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| − | [[Image:Scrolls_aberjian.jpg|thumb||The Shanshu Prophecy]] |
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| + | |Image = Scrolls aberjian.jpg |
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| + | |Caption = Page of the Shanshu Prophecy from the Scrolls of Aberjian. |
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| + | |Name = Shanshu Prophecy |
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| + | |Users = *[[Angel]] |
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| + | *[[Wesley Wyndam-Pryce]] |
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| + | *[[Circle of the Black Thorn]] |
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| + | |Related items = [[Scrolls of Aberjian]] |
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| + | }} |
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{{Quote|Shanshu has roots in so many different languages. The most ancient source is the Proto-Bantu and they consider life and death the same thing, part of a cycle — only a thing that's not alive never dies. It says that you get to live until you die. It says the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will shanshu. Become human. It's his reward.|Wesley Wyndam-Pryce|To Shanshu in L.A.}} |
{{Quote|Shanshu has roots in so many different languages. The most ancient source is the Proto-Bantu and they consider life and death the same thing, part of a cycle — only a thing that's not alive never dies. It says that you get to live until you die. It says the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will shanshu. Become human. It's his reward.|Wesley Wyndam-Pryce|To Shanshu in L.A.}} |
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| − | The '''Shanshu Prophecy''' |
+ | The '''Shanshu Prophecy''' was a prophecy contained within the [[Scrolls of Aberjian]] that foresaw the coming of a [[vampire]] with a [[soul]] that would play a pivotal role in the [[apocalypse]]. As a reward, he would be restored into a mortal [[human]] being. |
| + | Translated from its oldest root, the word "shanshu" meant both to live and to die, thus meaning that the vampire would "live to die" by becoming human and eventually dying a mortal death. It was assumed that the role will be one of good, but many people pointed out that the prophecy did not specifically say so. |
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| − | Translated, the word "shanshu" means both to live and to die. |
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| + | ==History== |
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| − | Angel uses this promise of eventually being human again as motivation throughout much of the series; eventually, however, he loses faith in the prophecy, presumably due to [[Sahjhan]]'s alteration of the [[Tro-Clon]] prophecy, though he ultimately accepts its existence once again. |
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| + | In 2000, [[Wesley Wyndam-Pryce]] translated the Shanshu Prophecy from the [[Scrolls of Aberjian]] and believed that [[Angel]] would be the vampire with a soul mentioned in the prophecy. As the prophecy did not refer to a particular apocalypse, Angel determined that redemption rather than a scorecard of good deeds was the key to Shanshu. This became his driving motivation; he maintained a constant battle against evil, rather than just trying to amass a [[demon]]ic body-count.<ref name=":1">"[[To Shanshu in L.A.]]"</ref> However, Angel's faith in his role wavered when he took on a more corporate, bureaucratic approach to fighting evil: he took control of the [[Wolfram & Hart Los Angeles branch]]<ref>"[[Home]]"</ref> and felt disconnected from his mission.<ref>"[[You're Welcome]]"</ref> |
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| − | For years it was assumed that the prophecy was about Angel, |
+ | For years, it was assumed that the prophecy was about Angel; however, [[Spike]] became the second vampire to have a soul then died to save the world, becoming a Champion in the process. The subject of the prophecy came into question once Spike was restored to corporeal status, so Angel's old foe, [[Lindsey McDonald]], briefly attempted to manipulate events to set Spike up as the true champion to discredit Angel. However, Spike's main interest in the Shanshu was generally a continuation of his rivalry with Angel rather than a specific desire to become human himself.<ref name=":0">"[[Destiny]]"</ref> |
| + | This conflict came to a head when Lindsey faked an addendum to the prophecy with the aid of renegade ex-[[Watcher]] [[Rutherford Sirk]] during a series of apparent distortions in reality caused by the existence of two "candidates" to the prophecy. He pitted Angel and Spike against each other to drink from the [[Cup of Perpetual Torment]] in order for one of them to be confirmed as the true subject of the prophecy. Although both Angel and Spike survive the fight and the Cup is exposed as a fake, Angel began to question his status as the vampire Champion when Spike defeated him for the first time in their long history. Despite Lindsey's efforts to discredit Angel and establish Spike as a Champion, his scheme was eventually defeated.<ref name=":0" /> Angel and Spike went on to become an effective, if argumentative, team until their final confrontation with the [[Circle of the Black Thorn]].<ref>"[[Not Fade Away]]"</ref> |
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| − | {{Dialogue a-b|Spike|What do you think all this means for that Shanshu boogaboo? If we make it through this, does one of us get to be a real boy?|Angel|Who are you kiddin'? We're not gonna make it through.|Angel and Spike discuss the Shanshu Prophecy|Not Fade Away}} |
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| + | Unknown to Spike, however, Angel signed away his rights to the Shanshu Prophecy in order to infiltrate the Circle. The Circle members wanted to ensure that Angel had genuinely forsaken his old life as a champion. Angel took advantage of the Circle's inability to comprehend the idea that he would do good for the sake of it rather than for a reward. As Angel informed [[Marcus Hamilton]] during their confrontation after he rescinded his role in the Prophecy, "people who don't care about anything... Will never understand the people who do."<ref name=":1" /> |
