The Mythology of Supernatural

by Nathan Robert Brown

  If one considers the last few lines of the excerpt, however, Joshua’s role as an angel in Supernatural begins to make sense. That Joshua will govern God’s “house” and “have charge of [his] courts” would certainly seem to match up with the role of Supernatural’s Joshua. After all, Joshua explains to Sam and Dean that Heaven’s “garden” is not necessarily a garden at all but is instead unique to each person:

  You see what you want to here. For some, it’s God’s throne room, for others it’s Eden. You two . . . I believe it’s the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. You came here on a field trip.

  —JOSHUA, “DARK SIDE OF THE MOON” (5-16)

  Normally, it is understood that humans cannot become angels. Some say that this is because humans were granted souls, while angels were not. Maybe this is why, in Supernatural, it seems that the angel Zachariah looks down on Joshua. Perhaps this is because Joshua was not “born an angel,” so to speak, but was once a human being. This would certainly make the man stand apart from the rest of the heavenly ranks.

  While it is not normal for humans to become angels, the same cannot be said of the demons in the Supernatural mythos. In the universe of Supernatural, every soul that descends into the fiery pit of Hell will eventually become corrupted by it and, as Ruby once explained to Dean, will be transformed into “something else”—meaning demons. As we will see in the next chapter, these evil spirits revel in the corruption and torment of humans. However, as the Winchesters prove time and time again, some humans choose to fight back.

  7

  DEMONIC POSSESSIONS AND EXORCISMS

  She’s possessed. That’s a human possessed by a demon, can’t you tell?

  —BOBBY SINGER, “DEVIL’S TRAP” (1-22)

  Demonic possession has become an increasingly regular occurrence in Supernatural, with Sam and Dean frequently performing exorcisms of possessed individuals. The mythology of the show often plays with traditional notions of possession and exorcism in order to create an entirely new spin on an age-old idea. While the demons of Supernatural are a new creation, various rites for demonic exorcism have existed among many culture groups, from all over the globe, for thousands of years.

  DEMONIC POSSESSION

  Demonic possessions happen pretty fast on Supernatural. Some random guy can just be walking along, minding his own business, when a black cloud of demon shoves its way down his throat, and presto! He is possessed. His eyes turn black (or red or white, or whatever color fits the possessing demon), and now he has to suffer through watching every terrible thing the demon does while riding around in his body, powerless to do anything about it. Talk about a crappy deal.

  In reality, recorded cases suggest that possession usually takes a little longer than what is portrayed on Supernatural. No fault of the show’s, of course, because if we had to sit through the lengthy escalation of possession every time a demon tried to take a ride in someone’s meat suit the show would get boring pretty quick.

  Most demonologists would agree that possessions occur in progressive stages over a period of time. There are almost no recorded cases of an immediate possession, at least not for those who are possessed involuntarily.

  This is one of the places where Supernatural deviates a bit from the lore. On the show, a demon can force its way into a person while an angel has to be given permission. In reality, the “rules” usually state the exact opposite. Angels, for the most part, don’t need to occupy bodies because they are commonly believed to be able to transubstantiate. That is, they can change from “spirit form” to “physical form.” Demons, on the other hand, have to find a way to get in, and they usually do this by exploiting one or more of the target individual’s vices, personal weaknesses, or desires. Even when the demon initially gets in, it does not exercise much control over the person.

  Cases of demonic possession generally follow three progressive stages:

  Stage 1: Demonization

  Stage 2: Personal possession

  Stage 3: Perfect possession

  Demonization refers to a period of time when a demon is testing you out, trying to find some kind of moral or spiritual weakness to exploit that will allow it to gain access to you. Sometimes the demon will stick around for years this way. Other times, it will either be scared off by prayer, exorcism, or something else it doesn’t like, or it will become bored and move on (though the first scenario is a lot more likely).

  In the latter parts of this stage, the demon will begin to make its way into the person’s body. Its control is erratic but identifiable, and the possessed person begins to undergo subtle but uncharacteristic changes in mood, behavior, and personality. For example, the person may become unreasonably irritable. He or she might start displaying an aversion to anything having to do with faith, religion, or spirituality, avoiding, for example, prayers, relics, churches, temples, and even the names of angels. Demons have been documented as experiencing extreme discomfort in the presence of just about anything having to do with a spiritual practice (that is nondemonic, of course). The nice thing (if you can call it that) about this stage of possession is that something as simple as a prayer, blessing, or some purification ceremony is usually enough to expel the demon. Once it gets to the next stage, though, things get a little more difficult.

