We have a winner in the “first to write an amulet article” among the creative minds on this site! The Sera Gamble interview sparked the debate, so Jasminka was inspired to do her take on the whole thing. As usual, it’s a very thoughtful look. Enjoy!
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Once Upon a Time There Was an Amulet…
A Christmas gift. A memento for a brother rotting in hell. A powerful object that ‘burns hot in God’s presence’. An item fans care intensely about, a fact I learned just recently, following the discussion on this site, and it came as a surprise. I had never expected the mentioning or the seeming neglect of this amulet to be such a hot topic. Well, let’s have a look.
Dean has worn that amulet ever since we’ve known him. It was always there, just as the other ‘jewelry’ he wears – there’s a ring, a bracelet with skull-like pieces, a leather band, a men’s man-watch. I’ve noticed all those things, thinking they might be – in part – trophies of some kind, pieces Dean had gathered during his life as a hunter, and warriors of all cultures have always liked to adorn themselves with items to enhance their strength and confidence when going into battle.
This amulet in particular did strike me as an exceptional artefact from my first encounter with it – judging from its looks and design it could be of Central American or Ancient Persian, Mesopotamian origin (to my knowledge it has never been explained where it came from), probably very old, perhaps made of gold, bright colour already aged.
Symbols with horns have been in use to ward off demons and evil spirits from the very beginning of occult practice. Supposedly people in Sicily still use a hand-gesture to protect themselves which resembles horns, accompanied by a ritual and a spoken formula. So, the appearance and age of Dean’s amulet had me think that this might have been a means of protection of some kind, until we were informed that it possessed a more sentimental value, also.
It had been a gift intended for John. ‘Uncle Bobby’ gave it to little Sammy to give it to his dad for Christmas. Sam wrapped it with care, some comic from a newspaper serving as gift wrap (the kind he used in the same episode when wrapping the gift for adultDean), as it was ‘real special’. Sammy missed his dad, perhaps even more than Dean did, as no one really told him where dad was going, what he was doing. It might well be that Sam was hoping to impress his father with a special gift that would persuade him to not leave them alone so often.
Dean was doing his best to keep Sammy’s spirits up, but his younger brother suffered nonetheless. It was Christmas time, and they were alone. Lonely. But surely those experiences when being left alone by John forged a strong bond between the Winchester boys. Dean even stole ‘chick presents’ to give his brother the impression that dad had thought of him when John hadn’t shown up as promised – thereby trying to protect both (an attitude deeply rooted in his character) – Sam shouldn’t think that dad had forgotten about them or that something else apparently was of more importance. Dean was trying to keep his brother’s sadness within reasonable bounds, again shouldering the heavy package he had been carrying from the day they lost their mother.
But, Sam was disappointed of course. Shortly before that he had read his father’s journal, in secret, probably one of his first openly rebellious acts we know of. He had learned how his mother died, what his father did when not with them, and that monsters were real. A lot to take in for any kid. And all that fuelled his disappointment and sadness. The only constant in Sam’s young life was Dean.
So, after John didn’t show up for Christmas, it was only natural that Sam gave the amulet to Dean. I don’t think that he did it only out of disillusionment or anger, probably Sam had decided that Dean deserved it more. It was a thank you, an unspoken I-love-you, a tender I-trust-you. From what we know, Dean has worn it ever since. It became so much a part of his body that he couldn’t conceive of himself without it. The moment he took it off to lend it to Castiel he felt naked.
While Dean was dead and in hell, Sam wore the amulet, the only thing left of his brother he could touch. I guess everyone who has ever lost someone dear has experienced the need for a keepsake of that person, something you can hold or wear or smell, and its importance corresponds with the pain that loss installed in you.
As devastated as Sam was after Dean’s death, he might have felt the urge to at least keep that amulet close to him, a souvenir. And a warrior’s reminder of his purpose, to hunt down Lilith and avenge his brother. The moment Dean was back, however miraculously, Sam returned it to him, thereby physically getting rid of some of that agony he had been going through for months. His brother was, again, alive and, although Sam didn’t know it yet, more than ever in need of protection, as Dean came back wounded and confused.
