Just to provide an example: Batman/Houdini: The Devil’s Workshop had a scene where a vampire had to be repelled using a Star of David after a crucifix didn’t work. I can’t recall if it was because the vampire were Jewish or the guy trying to repel him was. (And it’s by the loathesome Howard Chaykin, so it probably shouldn’t count.)
And about how Buffy handled religious symbols: there was a scene where Willow was trying to ward off vampires from her family’s house (I believe it was against Angel) by hanging crucifixes all over the place. She was worried how her Jewish parents would react if they saw them. That implied that it wasn’t the belief of the wielder that was important, but either the belief of the vampire or the symbol itself.
Re: Buffy. Buffy herself never really bothers with the crucifixes, largely because she can kick asses and take names with no help. The other Scoobies relatively frequently use crucifixes to repel vampires, though. See, for example, S4E1, where Oz saves Willow with one, or the evil alternate universe episode, where the alter-Scoobies use one to save Cordelia.
Also note that there does appear to be both psychological and physical components to the whole deal, as the Master spends much of season one training himself to be able to ignore the crucifix itself, but still burns when in contact with it.
For an amusing riff on the use of other holy symbols against vampires (and, indeed, on the vampire mythos generally) see Terry Pratchett’s Carpe Jugulum.
It was early in BTVS when she was falling for Angel but hadn’t known he was a vampire. They were slow dancing & when they parted, we see her cross has
scorched his chest.
I actually knew all of this, but had forgotten. I grew up amongst an entirely Muslim community and for a long time as a child was not aware there were significant differences between Hinduism and Islam. Thank you for refreshing my memory!
Nah, I think the differences between crosses on the show can be chalked up to the costume guy rather than any intentional meaning given to the materials by the writers. At least, nothing explicit was ever mentioned in the show; nor were there any patterns to help define what you’re suggesting. (But if Mutant Enemy really did mean for us to pick up on what you’re saying, I’d love to read about it.)
Furthermore, while the cross was used a lot in the show (due to the geography and culture for both the show and the audience), there were numerous other religious items used throughout which warded off both vampires and other monsters. It didn’t have to be a cross, but they (and holy water) showed up the most.
Many cultures carve magic statues of “guardians” to ward off evil spirits. In some cases, the statues represent specific deities. In other cases, the statues are merely so ugly that they frighten away the evil spirits.
Those dog/lion/dragon statues you see in front of Chinese palaces are one example.
The gargoyles on medieval church roofs are another.
I am fairly certain that I have read of similar motifs in Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Hindu architecture. Either an animalistic motif (like a sphinx or a cherub) or a hominid character (usually heavily armed and with a fearsome scowl on his face).
Slight threadjack: In the role-playing game TORG (which I always loved) this was almost certainly the case. Further, athiests could use their faith in the lack of a deity to adversely affect the ‘miracles’ of other faith-users.
There are, indeed, many “apotropaic” figures often held to frighten away evil influence by their ugliness. The Greeks put gorgoneia on their buildings. Hindu architecture had kirtimukka and others. I’ve argued elsewhere that this interpretation isn’t really correct.
I always assumed it was because they were using a ritual designed by a Christian scholar. They could have used a Jewish symbol instead, but then the words of the ritual would also have to be changed from Christian to Jewish. Likely they would have also had to translate from Latin to Hebrew as well.
Re The X Men And Dracula
I may have to reread, but I remember the star burning because Kitty did believe in Judaism. The story also had the degree to which a vampire was affected depend on the individuals faith. Kurt doesn’t just keep Dracula at bay. He blinds him, causes him incredible pain, and gets him to flee, all by picking up some twigs.
Back To The OP
OTTOMH, I can’t think of a blood thirsty nasty in Jewish folklore. Lilith and the Lillim get into houses at night and do nasty things, but drinking blood isn’t usually one of them. The primary defense would be a mezzuzah. A special parchment containing passages from the Torah is placed in a wooden, ceramic, or metal case and mounted on doorposts. Another variety is worn as a necklace. In some prayers, the Star of David is also called the Shield of David which certainly suggests protective properties. Red ribbons are often tied on cribs, or on infants to help ward off Lilith. A silver coin inscribed with the names of the three angels who chased her from Eden (Sanvi, Sansavi, Semangleaf) is also placed in nursery windows. The Vulcan salute is based on a gesture used by the Cohenim in benediction of the congregation. With the thumb out, the hand forms the Hebrew letter Shin.
The effect of the Mogen David on vampires is addressed more fully in the miserable Greenberg The Vampire.
Only a very tiny percentage of gargoyles are vampires. The Tremere designed the bloodline to take advantage of the existing statues. They reasoned an extra gargoyle on a rooftop would not be noticed. Even if it was, the skin of Gargoyles is looks, feels, and is as hard as stone.
This is Cafe Society and so I’m allowed one bump, so I’m going to use it because I have something new to add.
The spiral.
In many books I’ve read, the spiral is the oldest symbol of what lies beyond. It’s a sign of order from chaos, or chaos from order, depending on which way you look at it and/or which way your mind works.
I knowit doesn’t have the same strength in fiction as many others, but there are many places it shows up.
Another thing: Egyptian heiroglyphs were believed to have magical powers. The act of writing down one’s intention was believed to be a magical spell to cause it to happen. “So let it be written, so let it be done,” as Yul Brenner phrased it.
Of course, if your desire did not come to pass, you would simply assume that someone else had cast their own spell that interfered with yours.
This belief occurred in many cultures where literacy was uncommon, and most literate people were part of the priestly classes.