Ritual of Restoration
Encyclopedia
The Ritual of Restoration is a fictional curse from the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
. It has been performed three times on screen.
by re-ensouling him or her, thus forcing the vampire to accept massive amounts of remorse, guilt and torment for all the lives that they have taken as a soulless beast. As far as is aware, Angel is the only vampire who has been re-ensouled in this way, and it is unclear whether other soulless demons can be re-ensouled in this way, though presumably not, as the defining non-cosmetic difference between humans and demons is that the latter naturally lacks a soul, while vampires are unique in that they are humans who have lost their souls in becoming demons. Having a soul (or even once having a soul) is looked upon with heavy disdain by many demons, leading to the derogatory nickname of 'half-breed' being used for vampires.
Restoring a vampire's soul in this way is not intended as a gift. It is very much a form of revenge, or a curse since if ever there comes a time when the restored soul no longer torments the vampire, the moment the vampire is not plagued by the guilt of what they had done for the sake of evil in the past, then in that instant the soul is taken from them. Angel's soul has been lost this way twice.
Gypsy elder, and twice by the Witch Willow Rosenberg
. The ritual is spoken slightly differently each time, presumably because the translation made by Jenny Calendar
is not an exact replica of the original text, though it seems to have the same effect, and also due to the time difference between the first and second instances where Willow performed the ritual, her powers as a witch have increased greatly, so logic dictates that she has adapted the curse according to her own research and experience.
s, runic stones, burning incense
and an Orb of Thesulah
. With these items, one creates a sacred circle, kneel, stand or sit in front of it and begin the incantation. Usually the first line of the incantation is spoken by a secondary person, but it is unclear whether this is always the case. The ritual is spoken in a combination of Gypsy-Romani Romanian
, and another language which appears to be of the casters choice (the languages seen to have been used so far are Latin
and English
). The Ritual of Restoration is an extremely powerful spell, and has been seen to literally take over a less-experienced or weakened caster.
's script for the Kalderash gypsy elder.
Translation:
. It is unclear whether this demon uses a ritual similar to the Ritual of Restoration, using an Orb of Thesulah to restore Spike's soul; and there is no indication that Spike's soul can be lost in the same way as Angel's: the restoring of Spike's soul is not intended as a curse, but as a reward.
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
. It has been performed three times on screen.
Purpose
The ritual is intended to curse a vampireVampire (Buffyverse)
Vampire, in the fictional world of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is a species of demon which inhabits and animates a human corpse...
by re-ensouling him or her, thus forcing the vampire to accept massive amounts of remorse, guilt and torment for all the lives that they have taken as a soulless beast. As far as is aware, Angel is the only vampire who has been re-ensouled in this way, and it is unclear whether other soulless demons can be re-ensouled in this way, though presumably not, as the defining non-cosmetic difference between humans and demons is that the latter naturally lacks a soul, while vampires are unique in that they are humans who have lost their souls in becoming demons. Having a soul (or even once having a soul) is looked upon with heavy disdain by many demons, leading to the derogatory nickname of 'half-breed' being used for vampires.
Restoring a vampire's soul in this way is not intended as a gift. It is very much a form of revenge, or a curse since if ever there comes a time when the restored soul no longer torments the vampire, the moment the vampire is not plagued by the guilt of what they had done for the sake of evil in the past, then in that instant the soul is taken from them. Angel's soul has been lost this way twice.
Performance
The Ritual of Restoration has been seen performed on three separate occasions; once by a KalderashKalderash
The Kalderash are a subgroup of the Romani people, from the Roma meta-group. They were traditionally smiths and metal workers and speak a number of Romani dialects grouped together under the term Kalderash Romani, a sub-group of Vlax Romani.-Etymology:The name Kalderash The Kalderash (also spelled...
Gypsy elder, and twice by the Witch Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
. The ritual is spoken slightly differently each time, presumably because the translation made by Jenny Calendar
Jenny Calendar
Jenny Calendar is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Robia LaMorte, Jenny is the computer teacher at Sunnydale High School...
is not an exact replica of the original text, though it seems to have the same effect, and also due to the time difference between the first and second instances where Willow performed the ritual, her powers as a witch have increased greatly, so logic dictates that she has adapted the curse according to her own research and experience.
