Stakes have to be wood?

[Skanky Vamp]

This time of year I oft find myself thinking back to that time Buffy almost staked Angel with an icicle. Do you think that if a vamper was staked with an icicle they would die? Or did it expressly have to be wood? I don't recall them ever saying it had to be wood. That icicle she brandished looked treacherous.

 

[flow]

Well staking with steel (swords) and plastic (Rileys weapon of choice) doesn`t work. It hurts and it distracts but ist does not lead to dust. I`d guess, that staking with an icicle won`t work either.

I wonder, if an icicle is solid enough, to go straight through the heart, anyway. Wouldn`t it melt or break ?

flow

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

Maybe there's something magical about wood, since the sonic screwdriver can't affect it...

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I wonder, if an icicle is solid enough, to go straight through the heart, anyway. Wouldn`t it melt or break ?

It always looked really solid to me. And I doubt it would melt as they are supposed to be cold and dead.
 

Maybe there's something magical about wood,

Sometimes it seems that way, dunnit.

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

Buffy gave Wood wood. Ha.

 

[white avenger]

There is one legend that says that Judas was the first vampire, and wood from the specific type of tree (redbud) that he hanged himself on would be capable of destroying any of his descendants. Another says that Lilith, Adam's first wife, was the first vampire, and that a stake made from oak was required. Yet another legend was that dogwood, the type of wood that Christ's cross was made from would do the trick. Somewhere along the line, probably in the early vampire fiction and, later, movies, the specific type of wood was dropped, and just any old wood would work.

As for staking a vampire with an icicle, maybe one made of frozen Holy Water would work.
 
On the subject of eradicating vampires...

The Top 10 Methods Of Killing A Vampire

Some of those things are new to me (Sasquatch blood, for instance) but sound interesting.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Yeah I had always heard in lore that the wooden stake thing was because of the Christian crucifix.

🙂

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I dunno. Angel looked scared about that ice-stake. It would certainly add a new wrinkle into that Scandinavian vampire thread we had some time ago.

 

[GwenRaiden]

Icicle made of holy water would probably work but it seems unlikely that there'd be a load of icicles made of holy water just hanging around.

Does anyone remember what tv show it was that did actually feature someone (human) being stabbed to death with an icicle? It was clever, I thought, because there was no murder weapon to find as evidence after it melted.

I think the lore in BtVS was definitely another of its weak spots.

 

[Buffy Summers]

CSI New York 🙂

Also: snopes.com: Icicle as weapon

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Does anyone remember what tv show it was that did actually feature someone (human) being stabbed to death with an icicle? It was clever, I thought, because there was no murder weapon to find as evidence after it melted.

Probably one of those damnable CSI shows that @Taake is always watching and going on about. CSI: North Pole or some such nonsense.
(I know you are Lil Miss L&O but I am trying to beat the horse to death)

 

[GwenRaiden]

Definitely wasn't one of those types of shows. Huh. Maybe I dreamt it.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Definitely wasn't one of those types of shows. Huh. Maybe I dreamt it.

You sure it was a TV show and not a movie? There's been a few action movies where it happened.

 

[Buffy Summers]

That was an episode of CSI New York though.

 

[GwenRaiden]

You sure it was a TV show and not a movie? There's been a few action movies where it happened.

I suppose it could be a movie. Whatever it was had a very distinct vibe, not like a crime scene investigation show, more like a thriller/horror.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I suppose it could be a movie. Whatever it was had a very distinct vibe, not like a crime scene investigation show, more like a thriller/horror.

You sure it wasn't CSI New York? It's got Gary Sinise in it and they have an episode where that happens. Maybe you are mixing them up.

But anyway... since I got thinking about that icicle scene with Buffy and Angel I wonder who won the part? Wonder how you could find out?

 

[EarthLogic]

Maybe there's something magical about wood, since the sonic screwdriver can't affect it...

Makes absolute sense if you consider what a stake actually is. A tree takes in sunlight and minerals from the soil ("earth's dust") to convert into its wood - it's the embodiment of life which thrives in light and nurtures other living things. A stake is therefore concentrated sunlight.* Like the vampire it is the remnant of a living thing, but one which is created and given substance by light and life rather than darkness and death. Fitting then that it is the only thing capable of piercing the heart of a vampire and returning its body to the dust of the earth.

* I can't take full credit for this explanation. Nabbed it from a poster on a reddit thread a while back.🙂

I like the idea of a frozen holy water stake, too. Or you could try luring vamps with blood-flavoured holy water sno-cones! (though that would probably only work once or twice before they start to cotton on)

 

[Taake]

Probably one of those damnable CSI shows that @Taake is always watching and going on about. CSI: North Pole or some such nonsense.
(I know you are Lil Miss L&O but I am trying to beat the horse to death)

Me whenever you sully the name of L&O with CSI comparisons. That's my horse you're beating! 😛

As for the thread I'll just point to @EarthLogic before I go outside and hug a tree in an attempt to get some sunlight today.
 

I wonder, if an icicle is solid enough, to go straight through the heart, anyway. Wouldn`t it melt or break ?

flow

I wonder, would it melt? The body temperatures of Buffy vampires seems to be fairly regular, since she sleeps with them, but in other vampire lore they tend to run pretty cold. If not pulled out, and if the weather allowed, it would be kind of funny with a vampire permanently injured by an icicle. Perhaps just an icy tip permanently lodged in their heart. Still alive, but possibly uncomfortable.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

Does anyone remember what tv show it was that did actually feature someone (human) being stabbed to death with an icicle? It was clever, I thought, because there was no murder weapon to find as evidence after it melted.

Bad Girls? I think it was Fenner that was killed by an icicle?
 
@GwenRaiden Jonathan Creek? Midsomer Murders?

 

[MarieVampSlayer]

Yeah I had always heard in lore that the wooden stake thing was because of the Christian crucifix.

🙂

Haha I was coming here to say it was a Christian thing. actually most of the weapons are threats for vampires are Christians symbols: Cross, Wood stakes, Holy water...