HOUSE SAUROMATOS

WE ARE A TRADITIONAL VAMPYRIC HOUSEHOLD BASED IN THE RHINE-RUHR METROPOLITAN REGION, GERMANY

Our House was founded in 2015 to further the Restoration of Vampyric Houses and Covens in the German-speaking area in Europe and to support our local communities.

The Sauromatos Household has been many things over the years, changing form with the necessities of the times: A shadow of a sinister remnant, an exeatic mystery tradition, a defiant challenge, a proud living example.
House Sauromatos represents the effort to consolidate a teaching tradition that has grown over many years into the form of a traditional Vampyric Household after the fashion of the old Sanguinarium – to stand for the preservation of a Vampyric Heritage worthy of pride.

We care about the great and diverse community of vampire-identified people we, together, have elevated into a shared Vampyre Culture and the ideal of Vampyre Society – and we will not let our heritage fade away unremembered.
We care about our history, our traditions.
We care about a return to the high standards of Sanguinary Society.
We care about the chivalry of the night, the codes of discretion and personal honour we are bound to observe as Vampyres.
We care about the creative and entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of Vampyre Culture.
We care about family and the celebration of being different.
We care about unity and brotherhood, the company of the damned, the mystique and allure of the secret covenant, the esprit of shared adversity – and the unique kind of trust and loyalty that comes with it.

Acting as keepers of tradition and guardians of knowledge, we have served our Vampyric communities, both at the forefront of initiatives and often, covertly, in the shadows.

House Sauromatos advises Vampyric individuals and groups in our regions seeking to explore traditional forms of Vampyre Culture or establish themselves as traditional Houses, Clans, Covens, or Families in their own right.
We gladly facilitate contact between interested parties and help to connect individuals seeking to enter a Vampyric Household or similar group with existing groups we have partnered with, and vice versa – connect our partnered groups with prospective seekers.
We provide the founders of new groups with support in finding their own identity within the traditions of Vampyre Society, offering advice on guiding philosophy, policy, and design.

Our Protectorate-Partner Black Rose Society has taken on many of the functions of an Outer Court to our House:
Providing a safe haven to gather, to mingle, to exchange news and information, to enjoy hospitality, to befriend, to learn on a basis of personal knowing.
Through Black Rose Society, interested parties are welcome to participate in the social life of our House, and gain personal experiences about Vampyre Culture without further obligations or commitments.

Never numerous, House Sauromatos trusts in the noble pedigree and elite nature of our proud spiritual family.
Our neo-aristocratic ethos believes in dutiful service, in loyalty to one’s own, and holds personal honour sacred above all.
Our virtues and ideals are inspired by the past, and, in kind, inspire us to be our best, to strive for excellence, and take charge of the future.

HISTORY OF VAMPYRE HOUSES

Vampyres traditionally organize themselves into clannish, close-knit groups of like-minded, kindred spirits.
A House is defined in Vampyre Culture as a group of Vampyres organized under a specific name, a symbol, crest, or sigil, as well as a set of ideas and traditions, including ethics and practices.

Groups of vampyric people have existed, if not since time immemorial, then at least since the latter half of the 20th century.
Early underground communities were exclusively formed by blood-drinking, sanguine Vampyres and often took the shape of exclusive secret societies of an occult nature with strict codes of silence, discretion, and personal honour we know as the Old Covens.
As such, much of the modern Vampyre community’s early history from the era of the Old Covens is still veiled in secrecy and only rarely spoken of.

A more visible Vampyre subculture evolved in the 1990s, which using the internet has grown to become a global subcultural phenomenon.
Indeed, much of the current Vampyre community’s various concepts and specific terminology can be traced to this period.
It is this era, from the 1990s until the beginning of the millennium, which saw the clandestine closed-off Old Covens reform into the more open New Houses.

Coinciding with the increasing emergence of the Internet, the insular Old Covens were gradually dissolved, their traditional customs abandoned, or, in the guise of Vampyric Houses, substantially reformed and adapted to the needs of the time, making way for entirely new forms to establish themselves.
This development can be traced both internationally and roughly, with some delay and overlapping of both phases, in the German-speaking regions.

The Vampyric Houses which have been influential in large parts of the international Vampyre Society since the early 90s are no relics – rather, in many places they represented an important revitalization of Vampyre Culture.
Contemporary Vampyre Houses, like House Sauromatos, often integrate the old with the new in order to carry values and ideas traditionally important for Vampyres into the next millennium – exploring the possibilities of a connected Vampyre Society and Vampyre Culture.

OUR STORY

House Sauromatos in its current conception first took shape under the blood moon on the night of September 28th, 2015.

