Inexhaustible Magic: Folklore as World Building in Harry Potter

Western Kentucky University

TopSCHOLAR®

Masters ;eses & Specialist Projects Graduate School

Spring 2017

Inexhaustible Magic: Folklore as World Building in

Harry Po!er

Samantha G. Castleman

Western Kentucky University, castlemansamantha@gmail.com

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Castleman, Samantha G., "Inexhaustible Magic: Folklore as World Building in Harry Po<er" (2017). Masters eses & Specialist

Projects. Paper 1973.

h<p://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1973

INEXHAUSTIBLE MAGIC:

FOLKLORE AS WORLD BUILDING IN HARRY POTTER

A Thesis

Presented to

The Faculty of the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, Kentucky

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

Samantha G. Castleman

May 2017

Kate Horigan

iii

Acknowledgments

Many thanks in this project are owed to my committee, Drs. Timothy Evans, Erika Brady

and Kate Horigan who were incredibly supportive and enthusiastic about this research. I

appreciate each and every one of the challenges these individuals presented to me

throughout the process and am grateful for their input. My appreciation goes out to the

entire Folk Studies department at Western Kentucky University, both faculty and

students, as the curiosity and enthusiasm of these individuals inspired me every day in

this process, making it truly a rewarding experience. Specific thanks also to Kristen

Clark, who not only withstood my midnight text messages about wanting to research

folklore in Harry Potter and encouraged me to pursue this idea, but also supplied all of

the research I could ever need on fantasy literature and secondary world building. Thank

you all!

Contents

I. Introduction: “Hogwarts will always be here to welcome you home.” ........................................ 1

II. “Liberties with folklore”: Cultural Expression in the Potter Series .......................................... 18

III. “I should not have told yer that”: Narrative Constructions of the Potterverse ......................... 42

IV. “The last enemy to be conquered is Death”: the Deathly Hallows as Cultural Texts .............. 65

V. Conclusion: “Of course it’s happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean

that it’s not real?” ........................................................................................................................... 83

Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 98

Samantha G. Castleman May 2017 101 pages

Directed by: Timothy Evans, Erika Brady, Kate Horigan

Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology Western Kentucky University

The practice of secondary world building, the creation of a fantasy realm with its own

unique laws and systems has long been a tradition within the genre of fantasy writing. In

many notable cases, such as those publications by J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft,

folklore exhibited in the world of the reader has been specifically used not only to

construct these fantasy realms, but to add depth and believability to their presentation.

The universe of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series demonstrates this same practice of

folklore-as-world-building, yet her construction does much more than just create a

fantasy realm. By using both folklore which predates her writing as well as created

elements which while unique to her secondary world specifically reflect the world of the

reader, Rowling is able to create a fantasy realm which is highly political, complex and

multivocal, yet still accessible to young readers through its familiarity. Specifically

through her use of cryptids, belief representation, and folk narratives both invented and

recontextualized, Rowling is able to juxtapose her fantasy universe to the real-world of

the reader, in effect inventing a believable secondary world but also demonstrating to

young readers the ways in which her writing should be interpreted.

INEXHAUSTIBLE MAGIC:

FOLKLORE AS WORLD BUILDING IN HARRY POTTER

I. Introduction: “Hogwarts will always be here to welcome you

home.”

The realm of folkloristics is one which encompasses everything from the study of

material culture to the examination of ritual activity. Within such a large scope of

application, the study of folklore both in and as literature has long claimed a prominent

stance within the field, tracing its relevance to the very birth of American folkloristics

and the early focus by anthropologists on folk narratives as mirrors of culture. As

folkloristic research grew inclusive of other forms of cultural expression, creating the

vast field we know today, discussions of interdisciplinary thought became intrinsic to the

field of folklore. This practice once again illustrated the strong correlation between

folkloristic study and literary criticism, arguing for the examination of folklore’s

inclusion within literary works.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series which first came into public recognition with

the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997, has experienced a

growth in the examination of the folklore present therein. Rowling’s use of folklore is

intentional, as she stated in an Edinburgh "cub reporter" press conference, "I love

freakish names and I have always been interested in folklore and I think it was a logical

thing for me to end up writing even though it came so suddenly" (ITV 2005). This love of

folk material, including everything from Greek mythological references to homeopathic

remedies and belief systems, certainly found its way into Rowling’s writing, and in many

cases became the very tool by which the author constructed the world in which her novels

are set. Through the use of cultural materials ranging from expressions of belief to folk

narratives, Rowling creates a fantasy universe which mirrors and seems to symbolize in

its parallels the world of the reader. This secondary realm, while complex and unique, is

familiar and accessible to the audience due particularly to the use of recognizable

folkloristic elements.

Studies examining similar uses of folklore in literature have a long history within

the field of folkloristics. Folklore in Literature: A Symposium, published by the Journal

of American Folklore in 1957, includes works by Daniel G. Hoffman and Carvel Collins

among others, on the use of folklore interpretation in literary criticism, specifically the

varied uses to which cultural elements are called upon to enact within literature; among

these being to add verisimilitude or symbolic meaning within writing. Collins’ short

entry, “Folklore and Literary Criticism” argues that folklorists must both establish and

critically examine “texts,” meaning both literary publications and the folkloristic

references which these may include, in order to gain an understanding of the use of such

traditional elements within literature. (Collins 1957:10). Collins asserts that while critics

examining the presence of folklore in literary works have contributed a great deal to the

study of folklore use in literature, the field has yet more to offer such criticism and that

still more research must be done before the relationship between folklore and literature is

fully understood (9). Examinations of contemporary literature such as the Potter series

effectively serve as a continuation of the interdisciplinary study of folklore in literature.

By continuing to question the relationship between the two fields and their productions,

researchers are not only able to ask deeper and more meaningful questions, but to

examine the ways in which this relationship and its interpretations have evolved over

time.

Hoffman’s final entry to the symposium, “Folklore in Literature: Notes Toward a

Theory of Interpretation,” takes Collins’ understanding of the use of the folkloric in

literature a step further, pointing out not only the use of individual motifs and folklore

structures within literary works, but also arguing the circular relationship which exists

between the “folk and the sophisticate,” as both to some extent inform and influence the

other (Hoffman 1957:18). In his examination of the uses of folkloristic references within

literature, Hoffman defines three categorizations for the use of folklore in literary works:

to provide verisimilitude, to be “unified and elaborated” by authors, or to provide a

structure of symbolism. Hoffman, by way of conclusion, argues that critics must take into

account both the function of a traditional element within its native habitat and the

qualities such inclusions contribute to their respective literary works to truly understand

the importance of such references within literature (20).

While this early symposium on the interaction of folklore and literature was

groundbreaking in its discussion of the relationship between folklore theory and literary

criticism, it was Alan Dundes’ 1965 article, “The Study of Folklore in Literature and

Culture: Identification and Interpretation” which clearly established an analytical method

for such research. Dundes asserts that the investigation of the use of folklore in literature

involves a two-step process. First, the critic of folklore in literary work must identify the

folkloric elements being used, however, Dundes also argues:

too many studies of folklore in literature consist of little

more than reading novels for the motifs or the proverbs,

and no attempt is made to evaluate how an author has used

folkloristic elements and more specifically, how these

folklore elements function in the particular literary work as

a whole (Dundes 1965:136).

It is this evaluation and interpretation which Dundes argues must be the second step in

analyzing the use of folklore in literature (136). In order for the importance of folkloristic

reference in literature to be understood, examinations should question the change of

context of folkloric elements from the original location to the literary work, and the ways

in which such alterations allow understanding of the phenomenon itself to prosper.

Roger Abrahams’ article, “Folklore and Literature as Performance,” published

seven years later, shows the growth in folkloristic understanding of literary inclusion as it

complicates the binary approach to folklore in literature. Rather than supporting a

simplistic two-step process to interpretation, Abrahams argues that performance,

particularly as it applies to folklore and literature, depends on performer-audience

coordination, thereby affecting the scholarly interpretation of the identified folkloristic

material within literature (Abrahams 1972:76). Abrahams is careful to point out, “one

does not understand the effect of a Faulkner novel by being able to point to the traditions

which he drew upon in his stories: rather, one understands because there is something

within such a work which has excited the reader into investing some of his own energy

into the reading of the work” (84). It is this investment of self which Abrahams believes

to be the purpose of folklore in literature; to influence readers to thoroughly connect to

the product at hand. Rowling’s use of the folkloric in the construction of her fantasy

universe demonstrates this very exercise. The recontextualization of traditional materials

within her series serves to build a world relatively similar to the world of the reader.

These similarities connect young readers to the fantasy world by making the realm more

familiar and accessible, and therefore easier with which to connect. Young readers invest

themselves into the world of Harry Potter because they recognize it.

This focus on performative interpretations of folklore in literature and the

relationship between meaning and context continues in Cristina Bacchilega’s “Folklore

and Literature” (Bacchilega 2012:451). Folklore in literature, Bacchilega argues, should

be envisioned on a continuum rather than as a strict binary dichotomy. The focus of this

approach would rely upon the varieties of interpretation offered by including traditional

elements in literature through recognizing both genres and functions within their local

systems as well as their literary context. This new direction of study stands in sharp

contrast to the earlier focus on the importance of finding the origin of folkloristic

materials (451). As the world of Harry Potter draws heavily both from folklore and

fantasy literary sources, the relationship between these two realms in Rowling’s writing

clearly does not exhibit a dichotomous structure. Elements of Rowling’s created world

instead lie in a variety of locations along Bacchilega’s continuum.

To further illustrate the idea of a continuum, Bacchilega’s discussion of folklore

and literature turns towards theories of intertextuality, generally referencing theory

argued by Julia Kristeva and claiming the concept to be “not the dialogue of fixed

meanings or texts with one another: it is an intersection of several speech acts and

discourses [...] whereby meanings emerge in the process of how something is told and

valued, where, to whom, and in relation to which other utterances” (Bacchilega

2012:453). Maria Jesus Martinez Alfaro, author of “Intertextuality: Origins and

Development of the Concept,” ultimately describes intertextuality as a “network of

relations” within each text and between the product itself and the individual parts which

constitute it (Alfaro 1996:281). Alfaro claims this is “everything, be it explicit or latent,

that relates one text to others” (280), yet only as far as it is perceived by the audience

(281), once again echoing the importance of audience participation argued by Roger

Abrahams. Specifically in terms of literary works, authors are able to build thoroughly

intertextual fantasy universes referencing both sources which were combined in its

creation as well as aspects of its own being, thereby creating a network of backdrop and

meaning. While based obviously within the world of the audience, these created

universes are something clearly separate and unique.

When applied to Harry Potter, this idea of intertextuality works in multiple ways.

Rowling’s writing and creation of setting, characters, and backstory incorporates a

number of differing folkloristic references, ranging from historical legends regarding

Nichols Flamel to emic and etic misunderstandings of art. The intermingling of these

sources does exhibit intertextuality, however it is not merely the appropriation of these

sources, but rather their influence upon each other within various productions created by

Rowling which thoroughly shows the use of folklore within the series to be intertextual.

A number of Rowling’s folkloric references appear not only in the original Potter series,

but also in additional publications within this universe, such as Fantastic Beasts and

Where to Find Them and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The use of these folkloristic

sources in multiple productions demonstrates the ways in which these references

influence each other within the series as well as actively build Rowling’s fantasy

universe.

While Bacchilega points out the “dynamic” boundary between systems of

communication and their respective purposes (Bacchilega 2012:452), she is also careful

to describe genre as “not structures or forms, but frameworks of orientation which are

dynamic, often hybrid, and emergent so that linking a text with a genre inevitably effects

an ‘intertextual gap’” (453). What is identified as “folklore” or as “literature” is located

contextually within textual production and cultural history (457) and tends to have

“porous boundaries” which alter with context (455). With the idea of contextual genre

distinction in mind, defining what is considered “folklore” and what is acknowledged as

“fact” within the realm of Rowling’s created literary universe could potentially shine a

light on authorial choices in structure, thematic distinction and world building as both are

used to construct a believable fantasy world.

The focus on the importance of context is the predominant argument behind Frank

de Caro and Rosan Augusta Jordan’s book, Re-Situating Folklore, in which the authors

present examples of folklore which has been “de-situated” from its natural context, and

“re-situated” within the literary realm (de Caro 2004:6). It is this recontextualization, de

Caro and Jordan argue, which allows literary authors to create structure, plot, or symbolic

meaning from borrowed folkloristic elements (7). De Caro, unlike his predecessors,

however, presents the idea of world building within the fictional realm through the use of

folklore:

Folklore can also be used to suggest remoteness of place or

time, or it can even be revised in the construction of

alternate fantasy or science fiction worlds. For instance,

J.R.R. Tolkien creates for his fantasy world an array of

what are supposed to be orally transmitted songs which

pass on the stories of past deeds and events. Though these

songs constitute a made-up folklore and though the context

in which they exist is purely a fantasy one, they partly serve

to give an impression of their world as a place very much

like what we may imagine a more ancient time in our real

world to have been like [...]. The fantasy world thus

acquires a patina of antiquity which makes it seem more

real, though also more distant (16-17).

This idea of folklore-as-world building is one which Sullivan thoroughly

examines in his article, “Folklore and Fantastic Literature,” using J.R.R. Tolkien’s

terminology “secondary world,” described as a realm harboring its own laws in which the

mind of the reader can enter and find believable in his essay “On Fairy Stories” (Tolkien

1947:12). Earlier criticism of fantasy works by Tolkien further defines the concept as

“the illusion of historical truth and perspective […] which is largely a product of art”

(Tolkien 1991 [1936]:16). Sullivan argues that “fantasy and science fiction authors use

traditional materials, from individual motifs to entire folk narratives, to allow their

readers to recognize, in elemental and perhaps subconscious ways, the reality and cultural

depth of the impossible worlds these authors have created” (Sullivan 2001:279). To

Sullivan, the use of folklore in world building practiced by authors such as Rowling adds

depth and believability to the secondary worlds of the fantasy genre. Authors of these

genres, Sullivan points out, are required to create a world which “makes sense in and of

itself” (280). This closed realm must then become the secondary world, in contrast to the

primary world of the reader, despite what traditional materials it may borrow in its

creation.

In Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, the secondary world can easily be identified

as Middle Earth and the locations and landscapes therein. Rowling’s secondary world,

however, is more complex as the Harry Potter series is intentionally set in a world

identifiable to the real-world of the reader. Rowling’s secondary world is a universe in

which a secret culture and identity exists inside of a world very much like our own. The

hidden wizarding world, however, also alludes to a number of subgroups within itself,

such as Death Eaters, the Order of the Phoenix, individual Houses within Hogwarts, and

Deathly Hallows believers. Rowling’s secondary world, then, harbors the wizarding

world and all of its specific subgroups as well as the Muggle, or nonmagical, world

which is meant to reflect the world of the reader.

This created universe has come to be known in online forums and social media as

the Potterverse, specifically referencing the “universe” of Harry Potter, and this is the

term by which I will refer to Rowling’s secondary world. While the Potterverse first only

contained the original seven novels, its construction has grown immensely as the series

has progressed. Today, the Potterverse includes not only the original series but all

additional publications such as The Tales of Beedle the Bard, eight movies based off the

original series, illustrated special editions of the original series, a theme park, any fan

fiction written on the series, the popular practice of Harry Potter character cosplay, two

parody musicals produced by the University of Michigan, among a variety of other

parody productions, and a number of both sanctioned and unsanctioned websites for

Harry Potter fans, including the Pottermore website established by Rowling herself in

which fans can be sorted into their own Houses, be awarded their own wands, and

discover their individual patronuses. The 2016 releases of Harry Potter and the Cursed

Child, an eighth installment in the Harry Potter narrative which took the form of a play,

and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first of a new five-part movie series,

demonstrate the vastness and continued growth of the Potterverse.

