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garlic is an apotrope, an object that repels or "wards off evils"

open water such as rivers, lakes , even swimming pools are very dangerous to a vampire; they pretty much combust in water.

The vampires in Hirano's Hellsing are based primarily on the vampires in Bram Stoker's Dracula which, in turn, were based on vampires in Eastern European folklore.

Like many superstitions which have been held over to modern day, tradition gave garlic its power against evil spirits, rather than a specific belief or reason. Garlic is famous for two things: its ability to cure a myriad of maladies and its pungent odor. Its odor plays an especially important part in Eastern European folklore. According to Eastern European, a vampire has the ability to spread death and disease through its very strong smell. Substances with even stronger smells, such as garlic, negate that ability.

In some parts of Romania, windows and thresholds were smeared with garlic juice or decked with garlic flowers to ward off witches, vampires, and other supernatural beings on such nights as the Eve of St. George and St. Andrew's Eve, when such creatures were believed to be especially active. Garlic could also be stuffed into the nostrils, eyes, and ears of a corpse to prevent vampirism. Although it does not cause them any actual harm, the wearing of at least one clove around one's neck is sufficient to ward off a vampire.

Just as garlic acts as a repellant, so does running water act as a boundary. A vampire may not cross running water, except at the ebb and flow of the tide. It may be carried over or it may, at certain times, change shape and jump or fly over. This is not to say that vampires cannot swim, but running water such as streams, rivers, and oceans mystically impede the creature’s ability to swim and stay afloat, causing it to drown and perish.

This belief is featured prominently and may have originated in Dracula, in which Van Helsing says that vampires "can only pass running water at the slack or the flood of tide," but it seems to have its roots in folklore. On some of the Greek islands, including Hydra, Kythnos and Mitylene there was occasionally found the practice of re-burying the corpse of an alleged vampire on a desert island in belief that the vampire could not cross the water to another shore. Cases of vampires unable to pursue someone across running water are also found in Chinese folklore. This belief has also been applied to other supernatural creatures, such as fairies.

Running water's significance in folk beliefs may have something to do with its ability to cleanse and purify.

I hope this information was helpful to you somehow. I can also give you links to research recources, if you like.

Well, there you have it. Garlic heals and water cleanses. 3nodding

eek How can you not smell such a strong odor?

Yes I know he is a boy....now. I just hate it when Anime does that, you see like a character like Schro and you think he was a girl by the way he looked similar to Seras and how I seen him like sit and cross his legs and try to act adorable like a kitten then turns out being a guy. I always feel stupid for falling for that stuff XD. Thought it was funny how Seras and he reacted seeing eachother.

For anyone who was curious of my young CLeric, he did die, but he came back. He has done some things and became a Lich. Which really makes me wonder, would a Lich be more powerful then a Vampire?

Cause Liches are powerful spellcasters mainly of wizards and evil clerics. That would be entertaining to see, a Lich fighting a Vampire.

As long as you can smell it, I thought you meant that you couldn’t smell it at all and I got worried.

You are right commercial garlic doesn't have such a strong odor. I always cook with wild garlic since it grows next to my field. It has a very strong smell and a much stronger taste.

Actually, I think salt may work against vampires.

Also, it is impossible for a vampire to accidentally ingest garlic because it cannot come near the garlic in the first place.