Since then, we have pursued the preservation of traditional Vampyre Culture and the furthering of worthy forms of Vampyric self-organization in the German-speaking European countries through the living example of our House.
We have advocated the protection and development of local Vampyre structures, meeting places and havens, as well as Houses, Clans, Covens, and Families, as we trust that Vampyre Society and Vampyre Culture will benefit in the long term from a pluralistic landscape offering a wide breadth of possibilities.
We believe in a balancing of openness with exclusivity to frame and preserve in the greater discourse of Vampyre Society particularly the more sophisticated aspects of Vampyrism, on whose authenticity we believe the long-term attractiveness of Vampyre Society will depend.

We do not hide from our own kind.

We confidently and openly proclaim the principles of our House so that everyone can see what we stand for.
There are, however, certain mysteries and occult kinds of knowledge that by their very nature must be guarded more closely.
Our Household’s occult traditions are founded firmly on a basis of personal knowing, meaning we often distrust those not personally known to us.
Secrecy and confidentiality remain paramount in our Society.
We hold that Vampyre Society has always thrived – and will continue to do so – in the underground.
Thus it is there, in the shadows, where we must find our balance – to stay true to the roots of our Vampyric Heritage.

ETHOS OF THE OLD COVENS

The ideals of modern Vampyre Society, and with it those of House Sauromatos, rest on and progress from that which has been there before.
In those earliest days, Vampyric groups of Clan-Families and Covens resembled isolated subcultures, which were usually organized hierarchically and followed their own Werteordnung, their own ethos.

In their era, the Old Covens mandated the strict adherence to their laws of secrecy and honourable conduct, securing the survival of Sanguinary Society in the face of considerable adversity.
Early Vampyric communities and their traditions were often characterized by a fierce clannishness and marked by certain dark codes of honour, calling back to the martial Vampyrism of an old warrior-clan elite.

Such was the Ethos of the Old Covens:

Old Coven rule placed a great emphasis on clear boundaries between the initiated and the outsiders, between Vampyric and Non-Vampyric people.
Mundanes, as they were called, were not expected to be sympathetic to Vampyres.
They were generally mistrusted – and often despised – for their ways.
As a Vampyre initiated into the Coven, you were expected to be suspicious and wary of mundanes at all times.
The elite nature of Old Coven teachings held that there were essential differences between our kind and theirs, that Vampyres were a breed apart from mundane humanity, and that a Vampyre was to be proud of what set them apart.
Neither were feelings of superiority discouraged in the harsh “Us Versus Them” mentality of the Old Covens.
There was no doubt on where a Vampyre’s loyalties were supposed to lie: As a Vampyre initiated into the Coven your loyalty was only to your own kind, your Coven and its hierarchy, and to those you have sworn a personal oath of loyalty.
The Coven expected everyone’s contribution. In turn, the Coven cared for its own.
As a Vampyre loyal to the Coven, it was your duty to be ready to defend yourself and those you were sworn to, and be prepared to use deadly force if necessary.
Old Coven rule called for settling disputes only among our own kind, without involving mundane authorities, either through arbitration or blood-duel, depending on the seriousness of the dispute.
To protect the Vampyric Heritage, some Old Covens held that Vampyres should only marry among their own kind, who, like them, lived by the laws of the Old Covens.
Vampyres were to carry themselves with honour – living, defiantly, each night as if it were their last, remain true to the blood-oaths they swore, keep to their word once given to other Vampyres, and punish those who act dishonourably towards our kind.

We may look back now on those halcyon days from a position of relative comfort, and, depending on our stance, rightly judge our predecessors for their harshness and antiquated ways, or indeed learn to respect the Ethos of the Old Covens – recalling the ancient order of blood – for the defiant strength and unity it promised.

OUR CHARACTER

House Sauromatos is not for everyone.

The living tradition of our Vampyric Heritage has little to offer to those not attracted by our ethos.
Our offer is intended for those who value mutual loyalty and confidentiality as well as unity, continuity, and prosperity within a family-like organization and are willing to commit themselves to these goals.
Belonging to a traditional Vampyric Household such as House Sauromatos is – by tradition – thought to be a bond for life, or Lebensbund, a lasting commitment and a privilege earned by purposeful contribution.
Joining a Household does not easily translate to personal status in Vampyre Society, nor does it provide easy answers to the questions of Vampyric existence.
The true value of belonging will become apparent to those sharing our ethos, and remain hidden to those who do not.

We know our kind.