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| − | Unknown to Spike however, Angel had earlier signed away "his rights" to the Shanshu Prophecy in order to infiltrate the [[Circle of the Black Thorn]]. |
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| + | During the [[Fall of Los Angeles]], Angel was transformed into a human by the [[Senior Partners]] to hinder him. Angel dismisses the idea that this was the Shanshu prophecy fulfilled. Later, [[Wolfram & Hart]] revealed through Wesley that they never filed his signature before the firm was destroyed and the Shanshu was still his and could still be fulfilled. Wesley stated that the prophecy had always concerned Angel alone. While Angel was near death after being badly beaten by then-vampire [[Charles Gunn]], Gunn speculated that he could be the vampire to Shanshu as the vampire ''with'' soul rather than the vampire with ''a'' soul.<ref name=":2">[[After the Fall, Part Twelve]]</ref> |
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| + | Angel then received a [[vision]] of the final apocalyptic battle, revealing that Angel's role in the Shanshu would be one of evil. It showed him as a vampire standing in a field of dead bodies. Angel chose to resign himself to death rather than let these events come to pass, but [[Connor]] and [[Cordelia Chase]] assured him that this future would not happen in any event, as Angel would never allow himself to become the man that he saw in the vision. Angel vowed to continue trying to help others even after his return from Hell and the restoration of his vampire status.<ref name=":2" /> |
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| + | |||
| + | For a time, Spike argued that he might be the "true" candidate of the prophecy, with Angel being merely a "smokescreen" to draw attention away from him. Subsequent discoveries forced him to recognize that he had been trying to hang on to Angel's glory rather than finding his own path, prompting him to abandon all thought of the Shanshu Prophecy and depart Los Angeles for Las Vegas to form his own team and find himself on his own without trying to compare himself to Angel. |
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| + | Angel, in his guise as [[Twilight]], demonstrated new powers described as a reward that made the Shanshu "look like a bunch a' crap."<ref>''[[Last Gleaming, Part One]]''</ref> However, given that the final resolution of the Twilight crisis resulted in Angel apparently defying his "destiny" to create a new world, Angel himself doubted that he was entitled to the Shanshu anymore. He told Faith that fulfilling the Shanshu Prophecy was "out of the question" and that all he had to look forward to was a stake to the heart. However, Faith was certain that, with the [[end of magic]] having effectively prevented any more [[Hellmouth]]-spawning apocalypses, Angel had indeed earned the Shanshu.<ref>''[[Live Through This, Part Three]]''</ref> |
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| + | After magic was restored, and the [[Slayer Handbook]] gained the power to rewrite the rules of magic as a result, Spike briefly toyed with the idea of writing in the book that he, not Angel, was the subject of the Shanshu, but decided not to do so<ref>''[[Day Off (or Harmony in My Head)]]''</ref>. When cornered by the Scoobies, [[D'Hoffryn]] tried to bargain with his life by granting them each one wish; in Spike's case, he offered to make him the true subject of the Shanshu Prophecy so he could become human and live happily ever after with Buffy. The Scoobies all refused, knowing there would always be a catch.<ref>''[[Own It, Part Five]]''</ref>. |
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| + | |||
| + | ==References== |
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| + | {{References}} |
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| − | During the [[Fall of Los Angeles]], Angel is transformed into a human by the Senior Partners to hinder him. Considering his anti-apocalyptic battle against the Circle of the Black Thorn, it is possible the Shanshu Prophecy has been misinterpreted as a reward for his heroism, instead of a way of hindering him after he takes on the [[Senior Partners|partners]]. However, it was also revealed that Wolfram & Hart never had a chance to file the prophecy, and that the Shanshu is still his and can still be fulfilled; Wesley also reveals that the prophecy had always concerned Angel alone. Angel was then shown a vision of the final apocalyptic battle, which shows him having apparently reverted to Angelus and inflicted chaos, death, and destruction upon the world, but the encouragement of [[Connor]] and a spectral visit from [[Cordelia Chase|Cordelia]] convinced Angel that this future will not come to pass because he could never allow himself to be the man he saw in that vision. |
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| − | [[Category:Terminology]] |
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[[Category:Books, scrolls and prophecies]] |
[[Category:Books, scrolls and prophecies]] |
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Revision as of 23:49, 27 March 2020
- “Shanshu has roots in so many different languages. The most ancient source is the Proto-Bantu and they consider life and death the same thing, part of a cycle — only a thing that's not alive never dies. It says that you get to live until you die. It says the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will shanshu. Become human. It's his reward.”
- ―Wesley Wyndam-Pryce[src]
The Shanshu Prophecy was a prophecy contained within the Scrolls of Aberjian that foresaw the coming of a vampire with a soul that would play a pivotal role in the apocalypse. As a reward, he would be restored into a mortal human being.
