Why is it "Vampyre" instead of "Vampire"?

[TheOrcKing]

I have heard some members when Lego's Lord Vampyre character comes up in conversation asking why do they spell it Vampyre and not Vampire? Well, it's similar to how there is grey and gray. Both accepted as correct but technically grey is the older form of the word I believe. Plus gray is more of an American thing.

Anyway, the current English term of vampire was derived from the French vampyre and German vampir. Since the Lego company is based in Billund, Denmark, I'm sure you can see why they went with the older vampyre. That's basically it in a nutshell without a complete history lesson that would put me to sleep.

Also, a child of a vampire and a human (half breed) is called a dhampir (sometimes pronounced "dampeer"). Some regions have specific terms for the child depending on gender. "Vampir" if a boy and "Vampiresa" if a girl, or "Dhampir" for a boy and "Dhampiresa" for a girl.

I love this stuff! :)

[hollywdbri]

Most likely to avoid any licensing issues.

[JoshTX]

I remember some movie (Blade?) where they kept calling the protagonist a "Dampeel" or something like that. It's been awhile, but if I remember correctly the humans called him Daywalker and the vampires called him Dampeel. Maybe it was a different movie, though.

[redeemed763]

Plus Vampyre sounds more EVIL!

[TheOrcKing]

I remember some movie (Blade?) where they kept calling the protagonist a "Dampeel" or something like that. It's been awhile, but if I remember correctly the humans called him Daywalker and the vampires called him Dampeel. Maybe it was a different movie, though.

There was an anime called Vampire Hunter D and they called the main character a "dampeal". Rumor is there was difficulties in translation so instead of pronouncing it as "dampire" or "dampeer", it ended up as "dampeal". It was the movie blade where they called him the Day Walker or a Dhampir.

Plus Vampyre sounds more EVIL!

So zeta evil! Mwahahahahaha!

[JoshTX]

There was an anime called Vampire Hunter D and they called the main character a "dampeal". Rumor is there was difficulties in translation so instead of pronouncing it as "dampire" or "dampeer", it ended up as "dampeal". It was the movie blade where they called him the Day Walker or a Dhampir.

Thats it! Vampire Hunter D...I remember now! That along with "Akira" were actually the first two Japanese anime's I ever saw in my life. I didn't know what anime even was until my cable provider picked up the sci-fi channel and they showed those two back to back. I'm guessing it was the early 90's if I remember correctly.

[Huskers1236]

Blade was a cool movie, then they ruined it with sequels.

[TheOrcKing]

Thats it! Vampire Hunter D...I remember now! That along with "Akira" were actually the first two Japanese anime's I ever saw in my life. I didn't know what anime even was until my cable provider picked up the sci-fi channel and they showed those two back to back. I'm guessing it was the early 90's if I remember correctly.

Vampire Hunter D was & still is so freakin' awesome! Bloody as heck too.

Akira was another one of the first animes I ever watched. .....That makes as much sense as 2001: A Space Odyssey. No wait, it actually makes a little more sense than that! Still the wierdest dang thing I ever watched and leaves you thinking.

"......What the hell did I just watch?"

[JoshTX]

leaves you thinking."......What the hell did I just watch?"

Most anime stuff elicits that response from me. Hard to get into it, but there can be something good from time to time. I've also noticed that anime adaptations of comics, video games, and other mediums are far more faithful to the source material for the most part than American adaptations.

[TheOrcKing]

I've also noticed that anime adaptations of comics, video games, and other mediums are far more faithful to the source material for the most part than American adaptations.

So true. Even when they push the storyline and characters pretty far in the anime, they are still faithful to the source like you said.