As Sullivan’s article argues, the borrowing of “traditional material” in world-

building leads to the creation of folklore-like materials unique to each specific secondary

world, citing authors who “have used traditional, recognizable sayings with which the

reader would be familiar to set up for later sayings indigenous to the secondary world in

which they are heard” (282). To Sullivan, such practices become the primary purposes of

folklore use in literature: “to give verisimilitude and local color” and “to serve as ‘models

for production of folklore-like materials’” (282).

Brian Attebery’s Stories about Stories, also focuses on the importance of

secondary world building in fantasy literature; however, he takes the inclusion of

folkloristic elements beyond Sullivan’s focus on verisimilitude to argue the importance of

the symbolism of the elements of these worlds (Attebery 2013:4). Attebery writes,

“fantasy is fundamentally playful--which does not mean that it is not serious” (2), arguing

that while literal interpretations of fantasy works can result in conflict for the reader

(162), the “nonfactuality” of fantasy literature offers the freedom of symbolic truth

without pressuring the reader to take a stance regarding what the interpretation of that

truth may be (4). While these symbolic meanings must be indirect (164), the range of

reaction to these materials, a point also stressed by Bacchilega, shows their variability to

be a direct result of their vagueness as well as marker of their importance (8). These

symbolic interpretations allow the reader to make personal and individual judgments

without the influences of others and can demonstrate great variability from person to

person.

Rowling’s use of folklore in secondary world building is not a new phenomenon,

instead directly reflecting similar choices made by a number of well-renowned fantasy

authors. Timothy Evans’ article, “A Last Defense against the Dark: Folklore, Horror, and

the Uses of Tradition in the Works of H.P. Lovecraft,” investigates the particular ways

the writer of horror tales (a subset of fantasy, as described in A Short History of Fantasy

by Farah Mendlesohn and Edward James) creates authenticity in fiction through the use

of both borrowed and created folklore material. Evans clearly states, “Lovecraft used

actual folklore in his fiction, though he often transformed it” (Evans 2005:116).

Evans’ purpose is not merely to point out the recontextualization of preexisting

folklore, but rather to demonstrate the ways in which such materials authenticated forms

unique to Lovecraft’s secondary world and therefore strengthened the world itself. He

claims “Lovecraft was quite critical of those who simply used or valued folklore in

literature for its own sake, without reworking it. He advocated using ‘folk myths’ to

create ‘new artificial myths.’” Evans argues it was Lovecraft’s use of the structures and

devices of the folkloric, along with invented scholarly sources which intertextually

referenced both other inventions by Lovecraft and established folkloric elements backing

up his claims, which gave his fiction “authenticity” and made the created elements within

“seem” like folklore (119).

This focus on the intertextuality of invented and preexisting folkloric materials is

a topic Evans revisits in “Folklore, Intertextuality, and the Folkloresque in the Works of

Neil Gaiman,” published in Michael Dylan Foster and Jeffrey A. Tolbert’s 2016

publication, The Folkloresque, a term defined by the authors as “popular culture’s own

(emic) perception and performance of folklore. That is, it refers to creative, often

commercial products or texts (e.g. films, graphic novels, video games) that give the

impression to the consumer (viewer, reader, listener, player) that they derive directly

from existing folkloric traditions” (Foster 2016:5). Foster and Tolbert complicate the idea

of the folkloresque by focusing not on whether a material is genuine, but rather why it

succeeds (8). Oftentimes, the authors argue, popular culture success can be linked to an

attachment to folklore material (14), to the power, much like that called upon in

secondary world building, “to connect to something beyond the product itself” (3). It is

this “connection,” that Attebery claims adds symbolism and imbues meaning, which is

demonstrated in Rowling’s own folkloresque world building.

While a fairly new area of study in folkloristic research, examples of the use of

the folkloresque can be found throughout the history of sf/fantasy genres. Merely a small

sampling of this practice includes ballads and riddle use by J.R.R. Tolkien, local and

supernatural legends both alluded to and specifically created in the works of H.P.

Lovecraft, C.S. Lewis’ use of biblical allegory and the prevalence of creatures from

classical mythology within his Chronicles of Narnia series, and the vast array of folk

elements within the publications of Neil Gaiman, encompassing everything from

foodways to culturally specific belief systems.

Much like in the works of Lovecraft and Gaiman, folkloresque inventions are

pervasive within the Harry Potter series. While Rowling does include a number of

folkloristic references attributed to the world of the reader, Rowling herself has stated,

"I’ve used bits of what people used to believe worked magically just to add a certain

flavor, but I’ve always twisted them to suit my own ends. I mean, I’ve taken liberties

with folklore to suit my plot” (Harry Potter and Me 2001). It seems that, like Lovecraft,

Rowling rarely explicitly presents unaltered folkloristic material, but rather uses these

elements to build her own Potterverse folklore. Examples of Rowling’s

The Hobbit, the prequel to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, includes a number of traditional Old

English riddles as a contest of wits between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum. One such example presented is

“Alive without breath,/As cold as death:/ Never thirsty, ever drinking,/ All in mail never clinking.”

Lovecraft’s “The Shunned House” is based directly on a legendary haunted House in Providence, Rhode

Island, and the use of biblical allegory is evident in the sacrifice of Aslan the lion in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion,

the Witch and the Wardrobe. Neil Gaiman’s American Gods includes not only mythological references to

deities such as Odin and Loki, but also discussions regarding the differences between Johnny Appleseed

and Paul Bunyan, and a focus on foodways most clearly exemplified in the numerous references to pasties.

recontextualization of traditional materials, such as her folkloresque reimagining and

presentation of cryptid beings and ritual enactment fill chapter two of this work. The

overhauling of preexisting folk narratives, the folkloresque invention of a unique

Potterverse legend, and the combination of “old” form to “new” content in Potterverse

children’s tales are examined in depth in chapter three.

The investigation of intertextuality and the folkloresque within J.K. Rowling’s

Harry Potter series is a topic which has attracted growing interest in recent years. Carlea

Holl-Jensen and Jeffrey A. Tolbert’s article, “‘New-Minted from the Brothers Grimm’:

Folklore’s Purpose and the Folkloresque in The Tales of Beedle the Bard,” included in

The Folkloresque, examines the portrayal of Potterverse-specific folk materials:

specifically the Beedle the Bard fairy tales referenced in Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows and then published as a separate compendium after the series’ conclusion. Holl-

Jensen and Tolbert present a discussion touching on the two main ways the authors

understand the use of fairy tales within the Potter series. The first of these uses, they

argue, is to “enrich a world of fiction through intertextual references” (Holl-Jenson

2016:165); as they claim, “It is clear that Rowling imagines the wizarding and Muggle

(or nonmagical) worlds as parallel cultures with parallel bodies of folklore” (168).

This argument relates directly to the one which Sullivan presents in “Folklore and

Fantastic Literature.” It is the borrowing of traditional materials, such as the structure and

motifs of fairy tales described in Holl-Jenson and Tolbert’s article, which Sullivan points

out “allow[s] readers to recognize, in elemental and perhaps unconscious ways, the

reality and cultural depth of the impossible worlds these authors have created” (Sullivan

2001:279). As Sullivan argues, it is the borrowing of folkloristic material, such as fairy

tale structures, which leads to the creation of unique secondary world materials, such as

the content of the Beedle the Bard tales themselves, adding, as Sullivan claims,

“verisimilitude and local color” to the Potterverse (282).

This practice of world building is investigated one step further by Holl-Jensen and

Tolbert, who claim understanding of such folkloric references can only be reached by

analyzing “the work as a whole, its reception by its audience, and other factors external to

the folkloric material itself” (167). Such analysis, according to the authors, reveals

assumptions on the part of the author about the nature of specific folkloric material, such

as its origin, function and relevance to modern society. The revelation of these

assumptions becomes the second primary purpose of fairy tales within Rowling’s writing

as “metafolklore and metafictional uses of folkloric material” which “provide direct

insight into what people think about folklore” (171). By mimicking the form of European

marchen, Rowling is able to juxtapose cultural values of her own universe with those of a

different culture, specifically the Potterverse (169). This second argument of their study,

then, falls directly in line with Attebery’s discussion on symbolic interpretations of the

fantasy genre. The juxtaposition of real-world morals and values offered through

Rowling’s presentation of Potterverse culture supplies the reader with the exact “indirect”

symbolic interpretation Attebery claims allows the audience to experience truth without

the threat of harm or the demand to choose sides.

“New-Minted from the Brothers Grimm” is by no means the only work of

scholarship to have been completed on the use of folkloric materials in the Harry Potter

series. “The Wisdom of Wizards—and Muggles and Squibs: Proverb Use in the World of

Harry Potter,” by Heather Hass, investigates the practice of proverb usage within

Rowling’s series. Haas claims that similar to fantasy authors before her like J.R.R

Tolkien, “Rowling also uses a number of ‘proverbial comparisons’ and ‘proverbial

similes’ [...]—including several that seem clearly to be unique to the wizarding world”

(Haas 2011:34). Some of these materials presumably unique to the Potterverse are

classified as anti-proverbs, defined by Wolfgang Meider as “parodied, twisted, or

fractured proverbs that reveal humorous or satirical speech play with traditional

proverbial wisdom” (as quoted in Haas: 37). To Haas, the issue becomes identifying the

distinctions between anti-proverbs and true-proverbs within their own fantasy context.

Taking a structural look into folkloric elements of the Harry Potter series, Joel B.

Hunter presents a Proppian analysis of the Potter series, first examining each book

individually, then the series as a whole (Hunter 2013:7) in order to discover if “the

aesthetic satisfaction with any particular book in the series positively correlates to that

book’s fairy tale structure as enumerated in Propp’s system of thirty-one functions of a

folktale’s dramatis personae” (2). Hunter’s analysis makes no assertions that Rowling

intentionally followed a Proppian morphology in her writing, but he does argue that

“Rowling followed unconsciously the ‘cultural script’ of folktales in writing the

Hogwarts saga” (3).

While a considerable body of work exists examining the possible psychological

and societal influences the Harry Potter series may exhibit for readers, this type of study

removes the focus from intertextual and folkloresque interpretations in favor of reader

response and functionalist theories. While works such as Jordana Hall’s “Embracing the

Abject Other: The Carnival Imagery of Harry Potter,” “Deconstructing the Grand

Narrative in Harry Potter: Inclusion/Exclusion and the Discriminatory Policies in Fiction

and Practice” by Luisa Grijalva Maza and “Harry Potter and the Functions of Popular

Culture,” written by Dustin Kidd, prove enlightening reads, these nonetheless fall short in

relevance to discussions on Rowling’s intertextual world building.

My research investigates the ways in which J.K. Rowling adheres to the fantasy

tradition of folkloresque world building within the universe established in her seven-part

Harry Potter series and the potential such construction has to offer symbolic

interpretations of the writing. This line of investigation includes the original seven books

of the Potter series, as well as additional publications set within the Potterverse such as

the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Chapter two of this work identifies folkloristic references and the ways in which these

have been altered within the Potter series specifically in the realm of ritual enactment,

belief representation, and cryptozoology. Chapter three examines the ways in which

Rowling uses legend tales from the world of the reader combined with folkloresque

created narratives to build her fantasy world and enhance both the depth of social

structures and values of this realm and its believability due to similarities between the

primary and secondary worlds. Chapter four serves as a specific example of this complex

folkloresque world building in reference to the Beedle the Bard narrative, “The Tale of

the Three Brothers,” and the Deathly Hallows legend which accompanies the fairy tale

within the Potterverse.

The conclusion identifies the ways in which Potterverse folklore reflects

materials, beliefs and practices visible within the realm of the reader's reality and the

symbolic functions to which this practice can be applied within Rowling’s secondary

world. This conclusion presents briefly the idea of Potterverse interpretations to

demonstrate real-word applicability, at least as far as making symbolic interpretation

more accessible for young and under-developed readers and presents possible ideas for

further research into the use of folklore within the Harry Potter series.

Like those authors who preceded her, Rowling calls on a number of existing

traditional materials, from mythical creatures to proverb usage. While these folkloric

elements, specifically traditional narratives, reference both each other as well as the

original contexts from which they were drawn, Rowling also manages to establish such

references as a springboard for her own folkloristic creations within her fictional world, a

practice exhibited most notably in her presentation of oral lore and traditional narratives.

The use of folk narratives, both invented and preexisting, and the reflection of real-world

belief negotiation within the series creates a believable and substantial secondary world

which effectively mirrors our own.

II. “Liberties with folklore”: Cultural Expression in the Potter

Series

J.K. Rowling’s fascination with folklore and its influences within her writing is a

topic often discussed in author interviews and press conferences. During a 1999 radio

broadcast Rowling even claimed, “I would say - a rough proportion - about a third of the

stuff that crops up is stuff that people genuinely used to believe in Britain. Two thirds of

it, though, is my invention” (Rehm 1999), thereby admitting that while a large amount of

the beliefs and practices witnessed within the series do hold some footing in history and

existing folkloric systems, somewhat more of the cultural expression within the series is

actually completely unique to Rowling’s Potterverse. Rather than simply presenting

folklore which predates the conception of her Potter series, Rowling creates and adds

elements of the folkloresque to these materials in a way which both compliments and

strengthens the believability of the Potterverse through its similarity to and reliance on

the reader’s primary world.

Comments such as these by the author clearly illustrate Rowling’s intent to

recontextualize folklore, and deny the possibility of such folkloristic references being

merely coincidence. The author’s use of folklore is no accident. She herself stated in the

same radio interview, “I do do a certain amount of research, and folklore is quite

important in the books, so where I'm mentioning a creature or a spell that people used to

believe genuinely worked […] then I will find out exactly what the words were, and I

will find out exactly what the characteristics of that creature or ghost was supposed to be”

(Rehm 1999). While the idea that folklore is something which “used to” be believed

marginalizes those materials as merely survivals of the past, Rowling’s attention to detail

when describing such traditional elements rather creates a world in which these materials

are alive and well in the modern age.

References to “ghosts,” “creatures,” and “spells” demonstrate another aspect of

Rowling’s use of folklore. Rather than enlisting one singular motif, custom or material,

Potterverse folklore is variable, including a range of cultural expression as eclectic and

diverse as such materials are understood to be within any given culture in the world of the

reader. The Harry Potter series demonstrates a great amount of customary folklore of

Rowling’s own invention, specifically in the realm of ritual; a variety of belief

representations which correlate directly to preexisting folk beliefs; and a wealth of

creatures and beings which, while common in modern fantasy literature, can also find

their roots in cryptozoology and folklore. Although many of these traditional

representations within the series are common among fantasy writing as well, Rowling’s

own admitted focus on folklore argues the importance of these elements as traditional

expressions while simultaneously aligning to a folkloresque tradition of world building

practiced by the fantasy writing community. By calling upon both existing folklore and

her own folkloresque inventions to build her fantasy universe, Rowling fulfills a generic

tradition practiced by such notable writers as J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft and Neil

Gaiman. These folkloristic elements both borrowed and created by Rowling construct a

world which is complex and multivocal but easily accessible to young readers in the way

in which it mirrors reality. The similarities between the two realms create a sense of

familiarity and safety which welcomes the audience and allows for investment and

understanding of the Potterverse to occur.

Rituals in Harry Potter

The use of ritual, while prominent within the series, is so ingrained within the

development of plot and action that its importance as cultural expression is easy to

overlook. A number of transitionary scenes take place in which some form of secular

ritual unique to the wizarding world occurs.

While rituals, specifically those involved in

English boarding school membership, have appeared in a number of literary works from

Jane Eyre to The Portrait of An Artist as a Young Man, this does not diminish the

folkloristic undertones and origins of these practices, but rather strengthens the validity of

such customs both within the realm of the reader’s reality and the secondary world which

the author is working to create. These instances within the Potter series, while

folkloresque creations invented by Rowling, begin to structure the passage of time as well

as the growth of ability and maturity for the students of Hogwarts in a way which is

comparable both to boarding school rituals in other works of literature and to coming of

age rituals within the world of the audience.

The first of these occurs early in the Potter series when Harry receives his letter

of acceptance from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Rowling 1997:34).

