Stakes have to be wood?

[flow]

actually most of the weapons are threats for vampires are Christians symbols: Cross, Wood stakes, Holy water...

It would be interesting to know, if this is only valid for vampires, who have been born and raised (as humans) in a christian culture. Would an arabic vampire really be threatened by a cross ? Or would a half crescent work for him (against him) ?

flow

 

[EarthLogic]

It would be interesting to know, if this is only valid for vampires, who have been born and raised (as humans) in a christian culture. Would an arabic vampire really be threatened by a cross ? Or would a half crescent work for him (against him) ?

flow

I've always wondered about that too. What about polytheistic religions like Hinduism? Would Indian vamps be warded off by any of the religious symbols from that faith? And lots of religions use holy/sacred water in ceremonies - does it have to be blessed in a Christian fashion to work?

 

[thrasherpix]

I'd think the religious stuff would count as "white magic" and the sublime faith that empowers it is similar to the energy that prevents a vampire from entering a dwelling of a human without an invite. (This makes more sense to me if vampires are more spiritual than physical.) Which is to say it would make sense to me if other religious symbols could work, but at the same time if the faith just died then the power could go away (like when a human dies and a vampire no longer needs an invite into that dead person's home). 'Course most of those items couldn't be made without faith anyway, and not even sure crosses could (crossroads don't burn vampires, after all, and never saw anyone quickly put two sticks together in a pinch to ward one away).

The lore of vampires is worldwide, though, and while there are many ways to ward against them, I can only think of Christian symbols being actively used. Maybe it was a belief that grew out of Christian propaganda (but enough believe it then it starts to become true), or maybe someone used a spell (similar in power to the Scythe spell) that made such symbols potent.

I liked how in the novel of Salem's Lot that a vampire older than Christianity acknowledged that there were many "white magic" ways to defeat him (though at that point no longer believed he could be defeated) and insisted on calling the priest a "shaman." And no adaption to the screen has matched how in the novel the priest agrees to toss the cross aside to meet the vampire faith to faith (the vampire had his own religion) if he let the boy go, but the priest refuses which causes the cross to lose its power. The vampire was disappointed as he explains the power is in the faith, not the symbols, and that the boy made 10 of him (the boy who burned a vampire with a toy cross). But those vampires really were more like evil spirits than corporeal demons (quasi-corporeal might work to describe them).

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

My understanding was that the Vampire, if discovered during the daytime, could have a stake pounded through it, which wouldn't kill it, but would immobilize it. I've heard of it needing to be of a certain kind of wood. I also defer to the Book of Tobit, Vampire wards work because were taught to mankind by TPTB, the actual mechanics are inscrutable. As an aside, not every holy symbol means the same thing to the religion identified with it. The Star of David is not holy to God, the Crescent represents the Turkish Sultanate, I also enjoy the idea of Vampires being held at Bay by Manji, but Eastern religions are complicated, and the gods you seek release from, may not be the best ones to pray for Vampire relief. It's also worth noting, that in traditional Christianity, Priests bless crosses, Bibles, sacraments, sacramentals, relics and homes, and in those metaphysics, said blessed items are emanating holiness. If I was to write a western vampire story set in a non-Christian land, I would focus on priestcraft, as it's a lot easier to get a fakir to show up and bless something, then to figure out which local god the Vampire nation is most likely allegric to.