That was the last time that amulet was brought to the viewers’ attention, as it had returned to its place (Dean’s neck) where it remained throughout the fourth season. Much later, in the beginning of season five Castiel asked to borrow the amulet, revealing another purpose of the mysterious item, to use it as God-EMF, as Sam so aptly put it, for strategic reasons (and raising a roar of protest among some fans of the show, as they regarded Castiel’s move to be almost blasphemic). The world was going to end, Lucifer had risen, Castiel, now a renegade and unsure who to trust, came up with the idea of finding the best ally they could possibly wish for God. The big boss Himself.
He refused to believe that ‘God has left the building’ and was convinced that it was Him who resurrected Castiel and put the Winchester brothers on that plane. So, from a tactical point of view he was doing the right thing, trying to get hold of the most important asset they could need. When going to war, preparation is everything. As Sun Tsu once stated – wars are won in the temples long before they even begin.
Dean gave it to Cas, reluctantly, with the caveat not to lose it, bearing in mind that this was necessary. At that point in the storyline the relationship of the brothers was severely damaged, poisoned by feelings of guilt, disappointment and mistrust. The sentimental meaning that amulet might have held for Dean stepped back like an unwanted visitor. By loaning it to Castiel he probably loosened his bond with Sam for the time being, which was happening anyway, and this gesture only served as a symptom of their relationship’s dynamics.
Several metaphysical question arise, though, Bobby gave it to Sam many years back to give it to John: now, a hunter as skilled and well-read as the brothers’ closest friend didn’t know about the amulet’s secret powers? Did John realize (when he was raising his kids and getting to know more and more about the paranormal)l that his sons were destined to be important pieces in a cosmic game of chess and did he talk to Bobby about it? John knew (wherefrom we don’t know yet) that Sam was in danger of going Dark Side. Was John also aware of his elder son’s role? Did Bobby intend to provide John with a celestial detector to find God in case it all went south? Queries that may be answered in the episodes to come.
We know that the amulet is both an item of personal value to the brothers and a strategic tool in the apocalypse which might help them to change the course of the upcoming fight, provided God will be ready to have a say in it. Eventually, it all boils down to this: if we possessed such a thing capable of playing a crucial role in a period of time when billions of lives were at stake – would we really be that arrogant to cling to the object for sentimental reasons? Would we be able to look in the mirror, if we did that?
We have accompanied the Winchester brothers for more than four years now. They have been ready to sacrifice themselves more than once for much lesser reasons. They are not the kind of men who would abandon others for the sake of keeping an artifact, however important to them.
I, for one, am very curious how that amulet will be put to use within the show. God will make an appearance, we have been told, and Dean’s amulet will undoubtedly be of importance there. Many loose ends have already been connected in the course of the storyline, and I’m certain that the creative minds will find ways to amaze us once again.
Jas, you are a gift.
Hi Jas….nice article. If you continue to write so well, the boys will be asking you for YOUR autograph next March!
I don’t think the amulet was given to Dean out of Sam’s anger at his father. Sam has for all intents and purposed been raised by Dean, and Dean was always there for Sam. Yes, the amulet was special for Sam and that’s why he wanted to give it to his dad. But the take home message from AVSC was that Dean was the important one in Sam’s life and that Christmas was when Sam first realized it. I think the gift was more special for Dean than Sam, because Dean needed that special notice of the responsibility that he had taken on every since he carried Sam out of the fire. And that recognition was even more special coming for Sam.
But to both of them it had a special meaning. That alone has all the magic the amulet ever needed. I think it’s important to remember that when AVSC was written, no one thought the show was going to go 5 years. At that time, the amulet was only for sentimental value. Now they decided to give it a value of something else, and die-hard fans only want to remember the bonding qualities. The writers of SPN are very good and hopefully they will not build season 5, while destroying a special moment in season 3.
I’m hoping its ability as a God-EMF is BECAUSE of the brother’s bond and the sentimental value it holds, and not something else altogether. I agree with you…if it can in any way help save the boys, then its potential needs to be explored….as long as it’s returned to Dean undamaged….physically and sentimentally.
Jas, what a wonderful and thoughtful article. I wish you wrote reviews regularly.
Sablegreen, my thoughts exaclty. You said everything I wanted to. Whatever deeper meaning the Amulet has, at the core it still represents the unbreakable bond between the borters. That’s why Sam should, necessarily, be involved, not only Dean and Castiel like Sera Gamble said.
