The Black Vampyre

Welcome to Episode 371 - The Black Vampyre

In this episode I would like to delve into a literary work published by C. Wiley and Company on June 23, 1819 - The Black Vampyre.   Unfortunately, the story has a lot of archaic words that we just don’t use any more - so I think a better way to look at The Black Vampyre is tell its overall story - rather ahead of its time for period in which it was written.’

The full title of the short story is The Black Vampyre, and was supposedly written under the name of Uriah Derick D’Arcy - although some later editions have attributed the story to other writers. The Black Vampire is not only considered the first black vampire story, but the first comedic vampire story, the first vampire story by an American author, and perhaps the first anti-slavery short story of any kind.  The story is set against the conditions that set into motion the Revolution in Haiti.  As you will soon realize, The Black Vampyre is full of all kinds of improbable plot changes and twists - strange over the top situations that allow it to come across as humorous while also subversive.Welcome to Episode 371 - The Black Vampyre

Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Poe.

Transcript

Welcome to Episode 371 - The Black Vampyre

In this episode I would like to delve into a literary work published by C. Wiley and Company on June 23, 1819 - The Black Vampyre.   Unfortunately, the story has a lot of archaic words that we just don’t use any more - so I think a better way to look at The Black Vampyre is tell its overall story - rather ahead of its time for period in which it was written.’

The full title of the short story is The Black Vampyre, and was supposedly written under the name of Uriah Derick D’Arcy - although some later editions have attributed the story to other writers. The Black Vampire is not only considered the first black vampire story, but the first comedic vampire story, the first vampire story by an American author, and perhaps the first anti-slavery short story of any kind.  The story is set against the conditions that set into motion the Revolution in Haiti.  As you will soon realize, The Black Vampyre is full of all kinds of improbable plot changes and twists - strange over the top situations that allow it to come across as humorous while also subversive.

Now The Black Vampyre begins with Mr. Anthony Gibbons recalling his family history. He first relates his memories about his ancestors leaving Africa on a French ship and arriving in Haiti - where they are sold into slavery. They all die shortly after being sold - except for one small boy who is sold to Mr. Personne. Mr. Personne kills the boy and throws the body into the ocean, but the body washes ashore and rises in the moonlight. Mr. Personne tries to kill the boy again, but this time decides to use a different method and burns the boy in a pyre. Instead, the boy tosses Mr. Personne into the fire, resulting in Mr. Personne becoming badly scarred.

Mr. Personne regains consciousness in his own bed, and he is wrapped in bandages. He calls out for his wife, Euphemia, and his infant son. She informs him that his young son has died.  When he hears this, Mr. Personne also dies. Euphemia marries two more times- first to a Mr. Marquand and then to a Mr. Dubois. While mourning the death of Mr. Dubois - remember Mr. Dubois was her third husbnad - she is approached by a Moorish Prince character, who is led in hand by Zembo, a European boy. Euphemia falls in love with the Prince - who she thinks is very charming - and she quickly marries him.

Their wedding is held at midnight - somehow that seems totally appropriate for the story - and being the romantic character he is, the Prince takes Euphemia to her family graveyard. Then the Prince and Zembo proceed to dig up her son's grave. The Prince uses the blood from her son's heart to fill a golden goblet, and forces Euphemia to drink her son’s blood.  The Prince tells Euphemia that she is not allowed to tell anyone what happened in the graveyard. Euphemia faints, and she wakes up in her first husband's grave.  She then comes to the realization that she has become a vampire.    

Then, the Prince raises all three of her past husbands from the dead because - why not?  Her second husband and third husband now duel, which somehow ends with Zembo and the Prince driving a stake into the hearts of the two men. The Prince then assures Euphemia not to worry - that her second and third husbands cannot be resurrected again. It turns out that the Prince is the boy who Mr. Personne tried to kill, but the Prince forgives Mr. Personne for attempting to murder him. And the Prince presents Zembo to Mr. Personne as his dead son.

