Holy Candle

A holy candle

Description

"Special candle with anti-spirit effects. Begins working shortly after being lit and placed down."

Purpose

Exorcises hauntings
Heals Eileen

Location

Various

Variants

None

Appearances

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Holy Candles are important items obtainable in Silent Hill 4: The Room. After finishing the first half of the game, hauntings will start to appear more frequently in Room 302. These events are harmful to Henry Townshend, and leaving them unattended may also lead to a worse ending. The player can eliminate any unwordly happenings by placing a Holy Candle next to them and waiting until the candle burns out completely. Saint Medallions can also be used to subdue hauntings, but Holy Candles are more effective and abundant.

Holy Candles also have a second purpose. They will temporarily heal Eileen Galvin when they are placed next to her. The Holy Candles will also restore Eileen to a state where she is not possessed by Walter Sullivan and is able to walk faster. It can also help Eileen before the final boss by placing one next to her in Frank Sunderland's room. After the Holy Candle burns out, Henry must examine the umbilical cord immediately for the "glitch" to work. Lastly, should Henry place a Holy Candle by the staircase Eileen descends in the final battle, she will be slowed down if she is heavily damaged/possessed.

Locations

• Hospital Room, 2F, behind a vase
• Subway World 2nd Time, first room
• Subway World 2nd Time, Lynch Street Maintenance Room
• Subway World 2nd Time, Lynch Street subway car
• Forest World 2nd Time, near wheelchair doll
• Forest World 2nd Time, far northeast area.
• Water Prison World 2nd Time, one on each floor
• Building World 2nd Time, at the top floor of the interior staircase
• Building World 2nd Time, outside lowest floor elevator goes to, southeast of the corner of the area.
• Building World 2nd Time, Storage Room (B5) next to sports store.
• Building World 2nd Time, at the top floor of the Hotel South Ashfield across from where the car is.
• Apartment World 2nd Time, room 206
• Apartment World 2nd Time, 106 kitchen counter

Historical use

"Holy Candles," although prevalent in many religions for varying reasons, are most well-known for their role in Catholicism. The object is almost sacred with it being representative of the flesh of Christ. Saint Jerome (whom St. Jerome's Hospital is named for) first proposed the idea of the supposed "virginity" of bees, and hence their wax is symbolic to the flesh of a man born to a virgin mother. The wick more particularly represents the actual soul of Christ and the flame, his divinity. The candles themselves have numerous purposes, from being "weapons" in exorcisms or cleansings, adorning churches, and also within Catholic churches Holy Candles are used in hopes of atoning for sins. The sinner is advised to light one candle for each specific sin that can be recollected, and then a derivation of "The Lord's Prayer" is recited.