One of Canada’s oldest universities is offering a class on one of the most mysterious and eerie figures in literary history.

Kathryn Morris teaches a class about vampires and the undead to students at the University of King’s College in Halifax.

“We take a look at the figure of the vampire starting in the 17th century and taking it right up to the contemporary world,” said Morris.

The course examines the fictional character in early folklore, books, poems, and on screen.

Though the most famous vampire is Count Dracula of Transylvania, Morris says his pale faced, caped, and fanged character was far from the first.

Morris's teaching goes back to look at the origins and evolution of the blood sucking nocturnal.

“The vampire as it appears in western literature and film has its origins I would argue in the 16th, 17th century when stories of vampire attacks started to come from central, Eastern Europe into Western Europe,” said Morris. “

“Western philosophers, scientists became very interested in those reports and the question of did the vampire exist? Later on literary authors and writers started to pick up on that figure and transform it to suit their own needs.”

The class covers many variations, including zombie-like creatures that came back from the dead to terrorize the living, to a more charming romantic looking for a lover. It even covers the contemporary, sympathetic vampire often featured in pop culture, movies and television, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood.

Morris has been teaching the vampire course for at least five years. It's 12 weeks long and is taken by students taking a variety of degree programs.

Philosophy student Kathleen Mayne-Devine looks forward to the class every week. Vampires are immortal, but she says that's not the only reason why fans remain bitten.

“To be able to stay means that you need to be evolve and the vampire has evolved,” said Mayne-Devine.

The students also examine why people are so curious about vampires.

“I think that it is this mix between horror and seductive and there is this weird push and pull between repulsion and attraction,” said student Sam Cotton.

All of which contributes to a class that sucks – but in a good way.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl.