This may be because I am a 90's child, but I have always liked the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Though, it should be noted, I actually preferred the Angel spin-off series. Being a young man growing up, I found the Angel character more relatable. Nonetheless, while watching both series I discovered some wonderful truths about the BTVS universe that I want to share. Before I begin, I should point out the obviousness that the true God of the BTVS universe is indeed the Christian God Jesus Christ.
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| BTVS Season 7 Episode 2 Spike embracing a cross |
If the way crosses and holy water burn vampires didn't make that obvious to you, then I hope you take my word for it.
First up, in the beginning of the series Giles tries to paint a very dark, grim view of the world talking about how before humans, demons ruled the world. These demons were called The Old Ones, and were large monstrous creatures. Very little is mentioned about them in the series, yet we have some insight from the Mayor of Sunnydale's ascension.
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| BTVS Season 3 Episode 22 Mayor Richard Wilkins transforming |
During the highschool graduation the Mayor ascended into a higher form, a "true" or "pure" demon.
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| BTVS Season 3 Episode 22 Wilkins as the Olvikan demon |
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| Maloker the Old One who created the first vampires |
Now, especially with the comic, other Old Ones have been portrayed as simply enormous monstrous demons. Since the comic book series has been produced by the same director as the television series, I will admit this warrant's more investigation. However, my theory, for now, remains the same.
In Genesis, before talking about the creation of the world it says, "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:2)
This was mentioned in my Creation post where I mentioned that this "void" earth was likely made of at least partly by a planet that had been inhabited by dinosaurs. In that post, I also mention the pre-mortal life and how Lucifer and his one-third of the angels of God were cast down to the earth. It seems as though, at least in the BTVS universe that they were cast onto the "dinosaur" world, casting it in darkness.
Lucifer, having become Satan, the first to rebel against God and therefore he and those who followed him lost their first estate (their opportunity to receive bodies of their own). Yet, coming to this world with large creature, what would any angry disembodied spirit do? Posses the bodies for themselves.
However, and this is key in the BTVS universe, when these demons posses bodies they change them. Either genetic or cosmetic, the transformation is clear. Yet, the second half of that verse in Genesis adds depth. "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." God, the one true God, was casting them out, casting them away to make room for His children.
Though, clearly they were not cast out completely by the time humans came to take the earth, else how could Maloker have created the first vampire, or the rest of the demonic generations be formed? As I say this, my mind is concocting another theory as to how it could have still happened.
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| Possessed snake from the movie Noah |
Theory one: most of the Old Ones were banished and cast into their own dimensional worlds becoming the demonic gods of their worlds, however, Satan and a few lingered. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, Satan possessed a serpent and beguiled Eve. That would be when God cursed Satan beyond eve his followers saying, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
I think that it is this cursing that is the key difference between our world and the BTVS world. This would be where God would curse Satan that he could no longer truly possess a body, thus ever to remain incorporeal as The First. Yet in our world, God had enough foresight to take away nearly all of Satan's power. Though he could tempt us, we as beings with our own bodies will always have more power than he does. He may hurt us, but we can banish and destroy him.
Alas, because Adam and Eve partook of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were cast out of Eden into a world of pain and confusions. This created the perfect breeding ground for the remaining Old Ones to influence and transfigure groups of humans into demons after their likeness.
Theory two: all of the Old ones were banished to their own dimensions, but because The First had not yet possessed a body, he remained. Then, like the first theory, he beguiled Eve and was cursed. Yet he was able to influence humans in the days of wickedness before the flood to worship these false demonic gods. Using their powers, they made portals to their dimensions and interdimensional migration occurred allowing humans to go there, be transformed into the demonic versions and then return and vice versa.
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| BTVS Season 3 Episode 5 Kulak demon (Note the stegosaurus dinosaur traits) |
For both theories, I would say the reason for the distinction and enmity or dislike between demons and vampires is that the demons were people that the Old Ones corrupted.
However, Maloker took it a step further and would banish the human spirit by killing them and replace it with one of his own follower spirits. Again we see a change in their bodies, the "bumpy" forehead and sharp teeth, however because the bodies are actually those of humans, they are able to revert back.
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| Angel Season 1 Episode 9 Lucas the Bracken demon |
For vampires, it is more of human body, demonic face. Yet for the Bracken demons their human appearance is more of a camouflage.
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| Turok-Han |
Though I think that the first vampires were like the current BTVS vampires, where does that place the uber vamps or Turok-Han?
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| The Master |
There are clear similarities between the uber vamps and The Master vampire. However, The Master maintained his high thinking, while the Turok-Han are primal beasts. Giles said of them, "As Neanderthals are to human beings, the Turok-Han are to vampires. They're primordial, ferociously powerful killing machine, as single-minded as animals. They are the vampires that vampires fear."
