They say . . . they say this gun can kill anything.
—JOHN WINCHESTER, “DEAD MAN’S BLOOD” (1-20)
Perhaps no weapon in the Winchester arsenal is more powerful than the Colt, a legendary revolver made by Samuel Colt when Halley’s Comet passed overhead on the final night of the Battle of the Alamo that, along with thirteen special bullets, is said to be capable of killing anything, whether physical or supernatural. The pistol used on the show is actually an impressively accurate replication of one of the first guns designed by the legendary American gun maker Samuel Colt—the 1836 Texas Paterson Colt. Considering that the lore of Supernatural claims Colt made the gun in 1835, a year prior, only adds to the mystery surrounding this weapon.
Shortly after the real Samuel Colt finished a lecture tour (though his lectures were really more like one-man shows, in which he dazzled audiences with unusual electrical contraptions), he used the money he’d saved from his road show as capital to secure patents and the means for manufacturing his single-barrel revolving pistol design, which he originally dubbed the Paterson Colt. At first he commissioned multiple well-skilled gunsmiths to fashion prototypes based on his designs.
You’re saying your nukes are loose?
—DEAN WINCHESTER, “THE THIRD MAN” (6-3)
While the real Samuel Colt may not have made a revolver that could “kill anything,” there is a long-standing mythical tradition about enchanted or blessed weaponry being used to destroy supernatural creatures. One such story actually comes from the annals of history and involves the bullet used to kill a monstrous wolf called the Beast of Gévaudan.
Beginning in June 1764, the surrounding area of the French region Gévaudan was being terrorized by an enormous animal. Initially the beast primarily attacked and devoured small children. For years more and more children continued to disappear, their shredded clothes and body parts often turning up later. Soon the creature upgraded to attacking small adults, usually women.
It was initially believed that the killings were just the work of a troublesome or rabid wolf. After a year of carnage, however, King Louis XIV sent a unit of fifty-seven French Dragoons, specially trained soldiers once commonly used to spearhead military campaigns, to destroy the murderous animal. This part of the history also comes with a funny side note. After hearing of how the beast had attacked women, the commanding officer of the unit, Captain Duhamel, ordered a certain number of his soldiers to dress in women’s clothing in the hopes that this would lure out the beast (special forces soldiers dressed in drag . . . talk about a weird mental image).
For months, the soldiers had a number of brief encounters with the beast. On a number of occasions, it was visually verified and/or reported that the wolf had been shot. However, the darn thing just wouldn’t seem to die. At one point, convinced that his men had successfully killed the beast, Duhamel went back to France and received a hero’s welcome. The celebration was brief, however, because a few days later a new report reached the capital. The beast was killing again. Duhamel was humiliated.
A number of famous French wolf hunters, such as the d’Enneval family and their close friend Antoine de Beauterne, were eventually called in to hunt down and destroy the beast. Time and time again, they were reported to have nailed the beast with direct hits. Beauterne even killed a giant wolf that measured in at six feet long from snout to tail, making it larger than most men of the period. Everyone breathed a brief sigh of relief. However, once again the killings resumed shortly after.
By this point, a majority of the Gévaudan locals were convinced that this ravenous beast was not a wolf at all. Some villagers began to claim it was a demon, or even the devil himself, taking the form of a wolf to torment them. Others believed it was a loup-garou, or werewolf. Regardless of what the people thought the creature was, just about everyone agreed on at least one thing by this point—if the military and the best wolf hunters in all of France could not destroy the beast, it meant that only God could save them now.
SUPERNATURAL FACTS
In the episode “Metamorphosis” (4-4), Sam and Dean encounter a cannibalistic creature called a rougarou. This term is a southern Creole transliteration of the French word for “werewolf,” loup-garou. However, the French root was often used in ages past to refer to monstrous humans, such as murderers, rapists, serial killers, and (yes) cannibals.
Many of the residents of Gévaudan began making pilgrimages to the holy site of Notre Dame, hoping to invoke divine intervention. One of these pilgrims was a local hermit by the name of Jean Chastel. In an amazing show of foresight, Chastel took with him to Notre Dame a hunting rifle and three bullets. According more to legend than history, Chastel had these items blessed by the priests of Notre Dame.
Antoine de Beauterne returned to Gévaudan, hoping to redeem himself by finishing off the beast once and for all. He recruited every hunter who was willing to follow him, and his hunting party swelled to roughly three hundred men. Among these hunters was (you guessed it) Jean Chastel. The hermit carried with him the hunting rifle and three bullets he’d had blessed at Notre Dame. The enormous hunting party began combing the surrounding forests relentlessly for several days.
On the evening of June 19, 1767, the beast finally showed itself. The enormous creature, all fangs and claws, charged headlong at a group of hunters. This group included Jean Chastel, who immediately took aim at the beast with his blessed rifle and bullets. He pulled the trigger and nailed the creature with a direct hit. The seemingly unkillable Beast of Gévaudan went down—and this time it stayed down.
