Buffy the Vampire Slayer : Did Glory have a true form like Illyria?

Since we've only seen the human form of Glory, does that mean in her dimension that she has a monsterous form like Illyria?

Probably, considering the way she talks about humans. Like calling the key in human form a "flesh wrapper".

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Glorificus, commonly known as Glory and also referred to as The Beast, The Abomination, That Which Cannot Be Named, was a powerful goddess from a hell dimension, banished to Earth in human form, and one of the Scooby Gang's most dangerous enemies.

http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Glorificus

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Yes, but not like Illyria. Nothing so gross or inferior as flesh and bone. Such forms are reserved for tiny, insignificant things

Recall that Illyria is an Old One while Glorificus is a God. Old Ones are like Demon Kings. They are the originals of their breed, pure of humanity and often massive. But, like any demon, they are made of "something." They have a specific form they are bound too. And, those forms are worshiped by lesser demons and even some humans.

Gods, on the other hand, are the things the Old Ones and Powers That Be worshiped. They don't need to have a specific form, if they so choose. They themselves often command what form they take or how they are perceived. Look at the Greek Gods, for instance. Yes, they all had humanoid forms but it was nothing to change it into something else. Or to create from themselves something non-human. Truly, the Gods were likely more formless than we can comprehend. Living embodiment of their concepts that simply take human form as it is us who worship them and a mortal-looking form is easiest for us to comprehend. Living power.

I imagine Glorificus DID have a true form but it was closer to what the Key actually was than what Illyria truly was. At full power, in its own dimension, Glorificus is the concept of pain, suffering, and destruction. As such, it chooses to take the form that the lowly beings of its world so they can can comprehend it easier and worship or fear it. And, seeing as how much Glory hates "meat-bags," it's very possible the form it chose for itself was not of flesh and bone.

.that or it truly looks like Joss Whedon and a red dress.

The way she speaks about humans leans toward yeah. I think she calls Dawn the key in human form a "flesh wrapper". Also those weird random knights that show up call her the beast and allude to her having a true form.

She probably looked like an old one.

Well my theory is that Glory was basically a very powerful old one from another dimension, who proclaimed herself as a God. Illyria also proclaimed himself as a God (to a God ). To her beings/subject in her dimension, she would be like a God. I also think that the "Powers That Be" would also include all the Mythological gods/Gods that witches invoked for spells and possibly the judeo-christian God.

I always imagined her form to be quite human like too. But with flames for hair and dark red eyes and extremely white skin. Her human look was very distinct from Ben, so I reckon it must be based at least some what loosely on her true form. She does have a lot of disdain for humans, and yet she likes a lot of human things and styles herself well..so I think really she just hated the concept of being mortal and lacking her full power rather than doing the things that make up being on earth.. I mean she loved shopping, she liked food, she found certain demons cute.. I really doubt her life was as different in her hell dimension as she made it out to be.

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Well my theory is that Glory was basically a very powerful old one from another dimension, who proclaimed herself as a God.

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I like the theory, Ironic_Tonic. But, the only way I could rationalize it is if Glorificus was from an entirely different dimension and just "checked in" with our own even before our Old Ones left.

Recall that Glorificus isn't even its real name. Its name predates the written word altogether. There's documentation on countless Old Ones, especially the ones who were highly worshiped. But, as respected as Glory was, even SHE was too old for anything to know. It took the Council (who themselves contain archives as old as Wolfram & Hart) to even have an idea on what she truly was. So, I'd imagine the text they pulled from were religious in nature. Glorificus was something the Old Ones worshiped. Something they understood about as well as current demons understand the Old Ones THEY worship (i.e. enough but not to the full extent).

Even if she was just a pure demon claiming to be a God, I'd imagine her to be the "Old One of Old Ones." She's the thing THEY'RE based on. Like our demons are made with Old Ones who mixed with humans, our Old Ones are whatever Glorififus is but mixed with "fleshy meat bags." This is why we have to call her a "God." She's just too old and different to proclaim demonic. Heck, what she is is responsible for the creation of demon itself. I mean, even the Old Ones themselves were the same as the Powers That Be. Thus, if Glorificus predates both of them, it must be something even more"pure." And what's more "pure" than pure flesh. A concept like the First? Or nothing too as abstractperhaps pure energy, like the Key? Perhaps even something that we humans can't comprehend.

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I always imagined her form to be quite human like too. But with flames for hair and dark red eyes and extremely white skin. Her human look was very distinct from Ben, so I reckon it must be based at least some what loosely on her true form.

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Something we consider mortally beautiful but not quite what we're seeing? So, Clare Kramer-like but FAR more beautiful/frightening/amazing? I could see it. I'm just wondering how big. Or how small. Look at H.P. Lovecraft's Old Ones. They were massive!! Some even the size of planets. I'm wondering what scale a humanoid "true" Glorificus would be.

The Watcher's Council is not the equivalent of Wolfram and Hart. WH is a multidimensional level evil group headed by three very powerful ancient demons. Their archives of information would predate the Council's records and probably make them look like a private collection next to the library of Alexandria.

Compare the small amount of information the Council had on Angelus compared to the rows of filing cabinets that WH had filled with intimate knowledge of Angel/Angelus' history and possible actions based on prophecies.

Perhaps Glorificus may have been a minor god otherwise how would she/it have been trapped within a single dimension.

The more I think about this, the more it makes less sense to me. Illyria's human form can be explained away as needing a host body, but Glory already had a host body (Ben), but took the form Clare Kramer when in god mode. The way she talks clearly indicates she's not human in her original form, but why would her god form be a human form? I have a strong feeling Joss did it as kind of a joke. Seeing how everything was talking about Glory like some scary monster, then when we finally see her, it's a valley girl. Sort of like a being where everyone talks about it's tremendous strength and fighting capabilities. A being that can slay whole armies single handily. Then the being turns out to be Steve Urkel.

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but why would her god form be a human form?

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Apart from her being a counterpart to Buffy (as you say, a valley girl is the danger rather than the victim), that's not really her god form. As Gregor says, we've only seen a mere glimpse of the Glory's true power.

Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.

http://www.loggia.com/myth/semele.html

A god descending to material levels needs to take on a material form; but there's a true form, which, as confirmed by Semele's fate, mortal eyes can't take in.

Jean Giraudoux takes a lighter view on this in "Amphytrion 38". Jupiter (Giraudoux uses the Roman names in his play) is preparing to descend to earth so he can seduce Alkmena. He needs to take on the form of Amphytrion, Alkmena's husband. Mercury helps him out, and there are comments on how clumsy and inconvenient the human form is. At the end, Mercury asks Jupiter if he's aware he'll die. Jupiter replies (paraphrasing): "Oh, no. Not me. My poor friends and family, of course, but not me." Mercury concludes: "Well, you're human all right." And off Jupiter goes on his appointed seduction.

I think Glory did have a real from that was a lot more demonic looking and it probably would have looked similar to the First's real form in Amends.

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The catacombs
And revolving doors inside of my brain
Preachers and whores
And the neon pulpits burst into flames
I come from both
Sides of me and either side of their tracks
Humbling my ghosts
Letting life that floods my veins bring me back

The unshackling of the chains on my wrists
And the loyalty to pain that resists
And the greatest books are talking about this
Why must everybody die to exist?