Although the importance of the letter is obvious from the continued attempts at delivery

despite alterations to Harry’s location, the amount of envelopes and the various ways in

which these find their way inside the home of Harry’s guardians (his aunt and uncle, the

Dursleys), and Mr. Dursley’s frantic avoidance and escape from the materials until

ultimately the letter is hand delivered by the physically imposing Rubeus Hagrid, the

Rituals in the Harry Potter series are able to be identified as secular rather than sacred due to the lack of

religious connotation or meaning attributed to such customs. The rituals discussed in this section do

represent coming of age and rite-of-passage rituals, yet these practices reference not religiosity but the

physical and mental growth and maturity experienced by childhood development, specifically as it is

acknowledged through school traditions such as standardized testing.

importance of this occurrence as a cultural phenomenon is not fully explored until the last

installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The introductory textbook Living Folklore, by Martha Sims and Martine

Stephens, presents a concise explanation of what may be referred to as ritual: “rituals are

habitual actions, but they are more purposeful than customs; rituals are frequently highly

organized and controlled,

often meant to indicate or

announce membership in a

group” (Sims and Stephens

2011:99). While Harry’s

own beleaguered acceptance

process does exhibit some

modicum of organization

and control by an unknown

third party and the letter itself

announces Harry's acceptance at the proper age into the wizarding community, it is not

until Harry’s exploration of Snape’s memory after his death that the audience begins to

understand how truly important this ritual is within the Potterverse.

Harry’s own experience with his acceptance to the wizarding school is tempered

by more pressing epiphanies within the first novel. Harry, only ten years old when he

Harry’s attempted coming of age initiation through the Hogwarts letter includes painfully correct

addresses on envelopes referencing Harry’s exact sleeping arrangements, the ever-increasing amount and

locations of owls as Mr. Dursley continuously forbids Harry from reading his own mail, and the appearance

of the letters inside of a dozen eggs. These acts show intelligence and manipulation by someone holding a

high level of authority and power. Therefore, while the individual in command of the event is not

physically present, organization and control are still detectable.

Figure 2.1: Harry’s acceptance letter. Source: Harry Potter and the

Sorcerer’s Stone film: 2001.

receives his letter, not only learns that he is a wizard just like both of his parents, but also

the actual circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

This

information would be shocking to any individual, let alone a young child whose entire

understanding of the world has just been challenged. Snape’s flashback in Deathly

Hallows, however, presents the ritual of Hogwarts acceptance without such strings.

Snape’s memory presents to Harry the boy’s own mother’s acceptance into the wizarding

world through Snape’s point of view. While Snape is a pure-blood wizard and has grown

up knowing of Hogwarts and what acceptance into the school means, Harry’s mother

Lilly, is a child of a non-magical family. As Harry travels through Professor Snape’s

memory learning the truth about a man he thus far thought of as only pure evil, he is

presented a scene in which young Severus Snape is educating Lily on the rules attached

to admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:

“…and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic

outside school, you get letters.”

“But I have done magic outside school!”

“We’re all right. We haven’t got wands yet. They let you

off when you’re a kid and you can’t help it. But once

you’re eleven,” he nodded importantly, “and they start

training you, then you’ve got to go careful” (Rowling

2007:666).

Even more telling regarding the importance of this ritual in identifying group

membership among wizards, as Snape’s memory progresses Harry is given a look into

the conflict which arises between family members who gain acceptance into the

wizarding world and those who do not. Young Lily complains that her older sister,

Although this research makes no effort to examine the eight Harry Potter movies, images in chapters two,

three and four meant to help contextualize the analysis and the series itself are screen captures taken

directly from the films. There are noticeable differences between the book and movie productions, yet these

images are taken from scenes which align closely to Rowling’s original writing and description of incidents

and situations.

Petunia, who is non-magical like their parents, tells her that Snape is lying about the

magical school. Later, a rift between the two sisters grows when it is revealed that

Petunia wrote her own letter to the headmaster of Hogwarts School asking to be allowed

to attend classes. As the conversation turns heated, Petunia, previously depicted as

loving, if not overbearing, towards her younger sister, refers to Lily and Snape as

“freaks” and, quite literally, turns her back on her sister (670). It is assumed that this

moment was a turning point in the sisters’ relationship, as the Petunia of Harry’s time is

distrustful and hateful towards the wizarding community and refuses to speak of the

Potters and their abilities, while the Petunia of Snape’s memory demonstrates almost

motherly tendencies towards her younger sister.

While this scene is important within the narrative in order to demonstrate both the

origins of the Dursley’s hate for the wizarding community and Snape’s true character,

folkloristic readings suggests more complex emic and etic interpretations of the initiation

ritual specifically linked to the coming-of-age which is attached to the letter of

acceptance within the Potterverse. While the Hogwarts letter itself serves as the first step

in a lengthy initiation process to join the wizarding community, it is one which is time

specific, as letters are only delivered to children who exhibit magical ability and are

about to turn eleven—if a child doesn’t receive the letter around their eleventh birthday,

they never will. This focus on age marks the ritual not only as an initiation but also a

coming of age in the ways which this initiation effects the magical use of the child. As

Snape informs Lilly, once a wizarding child begins study at Hogwarts it is understood

that he or she has the ability to exhibit control over his or her power and is no longer

allowed to perform magic without restraint as he or she was as a young child.

Snape, the insider among wizarding society, must inform Lily, the outsider, of the

rules and expectations attached to group membership in order for Lily to fully

comprehend the importance of her initiation into the community. Harry, like his parents

and Snape before him, experiences a rite of passage in which he crosses from a normal

human boy to a student of wizardry at a well-known school, but he too, as a circumstance

of being raised by the Dursleys, must be informed of group expectations. Whereas

occurrences such as his hair growing back and a python being set loose during his visit to

the zoo would have remained odd but unimportant without his initiation into this other

society, these events take on new meaning once Harry’s true character is revealed. As a

side effect of the Hogwarts letter, Harry more fully understands the events which have

occurred around him all his life, but he, along with the rest of the new Hogwarts students,

now must control his magic, as he is thought of as being old enough to do so. Hogwarts

membership comes not only with community membership, but group rules which must be

policed. Folkloristic readings of this ritual demonstrate not only the importance of the

acceptance letter as a marker of group membership, but the distinctions and issues which

arise between those who become a part of this society and those who do not. While the

story of Lilly and Petunia within the Potter series merely serves to explain the older

woman’s animosity towards her own family, folkloristic interpretations reveal issues of

group dynamics and politics between those who are members and those who are not.

The Hogwarts acceptance letter proves to be only the first in a series of rite-of-

passage rituals present within the Harry Potter series. Similar to standardized tests such

as end of grade and end of course examinations common in Western education, tests such

as the Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.’s) and the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test

(N.E.W.T.) are both examples of rites of passage. In order to undergo the exam,

Hogwarts students are separated from the rest of the student body, given the exam, and

only allowed to return to the main population upon completion. While the N.E.W.T.

exam is taken at the end of a student’s seventh year and must be passed in order to

transition into the wizarding community as an adult and fully competent wizard, the

O.W.L. examination is given the end of the fifth year at Hogwarts, understood as the last

of the “underclassmen” years. Hogwarts students are given subject tests on classes

required of first through fifth year students, and based off their scores are given

placement in higher level classes and allowed to choose courses as sixth and seventh year

students which will specifically prepare each individual for the occupation of his or her

choosing. Highly secular, these rites of passage must be undertaken at particular degrees

within the Hogwarts schooling process and students are only able to move forward in

their education as these rites are successfully completed. The Sorting Hat ceremony—

closely illustrated in Sorcerer’s Stone and revisited in Goblet of Fire—is, however, the

best representation of a high-context initiation ritual present in the series.

At a glance, the Sorting Hat ceremony is fairly simplistic. First year Hogwarts

students are separated from the rest of the student body as a “patched and frayed and

extremely dirty” wizard’s hat is brought before the assembly (Rowling 1997:117). This

hat then sings a song telling of the creation of Hogwarts School and the characteristics

attributed to each House. Then, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall calls forth

each student who then dons the old hat, has his or her respective House announced, and

then finally joins the Hogwarts student body by sitting at the assigned House table (119).

This ceremony, then, clearly demonstrates the tripartite structure of a high-context ritual,

identified by Arnold van Gennep as the preliminal phase, in which those undergoing the

ritual are separated from those witnessing, the liminal phase during which the transition

in status occurs, and the postliminal phase in which the individual is reincorporated into

society at large (van Gennep 1960:13).

Much like rituals themselves, Rowling’s writing of the Sorting Hat Ceremony

focuses on the liminal space Harry experiences once placing the wise Hat on his head.

During the opening of the ceremony Harry feels ill at ease. He is unsure what task will be

asked of him, wondering if he will be expected to pull a rabbit from the Hat (117). While

Harry understands he is no longer a Muggle, or non-magical person, he also fears the

Sorting Hat will announce his invitation to the school as a mistake and send him back to

the Dursley’s. Once the time comes for Harry to be sorted, it is ultimately he who decides

to proceed with the ritual, another component of liminal space. As the Hat ponders the

boy’s “plenty of courage,” “not a bad mind,” “talent” and “thirst to prove himself,” Harry

“grip[s] the edges of the stool and [thinks], Not Slytherin, not Slytherin” (121). This

request not only demonstrates the boy’s belief in the magical realm and desire to enter

into this new society, but also specifically locates where he envisions his role among this

Figure 2.2: Harry undergoing the Sorting Ceremony as an initiation into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and

Wizardry. Source: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Film: 2001.

group to be; not with the Slytherins who are known for ambition, cunning, and a tradition

of turning out dark wizards, but the Gryffindors who are envisioned as the brave

protectors of the wizarding world. Harry’s choice propels him forward, ending both his

liminal space and his ritual enactment, and he is allowed to join his Housemates. Harry’s

initiation is complete.

Representations of Belief

One of the most notable forms of cultural expression within the Potter series

comes in the form of belief. While the belief in magic itself clearly differentiates the

wizarding and Muggle worlds from one another, this dichotomous representation is only

the beginning. Within this framework of belief acceptance and negation, Rowling builds

an intricate discussion of the plausibility of Hogwarts students’ beliefs—practices which

mirror belief systems within the primary world as well.

Herbology, a class Harry is enrolled in from the time he begins studying at

Hogwarts, is a course dedicated to identifying and caring for plants which either

themselves are magical or may be used for magical purposes after harvesting. It is here

that Harry learns about the human-shaped Mandrake root during his second year,

described as “a powerful restorative […] used to return people who have been

transfigured or cursed to their original state” (Rowling 1998:92). The mandrake root is no

newcomer to literary writings. Juliet, upon waking in the tomb to find her lover’s dead

body references the “shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth” (Romeo and Juliet; Act

4, Scene 3) also described by Rowling. John Donne’s “Song,” commonly known as “Go

and Catch a Falling Star,” metaphorically links women, alluded to as lacking virtue and

trustworthiness, to the deadliness of the mandrake’s legendary cry (Donne 1633; line 2),

and while no reference to the legendry power of the mandrake is made, even Genesis

30:14-16 equates mandrake roots to the deceptiveness and sexual promiscuity of women

when Leah uses the root to pay for a night with Jacob.

With such a lengthy history in literature, the magical use of the mandrake root is

not unheard of in folklore. Rowling’s explanation of the plant’s “restorative powers” is,

however, not an ability commonly attributed to the mandrake, although the plant is often

confused for ginseng, which is also shaped like a human child.

It is clear despite this

alteration that Rowling is aware of mandrake lore, as the author’s focus on the “cry of the

mandrake,” described by Harry as “bawling at the top of [its] lungs” (93) is a common

motif in folk narrative (F992.1). This presentation of homeopathic remedy and belief

within the Potterverse mirrors the reliance upon the belief of the individual in use

exhibited within the primary world of

the reader.

Discussions of belief become

more prominent in Harry’s third year

of study when he, Ron and Hermione

begin studying Divination, a class

instructed by an almost ethereal seer.

It is here that the trio begin to attempt

palmistry, analyzing tea leaves, and

Motifs commonly attributed to the mandrake include growth from the blood of a person hanged on the

gallows (A26115.5), use as a magic forecaster (D1311.13.1), to show the location of treasure (D1314.7.1),

to gain invulnerability (D1344.10), to protect against evil spirits (D1385.2.6), and to conceive (T511.2.1).

Later in the series it is revealed Professor Trelawny has a grandmother named Cassandra who also

possessed the gift of sight, obviously a reference to the Greek legend of Cassandra who was cursed with

sight by the god Apollo for denying his advances and was believed to be insane despite correctly foretelling

the fall of Troy (Buxton 2004:100).

Figure 2.3: A Gryffindor student after pulling a Mandrake. Notice the

earmuffs to protect from the Mandrake’s cry. Source: Harry Potter nd the

Chamber of Secrets. Film: 2002.

reading magic balls. Although these practices are presented by Professor Trelawney as

actual skills rather than belief practices, it is important to note that none of these activities

go unquestioned within the series.

Hermione Granger, Harry’s Muggle-born best friend and often identified

“brightest witch of her age” (Rowling 1999:346) has an especially difficult time

accepting the practices being instructed in Trelawney’s course. Ultimately, after yet

another prediction of Harry’s painful and tragic impending death, Hermione loses her

patience and exclaims “Oh, for goodness’ sake! […] Not that ridiculous Grim again”

(Rowling 1999:298). Then, after being told that her mind is “hopelessly mundane,” she

does something completely out of character and walks out of the class never to return

(299). While Hermione is consistently the student to question the validity of the

Divination lessons, others, namely Lavender Brown and Padma Patil exhibit a strong

belief in such practices. After Hermione’s dramatic exit from the classroom, Rowling

writes:

“Ooooo” said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start.

“Oooooo, Professor Trelawney, I’ve just remembered! You

saw her leaving, didn’t you? Didn’t you, Professor?

‘Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!’

You said it ages go, Professor!” (299).

While the wording of Trelawney’s prediction and her habit of predicting deadly

accidents seem far more dramatic than a student merely dropping a class, Lavender’s

unwavering belief in the Professor overlooks such discrepancies and aligns the woman’s

prediction to the actual events which have just occurred. Interestingly enough, while

Rowling does make the point to demonstrate both extremes regarding this argument on

belief, in interviews the author has clearly stated which opinion she would side with. The

Harry Potter and the

Chamber of Secrets

DVD hosts among its

special features an

interview with J.K.

Rowling and

screenwriter Steve

Kloves. When

discussing their favorite

characters to write Rowling states, “if you need to tell your readers something just put it

in [Hermione]. There are only two characters that you can put it convincingly into their

dialogue. One is Hermione, the other is Dumbledore” (Harry Potter and the Chamber of

Secrets DVD interview with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling 2003). Rowling, it seems,

who characterizes Hermione as stunningly academically intelligent with a zeal for

learning, and Dumbledore as the wise and philosophical elder, uses these two characters

to serve as her own voice within the series, delivering thematic and moralistic statements

and thoughtful inquiries through each of their individual dialogues, though the two

characters never interact themselves.

The reliance on Dumbledore is important in that it complicates the discussion of

belief as the series progresses. The Hogwarts Headmaster, described by Professor

Trelawney as being “ill-disposed towards Divination” (Rowling 2005:544), admits to

Harry that originally he had thought the seer a fraud until she unwittingly made a

prophesy foretelling the downfall of Lord Voldemort (Rowling 2003:840). Whatever the

Figure 2.4: Harry and Ron attempting to read magic balls. Source: Harry Potter

and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Film: 2004.

Headmaster’s feelings towards Divination, this event convinced him of Trelawney’s

worth, giving her a position among the Hogwarts faculty, defending her when the

maniacal Professor Umbridge, a transplant from the Ministry of Magic determined to

“reform” Hogwarts education, attempted to kick her out of the institution, keeping her

identity as the woman who prophesied the Dark Lord’s demise safe not only from

Voldemort’s army of Death Eaters, but also from Trelawny herself who has no memory

of the prophecy, and ultimately raising a young Harry Potter to act as savior for the entire

world as her prophesy foretold.