As for the Amulet being intended for John – the always absent father – I think at the bottom Sam always saw Dean as a bit of father figure, even if he doesn’t realize it. Ridiculous as it may sound since the age difference is so small, we know that Dean ended up playing this role in John’s absence. That’s why Sam is so much dependent on Dean’s approval and love. So he gave the Amulet to the person who, for all practical effects, was a father to him.
I can only quote Suze:
“As a bonding trinket between the boys and a bit of a fuck-you to soi-distant Daddy-poo it was fine but as an Oh-we-need-a-Diety-detector-hey-that’s-handy-you’ve-got-one-down-your-shirt plot device it stunk to high heaven.”
When it already was a Godmeter, sure, giving it to Castiel was the only possible way to act.
But I strongly mind the fact itself. If it were magical in some other, bit more simpler way, it would have been ok. But the Godfinder is around Dean’s neck and he just happened to befriend with the angel who needs it? Too many coincidences to be believable, I’d say.
Or maybe it was some divine plan that Bobby had it and then gave it to Sam (to give it to John) and then Sam gave it to Dean and then Dean gave it to Castiel?
Hm. Nah. Don’t like it. Shouldn’t they make their own destiny instead being trapped not only by angels and demons but by God also?
Completely excellent piece, Jasminka. As you astutely and poetically point out, I don’t think we can assume that the amulet is one thing, means one thing. Everything is built upon layers, and the fading marks of the palimpsest are still there infusing this talisman, this token of love with something even greater.
Which is why I subscribe to Sablegreen’s view and have since Cas took it, and will until the writers explicitly state otherwise: its god radar comes from their bond. Given the primacy of this bond throughout the show, I don’t see how it could be a case of Bobby had this magical god-finder and passed it along just in case. In 4.2, Bobby was just as surprised (though with less histrionics) as Sam and Dean that the apocalypse was extra nigh.
Sure, we still don’t know when and from whom and to what extent John knew the truth (did he know the whole point was to release Lucifer, or merely leading the discount demon army?). I guess if we were to apply logic to this situation (no, please stop laughing) we could say that the chicken of destiny came before the egg of the amulet. It could easily have been Dean’s man-watch (Jas, one question though: what’s a men’s man-watch?) 😉
Randal, cathy1967, vava naine, Andrea, Sablegreen and Narcissus – thanks to much for your most appreciative and thoughtful comments! Writing this was great fun, as is reading what you guys have to say!
Randal and Sablegreen, this is a wonderfully poetic way to look at it, and I second that wholeheartedly. Personally, I believe that objects can be enhanced by a special meaning we give them, though I haven’t explored that thesis within rules of logic (I’m not laughing, Randal. Sometimes logic applies, sometimes not), of course. I’m not really an esoteric freak, but I believe that there ‘are more thing between heaven and earth’ than we know of. I like the idea of it.
It might not even be far-fetched, as Dean (according to the show’s mythology) is a part of the angels’ world and Sam somehow belongs to the other part (or they would like him to, I still believe in Sam, though, he won’t let us down, even if he gives in to the lightbearer, it will be for good reasons) – apart from them being brothers and firmly connected to each other, maybe their ‘mythological burden’ allows an even stronger bond to emerge and fuel that amulet. Gosh, I’m so curious.
Randal, a ‘men’s man-watch’ was a personal wordplay of mine. Dean is a men’s man, to my opinion. Women might want to be with him, men want to be him (at least those I asked), just like they would want to be Han Solo or Indiana Jones (or simply Harrison Ford, so they could be all of them…), and that watch is so cool… I would wear it, but on my wrists it would look like… something monstrous, I guess… That Chicken of Destiny vs. Egg of Amulet could also be a design for a t-shirt. Oh, I’m sick… 😆
Sablegreen and Narcissus, you’re sweet, thanks a lot! Never give up what you believe in.
Andrea, I’m there with you – Dean was more a father for Sam than John ever was, in the sense of being a constant caregiver (I’ll be touching on that in an article I have almost finished about the relationship of the Winchester men).
Always my best to all of you, Jas
I pretty much subscribe to the Lovecraftian view of the universe (minus the tentacled monsters), its vast indifference to all things, yet I dig the poesy and the esoteric, which is why the amulet (*not* predestined, dammit) is more than a Christmas gift.