The killings ended for good. The beast’s belly was cut open, and in its stomach they found freshly eaten human remains. Perhaps the beast was demon possessed after all. Apparently the people of Gévaudan just needed a blessed firearm. And as in Supernatural, a demon cannot be killed with just any firearm—they needed a specially enchanted and/or blessed piece of “boom stick” in order to get the job done.
Of course, you can’t hit what you can’t see. And when it comes to hunting ghosts, this can be a real problem. Thank goodness the Winchesters have their trusty EMF readers, allowing them to know when spirits are lurking close.
EMF READERS
SAM: Yeah, I know what an EMF reader is . . . but why does that one look like a busted-up Walkman?
DEAN: ’Cause that’s what I made it out of... it’s homemade.
SAM: Yeah, I can see that.
—SAM AND DEAN WINCHESTER, “PHANTOM TRAVELER” (1-4)
EMF stands for “electromagnetic field,” and an EMF detector is a device that detects and measures the strength of electromagnetic energy in an immediate area. These devices were not originally designed for use in paranormal investigation but instead for electronics designers and others who need to detect electromagnetic radiation.
Over the last couple of decades the use of EMF readers among paranormal researchers has been steadily increasing. These devices work on the same principle as iron, in that spirits and demons manifest by using electromagnetic energy. Because of this, the presence of spirit entities will cause a spike in the electromagnetic field of the immediate area. Using an EMF reader allows one to detect such presences, as well as measure how powerful or close they might be by looking at how far the needle moves.
Am I haunted? . . . Am I HAUNTED?
—DEAN WINCHESTER, “YELLOW FEVER” (4-6)
No device is perfect, of course. And there are flaws in the use of EMF readers when it comes to gathering evidence in paranormal investigation. This is mainly due to the fact that spirit entities aren’t the only things that can cause a spike in EMF. The truth is, just about any form of modern technology can cause this—cell phones, nearby power lines, even someone using a microwave in the same building. All of these can cause EMF readers to show a spike. The main problem is that researchers have yet to come up with a solid way to differentiate between EMF spikes caused by spirit energy and those resulting from normal, rational causes.
Then again, who needs EMF when you
have a demon-killing knife?
LEMEGETON: THE LESSER KEY OF SOLOMON
SAM: And these protective circles . . . they really work? BOBBY: Hell, yeah. You get a demon in one, they’re trapped . . . powerless. It’s like a satanic roach motel.
—SAM WINCHESTER AND BOBBY SINGER, “DEVIL’S TRAP” (1-22)
The Lesser Key of Solomon, or Lemegeton, has a lot in common with its parent text, the Key of Solomon. Despite the fact that this text directly claims authentic authorship from Solomon himself, it is unlikely that any of it contains his actual writings. As with the Key of Solomon, there are a number of different manuscripts that have claimed to be the Lemegeton over the years. The known manuscripts are, like the original, believed to be incomplete copies or imitations of information gleaned from Kabala adherents or Arabic mystics. However, unlike the Greater Key of Solomon (an alternative title for the Key of Solomon), this text deals almost exclusively with summoning demons and spirits.
The Lemegeton is divided into five sections:
1. Ars Goetia
2. Ars Theurgia Goetia
3. Ars Paulina
4. Ars Almadel
5. Ars Notoria
Within these five sections are instructions for detailed rituals and symbols, used for the conjuration of seventy-two specific demons and spirits. The names, roles, and uses for each of these demons and spirits are also explained in great detail. The truth is that most of the writings in this grimoire (which means, more or less, a book of spells or magic) are considered to be sensationalist portrayals of the real mystical practices that influenced them. This doesn’t mean that some accurate information did not make its way into the text. You never know. But you probably want to think twice before you go messing around with the thing.
“THE KNIFE” AND THE KEY OF SOLOMON
One specific section from book 2 of the Key of Solomon is titled “Of Sword, Knife, Pen, Lance, Wand, Staff, and Other Instruments.” This section explains the markings and rituals for creating tools meant for use in magical rites.
In Supernatural, Ruby first introduces Sam and Dean to a dagger that can kill demons in “The Magnificent Seven” (3-1). This weapon is commonly referred to on the show as simply “the knife.” However, the inscriptions on this special blade resemble those of Assyrian quadratic script. This script, made up of four-cornered letters, each uniquely divided into “quarters,” likely originated in ancient Assyria. This same form of writing is shown in the Key of Solomon, in illustrations of knives and swords with magical inscriptions.
One of these tools is “the Knife with the white hilt.” Most of the texts portray this knife as having a handle shaped as though made from polished bone or antler, just like the knife of Supernatural. The Key of Solomon illustrations also portray the upper-back edge of this tool’s blade as having a forward curve almost identical to that of the blade on Ruby’s knife. The biggest visual difference between the two is that Ruby’s knife has a set of widely serrated teeth on the front edge of the blade whereas the blade illustrated in the Key of Solomon does not.
On a side note, among the instruments discussed in this section of the Key of Solomon text is “the Sickle.” Interestingly, its shape strongly resembles the sickle belonging to the Horseman Death (for more on the Four Horsemen, see chapter 11). This same sickle was used by Alastair in his attempt to kill two reapers in “Death Takes a Holiday” (4-15) and later came into the possession of Sam and Dean before finally finding its way back to its rightful owner.
