Holy water

This article is about the lore of holy water. For the items, see  [Holy Water] and  [Holy Water].

A basin of tainted holy water.

Holy water is water which has had a blessing of the Light spoken over it. The blessed fluid is highly painful to the undead, and the Scourge dare not touch the stuff. It can be used on dead bodies in order to grant release to souls who are otherwise unable to find rest, and is used by paladins to imbue the barding for their chargers.

History

Stratholme

A Stratholme Supply Crate containing holy water.

When it thrived, the city of Stratholme was known for producing holy water that was capable of cleansing even the darkest magics and was praised for its purifying qualities. When the Scourge swept through the city during the Scourging of Lordaeron, the Knights of the Silver Hand manufactured holy water to use against the invaders and distributed it with other vital supplies throughout the city. However, Stratholme's citizens turned into Scourge themselves before the supplies could be used. The water remains in supply crates throughout the city.

Before the Cataclysm, Leonid Barthalomew asked adventurers to recover some of the water for the Argent Dawn. Alliance paladin adventurers collected vials of Stratholme holy water for the smith Grimand Elmore so that he could spiritually imbue the arcanite barding for their charger mount. After the Cataclysm, Packmaster Stonebruiser of the Argent Crusade asked adventurers to fetch him a vial of the water so the Crusade could have it replicated in mass quantities. Stonebruiser believed that it would be devastating in large volumes. During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Silver Hand paladins led by Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker and the Highlord attacked Stratholme to secure the city's remaining caches of holy water. They applied the water to a set of barding which they then used to transform the skeletal horse Shadowmane into a golden charger for the Highlord.

Other

• An ancient Fountain of Health in a forest near Brill was blessed by the Light. Its holy waters could heal any who drank from it.
• The Scarlet Crusade kept a basin of holy water in Tyr's Hand, but their "misguided zeal" caused the water to become tainted. Lord Solanar Bloodwrath sent aspiring Blood Knights to obtain some of the fluid, to use it in the mixture that was to extinguish the eternal flame in the Alonsus Chapel.
• In Hellfire Peninsula, Warp-Scryer Kryv gave Alliance adventurers a vial of draenei holy water from Shattrath City and asked them to sprinkle it on the skeletons making up the Path of Glory in order to release their souls.
• The monster slayer's kit contains vials of holy water, among other monster-slaying weapons.
• During the interrogation of the undead Mayor Godfrey in Wintergarde Keep, Inquisitor Hallard threatened to have the peasants craft a bath of holy water and dip the mayor in it. This was enough to frighten Godfrey into revealing the Scourge's plans.
• In Icecrown, Father Gustav of the Argent Crusade asked adventurers to kill reanimated crusaders in Scourgeholme and then sprinkle holy water on their bones in order to free their souls.

World of Warcraft items

Holy Water in Hearthstone.

•  [Stratholme Holy Water] is a consumable looted from Supply Crates and Stratholme Supply Crates in Stratholme.
•  [Pure Stratholme Holy Water] drops from mobs in the Wrath of the Lich King Classic version of the Culling of Stratholme.
•  [Draenei Holy Water] is a quest item provided for  [10-30] The Path of Glory in Hellfire Peninsula.
•  [Tyr's Hand Holy Water] was looted from the Basin of Holy Water in Tyr's Hand for    [60G] True Masters of the Light.
•  [Holy Water] is a quest item provided for  [25-30] The Restless Dead in Icecrown.
•  [Stratholme Holy Water] is looted from Caches of Holy Water during the   [45] Stirring in the Shadows scenario.
•  [Carefully Bottled Holy Water] was added in the Shadowlands beta, probably for use in the Death Rising event, but didn't make it to the live version of the game.

Notes and trivia

• The term "holy water" is sometimes also used for other types of water unrelated to the Light:
  • The Holy Spring at the Nek'mani Wellspring in the Cape of Stranglethorn dispenses a type of holy water. The spring is the subject of great conflict among religious scholars, since every race in Azeroth claims that the waters were made divine for their people. It's unclear whether or not this blessing is related to the Light.
  • Holy water blessed by Tidesage magic can be used to purge Void corruption.
  •  [Blessed Faronaar Holy Water] was added in the Legion beta but didn't make it to the live version of the game.
• In the real world, holy water is an important element of Christianity and many other religions. In folklore and fiction, it is often used as a weapon or defense against vampires and other evil creatures.

See also

• Moonwell