“ | The Elders alone hold the power to organize their thoughts and memories into a single, cohesive vision; a detailed record of their reign. | ” |
—Selene, on sorting Blood Memories. |
Blood Memories are a trait possessed by Immortals in the Underworld universe, which allows them to transmit their memories through their blood to others in some way yet to be fully explained. This skill plays a major part in the Underworld films, allowing the characters to learn important information that they otherwise would not have known. The memories are obtained through blood ingestion or from a bite from a Vampire or Lycan, or a blood transferal from an Immortal. This process is possibly due to the Immortal virus affecting each species’ brain and nervous system, making their other tissues and fluids capable of obtaining organic signals and information, which could explain their bodies' healing abilities and ability to survive things that would kill any normal human.
Description[]
As part of the Chain, the Vampire Elders possess the skills to organize their thoughts and memories into a clear cohesive vision, a detailed record of their reign, which they can impart on another Elder with the giving of their blood. Taken from an Immortal without these skills, the memories are chaotic and without a sense of time, disorienting even to an Elder. It is unknown if the mastery of sorting Blood Memories comes with age, or if it relies on how closely related the Vampire is to the original Vampire, Marcus Corvinus. However, even common Vampires can see memories through biting and feeding off of another Immortal, as evidenced by the sounds of battle heard when Selene bites Alexander Corvinus, implying that she is seeing his memories from his life as a warlord. She later displays the ability to sort through her daughter's memories and the enhanced Lycan Marius's. However, both are after she becomes a Vampire-Corvinus Strain Hybrid. Regular vampires, such as Alexia, are shown to be able to receive blood memories, making it likely that the Elders are the only ones able to form them into a cohesive vision to pass on to each other as Viktor stated, but others can still get memories from the blood of other vampires without that vampire being able to choose what to show them.
When a Lycan turns a human through biting them, the bite can impart their memories on the fledgling Lycan. It is likely that this is a common occurrence in both Lycans and Vampires, as Selene is able to immediately recognize the visions Michael Corvin sees as memories from the Lycan who bit him and immediately tells him that he was bitten and the memories of the Lycan who did so passed onto him.
A Vampire-dominant Hybrid, whether merged with a Lycan or the Corvinus Strain, is fully capable of obtaining memories from Vampire or Lycan blood, and can sift through other Immortals' memories at will. It remains unknown if a Lycan-dominant Hybrid is capable of the same feat.
It remains unknown if Lycans can share memories through blood, nor is it known if a Vampire and a Lycan can share memories with one another. It is also unknown if any kind of Immortal can obtain memories from human blood.
It is shown that Vampires or at least Vampire-Corvinus Strain Hybrids drinking their own blood can experience their own blood memories.
Instances[]
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans[]
- To learn the truth of her loyalties, Viktor bites into Sonja's neck and tastes her blood, learning the extent of her relationship with Lucian.
Underworld[]
- To awaken Viktor, Selene feeds him her blood before which she makes a plea in the bathroom mirror to Viktor to listen to her and explains Kraven's plans. While Viktor learns many disturbing things from Selene's memories as he states to Kraven, she lacks the ability to form her memories into a cohesive vision as the Vampire Elders can and they are chaotic and without a sense of time.
- After being bitten by Lucian, Michael Corvin gets some of his blood memories, specifically those of the murder of Sonja and Lucian's escape. For a couple of days after being bitten, Michael gets brief flashes of Sonja's death until he sees Sonja's pendant around Lucian's neck and receives a vision of Lucian's full memory of Sonja being killed and then his escaping from Viktor.
Underworld: Evolution[]
- Marcus Corvinus is awakened by Singe's Lycan blood pouring into his tomb. The blood turns Marcus into a Hybrid and gives him some of Singe's memories including of Kraven's treachery and the attack on the Vampire safe house.
- Marcus bites into Kraven's neck and learns that Kraven had indeed betrayed the Covens and was present the night Selene was made a Vampire. He is later able to access Kraven's memory of using a computer in order to access a safe house computer.