With instructions from the Prince to journey to Europe, The group stops at a cave where there is a vampyre ball taking place. Inside the cave, there are countless armed slaves listening to the various Vampyre monarchs. The monarchs believe that the immortals existed before the mortals and that all the various immortals should rally and take up arms in the name of emancipation. It is also revealed that the only way to get rid of a vampyre is by using a stake or giving them a cure. However, before any action can be taken, the group is attacked by soldiers, and everyone is killed, except for Mr. Personne and Euphemia.

Both Mr. Personne and Euphemia take the cure and become human again. As a side effect, Mr. Personne ends up sixteen years younger than his wife. Euphemia is then revealed to be pregnant with the Prince's son.

During the conclusion of the story, Mr. Anthony Gibbons is revealed to be the lineal descendant of the Prince's son. Gibbons is also revealed to have bowel troubles, which he fears could be his cravings as a vampyre.
  
OK, so the story is sometimes forced and hard to keep straight, but I think that unreal quality is what allows the author - even if it is in the form of a metaphor -  to write about such subjects as racial insurrection, and the powerful comparison of the vampire to slavery - sucking the life out of innocent victims in order to sustain the vampire’s or master’s wants and needs.

"The Black Vampyre: A Legend of St. Domingo" (1819) by Uriah Derick d'Arcy is a fascinating and complex work that combines elements of Gothic horror, social commentary, and satire. It is notable for being one of the earliest pieces of American literature to feature a Black vampire and for its engagement with themes of slavery, emancipation, and race.

So that is the basic plot of the story - and if you are confused, well, you are doing about right.   Now let’s look a little bit closer at the work - 

Remember - you have the story beginning. with the murder of an enslaved African boy by his owner, Mr. Personne, on the island of St. Domingo (modern-day Haiti/Dominican Republic). The boy is resurrected as a vampire and later returns as an adult "Moorish Prince," seeking revenge and justice. The narrative weaves through various bizarre and grotesque events, including the resurrection of Mrs. Personne’s deceased husbands, a vampiric slave revolt, and the ultimate defeat of the vampires by colonial forces. The story ends with Euphemia (Mrs. Personne) pregnant with the vampire’s child, whose descendants are revealed to be alive in New Jersey.

OK.

The story is deeply tied to the historical context of the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804), a successful uprising of enslaved people against French colonial rule. The Black vampire's rebellion against white oppressors echoes this historical event but concludes with a reversal: the rebellion is crushed, and colonial power is restored.

One interpretation is that the vampire serves as a metaphor for the resilience and resistance of enslaved people. His transformation from victim to powerful figure critiques the dehumanization inherent in slavery while also reflecting anxieties about Black empowerment.  

The "Black Vampyre" challenges typical racialized depictions in Gothic literature by presenting its title character as both regal and charismatic—a "Congo Apollo" dressed as a Moorish prince. However, the narrative also indulges in racial stereotypes, such as associating vampirism with African native spiritual practices.

The story blends horror with absurdity, particularly in scenes where Mrs. Personne’s ex-husbands are resurrected as vampires and engage in slapstick duels. This comedic tone undercuts some of the Gothic horror while offering a satirical critique of toxic masculinity and societal norms.

OK.

The ending muddles the anti-slavery message by having the rebellion fail and returning some characters to human life through a "cure." This is almost like saying that the characters have been cured, and accepted the fact that they are slaves.  The concept of a minority being “cured” could also be applied unfortunately to many right wing attitudes about gay people need to be cured.

Published in 1819, "The Black Vampyre" predates other notable abolitionist works such as Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) by decades. It may be one of the first pieces of American fiction to explicitly address slavery through speculative fiction.

The story introduces unique elements to vampire mythology, such as vampires drinking blood from both the living and the dead—an act that resurrects corpses as vampires. This innovation blends Gothic traditions with Caribbean folklore.

The narrative is intentionally chaotic and layered with satire, making it difficult to pin down its exact stance on slavery or race relations. While it appears to advocate for emancipation through its critique of colonialism and slavery, its conclusion—where rebellion fails—has been read as both subversive and conservative depending on interpretation.