As Rowling has claimed Dumbledore “speaks for” her in a number of interviews,

the Chamber of Secrets DVD interview being one of them, this simultaneous acceptance

and reliance on prophesy in the midst of rejecting other belief patterns such as crystal ball

and tea leaf readings complicates the views on belief present in the series. Rather than

offering a blanket acceptance or denial of the efficacy such folkloristic belief practices,

Rowling and the characters through which she speaks are able to distinguish one belief

pattern from another and choose what they each do and do not feel comfortable accepting

within their own realities. While each of the belief practices presented within the series

do exist within the primary world as well, it is the negotiation of belief which strengths

the complexity and reliability of the Potterverse, as such discussions must occur among

practitioners in the real world. Seldom do individuals within the primary world present

universal belief patterns either accepting or denying the multitude of belief systems

presented within a community. Rather, individuals are selective regarding their personal

belief practices, a habit mirrored within the Potterverse in a way which adds depth and

believability to its use of folkloristic material.

Fantastic Beasts and Magical Beings

Though the Potterverse is inhabited by a number of creatures such as Dementors,

Threstals and Blast-Ended Skrewts which are unique to Rowling’s fantasy universe, most

of the creatures referenced within the series seem not to be new inventions, but rather

notable beings which exhibit lengthy histories in both folklore and fantasy literature.

Characters such as elves, goblins, trolls and giants, all of which have roots in folklore and

are similarly common in fantasy literature, are beings which are awarded—to varying

degrees—status as intelligent beings within Potterverse society. These individuals,

however, experience little development or exploration of character or status within the

series. By contrast, centaurs and werewolves, both creations of folklore with lively

fantasy performances, are used in Rowling’s writing as tools with which to explore social

issues such as racism and medical stigma.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the textbook Harry and his friends

are assigned for their first year of Care of Magical Creatures, a class taught by the lovable

half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Published by

Scholastic Books in aid of the Comic Relief charity organization in 2001, this

supplementary Potterverse work fulfills the fantasy genre tradition of folkloresque

materials similar to Lovecraft’s History of the Necronomicon and blog posts and

referential materials created by Neil Gaiman, both which have been examined by

Timothy Evans for folkloresque content and world-building strategies (2005;2016). Much

like these notable fantasy writers and their folkloresque fantasy world creations,

Rowling’s supplementary textbook offers intertextual descriptions which reference both

the Potterverse and the existing folkloristic systems from which many of Rowling’s

cryptid beings are drawn in a way which adds depth to their believability and sense of

reality.

Comparison of this supplementary publication to the Potter series serves as a

useful tool when examining the perceptions of magical “beasts” within Rowling’s

universe. While the book itself lists concise descriptions and backgrounds of a number of

creatures which supposedly dwell within the Potterverse, the publication also harbors

intertextual commentary by Harry and his friends regarding their personal experiences

and views on the beasts included therein. Comparing the Fantastic Beasts textbook

description of such beings and the trio’s comments within to representations of such

figures within the series as well as to what is available in terms of folkloristic description

of these beings allows for an investigation of the ways in which the Potterverse relates to

preexisting folklore, and the specific ways such recontextualized materials serve to build

Rowling’s Potterverse.

Centaurs are described in Fantastic Beasts as having “a human head, torso and

arms joined to a horse’s body which may be any of several colours” (Scamander

2001:11) and a danger classification of four out of five “X,” reflecting the need for

specialist knowledge in interaction, although it is noted that such classification is

awarded “not because it is unduly aggressive, but because it should be treated with great

respect” (footnote, pg. 11).

These beings, it is noted, are intelligent and are only

classified as a “beast” per the species’ own request to the Ministry of Magic, but are

Although written by Rowling, Fantastic Bests and Where to Find Them was published under the name

“Newt Scamander,” the author of the text as identified within the Potter series. Scamander, a former

student at Hogwarts, is also the main character in the 2016 film release of Fantastic Beasts, which

chronicles his adventures in America during the 1920’s.

generally considered to be another race of magical beings, alongside elves and goblins,

rather than merely a creature.

Centaurs begin playing a complicated role in the Potter series towards the

conclusion of Rowling’s first book. When serving his detention sentence assisting Hagrid

in the Forbidden Forest after being caught out of bed past curfew, Harry is saved from a

malevolent hooded figure by a centaur with “white-blond hair and a palomino body”

(Rowling 1997:256). This being, later identified as Firenze, is the third centaur Harry has

met that evening, and although his first encounter with the centaur Ronan was amicable

enough, involving dubious astrological commentary (253), Firenze’s willingness to allow

Harry to ride upon his back sparks controversy amongst the centaur herd who have a

history of experiencing prejudice at the hands of the wizards and so have adopted a

stance of distance from the affairs of man.

Relations between the herd and those humans who visit the forest never fully

recover from this ordeal. Ultimately, Firenze is banished from the herd for agreeing to

join the Hogwarts staff as the astrology professor as this is seen to be teaching sacred

knowledge to the humans, and the centaurs begin arming themselves and issuing threats

Figure 2.5: The centaur herd. Source: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Film: 2007.

to any outsiders who venture into the Forest (Rowling 2003:698). This disintegration of

the human/centaur relationship influences Hermione to lead an unsuspecting Professor

Umbridge, known for her hatred of any beings considered “sub” or “partially” human,

into the heart of the centaur’s land, where the professor’s ego and prejudice enrage the

herd, instigating a riot: “Over the plunging, many-colored back and heads of the centaurs

Harry saw Umbridge being borne away through the trees by Bane, still screaming

nonstop; her voice grew fainter and fainter until they could no longer hear it over the

trampling of hooves surrounding them” (756). Although Rowling offers no explanation

of what Umbridge experiences at the hands of the centaurs, later it is noted:

Since she had returned to the castle she had not, as far as

any of them knew, uttered a single word. Nobody really

knew what was wrong with her either. Her usually neat

mousy hair was very untidy and there were bits of twig and

leaf in it, but otherwise she seemed to be perfectly

unscathed.

“Madam Pomfrey says she’s just in shock,” whispered Hermione.

“Sulking, more like,” said Ginny.

“Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this,” said Ron,

and with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises.

Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking wildly around (849).

These descriptions and encounters with the centaur herd allow Rowling

throughout the series to create a dynamic representation of not only a mythological

creature, but also the society to which it would belong and the relationship this being

could potentially have with humans. Despite keeping the “semi-equine, semi-human

form” known to the species, Rowling’s centaurs exhibit an overhaul of character. Richard

Buxton’s The Complete World of Greek Mythology identifies centaurs as “wild, unruly

and unpredictable” with “a crude animality which often exploded into violence” (Buxton

2004:117). Buxton’s descriptions of the species, both during the labors of Hercules and

the wedding of Hippodameia involve a “drastic weakness for wine” unseen in Rowling’s

interpretation of the creatures, just as the characterization of “wild” and “unruly” falls

short of identifying those centaurs which inhabit the Forbidden Forest which forms the

borders of the Hogwarts grounds.

Greek stories of centaurs, in full actualization of the “wild” character type, often

depict the beings in the act of attempted rape. The centaur Nessus is caught trying to rape

Hercules’ wife Deianeira, and Hippodameia is subjected to similar treatment at her own

wedding (129). While Rowling herself has never commented on this aspect of centaur-

lore or what actually happened to Professor Umbridge after her kidnapping, Jacopo della

Quercia, writer for cracked.com, an online article database covering popular culture

topics ranging from how to interpret the latest hit movies, to celebrity death reports, to

recent political commentary, questions the innocence of the event and those involved.

Quercia points out that Umbridge’s final appearance in Order of the Phoenix depicts her

“suffering from some kind of major trauma that didn't involve any damage to the visible

parts of her body,” hinting towards the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which often

accompanies sexual assault (Quercia 2011). Quercia continues, arguing Hermione’s

forethought in the act, pointing out that if any of the characters in the Potterverse were to

be familiar with traditional centaur-lore, it would be Hermione, “the character whose

main purpose in the plot is to know absolutely everything.”

While Rowling herself has made no comments on this accusation, it is hard to

completely deny such a possibility. Rowling, the author who drops subtle Greek

mythological references in family names and spell phrasing, would surely have been

aware of the rape narratives told regarding centaurs, yet such a topic as inter-species

sexual assault would not be deemed appropriate for children and young readers. By

simply not informing the reader explicitly of Umbridge’s fate at the hands of the centaur

herd, Rowling allows those who are aware of the beings’ traditional characterization to

fill in the blanks, while those unfamiliar with such tales are able to overlook this

possibility.

This use of existing folk characters adds depth to both Potterverse social systems

and to the individual characterizations of those involved in the ordeal. If Hermione did

intend such harm to come to Umbridge, this fact casts her character in a drastically darker

light. No longer merely a victim searching for a means of escape, Hermione herself

becomes an arbiter of violence, and Harry, in following through and not questioning

Hermione’s actions, becomes complicit in her misdeeds. Similarly, an acknowledgement

of traditional centaur lore introduces the possibility of rape and sexual assault into a

series for young readers, whereas merely hinting at tradition centaur narratives only

suggests such an act within Rowling’s writing. While the threat of sexual violence is one

which is new to the series in Order of the Phoenix, the series’ fifth installment, it is

revisited in later in the series suggesting such interpretations of Umbridge’s kidnapping

to not be far off-base, a topic I will return to shortly.

A far less controversial creature representation within the Potterverse is that of the

werewolf. Described in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as an “otherwise sane

and normal wizard or Muggle” who “transforms into a murderous beast” at the full moon,

the werewolf is designated the highest danger rating, yet Harry’s handwritten

commentary notes they “aren’t that bad” (Scamander 2001:83). This notation is clearly a

reference to Harry’s fondness for one of only two werewolves included in the Potter

series, Remus Lupin, a one-time professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts and close

friend to Harry’s deceased parents and godfather. Lupin, introduced in Prisoner of

Azkaban, not only teaches Harry how to combat the effects of the Dementors by eating

chocolate, but also how to conjure a patronus and even explains to the boy the origin of

the Marauders Map and it’s relation to Harry’s father.

Werewolves in fantasy literature are traditionally individuals who have either

been scratched or bitten by one of the species and experience a change in both corporeal

structure and personality during the monthly full moon, not only becoming a wolf

physically, but mentally as

well. Rowling holds to this

identification when describing

the changes Lupin suffers:

There was a

terrible snarling

noise. Lupin’s

head was

lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were

hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands,

which were curling into clawed paws (Prisoner of Azkaban

1999:381).

Unlike with the centaurs, Rowling seems to align closely to werewolf lore which

predates her publications, yet once again, the writer does not present one general

character type for the werewolf but rather a dichotomy of possible representations in two

starkly different werewolf characters. Although the physical presentation of the werewolf

itself may not be that different from traditional explanations, Rowling does take liberties

with the human characters in which these monsters incubate.

Figure 2.5: Professor Lupin after transformation. Source: Harry Potter and

the Prisoner of Azkaban. Film: 2004.

While Lupin appears as a kind,

caring educator who has been ostracized

due to his curse, Fenrir Greyback is the

epitome of the predator.

Greyback is

described as a “big, rangy man with

matted gray hair and whiskers, whose

black Death Eater’s robes looked

uncomfortably tight. He had a voice like

none that Harry had ever heard: a

rasping bark of a voice. Harry could

smell a powerful mixture of dirt, sweat,

and unmistakably, blood coming from

him. His filthy hands had long yellowish nails” (Rowling 2004:593). He never seems to

fully retain his human form, instead inhabiting both the world of the wolf and the human

simultaneously. Fenrir prefers attacking children, and is revealed to be the very werewolf

which bit young Remus Lupin.

On several instances Greyback specifically requests to be given Hermione as a

reward for his service to the Dark Lord in way which alludes not to using the girl for a

meal, but rather for his own sexual interests. Although Greyback’s comment to Ron upon

the group’s capture by Death Eaters, “Reckon she’ll let me have a bite of the girl when

she’s finished with her?” (Rowling 2007:463), does not explicitly refer to sexual

misconduct, it is Rowling’s identification that the line was “crooned,” and specifically to

The name “Fenrir” is yet another mythological reference, as Rowling’s predatory werewolf shares the

identification with the monstrous wolf-son of Loki, the Norse god of mischief (D’Aulaires 1967:50).

Figure 2.6: Cast photo of Fenrir Greyback. Source:

Pottermore.com.

Ron, who by this point has accepted his own love for Hermione, which tells the reader of

Greyback’s true intentions. The potential rape of Professor Umbridge in the fifth

installment of the Potter series is only presented in such a way that it is referential of

sexual violence only to those readers familiar with Greek mythology. Hermione’s own

threat of rape in the seventh novel of the series, by contrast, is presented by Greyback in a

way which is much harder to overlook, and in effect validates the possibility of

Umbridge’s misfortune. Sexual assault is a possible threat within the Potterverse, as

exhibited in Deathly Hallows, making the possibility of Umbridge’s assault all the more

likely.

Despite such dismal characterizations of his counterpart, Lupin is far from

predatory himself. Interviews with the author of the Potter series which turn to the topic

of Lupin often demonstrate a fondness and degree of empathy for the character. The 2001

publication Conversations with J.K. Rowling, quotes the author describing Lupin as a

"damaged person, literally and metaphorically” and identifying the character as “really a

metaphor for people's reactions to illness and disability” (Fraser 2001:40). This

victimization Rowling demonstrates as a component of prejudice against illness is a

theme the author has voiced in numerous interviews, on one occasion claiming Lupin’s

lycanthropic curse as an allegory for AIDS stigma (“Short Stories from Hogwarts of

Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies” 2016).

When it comes to Remus Lupin, Rowling holds true to the fantasy and folkloristic

representations of the beast itself, yet uses that very identification to create something

more. Lupin’s treatment by society for his curse uses folkloristic symbolism to echo the

unfairness suffered by many at the hands of bias and prejudice. While Fenrir Greyback is

a monster both physically and psychologically, Rowling’s identification of Lupin

demonstrates that some “monsters” are victims themselves. By presenting these two

characters as dichotomous to one another, Rowling demonstrates the harm of treating

those different from a dominant group according to stereotypes. Lupin is treated within

Potterverse society as if he, too, victimizes small children, yet in getting to know him the

wizards around him learn how wrong they are.

Rituals, beliefs, and cryptid fantastic beings abound in Rowling’s Potterverse, not

only in the original Potter series, but its additional publications as well. These folkloristic

references structure a believable secondary fantasy universe, including elements which

are either recognizable as those materials in our own world, or new representations of

culture which mirror practices and beliefs understandable to the audience. The narratives

and the oral lore which permeates the Potterverse, however, gives the fantasy world its

fullness and depth and creates a secondary world which is startlingly believable in its

complexity.

III. “I should not have told yer that”: Narrative Constructions of

the Potterverse

The Potterverse as created by J.K. Rowling is riddled with aspects of the

folkloresque. Fantastic creatures, ritual presentations and representations of belief are

merely a few of the traditional elements called upon to add density and relatability to the

secondary world of the fantasy series by strategically mirroring the reality of the reader’s

universe. Folk narratives, another aspect of Rowling’s reliance upon traditional materials,

often relate in strategic ways to issues of sociological distinction and importance. In

contemporary society, the transmission of narratives often concludes with a moral or

lesson in the form of a proverb, can lead to joking and stereotyping that creates and

upholds discrimination, and even aids in the evaluation of beliefs such as those discussed

in the previous chapter. Each of these ideas have been examined in the ways in which

they relate to the Potter series by contemporary folkloristic study (Haas 2011, Hall 2011

and Maza 2012, respectively). These tasks, and many others to which narrative

transmission relates, mark the use of borrowed and folkloresque traditional narratives as a

key component of secondary fantasy world building within the Potter series.

Much like fantasy authors before her, Rowling uses folkloresque narratives which

mirror the world of the reader and efficiently build and sustain the depth of the

Potterverse through its directed similarity to the primary world. Evidence of this is seen

particularly within three narratives found within the Potterverse; the legend of Nicolas

Flamel, a recontextualized historical legend from Europe; the tale of the Chamber of

Secrets, a legend particularly created by Rowling for plot development within the series;

and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a fairy tale treasury created by Rowling which mimics

the form and structure of European folktales but presents narrative content unique to the

secondary world of the Potterverse.

The Double Life of Nicolas Flamel

Never actually appearing within the Potter series, Nicolas Flamel nevertheless

plays an important role in the action of the first novel. Harry’s original introduction to

Flamel occurs as an inconspicuous side note to Professor Dumbledore’s Chocolate Frog

card: “Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is

particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the

discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his

partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin

bowling” (Rowling 1997:102).

This small reference proves so insignificant that when

Hagrid, in typical Hagrid fashion, accidently informs Harry that what the three-headed

dog the boy found was guarding was “between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas

Flamel” (193), it completely slips Harry’s mind that he’s heard the name before, and the

trio spend the better part of their school year attempting to track down any information on

the man.

Nicolas Flamel was in fact a real person. Born in France in 1330, Flamel worked

as scrivener and manuscript-seller until his death in Paris at the age of 88 (Dow 2013).

While Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, were noted for their philanthropy and dedication to

their religious community, connections between Flamel and the study of alchemy did not

Chocolate Frogs, hunks of chocolate shaped like frogs and bewitched to hop and behave as such, are a

type of sweet popular in the wizarding world. Each Frog includes within its package a trading card

featuring the likeness and brief information on a famous witch or wizard. While individuals represented

include Merlin and the original four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,

Dumbledore’s card is one of the most common.

begin to surface until long after the couple’s death.

In 1612, Le Livre des Figures Hiéroglyphiques, or

The Book of Hieroglyphic Figures, was published.

This work, the publisher claimed, was a collection

of designs purportedly commissioned by Flamel for

a decorative architectural display at the Cimetière

des Innocents in Paris; however, the publisher’s

introduction to the work describes Flamel’s

attempts to decode a mysterious book of

hieroglyphics which he purchased from a Spanish

sage. With his wife’s help in translation, Flamel,

according to legends reported on

Historyofalchemy.com, was able to reproduce the book’s recipe for the mythical

Philosopher’s Stone, a product which could transform base metals into gold. The website

further reports stories that claim Flamel managed to produce silver in 1382, followed

soon after by productions of gold. His supposed mastery of the Philosopher’s Stone and

creation of the Elixir of Life fully cemented Flamel’s importance in the world of alchemy

as these were the field’s two main goals (Dow 2013).

Though the academic scholarship on the history of alchemic practice makes no

reference to Flamel or his Stone, his supposed accomplishment of these two feats do

fulfill the two “kinds” of alchemy practiced in Europe during the thirteenth century, that

which focused on “gold-making,” and the other which was concerned with the general

changes of “things” (Lindberg 1978:378). Lindberg examines the European emphasis on

Figure 3.1: Portrait of the historic Flamel.

Source: Historyoflchemy.com.

“elixirs” as a cultural focus of the thirteenth century not demonstrated by early

forerunners of alchemic thought within Arabic tradition. The purpose of the elixirs,

however, varied, and were believed to aid in the creation of gold, to serve as medicine,

and even induce immortality (379). Even if the legend of the Flamels was not known

within the alchemic community itself, the narrative’s reliance upon such pillars of the

field as the search for an elixir and the goal of immortality demonstrates a familiarity of

those who told this legend with the core ideas of the field itself. Despite the

recontextualization of this legend, Rowling’s own adherence to these themes within

alchemy exhibits an understanding both of the major values attributed to alchemic study

as well as an understanding of important key themes within the legend itself.

The first rebuttal of the Flamel legend was presented in 1761 by Etienne Villain

who claimed that the source of the narrative was the original publisher of Le Livre des

Figures Hiéroglyphiques, although alchemist-friendly websites which accept the Flamel

narratives as historic do enumerate possible Flamel sightings in the centuries since his

supposed death. Today, information on Flamel is less than easy to locate. What websites

are available that mention the man exhibit not only the same narrative regarding his life

and work, but in many cases even the exact, or strikingly similar, diction (Dow 2013;

geni.com). Any review of Flamel’s actual life seems to be kept to a minimum, with

publications rather focusing primarily on the legends which surround his work, yet

academic discourse on alchemy seems to ignore the man completely.

None of this information is explicitly presented in Harry Potter and the

Sorcerer’s Stone, yet even the novel’s original title, Philosopher’s Stone, and what few

references are made to Flamel within the book clearly demonstrate Rowling’s attention to

the alchemic legend regarding the Flamels. Accio-quote.org, a database of interviews

with J.K. Rowling which sorts its content into topics such as “characters,” “places,” and

“Jo,” lists a comment from a blog post on the author’s website which states the historical

context of Nicolas Flamel, once again pointing to her knowledge of folklore and active

choice in using such materials.

Within the series itself, Hermione spends months searching before finally locating

information on the Stone and Flamel. The information she ultimately locates, however, is

still scant:

The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the

Sorcerer’s Stone, a legendry substance with astonishing

powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold.

It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the

drinker immortal.

There have been many reports of the Sorcerer’s Stone over

the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence

belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist and

opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred

and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in

Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)

(Rowling 1997:220).

Although ultimately this is the most information Harry and the reader are given regarding

both Flamel and his legendary Stone, this description offers a sound base on which to

begin examining Rowling’s use of folk narratives.

Comparison of Rowling’s description of the Stone and its maker to what is

reported in European legend points out a number of alterations in Rowling’s

recontextualization. While narratives regarding Flamel do credit him with creating the

Elixir of Life, these narratives do not necessarily link the Stone to the Elixir. Rather,

Unfortunately, since the conclusion of the Potter series Rowling’s personal website has been renovated

and changed addresses, and the link provided by Accio-Quote no longer directs the user to the blog.

these products seem to be idealized separately as the “two magical goals of alchemy”

(Dow 2013; geni.com). In combining both of these efforts into one process Rowling does

not contradict the legends but rather simplifies them for young readers. Instead of

attempting to explain how Flamel managed to create both the Stone and the Elixir

separately, Rowling simply makes these issues into one: Flamel created the Stone which

was then used to create the Elixir. Since no information has “historically” been given by

putative scholars regarding how Flamel came by the Elixir, Rowling’s perception of

things ties up loose ends nicely for curious readers.

Another notable difference in recontextualizing the Flamel legend comes in the

role of the alchemist’s assistant. While published reports of Flamel’s work identify his

wife Perenelle as a co-contributor in his efforts, no such reference is made in Rowling’s

description of the Stone’s inception. Rather, Perenelle is subjugated to a peripheral role

and is merely identified as “his wife” while Albus Dumbledore is awarded the role of co-

creator. This alteration to the legend is troubling as it displaces power and notability

traditionally given to a woman to a man identified as the “greatest wizard of modern

times” in a series which is heavily dominated by male figures, yet this transition is the

very way in which Rowling is able to connect a European historical legend to the

Potterverse she has created. It is the Stone’s ability to create the Elixir of Life which

draws Lord Voldemort’s attention. Professor Dumbledore, as one of the Stone’s creators,

accepts responsibility for the item and hides it at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and

Wizardry. The Stone’s presence brings the Dark Lord himself to the school and forces a

young Harry Potter to not only endure deadly trials in order to save the Stone, but also to

directly confront the man who murdered his parents. By substituting Dumbledore for

Perenelle, Rowling drives the action of her novel through the use of a folk narrative and

creates a stronger bond between the wizarding world and the world of the reader through

a specific rather than allusive link.

This bond between the Potterverse and elements in historic tradition is important

as it provides a base in which to ground a believable secondary fantasy world. The use of

the Flamel legend strategically ties Albus Dumbledore’s notable experience and the

history of the wizarding community to that of sixteenth century Europe. Through the

sharing of this legend between the Potterverse and the primary world, Rowling creates

ties which anchor the secondary world in reality, adding a fragment of believability to her

fiction. Intertwining her fantasy with this legend allows a suspension of disbelief for both

narratives as well as creates a background for the wizarding community itself. If

Dumbledore and Flamel created the Philosopher’s Stone together, then the wizarding

community must be one with a lengthy history. This is not a world which sprung into

existence the moment Harry and the reader became aware of it; rather, it is a social

sphere which has been functioning for centuries prior to Harry’s, and our, interference.

Hogwarts: A Dark History

Unlike the legends surrounding the historical Nicolas Flamel and the

Philosopher’s Stone, narratives regarding the creation of Hogwarts and Salazar

Slytherin’s dark intentions within the Potter series are legends specifically created by

J.K. Rowling in construction of the Potterverse. The history of the Hogwarts founders

becomes of eminent importance in the second installment of the series, Harry Potter and

the Chamber of Secrets, when unnerving writing appears on the walls of the school

announcing “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware”

(Rowling 1999:138), and stealthy attacks begin leaving several students literally petrified

and hospital bound.

The reference to the Chamber once again sends the ever-inquisitive Hermione

Granger into action. Amid rumors and whispers of where the Chamber is actually located

and what nightmarish monster might lurk inside, Hermione cuts right to the chase and

asks Professor Binns during a lesson on the history of magic, “I was wondering if you

could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets” (149). Taken off guard by such a

request, Binns responds, “I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends” (149;

emphasis original). Though the professor does ultimately tell his students the story of the

Chamber of Secrets, his original hesitation and categorization of the narrative is

important. For the first time in the series, Rowling pointedly identifies a form of folk

narrative and is careful to distinguish it as such within the text. While the Chamber of

Secrets narrative, by this point in the telling of the story, is merely identified as

something other than “fact,” Rowling creates a clear distinction between true and

fictional narrative genres in a way which particularly mirrors the primary world of the

reader. Just as “folklore” today is often used as a term to denote something which is false,

Binn’s declaration that he deals in fact distinctly categorizes genres which are real from

those which are merely fiction for both Hogwarts students and the reader.

This simple distinction is short lived, however, as Hermione, the character

Rowling has admitted often speaks for her within the series to transmit information the

author wishes her audience to know, challenges Professor Binns’s definition of narrative

genres by asking “don’t legends always have a basis in fact?” (149). While Binns never

fully confirms nor denies Hermione’s claim, stating instead ambivalent “yes, one could

argue that, I suppose,” this idea is one which sticks with the reader and opens a new

realm of possibility regarding what is true and what is fiction both within the Potterverse

and the primary world it imitates. Important, too, is the difference between well-read

Hermione’s definition of “legend” when compared to academic descriptions of the genre.

Although more recent scholarship has challenged his distinction, William

Bascom’s seminal definition of legends describes them as “prose narratives which, like

myths, are regarded as true by the narrator and his audience, but they are set in a period

considered less remote, when the world was much as it is today” (Bascom 1965:4).

Despite reworkings of this description and new ideas by which to identify the legend

genre, this still offers a solid base on which to examine Rowling’s use and identification

of legendry. While Hermione’s and Binns’s methods of defining “legend” do not mirror

each other, by presenting such an exchange between the two, Rowling presents the

contrasts between the popular culture-influenced view of “legend,” exemplified by Binns,

which defines the genre as merely fiction and fantasy with her own understanding of the

term, presented by Hermione, as that which involves a narrative which although fantastic,

may have an underlying basis in fact.

Hermione and Rowling’s understanding of legendry, then, rather than aligning to

that of the dominant cultural definition, references the importance of emic belief

emphasized in Bascom’s categorization while the setting and time period fulfill

requirements of being “less remote” and in a “world much as it is today.” This influence

and representation of popular culture interpretations of traditional material demonstrated

by Professor Binns and his class’s discussion truly mark the Chamber of Secrets legend

as folkloresque, as Foster and Tolbert’s very definition of the term claims it as “popular

culture’s own (emic) perception and performance of folklore” (Foster and Tolbert

2016:5). The very discussion of the believability of the Chamber tale further strengthens

the narrative’s identification as legend as well as the ties between the Potterverse and the

primary world as it explicitly mirrors the discussions of believability in legend telling

investigated by Linda Dégh and Andrew Vázsonyi, a topic which will be covered in more

depth in the next chapter (Dégh and Vázsonyi 1976).

An even more striking aspect of such an exchange relies on Hermione’s

identification as a liminal character within the series. Although accepted to Hogwarts

School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione is actually Muggle-born. Being born and

raised outside the realm of the wizarding world, Hermione has a better grasp and

understanding of Muggle belief than many of her student peers. This Muggle world, one

in which magic is considered to be fictional and wizards merely fantasy characters, bears

a striking resemblance to the world of the reader. Rowling’s Muggle world presents a

political government complete with departmental Ministries and a Prime Minister, and

King’s Cross Station, the train platform from which the Hogwarts Express departs, is in

fact an actual train depot in the United Kingdom. The Muggle world in which Hermione

was raised, then, can specifically be seen to reflect the reality of the reader, making her

understanding of the genre of legend even more telling as it destroys the true/false

dichotomy in a way which reflects the dynamic boundary of genre within the primary

world of the audience. Much like within Rowling’s two-part Potterverse, narrative genres

in the world of the reader are often hard to categorize and often defy exact classification.

Figure 3.2: Harry’s descent into the Chamber. The snakes present serve as the symbol of Salazar Slytherin, a

fact Harry learns in the second novel, and also allude to the monster he is about to face. The bearded face at the end

of the corridor is Slytherin himself. Source: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Film: 2002.

Whatever Professor Binns’s ambivalent feelings regarding the Chamber of

Secrets, he does tell the Chamber’s story to the anxious History of Magic students. This

telling, however, is far from simple, as first Binns must take a step back to offer a

background narrative of context for the Chamber’s legend.

“Let me see . . . the Chamber of Secrets . . .

“You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over

a thousand years ago — the precise date is uncertain — by

the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four

school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor,

Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar

Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying

Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by

common people, and witches and wizards suffered much

persecution.”

He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued.

“For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together,

seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and

bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then

disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to

grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to

be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts.

He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-

magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle

parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a

while, there was a serious argument on the subject between

Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school [...]

Reliable historical sources tell us this much,” he said. “But

these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful

legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that

Slytherin had built a chamber in the castle, of which the

other founders knew nothing.

Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of

Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own

true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able

to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror

within, and use it to purge the school of all who were

unworthy to study magic.”

There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it

wasn’t the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor

Binns’s classes. There was unease in the air as everyone

continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns

looked faintly annoyed. “The whole thing is arrant

nonsense, of course,” he said. “Naturally, the school has

been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times,

by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist.

A tale told to frighten the gullible.”

Hermione’s hand was back in the air. “Sir — what exactly

do you mean by the ‘horror within’ the Chamber?”

“That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the

Heir of Slytherin alone can control,” said Professor Binns

in his dry, reedy voice.

The class exchanged nervous looks. “I tell you, the thing

does not exist,” said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes.

“There is no Chamber and no monster.”

“But, sir,” said Seamus Finnigan, “if the Chamber can only

be opened by Slytherin’s true heir, no one else would be

able to find it, would they?”

“Nonsense, O’Flaherty,” said Professor Binns in an

aggravated tone. “If a long succession of Hogwarts

headmasters and headmistresses haven’t found the thing —

”

“But, Professor,” piped up Parvati Patil, “you’d probably

have to use Dark Magic to open it —”

“Just because a wizard doesn’t use Dark Magic doesn’t

mean he can’t, Miss Pennyfeather,” snapped Professor

Binns. “I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore —”

“But maybe you’ve got to be related to Slytherin, so

Dumbledore couldn’t —” began Dean Thomas, but

Professor Binns had had enough.

