Vampires in traditional lore • How to become a vampire…"
– Suicide victim (unforgiveable sin)"– Unbaptised (original sin)"– Cursed by witch (heresy = sin)"– Born with a caul (unclean, mark of sin)"– No last rites (died without forgiveness of sins)"– Improper burial ritual (violation of power of liturgy)"– Being bitten by vampire (contagion)"
• Most causes related to religious beliefs - need for rituals to transfer soul from body to heaven; to cleanse soul of sin."
• Historical Christian beliefs about resurrection included bodily resurrection - body and soul reunited - vampire = body resurrected without soul due to sin, spiritual uncleanliness."
• Vampires = evil opposite of Christ (died, resurrected after 3 days, rise bodily from the grave"
• Vampires as totally evil - unredeemable - no soul, no salvation."
Vampires in traditional lore
• Characteristics of traditional Vampires:"– Don’t breathe "– Are pale, cool, to touch (no heartbeat) "– Can transform into wolves or bats or
smoke"– Cast no shadow, cannot be filmed"– Cannot enter a house unless invited."– Sleep during the day, cannot abide
sunlight. "– Must sleep on their native soil."– Are hurt/killed by garlic, and all things
sacred (e.g., holy water , a crucifix , a rosary, or sacred objects from other faiths ). "
– Can be killed by a wooden stake through the heart, or decapitation ."
Vampires in Buffy • Vampires in Buffy are very “traditional” - killed by stake, decapitation; cool, pale, can’t abide sunlight, etc.
• Need for native soil, ability to transform into wolves, etc. are elements NOT carried over into Buffy (with one exception - Buffy vs Dracula, Season 5)
• Causes of Vampirism reduced to one: sharing blood with a Vampire
• No religious causes - sin not a factor • Redemption is possible - major
religious theme in Buffy • - a soul is necessary - redemption is
religious in essence in Buffy
Redemption - Angel
• Love interest of Buffy. • Vampire cursed with a soul by
Gypsies. • Loses soul after “one moment of
complete happiness” - sex with Buffy.
• Evil again until re-cursed with a soul by Willow.
• Fights for good, to redeem self from centuries of evil.
• Gets own spin-off show, to continue search for redemption!
• Themes: Redemptive power of love; need for “soul;” redemption through sacrifice?
Redemption - Spike
• First enemy, then reluctant ally of Buffy, later love interest.
• Poet, mamma’s boy in life, “William the bloody” in death.
• Love interest of Drusilla. • Becomes ally of Buffy when “the
Initiative” places computer chip in his brain that prevents him from harming humans.
• Later, goes in search of a soul, because he loves Buffy.
• Gives his life to destroy evil in the finale of Buffy.
• Themes: Redemption through individual choice. Redemptive power of love. Buffy as arbiter of redemption?
Demons - Christian mythos • War in heaven, rebellion against God,
subdued by Michael; cast into Hell; Lucifer (Satan) ruler of Hell; allowed by God to tempt human beings into sin.
• Demon = fallen angel, one who chooses not to follow God.
• Can possess human beings; can be cast out by exorcism rituals
• Unredeemable - servants of Satan, evil in essence, no salvation (unless possibly at the end of time)
Demons in Buffy • Incorporeal creature from
another dimension; can possess dead human body that has tasted vampire blood.
• Corporeal creatures from other dimensions - usually evil - desire to suck our world into theirs, make our world “hell”
• First occupants of our world, gradually left/were forced out of our world, making way for humans.
Demons in Buffy II
• Corporeal creatures from other dimensions, not particularly good or evil - demons as “just folk.”
• No theological implications to being a demon from Hell dimension- not a place of separation from God, just another place.
• No association with God, rebellion in Heaven, tempting souls into sin, punishment by God, etc.
Redemption - Anya • Human turned vengeance
demon, turned human against her will by Buffy.
• Episode “The Wish.” • Xander’s love interest. • Turns to evil again when
Xander leaves her at the altar. • Remorse, willingness to give
life, returns her to human. • Sacrifices life in fight against
evil in the finale. • Themes: evil = selfishness,
redemption = sacrifice
Human beings and free will • Human beings free to choose
evil or good. • Evil choices not permanent -
evil can be redeemed. • “The Trio” - only “big bad”
in Buffy that is human. • Warren = unrepentant, evil -
rapist, murderer -death as punishment.
• Jonathan - repentant for complicity in murder of woman, slain by Andrew.
From left to right: Warren, Jonathan, Andrew
Redemption - Andrew • One of “The Trio” - geeky humans,
super villains. • Gay character, in love with Warren -
manipulated by The First through love. • Betrays, murders best friend Jonathan,
when The First Evil (as Warren) tells him to - the Devil made me do it?
• Redeems himself in finale storyline, tears of remorse, fighting on side of good.
• Themes: Despite supernatural influence, personal responsibility for evil cannot be denied. Outward expression of repentance necessary?
• Fights supernatural evil, finds redemption on own merits.
Redemption - Faith
• Second Slayer, indirectly called when Buffy dies at end of season one.
• Lonely, traumatized, rebel, free-spirit, lots of attitude.
• Kills human accidentally, turns to evil, joins “the Mayor”.
• Buffy wounds, tries to kill her. • Redemption largely worked out
on spin-off series “Angel.” • Returns for finale of Buffy, fights
against evil for good.
Redemption - Willow • Best friend to Buffy, kind,
gentle… turned to evil on murder of her lover Tara by Warren.
• Murders Warren • Attempts to destroy the world to ‘end the suffering.’
• Redeemed by Xander’s love. Christian allusions here? Xander as Christ? “The carpenter”?
• Themes: Love redeems - love of friends, family - this-worldly emphasis.
• Pays penance - confronts own fears of evil power in finale episode.
Series Finale
• Series finale highlights stories of redemption. • Except for Angel (who works out own redemption on his
spin-off series), most major ‘in-need-of-redemption’ characters are “redeemed” here - Spike, Faith, Willow, Anya, Andrew
• Buffy as “Christ” - savior, redeemer - also highlighted here (we will discuss this next time)
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