  Personal possession refers to a situation in which the demon has come to exploit some flaw, likely the one it used to gain access to the victim, and twisted it so that he or she becomes dependent on its availability (think about how Ruby got Sam hooked on demon blood—different situation but the same general philosophy). The demon is then able to start taking more control over the body and begins gaining more influence, though sporadic it may be, over the person’s physical actions. At this point the possessed person’s will has begun to be overtaken by the demon.

  The longer the demon remains in the victim, the more extreme the situation gets. For example, one of the most common traits of people experiencing personal possession is the spontaneous ability to understand or speak languages that are unknown to them. Another is having inexplicable knowledge of events they did not witness and of which they could not possibly have previous knowledge. For example, the possessed person might know that an acquaintance has a meeting to attend without being told. Of course, this knowledge could also be the result of premonitions, so it shouldn’t be your sole criteria for claiming someone is possessed. Expelling a demon at this stage is still fairly routine. The victim may require an exorcism, but it will be easier to perform now than in the next stage. This is because the possessed person still has the majority of control over his or her will and can therefore participate in the exorcism. Once a possessed person reaches the third and final stage of perfect possession, things start to go seriously downhill—fast.

  By the time a person reaches the stage of perfect possession, he or she is in some serious trouble. This stage, one should note, is the most similar to what one sees on Supernatural. Little if any of the possessed person’s own will remains. More or less, the demon is calling the shots at this point.

  The really creepy part is that people who experience perfect possession often militantly resist exorcism and usually behave as though they have accepted the demon within them. This is due to the fact that the person has developed a spiritual attachment to, and mental and emotional dependence on, the demon. This causes the person to experience feelings of extreme anxiety when it comes to expelling the demon. The demon has actually convinced the possessed person that he or she needs it in order to live a happy life.

  Needless to say, cases of perfect possession are generally thought of as the most dangerous. The real danger comes from the fact that the demon doesn’t mind hurting the exorcist or the possessed individual on its way out. For any legitimate exorcist, engaging a demon who has achieved perfect possession is a tricky situation that requires detailed planning. This is because once an exorcism begins it cannot be stopped until the demon is out. If, as sometimes happens, the exorcist is injured or breaks down and cannot contin
ue, then a new exorcist must be on hand to finish the job. Perfect possession exorcisms are undertaken with extreme caution, because if mistakes are made in these extreme cases, they can actually prove to be fatal—for both the exorcist as well as the possessed individual.

  Another point of contrast between Supernatural and real demonic possessions has to do with exorcisms. In the show, the simple recitation of an exorcism rite is usually enough to cast out a demon. Also, there are rarely if ever any repercussions for the one performing the recitation. Real exorcists, however, enter into direct confrontations with the spiritual agents of ultimate evil. Exorcism is an endeavor filled with dangers and pitfalls, and only those with the proper training and experience should ever attempt to perform one. Once an exorcism has begun, for example, the exorcist is in it until it’s over.

  In some cases, even successful exorcisms have left the acting exorcists with permanent psychological, and even physical, scars. A failed exorcism can be even worse. Failure can mean death, for both the exorcist and the possessed individual. Needless to say, being an exorcist is not an occupation one should enter into lightly.

  PROTECTION AGAINST THE DEMONIC

  There’s no demon in her. There’s no demon getting in her.

  —DEAN WINCHESTER, “PHANTOM TRAVELER” (1-4)

  The best defense is a good offense, right? Well, the good news is that there are tons of ways to protect yourself from demonic influence. Just about any object of faith—crosses, amulets, pictures of saints, and so on—can be used. This includes similar objects from any religion (as long as it is your religion, of course). Prayers also tend to make demons uncomfortable and encourage them to set up shop elsewhere.

  When the demon doesn’t take the hint, however, you might need to pull out the big guns. One of the most common commands used to ward off demons has actually been used at least once on Supernatural and comes from a myth about the monk Saint Benedict.

  THE SAINT BENEDICT EXORCISM

  SAM: What if she’s already possessed?

  DEAN: There’s ways to test that. I brought holy water.

  SAM: No. I think we can go more subtle. If she’s possessed, she’ll flinch at the name of God.

