Slayer and Vampyr Mythology & Prophecy
I am very suspicious of the Watcher's Council and see no reason to think that their definitions of vampires, slayers and their origins are necessarily the truth. I think a great deal of information was lost or deliberately buried. And some 'prophecy' is actually just long lost information.
Slayer Vampire Creation Myths
Spike and Anya have heard other versions:
That the first vampire was created accidentally by the men that created the slayer. It was their first attempt to create someone capable of fighting the remaining demons and it backfired on them. Badly, since vampires can create more vampires, but the slayer can't. Leaving that one girl in all the world...
or
That the first slayer was a vampire that stayed with and protected her family. Somehow she became a living being, but her power only passed onto another girl when she died.
or
The first slayer was a vampire that performed trials like those Spike did to get his soul and was rewarded by becoming a living being who could live among the humans in return for defending them.
and/or
Slayer Demon
That the slayer has the same demon as a vampire, the difference being that this demon invaded a living body, rather than a dead one.
OR
First vampire and slayer were sisters, one killed and infected by that demon. The other created when village shamans took some of the demon from the vampire and put it into a living warrior. All slayers are decended from her.
http://www.myarseisnotpansy.co.uk/lesley/english/ema1a.html
However it happened, slayers and vampires are definitely closely related. And just like with souls, we really have no way of knowing the truth. The truth was lost long ago.
Vampire vs Christianity symbol stuff is a result of a spell someone did long ago. Before that, crosses and holy water had no effect. Same with the barrier to homes. Didn't always exist. I don't know about the sunlight. Probably the same, which is why sunlight in other dimensions doesn't hurt them.
Vampire Evil
Much of what we see as evil comes from the human. But the instincts to hunt, fight and kill are like animal instincts. Spike likes to fight for the same reason my well-fed house cat wants to kill things. Why predatory animals chase things that run from them. Same reason many humans want to hunt when they could just shop.
Vampire ecological niche
I think it is possible that vampires were created deliberately to prey on humans. That's their ecological niche. Maybe the PTBs or whoever looked around at the evolving humans out hunting things to extinction and figured they needed to do something about that. Or maybe they adapted to fill that niche.
Ecological view discussion by Chase
http://users.livejournal.com/peasant_/107838.html?thread=1305150#t1305150
Mythology to look up:
Giles looked at the group and explained, "In many myths and chronicles, the origin of vampires was Lilith, the first wife of Adam according to Hebrew
mysticism. She is the mother of all demons in that belief. Sekhmet is the lion-headed goddess of ancient Egypt, the wife of Ptah. Her worship center was in Memphis. According to legend, humanity rebelled against Ra and he sent Sekhmet in the form of a lioness to destroy those in rebellion. It is said that she drank the blood of the human prey. There was so much carnage that Ra spilled jugs containing a magic potion Sekhmet mistook for human blood. This inebriated Sekhmet and stopped the slaughter, saving the human race. There is a school of thought that believes there were humans who turned rather than died under her attack, creating the first vampires...
SLAYER LIFESPAN
I think that slayers once lived a long time. It is the council's methods and beliefs that shortened their lives. Their methods evolved in the very misogynist and ultra-religious dark ages. Information was forgotten or deliberately buried to conform to the beliefs of the Christian church. And really, their methods pretty stupid.
Occasionally, a slayer was chosen from outside the 'western' civilization and those girls lived longer. (probably helped that they didn't have to wear the long heavy skirts and corsets the European girls did). And they have started to live longer in recent decades due to the changes in attitudes. The girls are less likely to be automatons, especially if the council doesn't manage to get a hold of them while they are very young. And maybe, especially when they are Americans and spoiled rotten California girls like Buffy. Or all righteous with the '70s feminism and black power like Niki Woods. Or all with the angry independence like Faith.
In other words, I don't think Buffy is that special and talented. She is special, but slayers like her were bound to come along.
Special Vampires
And I don't think Spike is a unique specimen of a vampyr. Special and rare, but not unique. Remember, Dalton apparantly had enough 'humanity' in him for the judge to burn him. But Angelus didn't have a trace. Still, suitable vampire mates are few and far between and a slayer is lucky when one comes along in her lifetime and shouldn't blow it. And when there are two slayers and only one Spike...
Prophecies:
I don't think everything they find in a scroll is a prophecy. Some are simply facts, long lost or even deliberately hidden knowledge. There is no need for some elaborate prophecy about the slayer and her vampire mate. Slayers just do mate with vampires, whenever they are lucky enough to find a good one in their lifetime. They just do.
Story by Macha? with all kinds of mythologies and prophecies re: Slayers and demons origins, order of aurelius. Also, council state that their whole purpose is to prevent a slayer from mating with a vampire.
Also, lots of explainations and empathy for Buffy's behavior.
http://www.teaattheford.net/conversation.php?id=350#10922
Also, about humans
quote from the Harvest:
'Giles: This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular
mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked
the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time
they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal
animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges,
certain magicks, certain creatures...'
seems to imply that magic comes from the demons, therefore humans with magical ability must have 'some demon in them' like Tara's father said.
