Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pegasus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!hou5h!hou5a!hou5d!hogpc!pegasus!avi From: avi@pegasus.UUCP Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,net.movies Subject: Re: Jewish Draculas Message-ID: <924@pegasus.UUCP> Date: Sat, 11-Feb-84 23:31:29 EST Article-I.D.: pegasus.924 Posted: Sat Feb 11 23:31:29 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 15-Feb-84 04:34:44 EST References: <898@ihuxr.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft NJ Lines: 28 Lew Mammel asks about why Bela Lugosi (playing Dracula) wore something that looked like a Star of David. To start with, I have no idea. As it happens, I am Jewish AND I was born (but not raised) in Transylvania. (Seriously, it is a part of modern Romania, and I was born there). The original Dracula is (well) known to have been modeled after V'lad Tepes -- who was definitely not Jewish (although I seem to remember hearing that Bela Lugosi may have been). Lew, are you sure it was not a five-pointed star? A pentagram would make more sense in this context. Even if it was six-pointed, that does not (necessarily) make it a Jewish Symbol. The Star-of-David has been used by others in the past, and I often see people of non-Jewish origin wearing it today. Dracula violated too many Jewish laws - including murder and drinking blood - to have been viewed as a practising Jew. In any case, I assume that the producer/director/whoever of the movie is the likely source of the pendant the actor wore. It may be that they were exhibiting bigoted attitudes, or just trying to use some symbolism. One of the favorite Christian pre-occupations in medieval Europe was to use the (in)famous "blood libel" against the Jews. This fits in well with equating Dracula with them. Needless to say, Dracula is a myth, and the blood-libel claims were unfounded. P.S. I consider myself thoroughly American. My accent is from "Brooklyn". -- -=> Avi E. Gross @ AT&T Information Systems Laboratories (201) 576-6241 suggested paths: [ihnp4, allegra, cbosg, hogpc, ...]!pegasus!avi