“That will do,” he said sharply. “It is a myth! It does not

exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever

built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling

you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to

history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!” (Rowling

1999: 150; emphasis original)

Although Hermione and Professor Binns’s original discussion of the narrative

identified the Chamber of Secrets tale as a legend, in his exasperation, the skeptical Binns

alters his categorization of the story to that of “myth” rather than legend. Once again,

Rowling chooses to adhere to the popular culture distinction of “myth” as “an unfounded

or false notion”

rather than the academic understanding defined by Bascom as “prose

narratives which, in the society in which they are told, are considered to be truthful

accounts of what happened in the remote past” (Bascom 1956:4), or similarly by Dundes

as “a sacred narrative explaining how the world and man came to be in their present

form” (Dundes 1984:x). This choice demonstrates that while the author is familiar with

folklore forms and genres, she is not beholden to academic study and instead chooses to

present such material in a popular culture frame more accessible to her readers.

Despite

Merriam-Webster (2017), “myth.” 2b.

As familiar as Rowling seems to be with folkloristic materials themselves, it is important to note the

possibility of the author’s lack of knowledge regarding academic scholarship on expressive culture within

the United Kingdom. Rowling, despite being comfortable with folkloric materials, may simply be unaware

of the academic definitions of the elements which she uses.

the important differences between myth and legend in academic study, what is important

to Binns in his perspective as a historian seems to be merely an identification of what is

fact versus what is fiction. As the students’ discussion of the tale demonstrates, however,

often such distinctions are not easy to make, thereby complicating the generic

classification of such a narrative in ways which directly represent similar discussions

within the reader’s primary world.

The use of this narrative within the Potterverse shows more than just the messy

generic classifications which can come with narrative discourse. The Chamber of Secrets

legend, and the tale of the founding of Hogwarts which accompanies it, are tales unique

to J.K. Rowling’s secondary world. These tales effectively present not just a greater depth

of history of both the wizarding school and community but also complicate the

community itself by presenting not one general perception of characteristics which are to

be valued, but rather a variation of mores which add depth and complexity to the

construction of the Potterverse and initiate an over-arching system of conflict and identity

negotiation which proves to be a recurring theme throughout the series.

Each Hogwarts House is based upon the characteristics each founder sought in

their respective wizarding students: Godric Gryffindor preferred those who were brave;

Rowena Ravenclaw only accepted students of wit and intelligence; Helga Hufflepuff

looked for those who were compassionate and kind; and Salazar Slytherin only accepted

those pure-blood wizards who were ambitious and cunning. Even after the death of the

original founders these attributes still served as the principle qualifications which

influenced the sorting of Hogwarts students. Issues between the Houses, each created

based on the individual ideology of their Hogwarts founder, arise in each installment of

the series, and identification by House seems to follow students into their adult life,

labeling each even as they are no longer students (Rowling 2007:680). By developing a

legendary narrative which references these differences Rowling creates a complex and

believable multivocal wizarding world which is not cohesive and static, but rather must

continually reevaluate its perception of values over time.

Fairy Tales and Wizard Tales

It is not only Rowling’s use of legend narratives which helps to build the

Potterverse. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, discussed in Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows, is a treasury of Rowling-composed classic fairy tales which are unique to the

wizarding world of the Potter series. These tales, explicitly identified as fairy tales within

the Potter series (Rowling 2007:407) share a number of similarities with marchen

common to the reader’s primary world. The phenomenon of combining borrowed

structure and unique content in the Beedle narratives has recently been investigated for

Foster and Tolbert’s 2016 publication, The Folkloresque: Reframing Folklore in a

Popular Culture World. Contributing authors Carlea Holl-Jensen and Jeffrey A. Tolbert

specifically state in their analysis of the work that Rowling is able to “convey new

messages through familiar forms” (Holl-Jenson and Tolbert 2016:168) in works which

“seek less to replicate the content of familiar tales than to mimic

their forms” (167).

Similar to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The

Tales of Beedle the Bard was published as a complementary

pseudo-academic work to the original Potter series in 2008 as a

philanthropic effort to raise funds for the Children’s High Level

Figure 3.3: Cover of The Tales of

Beedle the Bard, published in 2008.

Source: BarnesandNoble.com.

Group, an organization founded by Rowling in 2010 to aid institutionalized and

disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. This supplemental text, which claims to be

“translated from the Ancient Runes by Hermione Granger” with commentary by Albus

Dumbledore, presents five fairy tales which, while all singular to the Potterverse,

demonstrate a range of structural and thematic ties and references to Mrchen tales

common in the world of the audience.

Jan Brunvand’s introductory textbook, The Study of American Folklore, lists

seven key components of Indo-European folktale, a classification which the author

admits is known best as “fairy tale” despite the lack of actual fairy characters in these

narratives. The characteristics of these tales include an unspecified time and location,

royal characters, the use of magic, fantastic animals, a threefold repetitive structure, a

main character identified as an “underdog,” and opening and closing formulas (Brunvand

1998:230). While each of these attributes may not be specifically found within Beedle the

Bard’s fairy tales, seldom is each characteristic found universally in fairy tales within the

primary world, either. Characteristics that are exhibited in Beedle’s tales offer

correlations to established European narratives and present a strong argument for the

pointed folkloresque recreation of the fairy tale genre within Rowling’s Potterverse.

Despite references to kingdoms, villages, enchanted gardens, and even neighbors

and traveling, the lack of specific setting and time period of each of Beedle’s tales clearly

mirrors the generic tradition of European fairy tales within the world of the reader. To

further solidify this reflection of such a well-established genre, more than one of Beedle’s

tales refers to royalty, such as the knight from “The Fountain of Fair Fortune” (Rowling

2008:23) and the King and his court who serve as the fool-hardy antagonists in “Babitty

Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump” (61). The use of magic prevails throughout the Beedle

tales as a number of the characters, such as the fair maiden in “The Warlock’s Hairy

Heart” and “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” are identified specifically as magical

individuals with titles such as “witch” and “wizard.” However, a number of magical

occurrences which are surprising to these gifted individuals are presented within the

Beedle tales as well. The wizard’s pot is not actually supposed to hop, but grows a leg

and foot of its own accord and begins tormenting the wizard until the helpless man learns

to act in a more neighborly fashion (7). “The Fountain of Fair Fortune” similarly tells the

story of a fountain of water which is believed to have more magical ability than the

mundane wizards who journey to find it, and is only reachable one day of the year (20).

Even the personified character of Death and the extraordinary magic which he possesses

becomes an integral part of Beedle’s tales in “The Tale of the Three Brothers” by not

only appearing in corporeal form but also presenting magical objects to the three brothers

beyond each of their wildest imaginings (88).

Axel Olrik’s Twelve Laws of Folk Narrative are also reflected within the Beedle

the Bard narratives. Although not all of Olrik’s laws are evident within the wizarding

fairy tales, the Law of a Single Strand, Law of Concentration on a Leading Character,

Law of Contrast, and Law of Repetition and Law of Three all make prominent

appearances within the Potterverse fairy tale treasury (Olrik [1909]1999).

The Law of a Single Strand describes narratives which “do not go back in order to

fill in missing details. If such previous background information is necessary, then it will

be given in dialogue” (94). This is possibly best represented in “The Wizard and the

Hopping Pot” (Rowling 2008:1). In this tale, a wizard inherits a cauldron from his

beloved father, but then refuses to aid his neighbors in the same way his father did before

him. As the man begins turning away neighbors in need, his father’s pot begins to

retaliate to this mistreatment, first by sprouting a bronze foot and warts (4), then issuing

sounds of a braying donkey and groans of hunger (6), and finally by overflowing with

tears (7) until the man finally runs through his village casting spells to remedy the ills of

his neighbors (9). Although a short story, only ten pages in length, many strands of

narrative actually occur within the tale. A number of characters enter and exit the

narrative’s frame, each with their own individual issues, and the pot itself establishes its

own chronology of events, yet Beedle’s narrative focuses singularly on the tale as it

relates to the man’s relationship with the pot. No extra time is wasted discussing the

wizard’s neighbors or father and their deeds or feelings towards the man; rather the

narrative follows the man and his pot in particular with references to the pot “hopp[ing]

at his heels all day” (6) and the wizard being unable to sleep or eat because the pot

refused to leave his side (7). This specific focus in contrast to following the variety of

plots available within the tale clearly fulfills the Law of a Single Strand.

While “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot” also demonstrates the Law of

Concentration on a Leading Character, “a formal single-strandedness and a certain regard

for the character” (Olrik [1909]1999:96), it is not the only Beedle narrative to do so.

“Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump,” the longest story in the treasury at sixteen

pages, follows the story of a witch who makes fun of a King who is trying to learn magic

(65), is commanded by the King’s magical instructor to help him fake the King’s power

(67), and is then hunted down for execution when she does not completely fulfill the task

(72) before transfiguring

herself to escape the foolish King (76). Despite the length of

such a narrative and the tale’s initial exposition regarding the King’s desire to learn

magic, from the moment of Babbity’s introduction the focus of the narrative clearly

becomes the witch rather than the King or his instructor. Babbity is the only character

within the tale given a name rather than being referred to by a title such as “King” or

“Captain,” and rather than simply stating the witch failed to perform the trickery

demanded of her by the King’s magical instructor, Beedle’s narrative explains why

Babbity made such a decision in the first place. By including such thought processes

“Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump” follows the Law of Concentration on one

character in a narrative which presents a number of stubborn and exaggerated

personalities.

The Law of Contrast, in which two characters are depicted as basic opposites

(Olrik [1909]1999:91), is seen the most clearly in “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” the story

of a warlock who uses Dark Magic to rid himself of the possibility of love (Rowling

2008:43), yet then decides to pursue a beautiful witch in order to boost his pride (47).

Ultimately, the warlock shares his dreadful secret with the maiden who influences him to

undo the deed (51), yet this moment of bliss backfires and ends suddenly and tragically

for the young couple as the warlock’s heart proves to be damaged beyond repair (52). No

two more completely opposite characters can be found in the Beedle treasury as these

young and doomed lovers. The warlock is described as “handsome, rich and talented” but

In the Potterverse, transfiguration is a form of magic in which one object is transformed into

something completely new. Animagi are especially powerful transfiguration wizards who can

transform themselves into animals. Babbity Rabbity proves herself to be such a witch by

transfiguring into a rabbit, although the King and his court believe her to have taken the form of a

tree.

also “aloof and cold” with a “haughty mien” (43). His maiden, however, “was a witch of

prodigious skill and possessed of much gold. Her beauty was such that it tugged at the

heart of every man who set eyes on her” (47). While both characters are identified as

beautiful, it is rather their particular characterizations which sets them as opposites.

Whereas the warlock is proud of his Dark Magic and feels he should be the envy of all

those round him, the maiden’s reaction to his secret is one of terror and she laments his

deed and begs him to reverse the curse (50). These actions and her willingness to accept

the warlock once the curse has been corrected prove the maiden to be pure and good of

heart unlike her counterpart who basks in his dastardly work. While the opposition in this

narrative may not be specific to physical characteristics, it is the personality of each of

the characters which fulfills Olrik’s Law of Opposition.

In discussing the Law of Threes, in which repetition occurs within the narrative

and usually up to three times (Olrik [1909]1999:89), it is impossible to choose only one

Beedle tale as an example of fulfillment. With the exception of “The Warlock’s Hairy

Heart,” each of the tales demonstrates a reliance on the number three. Three neighbors

visit the unfortunate man in “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” and as each is turned

away without aid the pot adds a new torment to the man’s ordeal. “The Fountain of Fair

Fortune” includes not only three witches of differing ages and goals (21), but also three

obstacles which must be overcome in order to reach the fountain itself (26). Babbity

Rabbity also must fulfill three tasks in order to help the King’s instructor trick him, even

though she does not fulfill the third task. “The Tale of Three Brothers,” which we will

return to in the next chapter, includes three brothers as main characters (87), three gifts

from Death (88), and three separate death scenes for each brother, the first two each

concluding with the line “and so Death took the first [or second] brother for his own”

(91;92), while the final brother “greeted Death as an old friend” (93). The predominance

of the Law of Threes throughout the Beedle the Bard narratives is so explicit that it is

easily discernible in almost every tale of the treasury. This reliance on generic tradition

then must be no mistake, but rather proves a clear effort on Rowling’s part to mimic

folkloric forms common to the world of the reader.

In their work on Rowling’s folkloresque creation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard,

Holl-Jenson and Tolbert discuss these Potterverse fairy tales as “cultural artifacts that

transmit traditional values” (Holl-Jenson and Tolbert 2016: 168). According to these

authors, “Rowling is identifying the kinds of cultural values she sees expressed in

European folklore and imagining how a different set of values might rise from a different

culture” (169). The emphasis on helping others and punishment for failing to fulfill this

action presented in “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot” clearly fit this distinction as

instructions for good, moral behavior. Similarly, each witch’s ability to fulfill her needs

without the use of the magic fountain in “The Fountain of Fair Fortune” demonstrates a

reliance not on magic, but rather on ingenuity and self-awareness. Interestingly, two of

the Beedle narratives deal with the topic of death as it relates to the wizarding world.

Babbity Rabbity foils the false magician’s plan when expected to bring a hunting dog

back from the dead because, as explicitly stated within the text, “no magic can rise the

dead” (Rowling 2008:72). This lesson is one of some importance as it is revisited in the

second brother’s wish for a Resurrection Stone in “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” This

brother learns that magic has no control over Death, and so gives into a power greater

than his own (92). Only the third brother, who seems able to recognize this truth, is

spared a disappointing and heartbreaking encounter with the power of Death.

As Ron Weasley claims in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, wizarding

children such as himself and Luna Lovegood are raised hearing the fairy tales compiled

by Beedle the Bard “to teach them lessons” (Rowling 2007:414). This admission, in

conjunction with the types of lessons presented within the narratives themselves,

demonstrates important aspects of Potterverse familial culture. Much like families within

the world of the reader, fairy tales are often transmitted from parent to child through the

reading or telling of the narratives. This enactment of family tradition often lends to the

practice of child rearing, as the narratives provide instruction on how to treat neighbors,

the dangers of being prideful and greedy, and understanding the limits of power and the

place of the individual in the universe, among other things. As in marchen tales in the

world of the reader, The Tales of Beedle the Bard offer important aspects of wizarding

socialization during adolescent growth and development.

Much like Rowling’s use of both recontextualized and created Potterverse

legends, The Tales of Beedle the Bard adds depth and believability to the realm of the

Potterverse through specifically mimicking the genres which these narratives reflect from

the primary world. While the inclusion of the Flamel legend adds history and relatability

to Potterverse, making it more believable and tangible, the Chamber of Secrets legend

rather demonstrates the complications attributed to generic distinction within both the

secondary and primary worlds. Lessons found in Beedle the Bard demonstrate important

social rules and morals as well as serve as an example of familial relation and child

rearing practices similar to those in the reader’s primary world, but it is the way in which

each of the these and other folkloresque narratives within the series relate which fully

structures a dynamic Potterverse which is accessible and relatable for readers.

IV. “The last enemy to be conquered is Death”: the Deathly

Hallows as Cultural Texts

The variety of folkloric and folkloresque narratives within the Potterverse is

immense in a way which reflects the multiplicity of styles of folk narratives within the

world of the reader. J.K. Rowling, author of the Potter series, calls on both Potterverse

folk narratives she herself has created as well as previously established texts to enhance

the fantasy backdrop of her series and fuel plot development. In many cases, the use of

these narratives lies in their negotiation of believability. Characters within the series are

presented a narrative, make assumptions based upon its believability, and then are

ultimately faced with the truth of the tale, exhibiting a structure of plot development

common to fantasy literature.

The legend of the Deathly Hallows and the tale from which it is drawn prove to be

a key element in the conclusion of the Potter series, specifically in that the legend itself is

proven to be not only believable but actual Potterverse truth. Examinations of the Deathly

Hallows narratives within the Potter series reveal a mirroring of motifs and forms such as

fairy tales and legends common to those within the primary world. These tales also reflect

a system of believability and belief negotiation strategically linked to the tale’s generic

classification and introduce conflicts and misunderstandings which while unique to the

Potterverse pointedly symbolize issues familiar within the primary world.