- Marcus drinks Andreas Tanis's blood to learn where Selene has gone, seeing memories of Tanis meeting with Lucian and telling Selene to go to a man named Lorenz Macaro who Marcus recognizes as his father Alexander Corvinus.
- Marcus drinks Selene's blood to learn of the location of William's Prison. Doing so enables Selene to remember where the prison is herself afterwards.
- Selene obtains memories from Alexander Corvinus when she bites into his wrist, as evidenced by the sound of yells and fighting she suddenly hears.
Underworld: Awakening[]
Underworld: Blood Wars[]
- When David uses his blood to heal Selene, she sees several of his memories, including several of Eve, his resurrection by Selene, David and Thomas rescuing her, Thomas ordering David to take Selene to Var Dohr and Thomas's death at Semira's hands.
- David drinks a drop of blood left behind by his mother Amelia to prove to him his lineage.
- Alexia licks a droplet of Selene's blood off of a sword she stabbed her with, enabling her to see that Selene does not know where Eve is.
- David presents the Vampire Council with vials of blood Amelia had left behind to prove his claim as her heir.
- During her fight with Marius, Selene is splashed with his blood and sees brief memories of Marius and Michael Corvin. After slashing him with a knife, Selene uses the blood to see Marius' memories of murdering Michael and taking his blood.
- Selene drinks her own blood to strengthen herself with her memories of Michael, David and Eve.
Trivia[]
- According to the director and writers' commentary on the Original Theatrical Cut of Underworld, Blood Memories are based on the concept of genetic memories. This is further evidenced by Blood Memories being consistently referred to as Genetic Memories in the novels and the graphic novel.
- Blood Memories is a unique and constant element in the Underworld franchise, as every film of the series includes at least one instance of a character reading another's blood memories.
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Characters |
Major Characters |
Lucian - Sonja - Viktor - Raze - Andreas Tanis |
Other Characters |
Soren - Sabas - Orsova - Coloman - Kosta - Luka - Xristo - Sandor - Ivan - Ilona - Casmir Janosh - Covasha family - Malvina - Ulrik - Lucian's Mother |
Weapons |
Weaponry of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - Silver - Shurikens - Swords - Crossbow - Knives - Whips - Death Dealer Uniform |
Species |
Vampire - Lycan - Immortal - Human - Werewolf |
Locations |
Castle Corvinus - Elders' Ship |
Terms |
Corvinus Strain - Vampire Council - Death Dealer - Vampire Elder - The Chain - Blood Memories - Budapest Coven - Moon Collar - Vampire-Lycan War - Vampire-Werewolf War |
Archives |
Items - Soundtrack - Score - Novel - Comic - Quotes - Videos - Images |
v · e |
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Characters |
Major Characters |
Selene - Eve - David - Jacob Lane - Quint Lane |
Other Characters |
Thomas - Lida - Alan - Michael Corvin - Detective Sebastian - Olivia - Edward Vronski - Officer Kolb - Corvinus Clan |
Species |
Vampire - Lycan - Hybrid - Immortal - Human |
Weapons |
Weaponry of Underworld: Awakening - Swords - Sleeping Gas - Silver Nitrate Bomb - Beretta 92FS - Whips - Shurikens - Silver - Silver Bullets - Death Dealer Uniform |
Locations |
Antigen Headquarters - Thomas's Coven - Cryogenic Chamber - Army Surplus Store - Pier 9 - Abandoned Building |
Terms |
Corvinus Strain - Death Dealer - Vampire Elder - Blood Memories - The Purges - Antigen - Infected Persons Unit - Vampire-Lycan War |
Archives |
Music - Quotes - Images - Soundtrack - Score |
v · e |
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Characters |
Selene - Lucian - Sonja - Viktor - Kraven - Nicolae - Soren - Leyba - Brother Ambrose - Grushenka - Ilona - Leonid Florescu - Marcus Corvinus - Yoshio - Diego |
Species |
Vampire - Lycan - Immortal - Human |
Locations |
Silver Mine - Castle Corvinus - Crypts - Strasba - Keep - Ördögház - Budapest |
Weapons |
Silver |
Terms |
Death Dealer - Vampire Elder - Budapest Coven - Blood Memories |