Jas, you’re right, since they are part of the angels’ world, I can see the amulet having even more importance. I’m not willing to separate the light and the dark, for one cannot exist without the other. I could easily see, for example, Sam saying yes if it was proven that that was the *only* way to permanently stop Lucifer. They’ve sacrificed before, why not to save the entire planet? “If anything’s worth dying for, this is it.”
Now I get the man’s man-watch comment. Oh hell, who didn’t want to be Han Solo or Indiana Jones growing up? That was the cool of cool. I think we can certainly add Dean to that list.
Okay, another t-shirt idea, why are we not opening a CafePress store? Please, CW lawyers, don’t come down on us like Lucasfilm.
Most of us already know that Kripke had the 5 years of his story arc laid out at the beginning. No, they didn’t know it would get to run for those 5 years and no, he didn’t have the details but there were certain things that were established at the beginning.
Next thing that a lot of people might not know is that during the first year, Supernatural got honoured by the Paley Festival. During the panel for that event someone asked if Dean’s necklace has any special significance. They made a joke about it, but I have no doubt that the joke was couched in truth. Kripke had something in mind, way back at the beginning.
This new development of the amulet as being the God detector makes me think back to when Dean was talking about their mother and how Mary said to him that Angels were watching over him.
I get the feeling (and always have) that the amulet was very important and there was some reason why it ended up with Dean.
I must say that I find it very suspicious that Bobby doesn’t know anything about this amulet. Even if he believed false information that he may have found out about it, I find it very odd that he claimed to know nothing. Unless he was made to forget once it was in his possession. I expect that we will finally learn the truth in the upcoming episode.
To me, the amulet as a God-EMF also kinda fits with Dean being Michael’s vessel. I feel like I’m looking at puzzel pieces and I know they go together but I just can’t quite see how yet. Cause it was Dean, it always had to be Dean that was Michael’s vessel…..and the amulet got to him, not John. Remember what the demons said – they thought it might be John and he was tourchered for close to 100 years while in Hell and he didn’t break. That was because John wasn’t the one to follow that particular path, Dean was.
My take, the boys followed their destined path due to lack of information. The more they know, the better able they are to make their own decisions and leave the path if they so choose. They are not Michael and Lucifer, no matter what Gabriel says.
Jas, this was a great article. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jasminka
Love the article.
I have no issues with the amulet having multiple significances.
I think it will always have that special meaning between the brothers.
But if it can add to the story/mytharc then why not. As long as it’s written well, I’m game. After all it is Supernatural. Shouldn’t we always be expecting the unexpected with this show.
On another note I always wondered if John left the journal behind deliberately for Sam to find. After all it was his prized possession, so would he have forgotten it?
Sam was getting older and would soon need to know the truth so he could start learning to protect himself.
Of course if this was true, he was leaving it for Dean to deal with telling the truth and the one to pick up the pieces of a shattered Sam.
I hate to think that way but the big question is ‘How to do it?’
How do you tell your son that you’ve been lying to him all his life.
How do you suddenly tell him that monsters are real, that they killed your mom.
How do you tell him that his life is now going to drastically change and at the same time taking away his innocence?
However if it was an accident or intentionally done. I think it made the brothers bond that much stronger.
Jas,
Excellent article. I had no idea when I asked the question it would spark such a hot debate, I was merely curious, the sentimentalist in me likes that Dean takes such care of the amulet. I noted his attention to it way back in Skin before I had even seen AVSC or Lazarus Rising or GGY. He was very pointed about removing it from the dead shapeshifters neck and I noted that.
To me, I have no issue whatsoever about the amulet being a God-finder (if you will). FIrst off, I believe in God and that he is all knowing and all powerful(sure to upset some) so that even if in the realm of SPN (where they pick and choose and blend — hey, it’s fiction, why not!?) God would still be able to work all things out to what he intends.
Remember what Alistair said, it was supposed to be John who broke the first seal, well, that didn’t work, so they worked to get Dean. Well, John was supposed to get the amulet but it ended up with Dean. And by the way, who really cares, Dean has kept some of John’s old cell phones in case contacts need to — um, connect so why wouldn’t we think that IF John had originally received the amulet, that upon his death Dean (or Sam) wouldn’t have kept it. Dean has John’s leather jacket, why no the amulet. So, what’s the difference.
