Re: Just a note -- The Ninth Chronicle

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Date Posted: 05:45:35 08/16/02 Fri
Author: Karen
Subject: Re: Just a note
In reply to: Nyssa 's message, "Just a note" on 18:16:57 08/15/02 Thu

Hi Nyssa!

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate you taking the time to read the book and comment on it.
According to very old legends, the element iron was used prominantly in exorcisms. A priest often used an iron nail to exorcise spirits from a house by pounding one in the center of a table. He would also use it in conjunction with a wooden stake to kill supposed vampires. They would drive the iron nail through the head of the "sleeping vampire" while putting a stake of ash or dogwood through the heart. The theory is that the nails used to crucify Christ were made of iron (natch) and that the cross itself was either ash or dogwood (there is a truly fascinating legend about dogwood, how after the crucifixion God twisted the limbs of the dogwood tree so it would never again be used to crucify someone).

Most cultures will agree that the element to use against the troublesome dead is iron. Later on (mostly because of vampire movies) stakes became more popular, or (very recently) the use of silver. For the record, though, there is no mention of silver having any power whatsoever against vampires or werewolves. It was something made up only a little over a hundred years ago.

Thanks for the support. I hope you continue to enjoy the ongoing series.

The best,

Karen

>Hi Karen,
>I have just finished reading Slayer and I must say it
>was one of the more talented vampiric novels I have
>read. I could hardly put it down, which did not
>impress my boss too much :). One question though...
>Where did you get the idea of iron being deadly to
>vampires??
>
>Nyssa

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