Apotropaic Magic -- Crystalle Fry

Relics come in all shapes, sizes and appearances. From crucifixes to evil eyes, while others look like no more than pieces of scrap metal put together, wooden carvings or simply voodoo dolls. Relics can be as small as a needle or the size of a bulldozer. Regardless of appearance, components or size of a relic, though, all such artifacts operate on the same principles.

The continuing myth of vampires evolved from superstition around death and purification of the soul to a more sparkly (haha get it because in Twilight vampires sparkle? No? okay moving on) paranormal ideas. While ancient civilizations’ depictions of vampire-like beings such as Lilitu, a mystical being who lived off of the blood of babies, and Estries, who pillaged cities, eating unsuspecting men, both of Assyria; and the Greek and Roman Empousai, demigoddesses who also feed on men, have served as a vanguard for later incarnations, since leaving the cave, portrayals of vampirism from folklore to film share more characteristics—like an aversion to garlic—than not.

“Esteries”

In modern stories, the beginning is always the same. A road is dark (with an exception of a few that flicker on and off) It’s really late, and only the most committed to a good time remain to bear witness to the night’s secrets. As a dense fog erupts from the forestry of a small town and the drunks slowly stumble their way home—if they make it that far.

A woman screams—something or someone swallows one man, and then another, like low hanging fruit, leaving the others panicked. The woman screams again, we can now see her, still in dimmed lighting, as she flees some violent scene. In the aftermath, someone suggests vampirism, a condition dripping with superstition and misfortune, and repeats it, but none of them are reliable witnesses.

Although his wasn’t the first, Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula provided much of the basis of the modern vampire legend and popularized the garlic phenomenon. And, historically, this adds up. Vampirism was seen as a disease, and for time immemorial garlic has served many cultures with its curative properties.

After concluding some research on vampirism based on Dead Until Dark (True Blood), Twilight and Dracula, I thought I should write about fact versus fiction.These are my theories (based on research/evidence) as to why relics don't work.

-Vampirism can cure any human ailment

Source: The vampiric ability to ward off a multitude of diseases.

Fact: Although vampirism can effectively cure a diseased human, such individuals have a much harder time surviving the transformation process—especially with advanced age and most definitely with organ transplants.

-Vampires can choose to live on only animals and blood bags

Source: Hollywood idealization of vampirism as something that can be rehabilitated and reintegrated into human society.

Fact: Although animals and blood bags can get them by for a while, vampires ultimately have to feed on live humans to get all the nutrients they require.

-Crosses repel vampires and can burn their flesh

Source: Christian beliefs that vampires are demons and therefore enemies of God. During the Dark Ages, vampires were known to have been tortured by the church using super heated iron crosses to "burn the Holy Spirit into them" before execution.

Fact: Unless heated by fire or used as a bashing or throwing weapon, crosses have absolutely no effect on vampires. They have no trouble entering churches, either (in True Blood we see Bill remove the American flag, revealing the cross underneath it, but did not burn).