fourteenth century. This found a constant tension with the Hungarians to the North and the Turks to the South, both of whom wanted to control it. It was in that tension that Vlad Dracula came to the Wallachian throne in 1436. Prior to that, Vlad Dracula was commander of the guard in Transylvania around 1430. Around that time he had a son (also named Vlad who became known as Vlad the Impaler who eventually took the throne in 1456. Stoker attempted to merge the fictional Count Dracula with Vlas the Impaler, the man known for his battles with the Turks. Stoker also identified Dracula as the arch vampire. Transylvania vampire lore was merely a variation of the vampire beliefs found throughout Romania and shared by neighboring groups of Slaves and Gypsies. Historically, the land had no particular reputation as a home to vampires.

The Crucifix: The crucifix is the major symbol of the Christian faith which is a Latin cross with a figure of Jesus on it. It acts as another tool in the "vampire kit." The emergence of the crucifix came directly from Bram Stoker's novel, which associates vampirism with Satanism. If then the vampire was of the realm of Satan, it would withdraw from a crucifix. In Stoker's novel, the presence of the crucifix caused the vampire to lose his supernatural powers.

Garlic: Like the crucifix, Stoker introduced this tool to the "vampire kit." Garlic has developed a reputation as a powerful healing agent, and was rumored that it possessed magical powers as protection from the plague and various supernatural evils.

Mirrors: Another popular idea that vampires cast no reflection and had a strong aversion to them was created by Bram Stoker. Jonathan Harker, the main character in Dracula, noticed the Count castle was completely void of mirrors. Mirrors were seen, at least by Stoker, as somehow revealing a person's spiritual double, the soul. Since vampires have no souls, they cast no reflection.