"The Black Vampyre" remains an underappreciated yet significant work for its bold engagement with race, slavery, and Gothic tropes. It serves as an early example of how speculative fiction can address social issues while challenging literary conventions - and it seems to have so many points of view at various times that scholars have used various parts to bolster their - sometimes widely differing - interpretations.

Now the inspiration behind The Black Vampyre by Uriah Derick D'Arcy (a pseudonym, possibly an anagram of Richard Varick Dey) is multifaceted, drawing on literary trends, historical events, and social issues of the time.

Interestingly enough, he story was written as an American response to John Polidori's The Vampyre (1819), which popularized the vampire character in Western literature. Like Polidori, D'Arcy incorporated lines from Byron’s poem The Giaour, which metaphorically linked vampirism to slavery under the Ottoman Empire. D'Arcy extended this metaphor to address African slavery in America.

Now, the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804), which resulted in the successful overthrow of French colonial rule by enslaved Africans, heavily influenced the narrative. Haiti (referred to as St. Domingo in the text) was a symbol of Black resistance and emancipation, making it a fitting backdrop for a story that critiques    colonialism.

Remember that during the 1810s, New York was a hub for anti-slavery activism. The story reflects this sentiment through its depiction of a Black vampire who seeks revenge against his oppressors, although the author stops short of outright condemning slavery.

It is said that The Panic of 1819, one of America’s worst recessions -  inspired D'Arcy to use vampirism as a metaphor for economic exploitation. Financial criminals and speculators are likened to vampires who drain life from society, reflecting anxieties about capitalism and economic inequality.

You could say that today about Mr. Trump and some of the Wall Street billionaires - but I digress.

Getting back to The Black Vampire - D'Arcy drew upon Caribbean folklore, particularly obeah - pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable —a set of creole spiritual practices—linking vampirism to African-derived traditions. This added a unique cultural dimension to the vampire myth while highlighting themes of race and culture.

In his introduction, D'Arcy described his work as "simple, stupid nonsense," suggesting he set low expectations for its literary quality. However, beneath its satirical tone lies a complex  study of race, slavery, and economic exploitation. D’Arcy did not use his real name - possibly for protection - because he was addressing controversial topics during a period when slavery was still legal in the U.S. In other words, just writing about his views could have been very dangerous.

Overall, The Black Vampyre reflects its author's attempt to blend Gothic horror with social critique, making it one of the earliest examples of speculative fiction grappling with issues of race and oppression.

"The Black Vampyre" is not just any vampire story. Unlike traditional European vampires, who are often pale and associated with aristocracy, the title vampire in The Black Vampyre is a Black man described as a "Congo Apollo" with regal qualities. He is dressed as a Moorish prince, emphasizing his nobility and charisma rather than grotesque or monstrous traits. This depiction challenges racial stereotypes unfortunately all-too common in Gothic literature.

Traditional vampires typically drink blood exclusively from the living to sustain their immortality. In The Black Vampyre, vampires can drink the   the dead as well as the living, which resurrects corpses as new vampires. This innovation aligns vampirism with zombie-like characteristics and introduces ethical dilemmas about consuming the blood of the deceased.

Traditional vampire lore often attributes vampiric transformation to being bitten or through supernatural means such as sorcery or curses. In The Black Vampyre, vampirism is tied to themes of colonialism and rebellion, with the Black vampire being resurrected after being murdered by his enslaver. Additionally, transformations occur through rituals, such as forcing Euphemia to drink blood from her son’s heart.

Vampires in this story serve as metaphors for exploitation and resistance against oppression, particularly slavery and colonialism. The Black vampire leads a revolt against white slaveowners, symbolizing empowerment and rebellion. This contrasts with traditional vampire tales that focus on the desires of the individual vampire rather than collective struggle.

Traditional folklore often describes vampires as bloated corpses or pale aristocrats. The Black vampire is portrayed as majestic, physically imposing, and even charismatic.