Most of us would take that statement to say that vampires came from these Turok-Han, which could be true. Yet, I would purpose an alternate theory. With my ideas about neanderthals and how the relate to humans, being another race of humans rather than a separate species that we somehow emerged from, I think that the Turok-Han are the vampires that vampires fear because they are what becomes of a vampire that has been starved of blood for millennia. This could place them anciently as the first vampires that Maloker created in his dimension without a fresh source of blood their minds degenerated into the simple need to feed. The demonic influence in their bodies over the longer period of time makes them more bat-like just like Maloker, and how being ancient made The Master more bat-like as well. However, unlike the Turok-Han, The Master was able to feed continually in the BTVS world and thus retain his sanity. To reiterate, vampires fear the Turok-Han because that is what they will become when all that makes them sentient, or human is taken away by starvation.
This would also explain why the Turok-Han have so much more immunity to vampire traits. The "modern" vampire is susceptible to holy water and crosses because they are yet human bodies and atoning power of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and in the garden of Gethsemane tries to purify the evil from their bodies, as the atonement is there to free us from sin if we use it. Yet, being around so long and having that demonic spirit slowly change their bodies over time, the human flesh becomes less human, preventing the atonement of Christ to work as well as it did or could.
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| Angel as a demon in Pylea |
Alas, it is important to note that when Angel went to a hell dimension called Pylea, he found that with the nature of the dimension, it made his human side human while his demonic side demon. As they explained that the demonic form he took was what the demon inside of him actually looks like. The reptilian nature hints that it is likely that Maloker does not have any actual demons of his own. The demons that posses the bodies are likely the spirit of other fallen demons that Maloker either gives a second chance to, or are only able to escape their hell dimensions by entering a human host and become a vampire.
Sadly, this about sums up my theory about the history of the nature of demons and vampires in the BTVS universe, however, there are yet points to mention.
As I brought up briefly with the second theory of the humans using the demon's powers to make portals for the dimensional migration, it should be noted what witch craft in the BTVS universe is.
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| Amy casting a love spell |
Whether it is Amy praying to the goddess Diana.
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| Willow calling upon Osiris to raise Buffy back from the dead. |
Or Willow praying to Osiris, they are calling upon the powers of the demonic demi-gods. Their powers are not their own, only lent to them by demons seeking to corrupt them.
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| Charmed power of three Celtic knot. |
I should point out that this is also different from the witchcraft in Charmed, which is more spiritual and cosmic in nature. Much like the power Giles used to bind Dark Willow, it comes from the world itself, or even from a righteous higher plane. Like with Charmed, the power of three is a clear reference to the trinity and the power of God, which is why the Elder and White Lighters or heavenly beings were charged to watch over and help them.
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| BTVS Season 7 Episode 22 White Willow |
This is why White Willow was created when Willow activated the potential slayers and released the power. Though the words of her prayer cannot be really heard with her muttering, it is not too far of a leap to say that she might have been praying to the one true God, or at very least performing His will.
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| The Shadow Men infusing the shadow spirit or "heart" of a demon into Buffy or the First Slayer |
Though witchcraft appears to be generally evil in the BTVS universe, it was interesting how the Shadow Men tried to use that power to help humanity. By infusing the first demon's spirit into the First Slayer, they created a warrior to combat the evil, though they limited it to one warrior so that they and their followers the Watchers, could maintain a hold of the situation.
Thus we see the graphic battle over good and evil that would take place in a world where fallen angels or demons would be permitted to have a bit more influence over the bodies their possess. In our own lives, the devil's influence over may be lessened, but it is also subtler too. I testify that Satan is real, but so is Christ and His infinite mercy. There is real evil in this world and it is created by the absence of God and His influence.
Lastly, when Buffy died by jumping into Glory's portal, she said that she felt like she went to heaven. She described that place, "Wherever I was, I was happy. At peace. I knew that everyone I cared about was all right. I knew it. Time didn't mean anything, nothing had form, but I was still me, you know? And I was warm and I was loved and I was finished. Complete. I don't understand about theology or dimensions, or any of it really. But I think I was in heaven." (BTVS 6:3)
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| Tucson Temple |
Though the notion of nothing had form made it seem more like the was in the spirit world, the paradise of spirit world, I had an interesting experience where I found myself participating in a form of the true method of prayer. It was the Hosanna shout (Doctrine and Covenants 109:79) of the Tucson temple dedication. The mingling of voice all in one accord made me feel like I was simply one of many, yet I was still myself. I think that is what Buffy was trying to describe, at least in part, billions upon billions of the children of God all shouting His praise, uniting themselves and their will to God. I think that was a taste of what pre-mortal life was like, living for an eternity as spirits with our Father in Heaven and then, when we will return to Him, praising Him again for the plan of salvation is complete. I never quite understood that before, the repeating of words simultaneously often seemed a bit like cultish chanting which I had dismissed with the notion that cults and even Satan himself had to get it from somewhere, even a pollution of true doctrine and practice.
As strange as it is to say, I don't think that I would have the appreciation or as ripe of an experience as I had with the Hosanna shout and prayers in the temple without having watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and had that realization from pondering upon her words. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's true church on the earth today. I am thankful to be a member of it, and I am thankful that I live in a world where the only corruption Satan and his angels can reap upon our bodies are those temptations that we choose to give in to.
Love,
Jacobugoth
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