The symbolism of Spike's trial

by Vickie

After reading the wildfeed for Grave I'm struck by the symbolism of one of Spike's trials, namely the scarab beetles. So I decided to do a little research into the meaning of the scarab beetle.

The Scarab (or Dung-Beetle) was a sacred symbol for the ancient Egyptians, who associated it with the sun which brought renewal, rebirth, and more importantly resurrection. In early Egyptian history the Scarab beetle also represented the soul being resurrected.

During mummification a stone scarab was placed over the heart of the mummy to ensure the eternal endurance of the human soul as the person made the journey into the Afterworld. It was also seen as symbolising the sun god Khephri and was thought to be able to cause the deceased's heart to come back to life.

So, after learning more about dung than I've ever thought possible, what do I think the future has in store for our lad? Well my spidey- senses are buzzing and I'm leaning towards ensouling being only a small part of what happened to Spike in the final scene of Grave. I find it intriguing that in the final scene Lurky the Demon places his hand over Spikes heart as he grants Spike's request, much like the Scarab was placed upon the deceased's heart. I think that Lurky is a giant, talking Scarab beetle and therefore Spike has also been resurrected, humanised in whole or in part (trying not to think of one part in particular ;-) )

Of course all this means bugger all if the shooting script for Grave shows that in fact they weren't Scarab beetles but common or garden beetles of the 'incrediblus dullus' species. If that happens I'll just have to start researching the symbolism of demons with flaming hands. :-)

-- Just Me *heretoforth known as Vickie Queen of the Nile*