For Sauromatos, we work together to establish a strong and lasting Vampyre Culture in our communities, revivified and restored to its rightful place in the night.
We take Vampyrism seriously, as identity, as culture, and as a society – and we expect the same seriousness and dedication from our aspirants.
The Sauromatos Household is keenly interested in those exhibiting purpose, those who – burning with the fire of ambition – would further and shape Vampyre Culture and Vampyre Society.
As a valuable partner, the House can and will offer structure, guidance, and support towards the realization of your own personal vision.
Working together with an exclusive group of like-minded peers, you will be granted considerable access to the resources and network of the House and its affiliated persons and protectorates.
In turn, the House requires nothing less than your dedication to the honourable Sanguinary Society, we are proud to serve as a traditional Vampyric Household.

The ideals of dutiful service which are so central to House Sauromatos are inspired by our philosophy of Orthodox Vampyrism.

ORTHODOX VAMPYRISM

The Vampyre is the Creator of One’s own Self. Vampyric Identity is our Creation. Our Individuality as well as our Culture are not a given but are created only through our own Efforts, empowered by the symbolic Power of Blood.
Blood constitutes Self, creates and affirms Self, Family, Clan, Culture. Blood in its Liminality draws Boundaries between Life and Death, Being and Not-Being, Initiated and Outsiders, between Us and Them.
Therefore only Sanguinary Praxis can be the stable Foundation of a Vampyric Identity, beginning with the ritualized Exchange of Blood, its Liminality, wherein Vampyric Awakening and Initiation to the Mysteries take place.
Further, in order to harness the creative Power of the Blood and thereby strengthen the Vampyric Individual as well as our Vampyric Community, Culture and Identity, Sanguinary Praxis must preserve the symbolic Power of Blood. This calls for the Elevation of Sanguinary Practice as a Personal Sacrifice, as a Communion, as the Remembrance of an Ancient Order of Blood.
Sauromatos strives for this in the Pursuit of an Orthodoxy: the Orthodox Vampyric Praxis.

– Blood Mystics of House Sauromatos

What is Orthodox Vampyrism?

Orthodox Vampyrism as a term has been established by House Sauromatos, signifying a set of certain fundamental positions and values building on one another concerning living Vampyrism, which have been passed on in various forms, often aurally, from mentor to protégé according to tradition.

Orthodox Vampyrism is concerning itself with the reality of Vampyrism that is – and has been – practised by individuals of the Vampyric Heritage.
Orthodox Vampyrism teaches that only the real existence of the Vampyric practice of human blood-drinking and the real existence of an organized community of individuals engaging in Vampyric practice can provide a foundation for Vampyrism that is beyond any doubt.

While modern Vampyre Culture and Vampyre Society may harbour different understandings and kinds of Vampyrism, Orthodox Vampyrism is concerned only with the Vampyre traditionally understood as a living human blood drinker.

An Orthodox Sanguinary Praxis is always firmly based on consensuality, requiring the willing agreement of all parties involved.
Certain practices are considered to be outside of Orthodox Vampyrism such as the use of animal blood in Sanguinary Praxis, wrongly comparing it to human blood freely given to the Vampyre.
Radically contrary to Orthodox Vampyrism is the involvement of any non-consenting parties or parties unable to give consent in Sanguinary Praxis.
Explicitly, the involvement of non-adults in Sanguinary Praxis can never be tolerated under Orthodox Vampyrism.

The Tenets of Orthodox Vampyrism

I. PRAXIS

A Vampyre’s true nature, as well as the meaning to this mode of being, is revealed only in the Sanguinary Praxis, specifically with the tasting of the life-blood given by another person.
Without the Sanguinary Praxis, a Vampyre’s ties of belonging – and loyalty – to the Sanguinary Society will always be in question.
Only Praxis engenders in the Vampyre the right understanding of Orthodox Vampyrism: reverence for the Mystery of Blood, respect for the blood-givers, loyalty to the Sanguinary Society, and appreciation for Vampyre Culture.
Therefore the Sanguinary Praxis must be the beginning and the end of Orthodox Vampyric thinking. It can only ever begin – and it can only ever end in blood.

This is the first realization of Orthodox Vampyrism.

II. MYSTERIUM

At the centre of Orthodox Vampyrism is the immediate mystery.
One must be careful in attempting any kind of general definition of vampyrism, thus robbing the individual causality behind it of its ultimate mystery and thus its meaning.
Orthodox Vampyrism always calls upon and often draws directly from the Sanguinary Praxis to strive for a rare degree of clarity.
The ultimate secret of each Vampyre’s practice, however, must remain truthfully hidden, for it can only be revealed and experienced in itself, i.e. in praxis.
Orthodox Vampyrism does not give answers, it invites the Vampyre to find them and one’s self in the Mystery of Blood.

