Hi there, Earthlings!
In many old horror films vampires lack the ability to have reflections in mirrors with the notable exception of F.W. Murnau’s silent classic “Nosferatu” (1922). In the film the vampire (played by Max Shreck) is dying from the sunlight and inadvertently steps in front of a mirror casting a reflection. In Roman Polanski’s cult favorite, “The Fearless Vampire Killers,” when the mortal vampire hunters dance with the undead they also waltz up in front of a mirror and are “outed” as human. (The film’s European title was Dance of the Vampires.) The vampire’s inability to cast a reflection seems to have been largely the invention of Bram Stoker with Count Dracula avoiding mirrors and with his castle being devoid of any kind of reflective device. When Jonathan Harker shaves he notices that the Count casts no reflection. It is also suggested that Dracula not only casts no reflection, but also lacks a shadow and cannot be photographed (because his likeness cannot be captured on any surface).
But the idea of a vampire’s lack of a reflection can be traced to all manner of folklore. Belief that a mirror can steal souls seems to have been widespread. Often when a person dies it was common to turn mirrors to the wall. Being an old hillbilly here in West Virginia, I’ve heard of this belief among some of our older people, notably of Celtic descent. This belief holds that if the corpse sees its reflection it will become confused and wander, potentially become undead.
Ah, summertime on Mars – happy, joyous revelry!