In the final installment of the Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows, Hermione Granger is awarded “a small book that looked as ancient as the copy

of Secrets of the Darkest Arts upstairs” by the executor of Dumbledore’s will (Rowling

2007:126). The text is identified as The Tales of Beedle the Bard, but the three friends

remain unsure why the Professor would leave her such an item. Hermione works to

decipher the book, and ultimately

even brings it along when the trio

flee the invasion of Lord

Voldemort’s followers, much to

Ron and Harry’s chagrin. While

this series of events seems to be

merely coincidental for the

majority of the novel, the

importance of the book, and the

reason Dumbledore felt it necessary to it leave behind, becomes clear once the team

meets with Xenophilius Lovegood, the father of another Hogwarts student whom Harry

feels compelled to visit due to Lovegood’s staunch support of Harry in the face of

Voldemort and his followers. Although originally adverse to the plan, Hermione finally

agrees to the visit when she notices a striking symbol the man sported at the wedding of

one of the Weasley children drawn in the margins of a page of The Tales of Beedle the

Bard. When Hermione’s reason for the visit is revealed, Lovegood explains the symbol to

be the mark of the Deathly Hallows, a term with which none of the trio, whether raised

by Muggles or wizards, is familiar. “The whole thing starts,” Lovegood explains, “with

‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’” (Rowling 2007:400), the last tale included in Beedle’s

fairy tale treasury.

At Lovegood’s request, Hermione reads the tale to the expectant group. Beedle’s

narrative, in short, tells the story of three brothers who outsmart Death and so are given

items which each assumes to be a reward for their ingenuity until their use backfires. The

Figure 4.1: Hermione receiving The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Source:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1. Film: 2010.

oldest brother, the first to be granted a gift from Death, asks for a wand which will make

him invincible, yet his boasts regarding the Deathstick

lead to his own violent murder,

allowing Death his revenge. The second brother, by contrast, requests of Death a stone

with which to recall others from the afterlife. This brother resurrects his lost love, but

ultimately realizes the being he brought back is not his paramour but only a shadow of

who she used to be and so kills himself to join her on the other side, once again awarding

Death vengeance. The third and youngest brother, distrustful of Death, asks for a cloak of

invisibility so that he might not be followed. This brother, unlike the prior two, lives a

full and quiet life before finally passing the cloak along to his own son and welcoming

Death at last (Rowling 2007:406; Rowling 2008:87).

The content of this tale is not novel, but rather reflects a number of European

folktales involving the personification of Death and those humans who attempt to evade

him. The best known literary version of this narrative is Chaucer’s “The Pardoner’s

Tale,” a moral story against the dangers of greed and gluttony in which two friends

murder a third in order to gain a larger sum of money, but then accidently kill themselves

when the two drink from poisoned wine the man they murdered had planned to give them

in order to accomplish the same deviant task (Correale 2002:279). Rowling’s placement

of the tale of three men attempting to outwit Death within a magical world creates a

folkloresque narrative which combines magic and wizarding duels unique to the

secondary world within a tale drawn from European tradition.

Also known as the Wand of Destiny or the Elder Wand, as Death supposedly created it from the limb of

an elder tree.

This short tale, lasting just over three pages in Deathly Hallows including the

commentary from Hermione’s audience, is identified by characters within the text

specifically as a fairy tale (Rowling 2007:407), yet is concluded with Lovegood’s cryptic,

“Well, there you are.” In explanation, Lovegood demonstrates: “’The Elder Wand,’ he

said, and he drew a straight vertical line upon the parchment. ‘The Resurrection Stone,’

he said, and he added a circle on top of the line. ‘The Cloak of Invisibility,’ he finished,

enclosing both line and circle in a triangle, to make the symbol that so intrigued

Hermione. ‘Together,’ he said, ‘the Deathly Hallows’” (409).

Lovegood’s illustration of the Hallows reveals something very important to Harry

and his friends. While the older man admits no mention of the Hallows is made within

the fairy tale because “That is a children’s tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct”

(409), he claims that those who understand the story recognize the legendary references

made to three ancient objects which when combined give the owner complete power over

Death. Whereas Ron and Hermione identify the narrative’s genre as that of fairy tale and

believe it to be solely fiction, Lovegood instead acknowledges the Beedle tale itself as a

children’s story, but rather classifies the narrative which it references as a legend, one

which is specifically connected to the Peverell brothers and three ancient items. Here,

Dumbledore’s gift to Hermione begins to take on new meaning: Beedle’s treasury is not

just a book for her enjoyment, but may possibly hold

instructions on how to beat a villain who is almost

immortal.

Lord Voldemort, Harry’s arch nemesis, is known as the darkest wizard to have ever lived. One of his

more nefarious deeds is the creation of a number of horcruxes. These are items which hold pieces of

Voldemort’s soul. In order to kill the man, all pieces of his soul unattached to his corporeal being must be

destroyed as well. Voldemort has seven horcurxes, each created by murdering an innocent.

Figure 4.2: Chapter heading illustration taken

from “The Tale of the Three Brothers,” the

chapter in which the trio learn of the Hallows.

Source: Deathly Hallows, 2007.

Lovegood’s explanation of the Hallows begins a heated discussion regarding the

generic classification of the tale and the believability of Lovegood’s claims. On one end

of the spectrum, Lovegood believes implicitly in the legend of the Hallows, even going

so far as to postulate that the three Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus, could

have been the original owners of the items. He identifies himself as a “believer” on the

quest for the Hallows (405). Hermione however, referred to by Lovegood as “not

unintelligent, but painfully limited” (410), remains ever the skeptic regarding matters of

belief and characterizes Beedle’s story as simply fairy tale and nothing more. Their

opposing opinions, which do not become resolved during this exchange, lead to

discussions of three major themes: whether or not the Hallows could be real; superstitions

which have sprung from the Hallows legend and its fairy tale counterpart; and the

different values which are perceived as important in relation to which Hallow an

individual would choose.

As discussed in the previous chapter, it is the structure and use of motifs in

Beedle’s stories which distinguishes them as fairy tales. The genre of fairy tale, identified

in folkloristic scholarship as marchen or folktale, is described as a fictional narrative told

predominantly for entertainment (Brunvand 1998:229) and often involves formalized

openings and conclusions, a remote setting, royal characters, and the use of traditional

motifs (230). These qualifications, present within the Beedle narrative, influence Ron and

Hermione’s labeling of “The Tale of the Three Brothers” specifically as “a fairy tale”

within the text, and even Lovegood, the disseminator of the Hallows legend,

acknowledges the Beedle narrative as “a children’s tale” (Rowling 2007:409). Lovegood,

however, claims, “Those of us who understand [such] matters […] recognize that the

ancient story refers to three objects, or Hallows, which if united, will make the possessor

master of Death” (410). Lovegood’s explanation of the tale then demonstrates his

understanding of “The Tale of the Three Brothers” as separate from any explanation of

the “three objects” to which the narrative relates. To Lovegood, Beedle’s story is merely

a fairy tale, which, although separate, refers to a much older legend narrative, that of the

Deathly Hallows. Believability in the tale then becomes connected not to the Beedle

narrative, which is understood by each of the characters as meant for entertainment, but

rather its allusions to the Hallows legend as it is connected to the Peverell brothers. These

two narratives, while related, become identified separately by genre as it is related to

belief.

Discussions of believability such as that which accompanies Lovegood’s

explanation of the Hallows are what Linda Dégh and Andrew Vázsonyi claim fully

delineate a legend as different from a myth or folktale. Dégh and Vázsonyi, in summation

of their article “Legend and Belief,” state in regards to the relationship between legend

and belief that legend-telling traditions “[take] a stand and [call] for the expression of

opinion on the question of truth and belief” (Dégh and Vázsonyi 1976:119). To these

researchers, the key to defining and examining legend lies not in whether or not the

narrative is believed by those who transmit it, but rather in that the issue of belief is

called to the forefront of the social setting and made a focus of discussion.

Although dated and somewhat controversial, William Bascom’s definition of

legend is to some extent also fulfilled by Lovegood’s explanation of the Deathly Hallows.

Bascom claims, “Legends are prose narratives which, like myths, are regarded as true by

the narrator and his audience, but they are set in a period considered less remote, when

the world was much as it is today” (Bascom 1965:4). While Dégh and Vázsonyi’s

characterization of legend generally supersedes that of Bascom in modern folkloristic

study, the Deathly Hallows narrative manages to fulfill both. Rowling’s presentation of

belief in regards to the Deathly Hallows aligns with Dégh and Vázsonyi’s discussion, and

the Hallows tale’s distinction as a prose narrative which does take place in a period less

remote than that of a myth and in a setting similar to that with which the Potterverse

characters are familiar within Rowling’s secondary world fulfills Bascom’s legend

qualifications.

While Hermione’s reading of “The Tale of the Three Brothers” demonstrates the

family and social pastime of fairy tale reading, Rowling’s reveal of the Hallows legend at

the hands of Xenophilius Lovegood during a conversation following Hermione’s tale

illustrates the very practice of belief negotiation which is expected to accompany the

telling of a legend, proving that while the content of both the “Three Brothers” fairy tale

and the Hallows legend may be invented by the Potterverse, the transmission and

presentation of these narratives is, in fact, highly traditional in a way which mimics the

transmission of such narratives within the world of the reader.

Seldom do “believers” of legend narratives tell these stories exclusively to those

who share their belief and point of view during transmission. Dégh and Vázsonyi’s work

discusses this fact in depth, explaining that not only can legends be told from believer to

nonbeliever in an effort to convince the listener (100), but that “No matter how

incredulous the dispenser of a legend is, no matter how much he emphasizes that his story

is untrue, the receivers might accept it as truth” (99). The inverse of this scenario, a

believing “dispenser” with an oppositional “receiver” serves as a model for the

transmission of the Deathly Hallows legend within the Potter series. While Hermione

may read the fairy tale from which the legend is drawn, it is in fact Mr. Lovegood, the

man who stanchly believes in the existence of the Hallows, who tells the trio of the

legend regarding their supposed existence which lies behind the children’s tale.

Hermione, the audience member who most fully dissents from Lovegood’s stance, would

be identified as an “opponent” of the narrative’s believability by Dégh and Vázsonyi, as

this classification separates her the furthest from the identification of “believer” (118).

Harry and Ron, the other two recipients of the Hallows legend, are harder to

pinpoint in regards to belief stance. The majority of discussion on the possibility of the

Hallows occurs between Lovegood and Hermione, as these two characters present

dichotomous belief patterns. Arguments for either side of this belief are easier to present

as extremes—whether to believe or oppose—rather than through a variety of nuances.

The few comments the two other characters manage to interject, however, do present a

variety of belief negotiation which is a more realistic representation of real-world belief

patterns and once again demonstrates the theory of belief’s importance as described by

Dégh and Vázsonyi.

Harry, raised Muggle-born without the influence of the Beedle fairy tales, finds it

somewhat harder to dismiss “The Tale of Three Brothers” as simply entertainment for

children than the studious Hermione due to his own lived experiences. His openness to

accept a higher level of believability of the tale and a possible legendary meaning beyond

its fairy tale context is demonstrated when he incredulously interrupts Hermione’s

storytelling to question the personification of Death. Despite his surprise at this

characterization, Harry is quickly shushed by Hermione and reminded “it’s a fairy tale”

before the narrative might continue (Rowling 2007: 407).

Harry has an even harder time dismissing the Hallows legend on which the fairy

tale seems to be based once Mr. Lovegood explains what each item of the Hallows is

supposed to be. Harry himself owns an invisibility cloak of unknown origin which is

unlike all the others his wizarding friends are familiar with (411), and Harry’s own wand

had exhibited strange activity just previous to visiting the Lovegood home, allowing

Harry to be open to such an idea as an “unbeatable” wand (415). The lack of outright

declaration of (dis)belief in a series with characters like Hermione and Xenophilius who

clearly declare their allegiances, leads the reader to believe Harry to be neither believer

nor opponent, yet his reactions and seeming willingness to remain open-minded about the

existence of the Hallows mark him as favoring the possibility of belief in the legend, even

if the fairy tale itself is metaphorical and meant for children. These characteristics, in

Dégh and Vázsonyi’s distinction, would classify the boy as “ambivalent,” one of the

three types of legend receivers which separate believers from opponents and is also a

common level of belief acceptance witnessed within the primary world of the reader

(Dégh and Vázsonyi 1976:118).

Ron Weasley, by contrast, seems wary of the legendary Hallows, yet even he

would be classified as a “skeptic” rather than a “nonbeliever.” Ron, raised by a wizarding

family, grew up hearing The Tales of Beedle the Bard. His understanding of the

narratives as “fun” and “unserious” directly correlates to Brian Sutton-Smith’s

examination of the phenomenon he terms the “triviality barrier” which deems childlore

unacceptable for study as it is thought of as silly and lacking in analytical content

(Sutton-Smith 1970:2). Sutton-Smith points out that in societies which are clearly work-

oriented such activities as childhood pastimes are seen as trivial and unimportant.

Ron’s passive disbelief in the narrative is exemplified when he is specifically

asked by Harry if he believes the tale. Although Harry clearly means the legend of the

Hallows as told by Xenophilius Lovegood, Ron’s response instead references the fairy

tale claiming, “Nah, that story’s just one of those things you tell kids to teach them a

lesson, isn’t it?” (Rowling 2007: 414), demonstrating the effects of Sutton-Smith’s

triviality barrier through Ron’s general unwillingness to see the Beedle tales as anything

other than unimportant children’s stories lacking in any deeper purpose. The final tag of

Ron’s statement, “isn’t it?”

however, opens a line of doubt

within Ron’s method of thinking.

While a rhetorical device, such an

inquiry demonstrates that Ron is

beginning to rethink his own

conclusions about the meaning

behind the fairy tale and the possible believability of the legend it references. Of the trio,

Ron Weasley most clearly exhibits the active problem of individual belief negotiation

within a social context as examined by Dégh and Vázsonyi (Dégh and Vázsonyi

1976:109).

Ron’s reassessment is demonstrated throughout the trio’s conversation about the

possibility of the Hallows legend after Lovegood leaves the room. Although Harry owns

the cloak and all three are aware of its existence, it is Ron who finally brings up this

Figure 4.3: Harry’s reaction to first trying on the invisibility cloak.

Source: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Film, 2001

matter in discussion: “‘What about the Cloak, though?’ said Ron slowly. ‘Don’t you

realize, he’s right? I’ve got so used to Harry’s Cloak and how good it is, I never stopped

to think’” (Rowling 2007: 416). Ron’s speech pattern, described by Rowling as “slow,”

as if he is thinking through the issue as he presents it, and his admittance that Lovegood

is “right,” demonstrate Ron’s personal negotiation of belief in regards to the Hallows

legend. Though he never fully voices belief and in fact remains vocally skeptical of the

topic, still exhibiting a desire for distance from the potential importance of the subject

caused by the triviality barrier, Ron’s characterization changes dramatically during the

revelation of the Hallows’ legend, showing that belief is not stagnant but rather can be

reinterpreted at a moment’s notice. Even further, such distinctions and negotiations of

belief within a group context fully align with Dégh and Vázsonyi’s analysis in that “the

actual belief manifest at the time of the telling is always the result of the dichotomous

relationship between the communal belief system, inherited in tradition and sanctioned by

enculturation, and the personal belief of the individual performers” (Dégh and Vázsonyi

1976:103). While the belief of the group as a whole is being discussed in reference to the

Hallows legend, Ron experiences an internal negotiation of his individual belief

acceptance based upon his cultural background and the influence of those around him.

The telling of the legend which informs the trio of the existence of the Deathly

Hallows after the reading of Beedle’s tale is a pivotal moment within the Potter series.

Not only does it present to the reader an explanation of one of the novel’s biggest

questions—how to defeat Voldemort—but the exchanges within the scene also greatly

build upon the fantasy realm of the Potterverse, in effect creating a more believable and

substantial secondary world.

