The Mythology and Theology of Buffy
Buffy had its origins in generations of horror movie clichés in which a
helpless young girl is chased into an alley by monsters, and then killed.
Whedon wanted to see that young girl turn the tables on the monsters, and kill
them. He wanted the monsters to be afraid of the young girl.
Buffy has always been much more than a horror show. It is also a fable,
a morality play, a spiritual journey. As with all good fantasy or science
fiction, horror uses metaphors as literal facts, so that the monsters become
the embodiment of our fears, our longings, and our inner turmoil. In fighting
her monsters, Buffy fights our fights.
Whedon's metaphors are clearly placed at front and center. Buffy herself was
deliberately created as a feminist icon of empowerment. "High school was hell"
is given a literal interpretation by placing Sunnydale High School on the Mouth
of Hell. Blood is life, as Spike, one of Whedon's vampires, tells us:
XANDER: Why blood? Why Dawn's blood? I mean why couldn't it be, like, a lymph
ritual?
SPIKE: 'Cause it's always gotta be blood.
XANDER: We're not actually discussing dinner right now.
SPIKE: Blood is life, lackbrain. Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you
going, makes you warm, makes you hard, makes you other than dead. 'Course it's
her blood.
Whedon draws on a rich history of vampire lore, but makes his own mark. Crosses
and holy water still work against vampires, but otherwise, Christian aspects of
vampire lore are mostly unused. Whedon does not romanticize or glorify
vampires, as other recent writers have done. Whedon's vampires are brutal,
soulless killers.
The "Slayer" is a rare concept in vampire mythology. Whedon's "Slayer" is
chosen by supernatural means, and endowed with great physical strength, speed,
and healing ability. It is the Slayer's job to kill vampires. The Slayer is
always a young girl, and there is always only one. When one Slayer dies, the
next one is chosen. Each Slayer has a Watcher, who trains her and provides the
information she needs to do her job. Other than her Watcher, a Slayer works
alone and in secret.
In many respects, the theology of the Buffy universe (or "Buffyverse") is
ambiguous. Although Whedon is an avowed atheist, the Buffyverse is founded on
concepts that cross many of the world's religions, including Christianity,
Buddhism, and Wicca; it also draws on philosophers from Plato to Kant and
Hegel. There are many hell dimensions, as well as several "heaven" dimensions,
and a dimension that has no shrimp. Movement between dimensions is largely a
matter of supernatural or magical power. Demons abound, although some demons
work for good rather than evil. There seems to be no ruling or supreme power;
although there is sometimes reference to "The Powers That Be," there is little
evidence that these Powers have much interest or involvement in life on Earth.
All of this might suggest that the Buffyverse is fundamentally amoral, but the
truth is far more complex and interesting. Good and evil are permanent,
objective standards; the ambiguity lies in the complexity of our live and the
choices we must make. Having a soul is crucially important; a soul gives us the
incentive to do good, and having a soul is crucial to being able to love. Buffy
tells the vampire Drusilla that "whatever you think you're feeling, it's not
love. You can't love without a soul." Drusilla responds, "Oh, we can, you know.
We can love quite well. If not wisely."
Angel, one of Whedon's vampires, has been given his soul back, not as an act of
kindness, but as a curse so that he will feel remorse forever for all of his
evil deeds. Angel still has his capacity for evil, but he is no longer able to
act on it, as long as the curse remains in effect. What Angel wants, with all
his soul, is redemption.
Angel illustrates the moral complexity of Whedon's world. The Buffyverse is a
place where evil is punished, and where acts of goodness are their own reward.
Redemption requires acts of goodness, not just remorse or good intentions. This
would seem to make the world a simple place. But nothing is ever so simple, and
the conflict of good and evil takes place most often in the hearts of
individuals like you and me. Redemption, likewise, is hard; who can ever say
that we've done enough?
A huge part of Buffy's spiritual appeal is that it dares to ask these
hard questions, and dares even more to leave them unanswered.
If all this seems a bit much, note that The Door named Buffy its
Theologian of the Year. See
http://www.thedoormagazine.com/archives/buffy.html.
Next: Unitarian Universalists and the
Slayer