The Pack

In the library, Giles consults the Malleus Maleficarum, an actual historical text on Witchcraft. Written in the late 15th century it was essentially a how to manual on how to identify, capture and kill witches, demons and other foul creatures. Even for those times it was considered extreme and vile and was banned by the pope in the early 16th century. Unfortunately, it was written the same time that the printing press was taking off in Europe and it became the 2nd most popular book in Europe for decades. It is credited with being one of the major causes of the witch hunts that swept Europe. It is also the source of many of the stereotypes of redheads, which were described in the book as Vampire demons which had no souls and could not walk in the daylight. The book was so prevalent that mothers were known to drown newborn babies if they had red hair, and some towns even purged all redheads, often by burning at the stake.

Principal Flutie, at one point, says it costs a fortune to feed the new school mascot, Herbert the Piglet. This is strange since any pig would be perfectly happy to eat any leftovers and slop from the school cafeteria. On the other hand, it is, of course, perfectly in character for Flutie, the confused intellectual, not to be aware of this and possibly even being scammed by whoever is in charge of feeding the pig.

Featured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Gift (2001)