This is the second realization of Orthodox Vampyrism.

III. ETHOS

In Orthodox Vampyric Praxis the insistence on honourable conduct is seen as a direct consequence of the experience of the Mystery of Blood, which engenders in the Vampyre a deep appreciation of blood as a tremendous gift.
Such an Ethos of Blood takes offence at the waste of blood, takes offence at the disregard for blood-givers, and the degradation of Sanguinary Praxis.
For this reason, Orthodox Vampyrism places special emphasis on the development and cultivation of Practical Vampyric Ethics.
A Practical Vampyric Ethic is one that arises directly from the practical demands of Sanguinary Praxis and enables a safer and more sustainable way to engage in the practice.
It is in the interest of the Vampyre to draw clear boundaries for their own protection and for the protection of their own, in the interest of discretion, health, and legal security.
It is in the interest of the Vampyre to place value on the intimate, trusting relationship with blood-givers, characterized by honesty and openness.
It is in the interest of the Vampyre to promote the transmission of Practical Vampyric Ethics and the transmission of related resources within their own personal circle, according to their own possibilities.

This is the third realization of Orthodox Vampyrism.

IV. PRIMACY

The needs of the Sanguinary Society come first, and its interests must take precedence over those of the larger Vampyre Community and Vampyre Culture, which evolved around it.
In the affairs of Vampyre Society that directly affect sanguinary living Vampyres the voices of sanguinary living Vampyres are to be given priority.
It is not in the interest of sanguinary living Vampyres to leave the direction of their own communities to the hands of those who do not share their level of direct involvement.
After all, it is sanguinary living Vampyres and their own who are facing real adversity and real existential risks due to their Sanguinary Praxis, and who are – per the demands of their sanguine nature – naturally invested in maintaining the foundations of discretion and right conduct upon which Vampyre Society is built.

This is the fourth realization of Orthodox Vampyrism.

V. LEGACY

The Sanguinary Society prospers and falls with the culture surrounding it.
Out of this follows our call to respect Vampyre tradition and culture and to keep it alive.
We give respect to our elders who have spent their life-blood to shape Vampyre Society.
When we call ourselves Vampyres, we do so out of respect for the origins of our society.
Our language, our bearing, our customs, our ethos: all this is a heritage of our subcultural roots.
We are to study our past to better understand our present and secure our future.
Our Legacy must endure.

This is the fifth realization of Orthodox Vampyrism.

JOINING THE HOUSE

Sauromatos trusts in a nobility won by blood, by personal sacrifice, and by hard truths.

Out of the character of our principles follows directly the form of our organization, as a traditional Vampyric Household.
Sauromatos constitutes an Erbgemeinschaft in the noble spirit of the Sarmatian warrior caste, borne by the Ethos of the Old Covens, in the garb of a Vampyre House.
In our great House, independent lines of the Vampyric Heritage stand together under one sigil and one name, for the protection, unity, and prosperity of our shared noble heritage.

To join your blood with our traditional Vampyric Household and take on our name and sigil is to forge a personal life-long bond or Lebensbund.
Entering or leaving this covenant is done under free will, but in principle, it is always considered to be a life-long commitment, not easily broken.
Only adult members of the Sanguinary Society are permissible for affiliation with the Household proper.
Existing or prior affiliations with another Household, Coven, Clan or similarly structured group may exclude one from entering our Household.
After entering our Household one is also excluded from entering another Household, Coven, Clan, or similarly structured group, except by permission to serve as the founder of a new independent line of the Heritage or to establish a protectorate of House Sauromatos.

Our standards for ourselves and, accordingly, our standards for potentially interested parties are decidedly high.

House Sauromatos preserves in moderate form, and as far as it is conducive to the continued prosperity of the House, certain elements of traditional Covens and secret societies.
The mastering of personal trials and individual challenges has a special significance for our House.
The passing of tests is a principal part of our traditions, not least due to the sinister origins of our line of transmission.
In light of this, we distrust – following tradition – those who are not personally known to us.
Our trust is earned solely on a basis of personal knowing.
Any affairs pertaining to the household are in person only and subject to mutual confidentiality.

Candidates for affiliation with the House are always hand-selected and tested according to tradition.
The candidate is invited to one or more meetings with one or more representatives of the House, in the course of which the candidate is to be tested for important qualities such as patience, perseverance, and discretion.
In the further course of the contact, we also reserve the right to ask the candidate to agree to a standard background check, or, if possible, to present a sponsor known to the House.
Traditionally, it was required to pass an individual test with a transgressive motive, relative to the personal limits of the candidate.
It is subject to the aspirant’s discretion alone whether, when, and in what way they will undertake this personal challenge.