Vampire Stakes
Perhaps the most iconic weapon used by Vampire Hunters is the wooden stake. The concept of 'staking' began with the idea that if a corpse was pinned to the ground or to its coffin, it could not rise as a vampire. The idea that a vampire stake has to be made of wood is due to the fact that wood was a very abundant and a very strong material. In fact, some of the earliest stakes were actually wooden spears or even reused wooden fence posts. Some traditions state that a stake should be made of iron or silver, however most people throughout history did not have access or silver or iron, therefore wood was the material of choice.
The type of wood a vampire stake is made of also differs depending on the region and tradition. White Oak is perhaps the most common and was popular in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany and also had limited use in other parts of Eastern Europe. White Oak is also the preferred wood of Abraham Van Helsing. White Ash was preferred in Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and Hawthorn was used in Serbia. Other traditions state that vampire stakes should be made of a fruit wood such as cherry or apple. The idea behind this is that you cannot kill something that is already dead with something that was never alive, ie metal or stone. Since trees such as cherry or apple create life within the fruit they bear, the wood they produce is ideal for slaying the undead.
Please Note: All Vampire Stakes come with a handmade cotton protective bag and should be used with caution.
macfies.com is not responsible for any injury that you may and probably will receive while vampire hunting!
If you would like to have your Vampire Stake on display, please view our selection of Wand Stands which can also be used as to hold Vampire Stakes.
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