Translated from its oldest root, the word "shanshu" meant both to live and to die, thus meaning that the vampire would "live to die" by becoming human and eventually dying a mortal death. It was assumed that the role will be one of good, but many people pointed out that the prophecy did not specifically say so.
History
In 2000, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce translated the Shanshu Prophecy from the Scrolls of Aberjian and believed that Angel would be the vampire with a soul mentioned in the prophecy. As the prophecy did not refer to a particular apocalypse, Angel determined that redemption rather than a scorecard of good deeds was the key to Shanshu. This became his driving motivation; he maintained a constant battle against evil, rather than just trying to amass a demonic body-count.[1] However, Angel's faith in his role wavered when he took on a more corporate, bureaucratic approach to fighting evil: he took control of the Wolfram & Hart Los Angeles branch[2] and felt disconnected from his mission.[3]
For years, it was assumed that the prophecy was about Angel; however, Spike became the second vampire to have a soul then died to save the world, becoming a Champion in the process. The subject of the prophecy came into question once Spike was restored to corporeal status, so Angel's old foe, Lindsey McDonald, briefly attempted to manipulate events to set Spike up as the true champion to discredit Angel. However, Spike's main interest in the Shanshu was generally a continuation of his rivalry with Angel rather than a specific desire to become human himself.[4]
This conflict came to a head when Lindsey faked an addendum to the prophecy with the aid of renegade ex-Watcher Rutherford Sirk during a series of apparent distortions in reality caused by the existence of two "candidates" to the prophecy. He pitted Angel and Spike against each other to drink from the Cup of Perpetual Torment in order for one of them to be confirmed as the true subject of the prophecy. Although both Angel and Spike survive the fight and the Cup is exposed as a fake, Angel began to question his status as the vampire Champion when Spike defeated him for the first time in their long history. Despite Lindsey's efforts to discredit Angel and establish Spike as a Champion, his scheme was eventually defeated.[4] Angel and Spike went on to become an effective, if argumentative, team until their final confrontation with the Circle of the Black Thorn.[5]
Unknown to Spike, however, Angel signed away his rights to the Shanshu Prophecy in order to infiltrate the Circle. The Circle members wanted to ensure that Angel had genuinely forsaken his old life as a champion. Angel took advantage of the Circle's inability to comprehend the idea that he would do good for the sake of it rather than for a reward. As Angel informed Marcus Hamilton during their confrontation after he rescinded his role in the Prophecy, "people who don't care about anything... Will never understand the people who do."[1]
A vision of Angel's supposed role in the Shanshu Prophecy.
During the Fall of Los Angeles, Angel was transformed into a human by the Senior Partners to hinder him. Angel dismisses the idea that this was the Shanshu prophecy fulfilled. Later, Wolfram & Hart revealed through Wesley that they never filed his signature before the firm was destroyed and the Shanshu was still his and could still be fulfilled. Wesley stated that the prophecy had always concerned Angel alone. While Angel was near death after being badly beaten by then-vampire Charles Gunn, Gunn speculated that he could be the vampire to Shanshu as the vampire with soul rather than the vampire with a soul.[6]
Angel then received a vision of the final apocalyptic battle, revealing that Angel's role in the Shanshu would be one of evil. It showed him as a vampire standing in a field of dead bodies. Angel chose to resign himself to death rather than let these events come to pass, but Connor and Cordelia Chase assured him that this future would not happen in any event, as Angel would never allow himself to become the man that he saw in the vision. Angel vowed to continue trying to help others even after his return from Hell and the restoration of his vampire status.[6]
For a time, Spike argued that he might be the "true" candidate of the prophecy, with Angel being merely a "smokescreen" to draw attention away from him. Subsequent discoveries forced him to recognize that he had been trying to hang on to Angel's glory rather than finding his own path, prompting him to abandon all thought of the Shanshu Prophecy and depart Los Angeles for Las Vegas to form his own team and find himself on his own without trying to compare himself to Angel.
Angel, in his guise as Twilight, demonstrated new powers described as a reward that made the Shanshu "look like a bunch a' crap."[7] However, given that the final resolution of the Twilight crisis resulted in Angel apparently defying his "destiny" to create a new world, Angel himself doubted that he was entitled to the Shanshu anymore. He told Faith that fulfilling the Shanshu Prophecy was "out of the question" and that all he had to look forward to was a stake to the heart. However, Faith was certain that, with the end of magic having effectively prevented any more Hellmouth-spawning apocalypses, Angel had indeed earned the Shanshu.[8]
After magic was restored, and the Slayer Handbook gained the power to rewrite the rules of magic as a result, Spike briefly toyed with the idea of writing in the book that he, not Angel, was the subject of the Shanshu, but decided not to do so[9]. When cornered by the Scoobies, D'Hoffryn tried to bargain with his life by granting them each one wish; in Spike's case, he offered to make him the true subject of the Shanshu Prophecy so he could become human and live happily ever after with Buffy. The Scoobies all refused, knowing there would always be a catch.[10].