Jas, you did a great job tackling this topic. It’s fun to see what sparks a discussion and then run with an unplanned article…especially when they’re this good.
🙂
Elle2, Karen, Tigershire and Randal, I’m honoured, thanks again!
Elle2, yes it was indeed an unplanned article, but it wouldn’t let me be… Inspiration is a strange creature… I’ve never had issues about it, either. I liked it, and I’m very interested in what the writers have in store concerning this particular piece. Thank you for your always appreciative, encouraging and sweet words.
Karen, that’s what I mean – I love the unexpected aspects of this show. So far, I haven’t been disappointed at all.
It might well be that John left the journal on purpose. Perhaps, however, he left it not to lose it on a hunt and didn’t expect Sam to look into it (for instance, when I leave my diary lying around, I know for certain that not one of my loved ones would read it). Maybe John really didn’t know how to break the truth to his youngest. Sometimes, though, John took the easy path – pushing Sam away instead of reaching out to him, perhaps leaving the journal instead of talking to him as a father should do, thereby showing him that he takes his son seriously. It would have been a sign of respect. But, well, I’ve never been in a situation like that – who knows what I would do. (I second Bobby’s remark, though – John was, apart from being many other things, sometimes a coward.)
Thanks so much.
Tigershire, that line of angels watching over him… is a tearjerker…
Didn’t know about the Paley festival moment, Kripke the old rascal…
Randal, Lovecraft? Fine choice. I adore Poe, though… ‘very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?’… he was describing us fans, wasn’t he?
Thanks, y’all (yes, borrowing some Texan accent once more), blessed be, Jas
Tigershire, that amulet revelation sure throws some new light on its true purpose. Guess I was wrong all along. 😎
Jas, Poe? Now if there was a guy I wish I could compose like, it’d be him. Though hard to go wrong with 55-line Proustian run-ons. Glorious.
You are not wrong Randal. You are just seeing something different when you look at the picture.
Only once we see the episode, and see what information was revealed will we know the truth of any of our speculations.
Well framed thoughts, Jas …
I stick with what I said before. As a token that Sam had switched his allegience from Big Daddy W. to Dean I love it. I spent the whole of that episode seething … My boys are that age and the idea of abandoning them in some scummy motel to go off chasing the Fairies really made me angry.
I don’t mind Dean lending it to Cas either, there is a bit of a situation looming, after all, and I really can’t be bothered with the whole Cas/ Dean/ Sam love triangle nonsense. I am rather sorry he’s actually going to find the Big G. though … I want this to be resolved by the grit and cunning and stubborn humanity of the characters, not divine intervention.
Mind you, given that we’ve still got a fair few episdes to go I don’t suppose He/ She or It will come up with anything at all helpful – If The End Of Days is derailled before E22 they’ll all be left twiddling their thumbs and humming tunelessly for the interim, which wouldn’t do much for the ratings.
What got up my nose about the whole thing was the clunky syncronicity of Cas’ Godbothering Gizmo turning up around Dean’s neck … I spent a large chunk of my youth holed-up in the Remedial Reading Room at school playing Dungeons and Dragons and one thing above all others I know to be true … If you want a magical thingywhat you have to jolly well quest for the bugger, they don’t just turn up down the back of the sofa ( unless your sofa is surrounded by boiling lava and hoards of Orcs, that is … )
On a less complainy note ( what am I saying … We is SPN fans, we live to whinge … ) I have a cunning plan to solve derth of cool T-shirtage/ lack of ROCK due to shortage of galactic groats on the part of the CW … We ( well, you lot over there in the home of the brave … ) print up some snazzy garments, sell them to the rest of us, make loads of cash, get your arses sued to Kingdom Come by the network who then have big wodges of money with which to buy all the choons their little hearts desire. Foolproof!
Let me know how you get on … 😆
Suze, great plan in theory, but from what rich fans will CW collect their legal prize? 😉 What treasure type is the amulet? D? Q?
