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Ask Dr. Pecos

During his days as an Instructor at the FVZA Academy, Dr. Pecos enjoyed nothing more than answering questions from students. Retirement has done little to dim that passion. Therefore, he'd like to offer you the opportunity to ask any questions you have about vampires and zombies. New questions and answers will be posted periodically, while the old questions and answers will be archived for easy reference.

Question(s):

Vampire tears in True Blood (©HBO)

Do vampires really cry tears of blood like the vampires in True Blood?
Sheldon, Lawrence, Kansas

The notion that vampires cry tears of blood has been around for awhile; long before True Blood.

Vampire eyes are different from those of humans in several key ways. They are adapted for night vision, with dilated pupils that allow in more light. This is why a vampire appears to have black eyes. Another difference is that vampires typically have red, inflamed sclera—the so-called "whites of their eyes." Because of this, people throughout history have come to believe that vampires have bleeding eyes. But the blood is confined to the eyeball and does not flow out like tears.

On a related note, some of you have asked me about this video of a young man in Tennessee who bleeds from his eyes and whether this indicates vampirism.

The blood coming from the young man appears to be originating from the tissues around his eyes. If he actually were a vampire, his pupils would be enlarged, the whites of his eyes would be red and—most notably—he would have sharp, pointed canines. In addition, he would be unable to tolerate sunlight. I sincerely hope his condition is diagnosed and cured, but fortunately, he is no vampire.

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