Slayer Vampire Creation Myths
Spike and Anya have heard other versions:
That the first vampire was created accidentally by the men that created the slayer. It was their first attempt to create someone capable of fighting the remaining demons and it backfired on them. Badly, since vampires can create more vampires, but the slayer can't. Leaving that one girl in all the world...
or
That the first slayer was a vampire that stayed with and protected her family. Somehow she became a living being, but her power only passed onto another girl when she died.
or
The first slayer was a vampire that performed trials like those Spike did to get his soul and was rewarded by becoming a living being who could live among the humans in return for defending them.
and/or
Slayer Demon
That the slayer has the same demon as a vampire, the difference being that this demon invaded a living body, rather than a dead one.
OR
First vampire and slayer were sisters, one killed and infected by that demon. The other created when village shamans took some of the demon from the vampire and put it into a living warrior. All slayers are decended from her.
http://www.myarseisnotpansy.co.uk/lesley/english/ema1a.html
However it happened, slayers and vampires are definitely closely related. And just like with souls, we really have no way of knowing the truth. The truth was lost long ago.
Vampire vs Christianity symbol stuff is a result of a spell someone did long ago. Before that, crosses and holy water had no effect. Same with the barrier to homes. Didn't always exist. I don't know about the sunlight. Probably the same, which is why sunlight in other dimensions doesn't hurt them.
Vampire Evil
Much of what we see as evil comes from the human. But the instincts to hunt, fight and kill are like animal instincts. Spike likes to fight for the same reason my well-fed house cat wants to kill things. Why predatory animals chase things that run from them. Same reason many humans want to hunt when they could just shop.
Vampire ecological niche
I think it is possible that vampires were created deliberately to prey on humans. That's their ecological niche. Maybe the PTBs or whoever looked around at the evolving humans out hunting things to extinction and figured they needed to do something about that. Or maybe they adapted to fill that niche.
Ecological view discussion by Chase
http://users.livejournal.com/peasant_/107838.html?thread=1305150#t1305150
Mythology to look up:
Giles looked at the group and explained, "In many myths and chronicles, the origin of vampires was Lilith, the first wife of Adam according to Hebrew
mysticism. She is the mother of all demons in that belief. Sekhmet is the lion-headed goddess of ancient Egypt, the wife of Ptah. Her worship center was in Memphis. According to legend, humanity rebelled against Ra and he sent Sekhmet in the form of a lioness to destroy those in rebellion. It is said that she drank the blood of the human prey. There was so much carnage that Ra spilled jugs containing a magic potion Sekhmet mistook for human blood. This inebriated Sekhmet and stopped the slaughter, saving the human race. There is a school of thought that believes there were humans who turned rather than died under her attack, creating the first vampires...
SLAYER LIFESPAN
I think that slayers once lived a long time. It is the council's methods and beliefs that shortened their lives. Their methods evolved in the very misogynist and ultra-religious dark ages. Information was forgotten or deliberately buried to conform to the beliefs of the Christian church. And really, their methods pretty stupid.
Occasionally, a slayer was chosen from outside the 'western' civilization and those girls lived longer. (probably helped that they didn't have to wear the long heavy skirts and corsets the European girls did). And they have started to live longer in recent decades due to the changes in attitudes. The girls are less likely to be automatons, especially if the council doesn't manage to get a hold of them while they are very young. And maybe, especially when they are Americans and spoiled rotten California girls like Buffy. Or all righteous with the '70s feminism and black power like Niki Woods. Or all with the angry independence like Faith.
In other words, I don't think Buffy is that special and talented. She is special, but slayers like her were bound to come along.
Special Vampires
And I don't think Spike is a unique specimen of a vampyr. Special and rare, but not unique. Remember, Dalton apparantly had enough 'humanity' in him for the judge to burn him. But Angelus didn't have a trace. Still, suitable vampire mates are few and far between and a slayer is lucky when one comes along in her lifetime and shouldn't blow it. And when there are two slayers and only one Spike...
Prophecies:
I don't think everything they find in a scroll is a prophecy. Some are simply facts, long lost or even deliberately hidden knowledge. There is no need for some elaborate prophecy about the slayer and her vampire mate. Slayers just do mate with vampires, whenever they are lucky enough to find a good one in their lifetime. They just do.
Story by Macha? with all kinds of mythologies and prophecies re: Slayers and demons origins, order of aurelius. Also, council state that their whole purpose is to prevent a slayer from mating with a vampire.
Also, lots of explainations and empathy for Buffy's behavior.
http://www.teaattheford.net/conversation.php?id=350#10922
Also, about humans
quote from the Harvest:
'Giles: This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular
mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked
the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time
they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal
animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges,
certain magicks, certain creatures...'
seems to imply that magic comes from the demons, therefore humans with magical ability must have 'some demon in them' like Tara's father said.