Celem artykułu jest analiza toposu wampira w serialu „Nocna msza” (2021). Ze względu na wyjątkowe, w aspekcie religijnym, ujęcie figury nieumarłego koniecznym wydaje się odpowiedź na następujące pytania: w jakim zakresie semantycznym produkcja Netflixa wnosi nowe treści do dotychczasowej ewolucji obrazu krwiopijcy w kulturze? Dlaczego powiązanie wampiryzmu z religijnością, chociaż już we wcześniejszych utworach pojawiały się tego typu reprezentacje, stanowi novum? Jakie nawiązania oraz paralele można zaobserwować w serialu w odniesieniu do słynnych antenatów – powieści Brama Stokera, Stephena Kinga, Anne Rice, filmów Friedricha Wilhelma Murnau czy Wernera Herzoga? Metodologia wykorzystana w tekście korzysta z kategorii wypracowanych na gruncie semiotyki kultury popularnej (ewolucja intermedialnego wizerunku wampira), teorii komunikowania masowego (konteksty konwergencyjne) oraz badań komparatystycznych (relacja w zakresie wykorzystania motywów fabularnych między „Nocną mszą” a wcześniejszymi utworami, w których manifestuje się topos krwiopijcy). Wartość poznawcza artykułu opiera się na wykazaniu poszerzenia pola semantycznego wampiryzmu w kontekście religijnym, który pojawił się w serialu Mike’a Flanagana.

Religious Undead. New Conceptualization of Vampirism in the Media Space (Based on the Example of Mike Flanagan’s “Midnight Mass” Series)

The aim of this article is to analyse topos of a vampire in the “Midnight Mass” series (2021). Due to the unique, religious aspect of the series, it seems necessary to answer the following questions: to what semantic extent does Netflix’s production bring new content to the current evolution of the image of the “bloodsucker” in culture? Why the connection of vampirism and religiosity seems like a novelty, although such representations have already appeared in earlier works? Why the connection between vampirism and religion, when such representations have already appeared in earlier works, is a novelty? What references and parallels can be observed in the “Midnight Mass” series that relate to the famous novels by Bram Stoker, Stephen King, Anne Rice and films by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau or Werner Herzog? The methodology used in this article is based on categories developed on the basis of the semiotics of popular culture (evolution of the intermedia image of a vampire), theory of mass communication (convergent contexts) and comparative research (account of the use of motives between “Midnight Mass” and earlier works in which the bloodsucker topos is manifested). The cognitive value of the article is based on the demonstration of the broadening of the semantic field of vampirism vampirism in the religious context, which appeared in Mike Flanagan’s series.

The aim of this article is to analyse topos of a vampire in the “Midnight Mass” series (2021). Due to the unique, religious aspect of the series, it seems necessary to answer the following questions: to what semantic extent does Netflix’s production bring new content to the current evolution of the image of the “bloodsucker” in culture? Why the connection of vampirism and religiosity seems like a novelty, although such representations have already appeared in earlier works? Why the connection between vampirism and religion, when such representations have already appeared in earlier works, is a novelty? What references and parallels can be observed in the “Midnight Mass” series that relate to the famous novels by Bram Stoker, Stephen King, Anne Rice and films by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau or Werner Herzog? The methodology used in this article is based on categories developed on the basis of the semiotics of popular culture (evolution of the intermedia image of a vampire), theory of mass communication (convergent contexts) and comparative research (account of the use of motives between “Midnight Mass” and earlier works in which the bloodsucker topos is manifested). The cognitive value of the article is based on the demonstration of the broadening of the semantic field of vampirism vampirism in the religious context, which appeared in Mike Flanagan’s series.