Requirements
To perform the ritual, one needs four candles, some animal boneBone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s, runic stones, burning incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
and an Orb of Thesulah
Orb of Thesulah
In both Buffy and Angel series, the Orb of Thesulah is used in a Gypsy ritual by the Kalderash clan to restore a vampire's soul, most notably Angel.-Appearances and description:...
. With these items, one creates a sacred circle, kneel, stand or sit in front of it and begin the incantation. Usually the first line of the incantation is spoken by a secondary person, but it is unclear whether this is always the case. The ritual is spoken in a combination of Gypsy-Romani Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, and another language which appears to be of the casters choice (the languages seen to have been used so far are Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
). The Ritual of Restoration is an extremely powerful spell, and has been seen to literally take over a less-experienced or weakened caster.
Kalderash gypsy version
The following is what is heard spoken on screen by the Kalderash gypsy elder. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Becoming Part 1"
Este scris, această putere este dreptul poporul meu de a conduce,
Nici mort, nici al fiinţei,
te invoc, spirit al trecerii,
Redă trupului ce separe omul de animal,
Aşa să fie, cu ajutorul acestui!
Willow's first version
The following is what is heard spoken on screen by Willow the first time she attempts the ritual. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Becoming Part 2"
Quod perditum est, invenietur,
Not dead, nor not of the living,
Spirits of the interregnum, I call
Gods, bind him, cast his heart from the evil realm
Te implor, Doamne; nu ignoră aceasta rugăminte!
Nici mort, nici al fiinţei,
Lăsa orbită să fie vasul care-i vă transportă sufletul la el.
...(break in scene)...
Aşa să fie! Aşa să fie!
Acum! Acum!
Willow's second version
The following is what is heard on screen the second time Willow performs the ritual, to restore Angel's soul. Angel - "Orpheus"
Quod perditum est, invenietur.
Nici mort, nici al fiinţei,
Te invoc spirit al trecerii.
Te implor, Doamne; nu ignoră aceasta rugăminte!
Lăsa orbită să fie vasul care-i vă transportă sufletul la el.
Este scris, aceasta putere este dreptul poporul meu de a conduce,
Aşa să fie! Aşa să fie!
Acum!
Scripted version
The following was written in Joss WhedonJoss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
's script for the Kalderash gypsy elder.
Nici mort, nici al fiinţei,
Te invoc spirit al trecerii.
Redă trupului ce separe omul de animal,
Cu ajutorul acestui magic glob de cristal.
Full incantation
Combining what is said by the two casters on the three separate occasions, and taking into account the on-screen cuts when the ritual is being performed, below is as close as possible to the full incantation for the Ritual of Restoration.
Quod perditum est, invenietur,
Nici mort, nici al fiinţei,
Te invoc spirit al trecerii,
Gods, bind him, cast his heart from the evil realm,
Te implor, Doamne; nu ignoră aceasta rugăminte,
Lăsa orbită să fie vasul care-i vă transportă sufletul la el,
Este scris, aceasta putere este dreptul poporul meu de a conduce,
Redă trupului ce separe omul de animal.
Aşa să fie, cu ajutorul acestui magic glob de cristal.
Aşa să fie! Aşa să fie!
Acum! Acum!
Translation:
What is lost, return,
Not dead, nor not of the living,
Spirits of the interregnum, I call,
Gods, bind him, cast his heart from the evil realm,
I call on you, Lord; do not ignore this request,
Let this orb be the vessel that will carry his soul to him,
It is written, this power is my people's right to wield,
Return to the body what separates man from animal.
So shall it be, with the help of this magic crystal globe.
So it shall be! So it shall be!
Now! Now!
Other methods of restoration
It is evident that the Ritual of Restoration is not the only way to restore a vampire's soul. Spike goes through various painful phases of the Demon Trials in order to have his soul restored by a cave-dwelling demonDemon (Buffyverse)
In the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, a Demon is a kind of nonhuman life form separate from the animal kingdom.The definition raises complex issues. Roughly speaking, the series uses demon to describe any creature that isn't a god, robot, unmodified human, or standard...
. It is unclear whether this demon uses a ritual similar to the Ritual of Restoration, using an Orb of Thesulah to restore Spike's soul; and there is no indication that Spike's soul can be lost in the same way as Angel's: the restoring of Spike's soul is not intended as a curse, but as a reward.