Hinduism in Xena: The Warrior Princess
Before I begin, I would like to state that the show’s creators did admit that they took liberties with Hindu religion. This show is about a lady named Xena trying to make up for her past evil deed by defending the innocent. She had a companion, Gabrielle.
In Season Four, Episode Fourteen, Gabrielle and Xena arrive in India. There are the usual depictions, people lying on coals and nails, et cetera. Then they watch a magician’s act, and an accident happens. An evil demon by the name Tataka possesses the magician’s assisstant Maya. Gabrielle drives the demon out and is treated as devi.Â
Xena, the magician Eli and Gabrielle run and hide in a temple. The priest is killed by Eli. Inside the temple Xena sees a painting of Tataka, who was, in this show, a blond haired healing devi.Â
Xena realizes that Gabrielle has been taken over by a demon, and they fight. Eli drives off Tataka.
In the next episode, Between the Lines, Xena saves a woman from being thrown into a fire. She has mehndi lines on her, which come to life and attack Xena, cutting her up and bringing her into a karmic tunnel. Xena fights Alti, an evil shamaness.Â
In the next episode, the Way, Indrajit attacks Xena and Gabrielle.Â
Indrajit is an evil demon. After Indrajit is driven away, the meet up again with Eli. They meet up with Hanuman, who looks like a Wookiee.Â
Hanuman offers to protect them from Indrajit. He takes them to Krishna’s temple.
Indrajit intercepts them before they can reach the temple and kidnaps Eli and Gabrielle. Xena goes into Krishna’s temple, and he gives her advice on how to beat Indrajit. Indrajit beats Xena, but then Xena yells Krishna’s name and transforms into Kali.Â
Kali kills Indrajit, and the episode ends.
Now I will discuss this show’s depiction of Hinduism. This show seems to have picked and chosen bits of Hinduism it wanted to display here, out of context. For example, Tataka is a blonde healing goddess who tried to make Indians overthrow Rama, but in the Ramayana Tataka was an evil demoness.Â
The show does not go into Hinduism in any real context. I believe the creators used India and its culture as a new place for Xena and Gabrielle to have adventures in. How do others feel about this mix and match representation of Hinduism?
