Vampires have captured the imagination for centuries, fascinating and terrifying humanity with their mysterious powers and bloodthirsty nature. One of the most iconic features of these undead creatures are their haunting eyes, which take on an unnatural appearance to match their supernatural abilities. But what color are a vampire’s eyes exactly? The answer can vary across different mythologies and fictional stories. Here we will explore the origins of vampire eye color and its significance in vampire lore and popular culture. From Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, the eyes reveal much about a vampire’s age, powers and connection to humanity.
The Folklore Origins of Vampire Eye Color
In early Eastern European folklore, vampires were envisioned as hideous reanimated corpses bloated with blood from their victims. Their eyes were often described as red, associating their murderous hunger with the color of blood. Red eyes represented the evil unholy state of these undead beings no longer belonging to the realm of the living. As vampires transitioned into aristocratic figures in 19th century vampire fiction, their mystical evil nature was often represented through strange hypnotic eyes which could overwhelm their prey’s senses and willpower. However, specific colors were rarely defined in these early fictional works. It wasn’t until Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula that vampire eye color became codified into the blood-red hue we recognize today.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Red Eyes
In Dracula, Stoker describes the titular Transylvanian vampire’s eyes as being “red light, as red as scarlet”. When Dracula’s eyes are red, it signifies he has recently fed on blood and is at the height of his powers. Later they turn dark and become hooded when he is weak from not feeding for a long period of time. Stoker establishes the red eyes as an iconic trait of vampires through Dracula, one which goes on to influence countless subsequent vampire novels, movies and tv shows. Red eyes represent the unholy bloodlust that drives vampires and their lack of humanity after losing their mortal souls.
Alternative Vampire Eye Colors in Fiction
However, not all fictional vampires possess scarlet red eyes. Some storytellers broke from tradition and imagined alternative eye colors for their vampires which reflect differences in their origins, abilities and moral alignments compared to a traditional vampire like Dracula.
Black Eyes
Having the vampire’s eyes turn completely black is common in fiction, typically being associated with age, evil and corruption. The blackness reflects a void lacking any humanity as the vampire gives fully into their monstrous undead nature. Rice’s Interview with the Vampire has ancient vampires like Akasha and Marius with opaque orbs described as resembling polished jet or marble. In TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the infamous villain Angelus has eyes that can turn fully black when bloodthirsty and soulless.
Yellow, Golden or Amber Eyes
Vampires with yellow, gold or amber colored eyes are seen in The Vampire Diaries, the Twilight Saga and other contemporary YA fiction. It signifies a vampire who abstains from drinking human blood and only feeds on animals. Their eyes turn from red to amber, showing they have broken from vampirism’s addiction to murder and still retain some empathy. However, their supernatural hunger means their virtuous struggle is always under threat if they kill again.
Blue Eyes
While rare, some fiction gives vampires blue eyes to underline their tragic nobility. Despite their predatory needs, their blue eyes represent mournfulness and regrets over their lost humanity and never being able to reunite with loved ones. Rice’s Vampire Chronicles includes multiple vampires described as having striking clear blue eyes, while still capable of turning fiery red when overcome by bloodlust.
Green Eyes
Similar to blue, vivid green eyes can denote a vampire protagonist with a more soulful persona. Vampire Academy’s Moroi race have emerald green eyes due to their more pacifist ways and only drinking willingly donated blood. Green separates them from the violent red-eyed Strigoi vampires who embody the horrors of the undead.
Eye Color and the Vampire Genre Evolution
As the vampire genre evolved from folkloric monster to multi-dimensional fictional archetype, their diverse eye colors came to represent different facets of their cursed existence. Red remains the iconic hue, but black, gold, green and blue eyes all signify the complex inner world of immortal beings navigating their predatory instincts, lost humanity and place in the world. This reflects how modern vampire stories have gravitated to tragic romances, moral struggles and the paradox of beings both dead and alive. The trope of their eyes changing color indicates the thin line separating their human and monstrous natures.
Conclusion
A vampire’s eyes in fiction serve as windows into their lonely souls, underscoring the gothic romance elements of modern vampire fiction. Their haunting eyes reveal the being concealed under a disguise of normality as much as their fangs do. This meaningful storytelling device adds additional dimensions to vampire characters and mythology, bringing chilling vibrancy to their passage between life and afterlife. So while Bram Stoker may have popularized the scarlet eyed vampire, the colors have since multiplied as much as the undead themselves.