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theguidinghand) wrote2012-01-03 11:54 pm
theguidinghand) wrote2012-01-03 11:54 pm
Space Vampires
I tend to throw around the phrase 'space vampire' a lot when describing Todd and other Wraith. It's a quick and easy off-the-cuff way to sum up the Wraith, but it seems to cause a bit of confusion for anyone who hasn't seen Stargate Atlantis.
In truth, the Wraith are not mythological creatures of any sort. They may have inspired part of the vampire mythos in the world of Stargate, which is not an uncommon occurrence. The Goa'uld either inspired or assumed the roles of various classical gods - primarily the gods of ancient Egypt - while the Norse gods took their names and some of their personality from the Roswell Grey-like Asgard. The wizard Merlin began as Moros, the last high councilor of Atlantis, and Ganos Lal, a Lantean scientist, is better known as Morgan le Fey. Whether it's fair or not to suggest that aliens played a role in shaping mythologies, it is how Stargate has operated since the Roland Emmerich film.
The Wraith are not vampires. Their exact origins are muddled, but they are flesh-and-blood, living creatures, a hybrid species that the Lanteans accidentally created after introducing humans to a world populated by the Iratus, a spider-like animal. In the TV series, it's suggested that the Wraith evolved after the Iratus fed upon the human population and inadvertently absorbed some human DNA. In the Legacy series of follow-up novels, it's suggested that the Lanteans sought out a way to prevent the Iratus from feeding on the humans they protected, but that their experiment gave rise to the Wraith instead. Either way, modern humans and Wraith share a common ancestor - they're so closely related, in fact, that with the Iratus part of their genetic code deactivated, the Wraith are nigh-indistinguishable from modern humans.
As going on about the Wraith's origin is a bit tedious, it's easy to fall into the habit of calling them 'space vampires'. However, while they may have inspired the myth (canon is unclear on that fact), several parts of the vampire mythos - the traditional vampire's strengths and weaknesses - are not applicable.
Drinking Blood - BUSTED. [EP. 1.02 - "Rising Part 2"]
There's an element of truth to this - the Wraith do take in human bodily fluids during the feeding process. However, they do not feed on blood alone. They inject an enzyme into their prey that breaks down muscle, fat, and some bone mass into nutrients that the Wraith can properly process.
Sunlight Burns - BUSTED. [EP 1.05 - "Suspicion"]
A Wraith is no more vulnerable to sunlight than a human is. They do, however, seem to prefer dim light, although they can walk about outside without fear of being burnt to a crisp.
Garlic Immobilizes - BUSTED. [EP. 2.05 - "Condemned"]
Most Wraith wouldn't give a strand of garlic a second look - unless it's one that eats food for pleasure, in which case he'll want to know where you keep the butter and the white wine.
X Method Will Kill
Stake through the heart - CONFIRMED. [EP. 5.09 - "Tracker"]
Decapitation - CONFIRMED. [EP. 5.09 - "Tracker"]
A Single Silver Bullet - UNCONFIRMED. (50 silver bullets in rapid succession - PLAUSIBLE.)
Dismemberment - PLAUSIBLE.
Burn to ash - CONFIRMED. [EP. 2.07 - "Instinct"] (Burying the ashes at a crossroad is not necessary, but it's a nice touch)
Depleted Uranium/Napalm Incendiary Rounds - PLAUSIBLE. (And since when did you start working for Hellsing, anyway?)
Holy Water, Crosses, and Other Sacred Symbols - UNCONFIRMED.
Splashing holy water on a Wraith will most likely just annoy him, especially if he just spent twenty minutes trying to get his hair styled just right. Rosaries, incantations, chants, and prayers are similarly ineffective unless one's spiritual power is great enough that it affects the physical world. (Vampire hunters and demon-slayers who rely on these methods, see the above section.)
Cannot Cross Running Water - BUSTED. [EP. 2.07 - "Instinct"]
They're not aquatic creatures, but Wraith can swim. They can also most likely drown. (Dropping one off a building and into water will definitely hurt one.)
In conclusion, calling the Wraith 'space vampires' is probably not a wise decision on my part, especially if I am speaking to those who have not had any previous exposure to SGA. While they may or may not have inspired the vampire mythos, they are merely vampire-like. I shall try to refrain from it unless cracking a joke.
In truth, the Wraith are not mythological creatures of any sort. They may have inspired part of the vampire mythos in the world of Stargate, which is not an uncommon occurrence. The Goa'uld either inspired or assumed the roles of various classical gods - primarily the gods of ancient Egypt - while the Norse gods took their names and some of their personality from the Roswell Grey-like Asgard. The wizard Merlin began as Moros, the last high councilor of Atlantis, and Ganos Lal, a Lantean scientist, is better known as Morgan le Fey. Whether it's fair or not to suggest that aliens played a role in shaping mythologies, it is how Stargate has operated since the Roland Emmerich film.
The Wraith are not vampires. Their exact origins are muddled, but they are flesh-and-blood, living creatures, a hybrid species that the Lanteans accidentally created after introducing humans to a world populated by the Iratus, a spider-like animal. In the TV series, it's suggested that the Wraith evolved after the Iratus fed upon the human population and inadvertently absorbed some human DNA. In the Legacy series of follow-up novels, it's suggested that the Lanteans sought out a way to prevent the Iratus from feeding on the humans they protected, but that their experiment gave rise to the Wraith instead. Either way, modern humans and Wraith share a common ancestor - they're so closely related, in fact, that with the Iratus part of their genetic code deactivated, the Wraith are nigh-indistinguishable from modern humans.
As going on about the Wraith's origin is a bit tedious, it's easy to fall into the habit of calling them 'space vampires'. However, while they may have inspired the myth (canon is unclear on that fact), several parts of the vampire mythos - the traditional vampire's strengths and weaknesses - are not applicable.
Drinking Blood - BUSTED. [EP. 1.02 - "Rising Part 2"]
There's an element of truth to this - the Wraith do take in human bodily fluids during the feeding process. However, they do not feed on blood alone. They inject an enzyme into their prey that breaks down muscle, fat, and some bone mass into nutrients that the Wraith can properly process.
Sunlight Burns - BUSTED. [EP 1.05 - "Suspicion"]
A Wraith is no more vulnerable to sunlight than a human is. They do, however, seem to prefer dim light, although they can walk about outside without fear of being burnt to a crisp.
Garlic Immobilizes - BUSTED. [EP. 2.05 - "Condemned"]
Most Wraith wouldn't give a strand of garlic a second look - unless it's one that eats food for pleasure, in which case he'll want to know where you keep the butter and the white wine.
X Method Will Kill
Holy Water, Crosses, and Other Sacred Symbols - UNCONFIRMED.
Splashing holy water on a Wraith will most likely just annoy him, especially if he just spent twenty minutes trying to get his hair styled just right. Rosaries, incantations, chants, and prayers are similarly ineffective unless one's spiritual power is great enough that it affects the physical world. (Vampire hunters and demon-slayers who rely on these methods, see the above section.)
Cannot Cross Running Water - BUSTED. [EP. 2.07 - "Instinct"]
They're not aquatic creatures, but Wraith can swim. They can also most likely drown. (Dropping one off a building and into water will definitely hurt one.)
In conclusion, calling the Wraith 'space vampires' is probably not a wise decision on my part, especially if I am speaking to those who have not had any previous exposure to SGA. While they may or may not have inspired the vampire mythos, they are merely vampire-like. I shall try to refrain from it unless cracking a joke.