Crucifixes and Holy Water

[Quokka]

Watching a Buffy re-run the other day got me thinking about how crucifixes and holy water have real power against vampires in the show. That kind of indicates that in the buffy universe one religion may be a little more right than the rest .

Anyone know if this was ever touched on in the show?

I know its fairly irrelevant but just out of curiousity I was wondering if an explanation is ever given.

 

[PTeppic]

Don't know if they went with the religious aspect: their demons aren't satanic, per se, they're more simply of an earlier type of species. I think it's more that TPTB identified the "well known" lore about vampires and decided which ones would work and which ones wouldn't. Off the top of my head, almost everything works: garlic, crosses, holy water/wafer, beheading, wooden stake (through the heart), burning, daylight...

 

[Highlander II]

Yeah, aside from churches being 'holy ground', I don't think there was much stock put in 'religion' one way or another. I think Joss mostly went with 'general vampire' lore.

Whereas, in The Dresden Files (books), religion and belief are hugely important to how things work.

Just depends on the mythos you're building, I guess. Plus, Joss wasn't so big on 'preaching' to the audience as 'demonstrating by metaphor'.

 

[Quokka]

That's why I was curious If there was ever a explanation given, you know its believing in the cross not the cross itself or whatever. From memory vampires dont have relections either do they. Its funny I'd consider one of the best things about Buffy was how original it was/is and yet they started out by saying here are all the usual cliches and plot devices for vampires and I want them all in the show.

I suppose its going too far to say it was background but vampire slaying was never really the focus of the focus of the show.

 

[dustinzgirl]

Explanations for the buffy verse are given, but not until you go next door into angel verse.

There are higher powers of equal light and dark. Symbols--be they satanic, pagan, or christian, or palayan have an amount of strength.

But, that never really comes up in the buffy verse. Joss got more armageddony in the angel verse.

There were other places of holy ground in other dimensions, just not on earth since earth's holy ground is directly related to God, those symbols on earth work. I don't think they work the same in other dimensions.

 

[Tinsel]

I hear you. In another religion there was no cross because religions differ but in Christianity, the cross is a symbol, but how does that relate to vampires? There are probably a few theories. I could make one up. Too bad Willow isn't here to answer this. Anyway, the vampires in Buffy were not very powerful and actually only a few were focused on; they should have all been zombies instead of vampires.

 

[Doctor Crankenstein]

Yeah I think it has more to do with lore rather than christianity being "correct". If it was a portrayal of christianity being correct it wouldnt make much sense that Terra and Willow's wiccan/pagan magic works.

 

[Tinsel]

It certainly adds a level of complexity to the whole vampire lore, but what is a vampire? It is an undead creature. It feeds on the blood of mortals. In Buffy the slayer was a special person. The slayer was the focus rather than religion.

 

[Vladd67]

This brings to mind the 1967 Roman Polanski film The Fearless Vampire Killers, where a woman tries to fend off a jewish vampire with a cross, to which he delivers the classic line
Oy vey, have you got the wrong vampire.

 

[Doctor Crankenstein]

Was just watching a few episodes with my girlfriend... If it was taking the approach that Christianity was correct it wouldn't make sense for Gloria to be a God.

 

[Tinsel]

It depends upon what religion you are, whether or not Christianity is correct, in other words, all of the religions can be correct in spite of their doctrine(s) and any inter religious conflicts. The reason why this is possible in my opinion has to do with order, but order made through a higher power than humanity. Any conflict is a human conflict not a religious conflict.

Of course I am suggesting this as a Christian.