ontology: (Default)
[personal profile] ontology
Interestingly, in all of the vampire stories I have come across, in whatever medium, none of them have ever given any thought as to why Christian symbols -- crosses, holy water, often churches themselves -- ward off vampires. To be fair I don't recall any scientific explorations of the fending-off power of garlic or silver or stakes (wooden or iron) or why vampires can't cross the threshold of a house uninvited*, either, but they don't have the same sort of -- hmm, significance. And I've never come across any stories in which a vampire recoiled from the Koran, or a Hindu idol, or the Star of David. But then there are also very few vampire stories set outside of a Western aesthetic.



* And because I think far too much, I keep thinking about how the particulars of that rule work. Vampires tend to make homes in abandoned buildings (all right, sometimes their own seemingly abandoned homes), and if the building is abandoned, does that stop the whatever-it-is that requires an invitation? What if someone's crept off the street to sleep in an abandoned building for a night, and a vampire attempts to enter? Does the building or house have to be specifically in someone's possession? And what sort of buildings can't they enter? Homes, all right, absolutely; and usually churches, too, but for different reasons. But what about businesses? If a vampire took a notion to attend the theatre, would he have to finagle some way of being invited inside? Most of the stories that mention the invitation requirement stop with houses and don't seem to give a thought to other buildings, so presumably the rules are different, but how, and why? Can vampires enter the homes of other vampires without being invited? How does one, or can one, un-invite a vampire? (When Angel went evil, they changed the locks, but I'm not sure that fits in with how I see magic, as such, working.) At what point does spending a great deal of thought on the inner workings of fictional universes border on getting one institutionalised? Is there any hope for me? Will I ever run out of question marks? Is it less mad if it can count as novel research?

Date: 2008-02-15 06:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] burningstarsxe.livejournal.com
I'd never heard the threshold thing . . .

I think that the reason Christian holy signs affect vampires is because vampires are demons. Demons are cast out with the sign of the Cross/in the name of Christ/with holy water, etc. Vampires wouldn't fear the Koran because Islam is not a religion that follows a real God. (it is my opinion that Islam is demonic in nature, anyway) Hinduism is also a religion that follows false gods, which as the Bible says, are demons as well. The Star of David has never been held as having any particular power, it's just a symbol of Judaism as a religion. Whereas the Cross represents Christ's Resurrection, and all demons fear the name of Christ.

That philosophical enough for ya? :P

Date: 2008-02-18 05:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] faeriemaiden.livejournal.com
Of course I believe that, but the writers of the vampires tend not to. In this age of political correctness, I'm sort of surprised I haven't seen a lot more "oh, it's not just Anglo-Christian religious symbols that set vampires to quaking in their boots!" sort of things, and I've read at least one novel in which a character claimed to be atheist, yet still raised no particular questions about why Christian holy signs repelled the vampires. I explain it in my head by saying "well, of course the Cross and churches and holy water are going to be repellent to a demonic force", but it's still strange in this anti-Christian era that the warding power of Christianity is taken for granted.

That philosophical enough for ya? :P

No! I want more Greek! And -- and mysterious signs on a chalkboard!

September 2009

S M T W T F S
  12 3 45
6 789 101112
13 141516 17 1819
20 21 2223242526
27 282930   

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 17th, 2025 02:18 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios