History Main / HolyGround

* The real-life Cathédrale Notre Dame de l'Assomption in Clermont-Ferrand France is where the plot of ''[[Fanfic/AngelOfTheBat Angel of the Bat III: Da Pacem Domine]]'' kicks off, and its status as holy ground plays several major roles. John Constantine and Abraham Arlington seek shelter inside to escape a demon that was pursuing them, and John notes that neither his magic nor that of a possible fae he engages in a fight with work within. Arlington, on the other hand, wields powers based on faith, and thus is unaffected by the church's power.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', the ruins of Zanarkand are considered holy ground by the Yevon clergy. It serves as the end of a summoner's pilgrimage to acquire the Final Summoning with which to defeat Sin. [[spoiler: Turns out the city's leader, Yu Yevon, was the one who MADE Sin in the first place.]]

-->'''Archdeacon:''' ''(to Esmeralda)'' Don't worry, child. Minister Frollo learned years ago ''(shoots a DeathGlare at Frollo)'' to ''respect'' the ''sanctity'' of the ''church''.\\

'''Archdeacon:''' ''(during Frollo's attack)'' Frollo! Have you gone ''mad''?! I will ''not'' tolerate this assault on the house of God!

* On the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'', the Holy Land, also known as the Suburbs of Prime (or The Subs for short), is a district on the server considered "holy". Killing and the usage of weapons and armor are not allowed within the borders of the district, which are visibly marked out by smooth stone. [[ExploitedTrope As a result of]] the no-violence policy of the Holy Land, it doubles as a TruceZone by various server members in conflict with each other, and the independence of El Rapids was also negotiated in the district.

!!Examples

* ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}''
** Played with in one arc. John makes a deal with a bunch of demons to get a little girl's soul back. The summoning takes place in an old church, so they're trapped in the circle. Which is when John brings in the other party to the deal, an Aztec death god who, having been around for longer than Christianity, has no problem with the holy nature of the church, and starts eating the demons.

[[folder: Fan Fiction]]
* The real-life Cathédrale Notre Dame de l'Assomption in Clermont-Ferrand France is where the plot of ''[[FanFic/AngelOfTheBat Angel of the Bat III: Da Pacem Domine]]'' kicks off, and its status as holy ground plays several major roles. John Constantine and Abraham Arlington seek shelter inside to escape a demon that was pursuing them, and John notes that neither his magic nor that of a possible fae he engages in a fight with work within. Arlington, on the other hand, wields powers based on faith, and thus is unaffected by the church's power.

* ''Film/{{Maverick}}''. Invoked by Brett Maverick when a bunch of Indians show up. Maverick communicates to them in their own language but makes it sound like they're angry because his party trespassed on sacred ground. He makes up the Indian Bravery Test as an excuse to go with them, which you pass by not making a sound as both your hands are chopped off.

* In ''Film/Warlock1989'', the eponymous villain is burned by contact with consecrated ground.
* In ''Film/SleepyHollow1999'' the Headless Horseman cannot cross the fence into the church. When he tries throwing a weapon, it lands on the ground and dissolves. He needs more creative means of getting his victim.

* ''Film/TheCar'': Lauren and a group of children are saved from the demonically possessed car when they run to a cemetery.

* From ''Literature/TheMalloreon'', there is a place called Korim, where Torak argued with UL. It is described as one of the holiest places on earth.

* From ''Literature/TheTamuli'', there is a concern that an Elene-style church has been consecrated (it hasn't).

* In ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'', Passepartout gets in trouble for wearing shoes into a Hindu temple.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': In "Maternal Instinct" when the team and Bray'tac find Kheb, Daniel suggests they don't enter with weapons and Bray'tac agrees as they are on sacred ground.

* In ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'', Holy Ground is one of four types of Aura that can develop in an area, and it weakens creatures of Evil and [[AntiMagic interferes with magic]]. Village churches and the like acquire a low-level holy aura, while the most powerful ones can create an EldritchLocation where people can cross into successive "layers" of the holy site, each version becoming more unearthly and more saturated with holy power.

* In the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate]] [[Literature/FateZero series]], the church in Fuyuki City is considered this, being used as a neutral site for Masters to meet.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'': In the episode "Benwolf", Gwen and Kai need to search a sacred grove for a specific cactus that they believe will help cure Ben's supposed [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Lycanthropy]] ([[spoiler: it won't]]). Kai explains to Gwen that this grove is where the spirits of her people go after death. [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane It's implied]] that the spirits are real after Gwen sarcastically invokes them for help in finding the cactus, which she then finds after accidentally sitting on it.

* In a Series/{{Highlander}} parody on WesternAnimation/RobotChicken, Creator/LindsayLohan and Hillary Duff have to call off their fight when Hillary mentions that The GAP is holy ground. They later attack each other elsewhere.
* {{Subverted}} and {{justified}} in WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017. God is so disgusted by the corrupt church that he has withdrawn his protection of the church, leaving the bishop to be killed by a demon.

* In the [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate]] [[LightNovel/FateZero series]], the church in Fuyuki City is considered this, being used as a neutral site for Masters to meet.

* For UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}}, churches and the Jordan River are all sacred places. Churches because that's where the Mass among other rituals (Baptism, the Confirmation, etc.) regularly takes place, and the Jordan River because the descendants of Abraham (chosen by God) crossed it to reach the Promised Lands and, several decades after, the prophet Jesus was baptized there.

* The Biblical costume of removing one's shoes when standing in Holy Ground has faded and is now only practiced by Muslims. This is explained by the fact UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} is one of the three Abrahamic religions along Christianism and UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}.

* In the first ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect|1}}'', Wrex tells Shepard of how his father, Jarrod, called him to a Crush, a meeting between rival Krogan clans, at the Hollows, as close to sacred ground as Krogans get. Weapons and fighting are not allowed. He knows that it is a trap yet Wrex hopes that it won't end in bloodshed and there would be an actual negotiations involved. Sadly, it ended up being a trap and Wrex was forced to kill his father. This results in Wrex becoming severely disillusioned with his own people, so he leaves Tuchanka and spends the next several centuries wandering the galaxy as a mercenary until his journey with Shepard in the first game snaps him out of his funk and tries to enact his reforms to save his people for the second time.

* In the first ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect|1}}'', Wrex tells Shepherd of how his father, Jarrod, called him to a Crush, a meeting between rival Krogan clans, at the Hollows, as close to sacred ground as Krogans get. Weapons and fighting are not allowed. Of course, it's a trap, and a fight breaks out, ending with Wrex killing Jarrod. This results in Wrex becoming severely disillusioned with his own people, so he leaves Tuchanka and spends the next several centuries wandering the galaxy as a mercenary.

** UsefulNotes/VaticanCity for Catholics because it's where the Pope and the highest-ranking Catholic officers reside.

* For the Christian religion, churches, the UsefulNotes/VaticanCity, and the Jordan River are all sacred places. Churches because that's where the Mass among other rituals (Baptism, the Confirmation, etc.) regularly takes place. The Vatican because it's where the Pope and the highest-ranking Catholic officers reside. And the Jordan River because the descendants of Abraham (chosen by God) crossed it to reach the Promised Lands and, several decades after, the prophet Jesus was baptized there.

** The Biblical costume of removing one's shoes when standing in Holy Ground has faded and is now only practiced by the Muslims. This is explained by the fact Islam is one of the three Abrahamic religions along the Christianism and Judaism.

* The Notre-Dame Cathedral in ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' is, as a church, basically the holiest spot in Paris. This is especially enforced by the [[GoodShepherd Archdeacon]], and especially in response to [[SinisterMinister Frollo's]] increasing insanity and acts of sacrilege, such as trying to drag Esmeralda away despite having sanctuary or launching an all-out assault against the cathedral.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'' has Blessed Places. Any place where acts of true goodness and beauty were performed can become invested with the Light. Within a Blessed place, those with good intentions are strengthened, and those who spend a long time in one find it easier to gain Integrity.

* Averted in the ''VideoGame/{{Reincarnation}}'' games. One takes place in a church, and the demon tells you that there's no problem being in a church, he just doesn't like it. Then again, you are chasing a PedophilePriest...

* In ''Film/Warlock1991'', the eponymous villain is burned by contact with consecrated ground.

* In ''Film/{{Warlock}}'', the eponymous villain is burned by contact with consecrated ground.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'': In the episode "Benwolf", Gwen and Kai need to search [[HolyGround a sacred grove]] for a specific cactus that they believe will help cure Ben's supposed [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Lycanthropy]] ([[spoiler: it won't]]). Kai explains to Gwen that this grove is where the spirits of her people go after death. [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane It's implied]] that the spirits are real after Gwen sarcastically invokes them for help in finding the cactus, which she then finds after accidentally sitting on it.