Sunday, February 18th, 2007 03:07 pm
question for spn people
SPN question, for those who watch and have internalized the canon more than I have. Beneath cut, because hey, it's a tad gruesome.
Okay, so you do the salt-and-burn on bodies when trying ot get rid of the ghosts. Let's say we're working with a lot of corpses who died through supernatural violence. Really violently. Would salting the bodies then blowing them up work the same way? There are a lot, and there's really not time to do it one at a time.
Or am i missing a key bit of canon there? I rewatched the one ep I could remmeber them getting rid of a corpse, and this *seems* right, but I could be wrong.
Okay, so you do the salt-and-burn on bodies when trying ot get rid of the ghosts. Let's say we're working with a lot of corpses who died through supernatural violence. Really violently. Would salting the bodies then blowing them up work the same way? There are a lot, and there's really not time to do it one at a time.
Or am i missing a key bit of canon there? I rewatched the one ep I could remmeber them getting rid of a corpse, and this *seems* right, but I could be wrong.
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- thread
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- parent
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:Also, seperis, I would second the blowing them up being fine -- in some cases on the show, just burning the remains has worked, and more than that I think it is totally just what Dean and Sam would do in a pinch. *grins*
(- reply to this
- parent
- thread
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- parent
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:Thanks very much.
(- reply to this
- parent
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- thread
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- parent
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:Also, accelerants are your friend when attempting any sort of explosion to fire reaction.
(- reply to this
- thread
- link
)
no subject
From:Hmm. Would just any oil do it?
(- reply to this
- parent
- thread
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:"Many accelerants are hydrocarbon-based fuels, sometimes referred to as petroleum distilates: gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, turpentine, butane, and various other flammable solvents. "
I know if you're a serious arsonist, you use kerosene instead of gasoline, although I can't remember why. Maybe they have to scrounge around for something suitable? (Given the scarcity conditions, *I* wouldn't use gasoline for fire purposes; it's too valuable as fuel).
Times like these are when I think having a copy of The Anarchist's Cookbook around would be handy. Except then I think of having to explain to the authorities that no, really, it was for *research*.
(- reply to this
- parent
- thread
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:Yes, that's why I decided against gasoline. I'm just wondering if kerosene is going to be all that abundant anymore either and if they would use it for this or save it. Hmm.
*hugs you* Thanks. I'm reading wiki now.
(- reply to this
- parent
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:I've always assumed that burning was to destroy as much of the body as possible--essentially burn it down to small fragments and ash. (To leave nothing sizeable enought behind for the spririt to hang on to.) I can't point to anything particular on the show to support that, though. I'm not even sure that a regular fire using gasoline could get hot enough to do that.
So, if the purpose was to get small fragments/ash, I guess the question would be whether whatever explosive you used would be enough to make a lot of corpses explode into teeny, tiny pieces vs bigger lumps. (And, wow, that is a bit gruesome to talk about, huh?)
I don't have a definitive answer for you, though. My assumption could be completely wrong. It will be interesting to see what other people say.
(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:So the burning has got to be symbolic, not practical. Fire is often used in cleansing rituals--off the top of my head, I know of a New Year's ceremony wherein you write down all your baggage from the previous year and burn it to free yourself of it--so I'd guess that the fire burns away the ghost's attachment to the bones.
That said, I can pretty much picture Dean and Sam blowing shit up as the quick way to deal with a bunch of corpses/bones.
(- reply to this
- thread
- link
)
no subject
From:Specifically: A cremation furnace is a industrial furnace capable of reaching high temperatures up to approximately 1600-1800 °F (870-980 °C) with special modifications to ensure the efficient disintegration of the corpse. One of these modifications is the aiming of the flames at the corpse's torso, where a majority of the corpse's mass rests. Emphasis mine.
There's also some stuff on the various religious reasons for and against cremation. Hinduism apparently favours the pyre and destruction of the corpse by fire over ground-burial because the destruction is thought to induce a feeling of detachment in the disembodied spirit, which encourages it pass on to the next world.
Anyway, I'll shut up now.
(- reply to this
- parent
- top thread
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:Basically, for the salt, it's purification. Pretty much every culture has a salt myth and it's essential part of both many Hoodoo and modern Pagan rites. I've always wondered if it has to do with with salt's preservation properties.
The fire serves the same purpose, cleansing, purifying but also destroying the physical link.
(- reply to this
- link
)
no subject
From:There was one case (1x19, Provenance) where they salted and burned the body but that didn't get rid of the spirit because there was still a doll with the girl's real hair out there. But that was a special case and, I think, had a lot to do with the fact that the doll was made in her image AND used her real hair (and, also was buried in the family tomb. fucking creepy).
Which is a long way of saying: blow them up! Dean will love it.
(- reply to this
- link
)