  —SAM AND DEAN WINCHESTER, “PHANTOM TRAVELER” (1-4)

  Saint Benedict is viewed as one of the most powerful Roman Catholic saints when it comes to dealing with demonic powers. This is because he is said to have had a certain knack for bashing the devil over the head with his own tricks. A manuscript discovered in 1417 tells the story of a particular situation in which an agent of evil attempted to murder the monk by offering him poison. Because of the crude nature of medical science, and the fact that criminal forensics was not yet even invented, poisoning was a favored technique of assassins of the period.

  According to the story, Benedict had been invited under false pretenses to the table of a man who was in fact an agent of the devil. The man first offered the monk a goblet of poisoned wine. Benedict made the sign of the cross, at which point the goblet immediately shattered as if it had been smashed with a hammer, even though nothing had touched it. Next the man offered a loaf of poisoned bread to the monk. As Benedict reached for it, a raven descended and flew off with it. In this manner, the assassination attempt was thwarted.

  Benedict wasn’t done with this guy, however—not by a long shot. Realizing that God had twice intervened to prevent him from consuming what he’d been offered, Benedict saw the situation for what it was. He stood and, with the following words, rebuked the demonic forces that controlled the man:

  Vade retro Satana!

  Numquam suade mihi vana.

  Sunt mala quae libas.

  Ipse venena bibas!

  Step back, Satan/adversary!

  Tempt me not with vain things.

  What you offer is evil.

  Drink the poison yourself!

  Knowing they were beaten, the demonic forces made a hasty exit.

  Even today, objects called Saint Benedict Medals are commonly used for protection against evil and demonic spirits. These roughly coin-sized medals depict the end scene of the previously mentioned story on one side, and on the other side are the letters VRS-NSMV-SMQL-IVB. These letters were first discovered written on the wall of Benedict’s monastery, but no one knew what they meant until the previously mentioned manuscript was discovered.

  SUPERNATURAL AND THE RITUALE ROMANUM RITES OF EXORCISM

  MEG: An exorcism? Are you serious?

  DEAN: Oh, we’re going for it, baby. Head spinning . . . projectile vomiting . . . the whole nine yards.

  —DEAN WINCHESTER AND MEG, “DEVIL’S TRAP” (1-22)

  The Latin exorcisms used in Supernatural appear to be combinations of various exorcist rites used in Christianity over the years. The bulk of them come from the Rituale Romanum (Roman Ritual), a text of the Roman Catholic Church meant to serve as a sort of guidebook to priests. You won’t find it in the new versions of the text, however, as the rite was seriously revised back in 1998. While it is nearly impossible to tell you exactly what version or exorcism rite is being used (it changes constantly on the show), we can at least offer you a copy of the common Latin recitations used in the original Roman Rite of Exorcism. Please note that this is just the recitation, not the rite in its entirety. Since full translations of the rite are rather rare, this might be a good time for you to start brushing up on your Latin. However, the text also warns that only appropriately trained exorcists, who have been given proper approval, should attempt to use this.

  Deus, et pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, invoco nomen sanctum tuum, et clementiam tuam supplex exposco: ut adversus hunc, et omnem immundum spiritum, qui vexat hoc plasma tuum. mihi auxilium praestare igneris. Per eumdem Dominum. Amen.

  Exorcizo te, immundissime spiritus, omnis incursio adversarii, omne phantasma, omnis legio, in nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi eradicare, et effugare ab hoc plasmate Dei. Ipse tibi imperat, qui te de supernis caelorum in inferiora terrae demergi praecepit. Ipse tibi imperat, qui mari, ventis, et tempestatibus impersvit. Audi ergo, et time, satana, inimice fidei, hostis generis humani, mortis adductor, vitae raptor, justitiae declinator, malorum radix, fomes vitiorum, seductor hominum, proditor gentium, incitator invidiae, origo avaritiae, causa discordiae, excitator dolorum: quid stas, et resistis, cum scias. Christum Dominum vias tuas perdere? Illum metue, qui in Isaac immolatus est, in joseph venumdatus, in sgno occisus, in homine crucifixus, deinde inferni triumphator fuit. Sequentes cruces fiant in fronte obsessi. Recede ergo in nomine Patris et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti: da locum Spiritui Sancto, per hoc signum sanctae Cruci Jesu Christi Domini nostri: Qui cum Patre et eodem Spiritu Sancto vivit et regnat Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

  Domine, exaudi orationem meam. Et clamor meus ad te veniat. Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo.