Pffft … Details, details …
Don’t know about the amulet … It hasn’t actually done anything at all as yet so in theory Cas could be barking up the wrong tree ( or just barking … ) and it could turn out to be just be a piece of mystic bling to set off Deano’s manly chest. I’m hoping it’s cursed … That’s always good for a laugh … First time Cas fires it up he grows loads of purple fur and his legs fall off … Don’t tell me that doesn’t appeal just a tiny bit 😈
“I don’t think that he did it only out of disillusionment or anger – probably Sam had decided that Dean deserved it more. It was a thank you”
I agree. Dean gave him Christmas, John didn’t. Therefore, Dean got the Christmas gift. Oddly enough, the initial circumstances of the giving wouldn’t make the amulet seem that special to me, though. The various gifts that Dean gave Sam that year weren’t what came to symbolize fraternal love between them, because Sam didn’t keep them. They weren’t something he treasured or kept close to his heart.
So, to me the amulet came to symbolize devotion more and more the longer that Dean cherished it. It was initially given in a moment of thanks, but it was kept through years of devotion. And that’s really why I have no trouble seeing it as something that would find God… because Dean kept it and valued it throughout all the trouble he ever had with Sam. All the betrayals, all the lies, all the abandonment, and yet Dean kept that thing around his neck. A God who has steadfast love for humanity amid all of our betrayals would understand the keeping of that amulet.
“By loaning it to Castiel he probably loosened his bond with Sam for the time being, which was happening anyway, and this gesture only served as a symptom of their relationship’s dynamics.”
I would agree if he had thrown it away, but he only loaned it for an extremely important cause, and with great reluctance. I think it was everything else that loosened his bond with Sam (the lies, the betrayals), but the giving of the amulet was something he was loathe to do even after all of that.
Great article! It really made me think. 🙂
Suze, Randal and Amelia, thanks for your comments!
Suze, I second your anger about leaving the little boys alone for ‘chasing the fairies’. There were moments in the early seasons I felt like slapping PapaWinchester.
Actually, Suze, the devil’s in the details… I wouldn’t want Castiel’s legs to fall off. I like the guy.
Randal, that treasure type category, is that a dungeons and dragons thing? (never played it)
Amelia, there is no contradiction here, the loosening of the brothers’ bond was happening due to what they experienced – I think, though, that Dean would have been more reluctant in lending the thing to Cas if the brothers had been as tight as in the beginning, as Dean still has issues concerning God and the whole caboodle. Glad you liked what I had to say.
Oh dear, it’s snowing here… great….
Best wishes, Jas
Oh Jas…I never give up what I believe in…that’s why I’m always trying to move mountains. And I succeed to…occasionally.
Randal, I think if Sam said yes…that would be Sam giving up…which wouldn’t happen as long as he has his brother’s approval. That is all so much apart of their bond. In ‘The End’, Sam did say yes…And it only led to the end of the world, and 5 years later into the death of Dean. So that kid of self-sacrifice, we can do without,
Tigershire, I always thought the significance they alluded to at that panel was what we saw in AVSC. Kripke never had any idea of a s4, let a lone a s5, hence the switch to the myth arc in season 4. The sudden awakening of this being a God-EMF is strictly a s5 venture. It came about after a volley of questions on another website about the amulet and what it meant, and why Dean always wore it. They wanted it to have some special meaning. That was started last season…..and now this season SHAZAMM…. it magic…That has irritated me to no end.
Elle2..I was surprised you asked that question too. I also request it and I always thought I was the only one unhappy about the magic-thing connotation.
The bottom line is, any series builds on what has gone before. If the amulet had any special meaning, Bobby would have known. Bobby was right there when Cas told Dean it was a God-EMF. Bobby should have either acted surprised, or acknowledge the ‘truth’ He did neither, and, just like Bobby’s being possessed in the opener this season, it wasn’t in tune with the knowledge and characters we have know from pass seasons. That was a mistake.
Alice, thanks for the poll….I’m not surprised at the response.
Hi Jas! I know I’m way late on this comment, but then again I’m really, really back on my reading of the great articles this (awesome) site gives us!
Anyway, just wanted to say this was a wonderful article and I enjoyed reading it very much, you have a special way with words Jas!
Thanks a lot, Dany, for commenting and enjoying what I wrote, and with that encouraging my love for writing… I’m always touched to find so nice a reaction.
Cheers, Jas