 
WRAITH BE DEAD?
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The Wraith are a terrifying foe ... even when John Sheppard gives them names like "Bob." |
SPOILER WARNING: This article includes details from the 2-part Stargate Atlantis premiere, "Rising."
Are the Wraith Stargate Atlantis's answer to the classic vampires of folklore? The possibility exists given what the show has revealed of this enemy. While there is no doubt that they are inspired by motifs that have defined the vampire figure, the difference is that the Wraith are not undead.
Because information about vampires can be found from many sources (ranging from electronic to print), this article serves to give a quick historical review about the creature of the night before putting it into the context of the television show.
Historically, the vampire tale dates far back to Mesopotamian times1, with each new civilization revising it for their culture and changing their gangly appearance. In fact, from the Hebrew Bible, there is an implication that Lilith is the original2. This idea is more speculative than fact. The ancient vampire tended to be fearful, deadly, and decayed; they prowled upon wayfarers and haunted the night. Oral folklore reflected that idealism.
In modern (re)interpretations, Bram Stoker took credit for reintroducing the vampire figure to the Victorian-era consciousness not only as a metaphor for the times but also as a creature of sexuality. One could argue that the era was dry and stagnant; an infusion of new blood was needed to push society forward. Back then, public courtship was not the norm and the vampire became a romantic figure. It has been revealed in many a documentary that the author took some inspiration by incorporating the Romanian legend of Vlad Tepes (Dracul) in his creation of Dracula.
 The Wraith Keeper (Andee Frizzell) mercilessly feeds upon Colonel Marshall Sumner (Robert Patrick). From "Rising." | |
Fast forward to the twentieth century: After an experimental German film, "Nosferatu" broke ground, Universal Studios introduced the classic monsters of legend during the Golden Age of Cinema -- the vampire, golem (Frankenstein), and lycanthrope (werewolf). Each of these figures has been featured in science fiction to some degree. In the latest, Stephen Somners "Van Helsing" is about the world's famous vampire-hunter chasing after the "big three;" the movie adds little to the legend but does make the vampire the most popular of the three characters.
Not only has Hollywood put the vampire in today's time (for example, "Dracula 2000") but its influences are massive. From Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat series (and more notably, Queen of the Damned3) to White Wolf's role-playing game, Vampire the Masquerade4, these are just the highlights of the on-going appeal of this creature of the night. The latter even made an attempt at a short-lived television show.
However, it should be noted that a more recognized program is Dark Shadows, which lasted many years as a dramatic, supernatural soap opera. That show too attempted a revival. Consequentially, a subculture has bloomed where people have cosmetically styled themselves as vampires, sometimes identified with the Goth subculture.
Is it surprising that Stargate's creators are just as likely to bring the blood-sucking creature to life in their universe? No. Dean Devlin, the director of the theatrical movie, has stated that he wanted to bridge the gap of all the creatures of legend in his version of the Stargate universe, originally conceived to be a film trilogy. Instead, what the audience is getting is Brad Wright's vision -- which so far is not too different from Devlin's own.
|  A Wraith infiltrator (James Lafazanos) gets Major Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) in a compromising position. From "The Siege, Part 1." |
Given what the show has revealed about the Ancients' retreat to Earth, it is likely these survivors of the Siege of Atlantis spread the legend of both
Atlantis and their enemies the Wraith when they wandered the globe. Over time, the stories and the creatures told over the campfire changed.
As the Atlantis premiere reveals, the Wraith appear mostly at night, sleep in coffin-like chambers, have the ability to create illusionary phantasms, suck the life force out of their victim, and have the pallor of death. This description is very apt of the vampires of traditional lore. In addition, if one looks at the traditional vampyric pattern of habitation and disease, the Wraith's action is just like a vampire's. Their habitation (the hive ship) lies deep in the woods and they plaque the nearby village, robbing it of a few, youthful people so that they can feed5. One significant difference is that the Wraith can operate in daylight, if they so desire.
One note to make is that the vampires we know tend to bite and suck, while the Wraith approach to touch and drain. The idea is the same, because both seek the vitality, the life, in the victim to feed upon. Looking deeper into the lore, genuine vampires bite at the neck -- or in the area of the heart.6 The Wraith Queen's attack on Sumner's chest is no surprise.
They feed because "blood is the life." The Bible, Budge's notes on the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" state it. Blood is simply one symbolic representation of the life force the vampire or the Wraith craves. In Dracula, the character Renfield describes living things necessity to eat, giving a morbid account of the food chain. In "Rising, Part 2" there is a similar moment when the Wraith Keeper has a similar soliloquy after she reveals the fact that the planet is their feeding ground:
"All living things must eat. In this, I'm sure we're similar. You feel hunger even now ... I can sense it. Yet you resist. Why?"
"Why do you care?" asks Sumner.
"Hunger is distasteful. ... We don't require our food to agree with us."
 The Keeper's lieutenant (James Lafazanos) takes great pleasure in staring down Colonel Sumner. | |
On a deeper level, if one considers an entire galaxy as a single blood cell, the Wraith, Replicators (see "Reckoning" parts 1 and 2), and Goa'uld are all parasites with the intent to infect the organism. Much like the need to inject new blood into the stagnant Victorian society, maybe the galaxy needs a similar infusion so that it does not become complacent.
The episode "Poisoning the Well" uses this idea, because one civilization is not willing to sit back and let the Wraith wipe them out. The irony is that they themselves will wipe themselves out because their science, however advanced it is, is not measured by twentieth century standards but by turn of the century codes and practices.
If the allusion to the classic vampire is still not apparent, when Sheppard jumps in to save the day in the series opener, he does stake the female Wraith (and misses the heart by a couple of inches).
Not only that, the male Wraith captain is very reminiscent of Vlad Tepes. Perhaps he is just like the Romanian conqueror; both are ruthless towards their enemy. Because very little history has been given so far about this race, only future episodes can tell and a follow-up to this article will explore the ideas the show creators have since put forth.
FOOTNOTES
1. http://www.parascope.com/en/articles/vampires02.htm
2. The passage describes Lilith, in the form of an owl, drinking blood.
3. Anne Rice owes the progeny of the vampire civilization to a pair of siblings from Ancient Egypt. Queen Akasha rose from her deep slumber to bring about Hell on Earth.
4. This role playing game tries to put together all the inspirational sources of vampiric literature and film in order to create a political-social milieu where vampires of different breeds are at odds with one another.
5. Mascettei, Manuela D. Vampire: The Complete Guide to the World of the Undead, p. 12
6. Ibid. p. 63
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