Vampire Weaknesses.

[The Ferg]

Ok:
Stake to the heart: Cool.
Burning: Ok
Decapitation: obviously.
Fear of Christian things: wtf? If the vampires were created before Christianity was even thought of why would they be hurt by religious things? Post your opinions.

I think some monk might've put a curse on all vampires maybe...

 

[Silum]

they didnt have a fear of christian things, they had a fear of the cross. Its not like they pick up a bible and they burn to death. The show made a point of not representing religion (as far as it could considering your dealing with good and evil) along with other social and current events.

As far as crosses go... well the cross represents salvation and Christ dieing on the cross and then defeating death... it seems like an obvious thing for the evil undead to fear.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Do the Callanish Standing Stones represent salvation?

 

[white avenger]

they didnt have a fear of christian things, they had a fear of the cross. Its not like they pick up a bible and they burn to death. The show made a point of not representing religion (as far as it could considering your dealing with good and evil) along with other social and current events.

As far as crosses go... well the cross represents salvation and Christ dieing on the cross and then defeating death... it seems like an obvious thing for the evil undead to fear.

Holy water also burns a vampire like acid. As far as what would have happened if a vampire had touched any kind of holy text, we don't know, because as far as I can recall, it never happened on the show. Traditionally, vampires are repelled by all things holy, which could be interpreted as being any religious symbol or artifact from any religion, but that never came up on either show, so we don't know how Joss and his writers would have handled it.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Ok:
Stake to the heart: Cool.
Burning: Ok
Decapitation: obviously.
Fear of Christian things: wtf? If the vampires were created before Christianity was even thought of why would they be hurt by religious things? Post your opinions.

I think some monk might've put a curse on all vampires maybe...

Well, it's said that vampires are "damned" or "cursed", right? There is nothing holy in them. So of course they would be put off by religious iconography and objects, right? It's about emphasizing how un-holy vampires are. I'll be back for more on this later...

 

[Silum]

didnt the master get over his fear of the cross, or at least keep it under control?

 

[Crazy Flakes]

Yeah, I never really got the whole religious symbol thing either. My fanwank explanation is that some monk or something decided to curse all vampires and make them get burnt by holy objects.

 

[The Ferg]

Still, even if the vampires are supposed to be un-holy, or whatever, there would be no reasoning for fearing the cross, holy water, etc. From what I've gathered from Buffy ang Angel: Demons ruled the Earth (the Old Ones) a WHILE ago. Like, whenever the world was created? Then vampires were made by a demon cross-breading with a human, and humans were here like over 3000 (?) years before christ, right? So, I understand the imagery about vampires being everything that's bad or evil epitomized, but they could've at least gave us an explanation.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

There's mentions of vampiric like creatures going back through time. But the latest resurgeance of western vampires came about due to the stories written in the early 1800's at which time there was a well established religious belief.
As I understand it, if something is evil then it's opposite is something good.
If the people who wrote about vampires circa 1800+ didn't want to be ostracized by the church, a good way was for them to write that religious artefacts were detrimental to a vampires health.
Now if Aliester Crowley had written about vampires?
The folklore about vampires will continue and most new books, films, TV serials will try to introduce something new about their behaviour or what affects them and how.

What gets me is the cross, should a vampire nail two bits of wood to portray a cross that would probably still affect a vampire, why?

Dracula 2001 had Dracula as Judas Iscariot and as Judas was paid in silver that is how silver affects him. But there is no mention of the fact that Judas hung himself on a Pea Tree, it's a good thing he didn't hang himself on a spaghetti tree.

 

[white avenger]

Still, even if the vampires are supposed to be un-holy, or whatever, there would be no reasoning for fearing the cross, holy water, etc. From what I've gathered from Buffy ang Angel: Demons ruled the Earth (the Old Ones) a WHILE ago. Like, whenever the world was created? Then vampires were made by a demon cross-breading with a human, and humans were here like over 3000 (?) years before christ, right? So, I understand the imagery about vampires being everything that's bad or evil epitomized, but they could've at least gave us an explanation.

The fact that vampires are repelled or actually injured by holy relics, specifically the cross and holy water is part of established vampire lore dating bacl long before Joss came on the scene. He just chose to incorporate them into his stories. Not all writers do. A prime example of that is "Moonlight," where vampires can stand exposure to the sun for short periods of time, aren't killed by a wooden stake to the heart, and sleep in a freezer rather than a coffin.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

This is the way I have always seen it.
God predates any religion we currently practice, however the religious artifacts we have associated with the Lord are imbued with his holiness by us.
This obviously means that our artifacts are not as old as the vampires but because God is, and the artifacts channel him, they become powerful.

There is a difference between the pain caused by the crucifix and the holy water and the fear associated with religious places though.

The religious places, the vampiric fear of them, is akin to genetic memory, like the mad fighting skillz, that every vampire knows when it is created.
We have a bit in 'This Years Girl/Who Are You?' when the vampires enter the Churc and make a fuss about having been afraid of the place, when in fact there is nothing to be afraid of.
[br][/br]
Edit:
[br][/br]

ILLYRIAN agrees: Who came first the vampires or the devil?, as you said, your god is as old as the vampires. Wasn't it your god that started the devil?.

He is your God too - whether you believe it or not!
What I should clear up for you is that God predates, in my belief, all of this. Though my comment doesn't clearly state that, it doesn't dismiss it.
However this discussion is not about the Devil and what part he played in the Vampires, if indeed any, it was simply an explanation as to why religious artifacts have any kind of power over Vampires when they must predate them.

 

[cryptwarmer]

Echoing an earlier post...Joss just incorporated the cultural mythos that vamps are repelled and hurt by holy things. The main ideology of what was holy when that mythos arose was Catholicism...so, vamps are burned by the cross (more specifically the crucifix, though we are seeing that be altered by Protestantism) and holy water, etc.

But as all things vampire is a craze now, and all the mythos is being unearthed, and reworked, i expect lots of that to be altered by the handling this current generation gives the stories. The Catholic/Christian themes will fade and other aspects become more to the forefront, to reflect the fears, beliefs, imagination of this generation and culture.

There have always been sexual aspects to vampirism, but that is played up more now, than in some previous handlings. It reflects how our culture deals with sex/desire/fantasy. Also the idea that vamps can have souls, love, all that good stuff. It's being explored, they are being allowed personalities and complex psycology, tolerance that was witheld from them 50 years ago.

fascinating to be in on it all

 

[Queen Mum]

Mh, I prefer the old gloomy way in a bit. Joss Whedon's portrayel will stick with me most, but I should wach the classics some time. Well anyway, back to topic.

Isn't there this Angel episode were Wesley replaces Angel and they go through all the things that in theory should have an effect on vampires? Besides, I agree with Edmund's post the most. Anyway, vampires are a work of fict... *is been bitten*

 

[Fake Shemp]

oh no Queen Mum is gonna rise from the dead and turn us all into snacks and vamps!!