Exorcism was a ritual used to expel a demon[1][2][3][4] or spirit[5][6][7] which had possessed a human[2][3][4][8] or dwelling.[1][5][6][7] This type of ritual was extremely dangerous due to the violence in which the entity would fight back,[1][5][9] sometimes resulting in the death of the performer[2] or the victim of the possession.[4]
A common exorcism was the use of a Catholic spell[4] pronouncing the Latin words: "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus" (We exorcise you, every impure spirit).[4][10][8]
History[]
Eyghon[]
In the 1970s, after the demon Eyghon the Sleepwalker permanently possessed Randall, his friends Rupert Giles, Ethan Rayne, Diedre Page, Philip Henry, and Thomas Sutcliffe tried to exorcise the demon from his body. However, it only resulted on Randall's death.[4]
James and Grace[]
In 1998, when the spirits of James Stanley and Grace Newman unwittingly wreaked havoc in Sunnydale High School, the Scooby Gang tried to exorcise James, forcing him to move on from this plane of existence. They chanted:[1]
- "I shall confront and expel all evil. Out of marrow and bone. Out of house and home, never to come here again."[1]
However, the exorcism was cut short by James' spirit, conjuring wasps all over the school. He and Grace only moved on after they were able to relieve their final moments possessing Buffy and Angel, who lived past the reenactment and allowed the James to see Grace forgiving him.[1]
Maude[]
In 1999, Angel and Doyle attempted to exorcise the ghost of Maude Pearson to stop the constant murders of the young women that lived in Pearson's former apartment. Angel chanted:[5]
- "Bring the truth into the light. Let the villain be reveal that a soul can take its rightful place for eternity. Adduce veritatum in lucem. Accipitat laura suam requiatam reposcant anima suum regnum."[5]
However, Mrs. Pearson's ghost was strong enough to fight back during the ritual Angel attempted to perform, and he gave up to escape the apartment with Doyle and Cordelia. Afterward, the ghost of Maude's son Dennis possessed Cordelia and exposed his corpse inside the wall Maude had imprisoned him. Dennis then attacked his mother's ghost, finally expelling her.[5]
Lowell House[]
In 2000, Julie, Graham, and other students were possessed by the apparitions of the Lowell House children's raw emotions abused by the Genevieve Holt, accidentally released by Buffy and Riley while having sex during a party. Tara, Willow, and Giles tried to perform an exorcism in the house and the emotions.[6]
Ethros demon[]
In the same year, Angel Investigations came face to face with an Ethros demon, a powerful possessing demon with a penchant for mass murder, which had taken possession of a boy, Ryan Anderson. Angel Investigations sought the help of Father Fredricks, a known exorcist, only to discover that he had been killed in the process of exorcising another Ethros from a young girl.[2]
Wesley failed in expelling the demon from Ryan, but Angel succeeded in completing the ritual. It required several artifacts such as crosses and holy water and a prayer in Latin:[2]
- "Abrenuntias satanae? Et omnibus operibus eus? Omnibus pompis eus? (Do you renounce Satan? And all of his works? And all his pomps?) Exorcie te. Omnis spiritus immunde. Adaperiae! Now get the hell out!"[2]
The ritual also involved an Ethros box to hold the demon once it had been exorcised, but Cordelia improvised with the smaller Shorshack box, which broke, unable to contain the Ethros demon. He took on physical form to recover its lost energy, and Angel tracked him killed him with an axe.[2]
First Evil[]
In 2002, Dawn performed a spell to exorcise some demon that invaded the Summers home and prevented her from seeing her mother Joyce. While resisting its physical attacks, Dawn spread dust from a bowl and chanted:[9]
- "I cast you from this place. It is your poison and your bane. It is the skin that is cut from your flesh! I cast you out with every prayer from every god that walked the Earth and crawled beneath. I cast you out with the strength of those who love me. I cast your out with the strength I have inside me! I cast you out into the void. That's right! Die, you bastard!"[9]
When Dawn concluded the exorcism, blood splattered the walls, which allowed her to finally see a vision of her mother[9] However, it was believed that the event was caused by the First Evil instead.[11]
Spike[]
In 2003, when Spike was resurrected as a ghost, Wesley suggested to Angel, Gunn, and Fred to practice exorcism so that Spike could find peace.[7]
Plagiarus demon[]
Some time later, while in London, Rupert Giles attempted to exorcise a Plagiarus demon from the little girl Hannah. Noticing the possession wasn't able due to black magic, but an innate attribute from the demon's species, Giles decided on binding him within Hannah' body, using his own blood and life to channel the spell.[3]
Hamelin demon[]
While in San Francisco, Giles, alongside Buffy, Dawn, and Spike, attempted to exorcise the ghost of missing children at a haunted building, only to be attacked by a Hamelin demon, the real cause of the haunting.[10]
Lana Pasternak[]
Later in the same year, the psychic Lana Pasternak had strange behavior after a séance, and the S.F.P.D. Supernatural Crime Unit was alerted. According to Rupert Giles, the psychic was presumably inexperienced and tampered with forces she shouldn't have, becoming an easy prey for dark entities from beyond.[8]
The entity attacked Xander, Dowling, Anya, and Giles with ectoplasm while he performed the exorcism, almost taking the spirit Anya with it. Nevertheless, it had a successful result, with Lana resuming her consciousness.[8]
Behind the scenes[]
- In the non-canon video-game Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox), the Old One Laibach of the Abyss possessed Drusilla while the Master possessed Angel. Xander and Giles managed to exorcise Laibach, while Willow managed to exorcise the Master after Buffy weakened him, casting a protection spell on him, Spike, and Drusilla, so he couldn't possess any of the three of them again.
Appearances[]
Canonical[]
- "The Dark Age" (Only mentioned)
- "I Only Have Eyes for You"
- "Rm w/a Vu"
- "Where the Wild Things Are"
- "I've Got You Under My Skin"
- "Conversations with Dead People"
- "Just Rewards" (Only mentioned)
- Live Through This, Part One (Only in flashbacks)
- Death and Consequences, Part Two (Only in flashbacks)
- I Wish, Part One
- Triggers
Other[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "I Only Have Eyes for You"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "I've Got You Under My Skin"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Live Through This, Part One
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Death and Consequences, Part Two
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Rm w/a Vu"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Where the Wild Things Are"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Just Rewards"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Triggers
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Conversations with Dead People"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 I Wish, Part One
- ↑ "Sleeper"