Of course, sometimes even the best hunter finds himself caught with his pants down. When there is no salt to be had, the holy water runs dry, and you lose your best demon-killing knife to a sadistic white-eyed demon from Hell, it is always good to have a fallback. More and more, Sam and Dean (and, of course, Bobby Singer) have become familiar with some pretty handy symbols and words that stem from a magical tradition known as Enochian magic (for more on Enochian, see chapter 2).
MOJO BAGS
Give me that mojo bag, and we’ll call it even.
—BELA TALBOT, “FRESH BLOOD” (3-7)
Mojo bags are a pretty common element in faith magic practices, especially those of voodoo and hoodoo. Voodoo is a faith magic practice of the Caribbean Islands; hoodoo is a nearly identical practice from the southern United States.
Faith magic is a practice that manipulates and capitalizes on sacred objects, religious beliefs, and common superstitions in order to use the faith of others as a tool for healing . . . or to use against them. Like many magic practices, these can be used for either beneficial or destructive purposes. In addition to voodoo and hoodoo, also included among faith magic practices are the traditions of Santería and Espiritismo, among others.
In Supernatural, mojo bags are primarily used to ward off evil spirits and demons. However, their uses in faith magic are nearly limitless. There are mojo bags available for just about anything and everything—love, good luck, health, and protection against curses, just for starters. There are even mojo bags for gambling.
Getting one of these bags isn’t all that hard, either. These days, you can find mojo bag vendors all over the Internet. That’s right! For the incredibly low, low price of just $5.95, you, too, can be the proud owner of your very own honest to goodness mojo bag! Of course, considering the way Bela’s eyes lit up when she saw Gordon’s mojo bag in “Fresh Blood” (3-7), it is doubtful that these Internet mojo bags are going to pack the same amount of supernatural punch.
DEVIL’S SHOESTRING
Y’see, I noticed something in your hotel room. Something tucked above the door—an herb. Devil’s Shoestring. Well there’s only one use for that . . . holding hellhounds at bay.
—DEAN WINCHESTER, “TIME IS ON MY SIDE” (3-15)
In “Time Is on My Side” (3-15), Dean spies an herb hanging over the hotel room door of Supernatural con artist Bela Talbot. She hangs this “herb,” which is actually a plant (or the root of a plant) called Devil’s Shoestring, over her door because it is commonly used in a number of spiritual and magical practices as a charm to ward off evil spirits and demons. So one might say it is not 100 percent accurate, according to available lore, when Dean Winchester claims that “there’s only one use for that.”
There are many spells and rituals that incorporate the Devil’s Shoestring root, which serve a variety of purposes, far too many to cover them all here. However, below is a summary of at least one common version of a pseudo-Judeo-Christian ritual that involves the use of this root and is said to ward off demons and malevolent spirits. Various similar rituals can be found in Wicca and certain forms of faith magic.
1. Immerse the Devil’s Shoestring root completely in holy water for roughly twelve to twenty-four hours.
2. Remove it from the water and allow it to dry.
3. Recite the short version of the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel (see chapter 4) and tie the root into the shape of a cross (commonly by using a red string).
4. Once the prayer is completed and the cross shape has been securely tied into place, you then hang the Devil’s Shoestring cross over the main entryway of the house, room, or domicile.
There is a more generic use of Devil’s Shoestring in folklore, which claims that shoving it into the ground in front of the threshold of a door will “trip up the devil.” This “tripping” of the devil is where the root gets its name, in that it trips up the devil in the same way that humans are sometimes tripped up by their own shoelaces.
Of course, the effectiveness of weapons is limited when it comes to dealing with beings that come from “across the veil.” Many of the tools that are used by hunters in Supernatural deal with manipulating paranormal forces. From summoning to prophecy, let us look at the various Supernatural elements that serve to pierce the veil between this world and the next.
2
SIGNS, VISIONS, SEALS, AND SIGILS
In this chapter we are going to take a look at some of the various elements, items, and characters from the Supernatural mythos tha
t involve communicating with and/or manipulating spiritual and supernatural forces. From prophets and seers to sigils and seals, these are the ways in which the Winchesters “pierce the veil” between this world and the next.
PROPHETS
Since ancient, possibly even prehistoric, times there have been special human beings who have what some refer to as a “second sight.” They are able to see beyond the veil that separates this world from the next. Seers, soothsayers, and prophets have played a long and significant part in human history. While there are many different types of special individuals who are in one way or another able to foresee events to come, they usually fall into three primary categories:
1. Prophet Scribes: These are prophets who transcribe their revelations in written form (such as Enoch . . . and Chuck).
2. Seers: These individuals experience visions, often not by any conscious control, of events to come.
3. Divine “Receivers”: These sorts of prophets receive direct divine instructions and revelations from either God or an agent of God (most commonly an angel).
The Mythology of Supernatural Page 3
