Vampire Hunter's Guide - Crucifix

The crucifix is a major symbol of the Christian faith. Many times shown on a chain or rosary beads, the crucifix has the body of Christ attached to the cross.

Although Christianity had liked vampires to Satanism as early as the 16th century, it was not until Bram Stoker's Dracula that the crucifix was considered to have power against the vampire. Stoker imbued the crucifix with an almost supernatural power. He used the cross as symbolic representation of Christ and all that is holy. Because historical Christian thinking encouraged associating vampires with Satan, a symbol like the crucifix with its Christian power, would ward off the beast. In Dracula, the crucifix drained the vampire's strength. It could also burn vampire flesh, and leave a mark on the skin of anyone who had been bitten by a vampire.

Stoker's ideas were carried on into modern literature and film, although often the crucifix was substituted by the empty cross, without the corpus. More recent twentieth century authors, such as Anne Rice, began to break with tradition by creating vampires who were immune to the effects of the cross and other religious symbols. These were true secular vampires who were not associated with Satan and therefore were not affected by artifacts imbued with Christian power.

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