No Saints, All Sinners

In the sylvan glade of Crystal Lake, a tale unfolds of a vengeful spirit lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike against those who dare to stray from the path of righteousness. Meet Jason Voorhees, a tormented soul driven by vengeance, punishing evildoers who fail to uphold their responsibilities. Drawing inspiration from medieval literature’s cautionary tales, where characters faced dire consequences for their transgressions, Jason Voorhees embodies retribution and the price of deviating from the good and proper path. While there’s nothing really wrong with drinking and sex, the crux of the issue is the shirking of responsibilities. Child care is tantamount: after all, that’s why Jason drowned in the first place. Everyone was too busy screwing, drinking, and getting high, and because of that, Jason died.

The Sin of Negligence

Camp Crystal Lake, the place where children are supposed to frolic and have fun in the summer sun, becomes a nightmare of negligent counselors and ultimately, terror for the children as those who are supposed to care for them get picked off one by one. The counselors are the guardians responsible for ensuring the safety of the innocent children they oversee. However, instead of fulfilling their duty, they indulge in reckless behavior, neglecting their charges and indulging in sins unbeknownst to the young ones.

This is nothing new. In the vein of medieval morality tales, where characters often found themselves lost in the woods or led astray, the counselors at Crystal Lake deviate from the path of virtue. They become the perfect targets for Jason’s wrath as they abandon their responsibilities and fall into the depths of sin. By modern standards, it isn’t partying and fornicating that’s the real sin here. It’s the fact that the children are neglected. That, in fact, really is a more egregious violation of trust than any morality play could provide.

The Vengeful Spirit

Jason Voorhees serves as the vengeful specter who emerges from the dark, echoing the themes of justice and retribution seen in various medieval stories. Like the Grim Reaper or the Black Knight of Arthurian legends, Jason dons his iconic hockey mask as a symbol of anonymity and judgment, striking terror into the hearts of those who encounter him. (Never you mind that it was a sackcloth/pillowcase at first.)

He takes on this role primarily because of the way that his mother, Pamela, took her revenge on the counselors in part one. Jason, who resurrected after his initial drowning as some sort of lich or similar force (the Big Bad Wolf), is carrying on his mother’s tradition.

Punishments Exceeding the Crimes

In a series of gruesome encounters, Jason bestows punishments upon the counselors in ways reminiscent of medieval retribution tales. Just as Red Riding Hood was punished for straying from the path and wandering into the wolf’s clutches, the counselors meet their terrible fate for their abandonment of duty. Being beheaded seems a bit excessive for having a quickie in the forest, but that’s suitable as far as Jason is concerned. While there are no saints in these stories, there is an exacting need for revenge. Taking Jason’s life is punishable multiple times over. A life for a life, for a life, and so on.

Jason’s relentless pursuit echoes the malevolent forces that haunted the characters in classic tales, where they could neither escape nor elude their doom. Like the warnings given to children in such stories, Jason’s presence serves as a chilling reminder to stay on the righteous path and never neglect one’s responsibilities.

The Dark Mirror of Morality

The story of Jason Voorhees can be interpreted as a dark reflection of morality tales, where the consequences of sin are laid bare. As the counselors at Crystal Lake meet their horrifying ends, the narrative becomes a cautionary tale for those who dare to deviate from the path of virtue and righteousness.

Jason Voorhees stands as a ghastly embodiment of medieval morality tales, a vengeful punisher of those who neglect their responsibilities and indulge in sin. Drawing parallels with characters like Red Riding Hood, who suffered dire consequences for her missteps, the legend of Crystal Lake serves as a grim reminder of the consequences that await those who stray from the good and proper path.

In a world where horror and morality merge, the entire series is a gory testament to the enduring power of cautionary stories. As long as children hear of his haunting deeds, they are reminded to stay true to the path, lest they wander and incur the wrath of a vengeful spirit like Jason Voorhees.