While traditional vampires are typically destroyed through methods such as staking, sunlight, or holy water, The Black Vampyre introduces a "cure" that can reverse vampirism entirely. This cure restores humanity to characters such as Euphemia and Mr. Personne after they become vampires.

These departures from traditional lore not only enrich the narrative but also allow D'Arcy to explore themes of race, slavery, and resistance through the lens of Gothic horror. By intertwining vampirism with these socio-political issues, The Black Vampyre redefines the vampire archetype as a vehicle for cultural critique rather than mere supernatural terror.

Now "The Black Vampyre" addresses slavery and emancipation through allegory, subversion of tradition Gothic themes, and ambivalent resolutions that reflect 19th-century anxieties.

In fact, The Black vampire’s origin story—murdered by his enslaver, Mr. Personne, and resurrected as a vengeful figure—directly critiques slavery’s brutality. His transformation into a powerful entity symbolizes the potential for enslaved people to reclaim agency, echoing real-life resistance movements such as the Haitian Revolution.

Vampirism in the story is a metaphor and parallels the exploitative nature of slavery. The Black vampire’s ability to drain life from both the living and the dead mirrors how slavery "consumed" generations of African bodies for profit. His rebellion—a vampiric slave revolt—reflects fears of retribution among white audiences while symbolizing liberation.

The narrative’s conclusion complicates its anti-slavery message. Though the Black vampire leads a rebellion, it is ultimately crushed by colonial forces, and characters are "cured" of vampirism. This mirrors the tension between abolitionist ideals and the reality of entrenched power structures in the early 19th century, akin to the limited scope of the Emancipation Proclamation decades later.  

The Black vampire is portrayed as regal and charismatic (a "Congo Apollo"), challenging Gothic tropes that equate darkness with monstrosity. This contrasts with contemporaneous racist depictions of Africans as subhuman.

The narrative’s satirical tone and chaotic resolution—where the rebellion is suppressed but the vampire’s lineage persists—underscore the era’s conflicted views on slavery. Like the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed only enslaved people in rebellious states, the story’s critique of slavery remains incomplete, reflecting the complexities of advocating for emancipation in a society still dependent on racial hierarchy.

In other words, The Black Vampyre uses vampirism to interrogate slavery’s dehumanization and imagine Black empowerment, while its unresolved ending mirrors the fraught political landscape of early 19th-century America.

And in conclusion The Black Vampire ends with a moral that is still relevant today - 

IN this happy land of liberty and equality, we are free from all
traditional superstitions, whether political, religious, or otherwise. Fiction
has no materials for machinery; —Romance no horrors for a tale of
mystery. Yet in a figurative sense, and in the moral world, our climate is
perhaps more prolific than any other, in enchanters,—Vampyres,—and
the whole infernal brood of sorcery and witchcraft.

The accomplished dandy, who in maintaining his horses,—his
taylor, &c.—absorbs in the forced and unnatural excitement of his
senseless orgies, the life-blood of that wealth which his prudent Sire had
accumulated by a long devotion to the counter,—What is he but a
Vampyre?

The fraudulent trafficker in stock and merchandize, who, having
sucked the whole substance of an hundred honest men, and then, by the potent magic of an insolvent law, stalks forth, triumphant with bloated villany, more elated in his shameless resurrection to renew his career of iniquity and of disgrace,—what is he but a Vampyre?

Brokers, Country Bank Directors, and their disciples—all whose
hunger and thirst for money, unsatisfied with the tardy progression of
honest industry, by creating fictitious and delusive credit, has preyed on
the heart and liver of public confidence, and poisoned the currents of
public morals, are they not all Vampyres?

Join Celebrate Poe for episode 372 - Doubles in Dracula

Sources include: Vampires: A Handbook of History & Lore of the Undead by Agnes Hollyhock, Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend by Mark Collins Jenkins,he Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead  by J Gordon Melton, and The Black Vampire by Uriah Derick D’Arcy

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