  Deus, conditor et defensor generis humani, qui hominem ad imaginem tuam formasti; respice super hunc famulum tuum, qui dolis immundi spiritus appetitur, quem vetus adversarius, antiquus hostis terrae, formidinis horrore circumvolat, et sensum mentis humanae stupore defigit, terrore contrubat, et metu trepidi timoris exagitat. Repelle, Domine, virtutem diaboli, fallacesque ejus insidias amove:

  Procul impius tentator aufugiat: sit nominis tui signo famulus tuus munitus et in animo tutus et corpore. Tu pectoris hujus interna custodias. Tu viscera regas. Tu cor confirmes. In anima adversarius potestatis tentamenta evanescant. Da, Domine, ad hanc invocationem sanctissimi nominis tui gratiam, ut, qui hucusque terrebat, territus aufugiat, et victus abscedat, tibique possit hic famulus tuus et corde firmatus et mente sincerus, debitum praebere famulatum. Per Dominum. Amen.

  Adjuro te, serpens antique, per judicem vivorum et mortuorum, per factorem tuum, per factorem mundi, per eum, qui habet potestatem mittendi te in gehennam, ut ab hoc famulo Dei, ad Ecclesiae sinum recurrit, cum metu, et exercitu furoris tui festinus discedas. Adjuro te iterum non mea infirmitate, sed virtute Spiritus Sancti, ut exeas ab hoc famulo Dei, quem omnipotens Deus ad imaginem suam fecit.
Cede igitur, cede non mihi, sed ministro Christi. Illius enim te urget potestas, qui te Cruci suae subjugavit. Illius brachium contremisce, qui devictis gemitibus inferni, animas ad lucem perduxit. Sit tibi terror corpus hominis, sit tibi formido imago Dei. Non resistas, nec moreris discedere ab homine isto, quoniam complacuit Christo in homine habitare. Et ne contemnendum putes, dum me peccatorem nimis esse cognoscis. Imperat tibi Deus. Imperat tibi majestas Christi Imperat tibi Deus Pater, imoerat tibi Deus Filius, imperat tibi Deus Spiritus Sanctus. Imperat tibi sacramentum Crucis. Imperat tibi fides sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, et ceterorum Sanctorum. Imperat tibi Martyrum sanguis, Imperat tibi contentia Confessorum. Imperat tibi pia Sanctorum et Sanctarum omnium intercessio, Imperat tibi christianae fidei mysteriorum virtus. Exi ergo, transgressor. Exi, seducor, plene omni dolo et fallacia, virtutis inimice, innocentium persecutor. Da locum, dirissime, da loocum, impiissime, da locum Christo, in quo nihil invevisti de operibus tuis: qui te spoliavit, qui regnum tuum destruxit, qui te victum ligavit, et vasa tua diripuit: qui te projecit in tenebras exteriores, ubi tibi cum ministris tuis erit praeparatus interitus. Sed quid truculente reniteris? Quid temerarie detrectas? Reus es omnipotenti Deo, cujus statuta transgressus es. Reus es Filio ejus Jesu Christo Domino nostro, quem tentare ausus es, et crucifigere praesumpsisti. Reus es humano generi, cui tuis persua- sionibus mortis venenum propinasti. Adjuro ergo te, draco nequissime, in nomine Agni immaculati, qui ambulavit super aspidem et basiliscum, qui conculavit leonem et draconem, ut discedas ab hoc homine, discedas ab Ecclesia Dei: contremisce, et effuge, invocato nomine Domini illius, quem inferi tremunt: cui Virtutes caelorum, et Potestates, et Dominationes subjectae sunt: quem Cherubim et Serpahim indefessis vocibus laudant, dicentes: Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Imperat tibi Verbum caro factum. Imperat tibi natus ex Virgine. Imperat tibi Jesus Nazarenus, qui te, cum disciplulos ejus contemneres, elisum atque prostratum exire praecepit ab homine: quo praesente, cum te ab homine serparasset, nec porcorum gregem ingredi praesumebas. Recede ergo nunc adjuratus in nomine ejus ab homine, quem ipse plasmavit. Durum est tibi velle resistere. Durum est tibi contra stimulum calcitrare, Quia quanto tardius exis, tanto magis tibi supplicium crescit, quia non homines contemnis, sed illum, qui dominatur vivorum et mortuorum, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et saeculum per ignem. Amen.