Negotiations of belief prior to the Deathly Hallows discussion are not uncommon

within the series, as seen in previous chapters, yet until this exchange believability has

been presented in a primarily binary manner; Hermione, usually identified as the non-

believer, is in opposition to those who believe unquestioningly. This same dichotomy is

apparent between Hermione and Xenophilius Lovegood, yet these opinions on the

Deathly Hallows are not the only ones presented to the audience. Much like within the

reader’s primary world, there are believers and nonbelievers, but there are also those who

are unsure of what they believe. These individuals, represented by Ron and Harry, exhibit

a variety of beliefs and a high level of negotiation according to the social context of the

belief discussion itself, such as those involved in the conversation and their respective

beliefs. By including such points of view, Rowling allows for a widening of her own

fantasy universe. Her characters, much like the individuals who make up her audience,

are not forced into dichotomous roles based on belief or nonbelief, but rather demonstrate

a continuum of belief stances. The reflection of the primary world in this practice is

inescapable and aids in adding depth and complexity to the fantasy social strata, in effect

bringing the Potterverse to life.

Rowling is careful to demonstrate the differences between believers and non-

believers of the Deathly Hallows in a way which is tangible to the audience. Harry is first

drawn to the mark of the Deathly Hallows at the wedding of one of the Weasley brothers.

Victor Krum, all-star Quidditch player and champion for Durmstrang School of Wizardry

during the Tri-Wizard Tournament of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, becomes

enraged when he sees Mr. Lovegood’s necklace bearing the Hallows symbol at the

wedding reception. Krum explains to Harry his understanding of the mark and its

connection to the Dark Wizard, Grindelwald (Rowling 2007:148). Krum, unaware of the

Hallows legend and seemingly unfamiliar with “The Tale of the Three Brothers” harbors

an understanding of the symbol which is drastically different from that which Lovegood

explains to the trio. Gilbert Grindelwald, one of the darkest wizards in history, was a

former student of Durmstrang and known for leaving the mark of the Hallows upon

school walls. Krum, who is unaware of the history of the Hallows symbol, only knows

the mark as Grindelwald’s insignia, in the same manner in which the Dark Mark, the

skull with the snake wrapped around and protruding from it, serves as the mark of the

followers of Voldemort, known as the Death Eaters. Believing Lovegood to be a

supporter of Grindelwald’s misdeeds, Krum confronts the man before the evening is over

regarding the mark and a brawl must be subdued. Lovegood, however, neatly explains

this situation to the trio when asked what the mark means:

You haven’t heard of them? I’m not surprised. Very, very

few wizards believe. Witness that knuckle-headed young

man at your brother’s wedding […] who attacked me for

sporting the symbol of a well-known Dark Wizard! Such

ignorance. There is nothing Dark about the Hallows—at

least, not in that crude sense. One simply uses the symbol

to reveal oneself to other believers, in the hope that they

might help one with the Quest. (405)

If Hermione’s interaction with Lovegood demonstrates the differences present

between believers and nonbelievers, the older man’s exchange with Krum exhibits the

dangers present when two groups in close quarters with one another do not fully

understand each other’s culture. Rather than presenting a static explanation of the

Hallows and their followers, Rowling presents a variety of groups with differing cultural

understandings which must interact regarding a singular topic. The Hallows are not

presented glibly as an infallible and unquestionable element within the secondary world,

but rather there are groups with differing interpretations of the mark attached to the

legend, and very real consequences come from misunderstandings between these

individuals. Even within a fantasy series intended for children, misunderstandings lead to

violence, a lesson easily identifiable by the reader and applicable to a real-world context.

By placing demonstrations of the dangers of such misunderstanding of interpretation

symbolically within a fantasy realm, Rowling is able to discuss such weighty matters in a

safe space which is accessible and understandable to young readers. Much like the threats

of sexual violence which are only alluded to within the series, disagreements over the

Deathly Hallows suggest modern day issues of religious right and social cohesion which

often led to physical violence in a way which is not shocking or unnerving for readers

who understand the allusion.

These confrontations heighten Rowling’s fictional narrative, interrupting

exposition with action to draw in the reader and creating a tangled web of history which

explains the Hallows, Dumbledore’s interest in their existence, and their importance in

the fight against Lord Voldemort. Even further, such conflicts between groups relate in

an understandable way to issues faced within the world of the reader. Krum’s

confrontation with Lovegood mirrors many misunderstandings today in which two

groups hold conflicting ideas leading one to feel wronged by another and lash out to

defend itself. It is only in discussing the symbol with Lovegood the trio is able to define

the discrepancies between the two interpretations of the mark and understand why such

issues have arisen. Yes, Grindewald did use the Hallows symbol as his mark, but

specifically as a reference to his own search for the items. While the man may have been

evil, the Hallow themselves, as Lovegood states, are not. These issues of interpretation

demonstrate the inherent variety of the Potterverse, rather than a simple homogenous

group of individuals who share one grand narrative and understanding. Much like the

primary world itself, Rowling’s Potterverse hosts a number of small groups who harbor

conflicting understandings of the world and happenings around them and must learn to

coexist, although they do not always do so peacefully.

The spectrum of morals and worldviews within the Potterverse are not only

demonstrated through confrontations of whole groups, however. Even friends within the

series exhibit differing value systems which must be negotiated. When discussing the

possibility of the Hallows beyond the hearing range of Mr. Lovegood, the conversation

between Harry, Ron, and Hermione turns to the meaning of the fairy tale. Hermione

states, “it’s just a morality tale, it’s obvious which gift is best, which one you’d choose”

(414), yet as each announces his or her choice it becomes clear the answer isn’t quite so

“obvious.”

Each of the Hallows represents a different value which, although not explicitly

stated, can be inferred from the desire which would be fulfilled by each choice. The Elder

Wand places emphasis on power in that it makes its owner undefeatable. The youngest

brother in a family of nine and the best friend to a famous combatant of evil, Ron’s

decision to choose the wand demonstrates the desire for power and recognition in his own

life, a theme demonstrated throughout the Potter series. This choice seems, therefore, to

place his value in the realm of physical power and dominance.

Hermione, the “brightest witch of her age” who has never experienced sibling

rivalry or felt overshadowed by Harry, chooses the Cloak, the “smart” option which

allows its wearer to live quietly and unhindered by those who search for the Hallows

(415). Her choice demonstrates Hermione’s desire to do things the “right” way. As the

Cloak is also the only Hallow to best Death in “The Tale of the Three Brothers,”

Hermione’s choice exemplifies her desire to be right and succeed. Harry, however,

chooses the Stone, reported to bring the deceased back to the land of the living. Within an

epic series which begins with the death of his parents and ends with numerous more

casualties around him, Harry’s choice demonstrates a desire to keep those he loves, such

as his godfather, Sirius Black, and Professor Dumbledore, safe and close. Harry’s choice

of the Resurrection Stone illustrates a high level of guilt and regret and reminds the

reader that the coming battle is not something for which Harry longs. He would rather

keep those he loves safe than fight, but he understands the task Dumbledore has left

before him (416). If Ron wishes for power and Hermione for success, Harry’s choice

demonstrates his desire for love and support.

This moment between the friends is striking. United in almost everything, from

their Hogwarts House to their efforts to stop Voldemort, suddenly the three are faced

with the realization that in actuality each has his or her own goals which may very well

be at odds with that of their friends; Ron longs for recognition, Hermione for success and

Harry for comfort. Unlike Krum and Lovegood, however, these three do not resort to

violence but rather work together despite these differences, much like, as the legend

states, all three Hallows are required in order to “conquer Death.” Their ability to work

together despite these differences illustrates the range of values which may be held at any

one time by one group of people. Even united, no group is entirely homogenous, rather

one culture may host a variety of beliefs and value systems simultaneously. In

representing this, Rowling not only shows an alternative to the violence exhibited

between Krum and Lovegood on account of difference, a system of violence which

directly reflects modern day issues within the primary world, but fully substantiates the

world of the Potterverse as a realm which is highly political and diverse despite being a

complete work of fiction. Harry, Ron, and Hermione serve as a model of cohesive

difference which young readers can recognize and emulate in dealing with their own

personal conflicts.

The Potterverse is fantasy. It involves a young boy who learns he is a wizard and

begins training at his new-found skill, but also must face the evil villain who murdered

his parents and is trying to take over the world. This world, however is not presented as a

simplistic culture in which everyone is innocent and kind-hearted victims of a maniacal

murderer. The Potterverse instead is proven to be vastly complicated, complete with its

own narrative traditions of fairy tales and legends as well as diverse system of belief. Not

everyone within this fantasy world believes the same thing, and the question of belief is

not a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Much like our own world, negotiation must occur.

Groups within the Potterverse, just like those in the real world, are at odds and have the

potential to turn to violence. Even these individual cultures suffer from internal conflict

arising from diverse systems of belief and value emphasis.

None of these issues is new to the reader, however, as each is a conflict

commonly exhibited within the primary world. These details are each demonstrated by

relation to, and discussion of, the legend of the Deathly Hallows, the Beedle the Bard

fairy tale Lovegood understands as a reference to this ancient legend narrative, and the

relationship between the two. Such discussions of narrative genre identification and

believability do complicate the Potterverse, but not in a way which creates a disconnect

between the writing and the reader. These topics in fact make Rowling’s secondary world

more accessible to the audience by making it more believable and akin to our own.

V. Conclusion: “Of course it’s happening inside your head, but

why on earth should that mean that it’s not real?”

One of the most complicated aspects of fictional writing is creating a believable

setting in which the narrative may occur. This difficulty is heightened in fantasy works,

which require a space in which the fantastic is consistent and believable. J.K. Rowling,

author of the Harry Potter series, has stated in an interview regarding this difficulty, "The

five years I spent on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone were spent constructing

The Rules. I had to lay down all my parameters. The most important thing to decide when

you're creating a fantasy world is what the characters can’t do” ("World Exclusive

Interview with J K Rowling," South West News Service, 8 July 2000).

These “rules,” so clearly formulated by Rowling, in effect structure the

Potterverse, the secondary world in which a magical society exists alongside, yet separate

from, ordinary non-magical humans. An examination of the use of folklore and the

folkloresque in the construction of the Potterverse demonstrates this realm’s ability to

mirror and symbolize the primary world in specific and strategic ways. Understanding the

relationship between the Potterverse and the primary world it represents specifically in

terms of related traditional materials has the potential to spark a wealth of folkloristic

research into the phenomenon of the series’ popularity.

Though Rowling did fully construct the secondary world of her series, she did not

do so from scratch. European folklore and traditions common to the fantasy genre

permeate the series, creating a realm which is complex and yet recognizable through its

many allusions to real-world culture and history. In the words of Michael Dylan Foster,

the Potterverse is particularly folkloresque in that the fantasy realm bears the “odor of

folklore” of the primary world (Foster and Tolbert 2016:11). Coming of age and initiation

rituals such as the Hogwarts acceptance letter, the Sorting Hat Ceremony, and the

wizarding exams reference such primary world practices as college acceptance letters and

standardized tests and similarly reflect boarding school traditions noted throughout

fantasy and fiction literature. Rowling’s borrowing of these practices structures a passage

of growth for wizarding students based upon their mental development and, despite the

number and complexity of these rituals, allows readers to gauge the growth of the

characters as well as the passage of time. While these rite of passage traditions are

complex, they are familiar to the reader. The folkloresque construction of Hogwarts’

school structure thereby creates a secondary world both believable and accessible to a

young audience.

Rowling’s inclusion of cryptozoology within the series exhibits this same reliance

upon both folklore and fantasy traditions. While images of dragons, pixies and mermaids

may have all originated in folk belief, each of these have remained active stock characters

of fantasy fiction as well. Each of these plays a small role within the Potter series,

bearing identifications and descriptions which clearly align to the established folkloristic

and fantasy characterization each is expected to play (Scamander 2001:19, 62 and 54,

respectively). As discussed in the second chapter, however, both centaurs and

werewolves, creatures of folklore who have once again found a home in fantasy

literature, exhibit a characterization drastically different from that of their folkloristic

existence.

Rowling’s folkloresque reinvention of these beings serves a specific purpose

within the construction of the Potterverse, not only filling her world with cryptids

familiar to young readers, but using these beings to deliver moralistic discussions and

lessons. Interactions with the novels’ centaur herd, for example, demonstrate the effects

of racial bias in that a highly intelligent species actively chooses to live outside of society

due to its treatment by the dominant group, an element of Potterverse centaurs

demonstrated both in the species’ request to be listed as a “beast” by the Ministry of

Magic and the sheer volume of negative interactions between the two species throughout

the Potter series. Much like racial prejudice within the realm of the reader, some

Potterverse characters, represented most effectively by Dolores Umbridge, deem centaurs

and other “part-humans” as being “less than” wizards like herself. As Umbridge is an

employee of the Ministry she is able to pass laws and ordinances which substantially

marginalize part-humans, yet it is her bigotry and mistreatment of the centaurs which

directly leads to her demise. Relations between humans and centaurs become so strained

as the series progresses that interaction between individuals and the opposing group, as

demonstrated by Firenze and his willingness to first help Harry and later to teach at

Hogwarts, is seen as a betrayal to his kind and leads to those individuals being ostracized

and cast out by their own community on the threat of death.

Rowling’s understanding of Greek mythology and centaur-lore does yet one more

thing for the series. While Rowling’s centaurs are pragmatic and intellectual, more

closely resembling depictions of the beings in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S.

Lewis than the drunken and rowdy creatures of Greek mythology, her allusions to these

creatures create intertextual references which illustrate a dark possibility within the series

only for those familiar with the traditional representation of the centaur. While libidinous

activity in Greek mythology is more commonly associated with the half-man/half-goat

satyrs and a number of centaurs do receive prominent social status within the belief

system, such as Chiron who trained the hero Achilles, there is no escaping the volume of

narratives involving the sexual misconduct of the species. This tradition is potentially

relative to the idea of centaurs as physical manifestations of a specific type of sexual

taboo. The half-man/half-horse shape alludes to bestiality between a human and a horse,

and could potentially explain the proclivity the species seems to exhibit for violently

sexualizing human women.

This subtextual use of folkloristic narratives adds depth to the Potterverse through

the introduction of a type of intimate evil previously unseen within the series, yet this

interpretation is only accessible for those who are previously knowledgeable regarding

centaur-lore. The introduction of rape into the series creates a Potterverse which is darker

and more intimidating. Rape, an often discussed threat within the primary world, hits

home for readers in a way that Lord Voldemort, in his threat of all-encompassing magical

evil cannot, simply because it is more realistic. This reliance upon reader knowledge in

intertextual references demonstrates Roger Abrahams’ argument that the performance of

folklore in literature relies upon audience participation and the willingness of the reader

to invest his or herself into the narrative (Abrahams 1972:80). If the audience does not

recognize or chooses not to acknowledge the reference, the allusion is incomplete and

loses meaning.

Although rape is never explicitly described within the Potter series, classical

descriptions of centaurs as agents of sexual violence relate in a close way to the

interaction between the herd and Professor Umbridge within Order of the Phoenix. It is

easy to pass off the description of the traumatized woman after her kidnapping to be

merely a side effect of that event in and of itself, yet the history of the centaur in

conjunction with actual threats of rape presented in Deathly Hallows make Rowling’s

intention much more devastating (Rowling 2007:463). Were this interpretation of the

events which Umbridge suffered to hold true, this reading would also cast the character

of Hermione Granger in a darker light, as she, like Rowling, would be aware of the

traditional centaur tales. Hermione, however, the same girl who slaps Draco Malfoy in

the face at a young age (Rowling 1999:293), leads the bigoted Umbridge right to the very

beings who will be her undoing. Hermione, then, is not a static innocent character, but

rather a dynamic, intelligent and calculating individual who dishes out revenge to those

who have wronged her to whatever degree she sees fit. Rowling’s secondary world may

be a construction of complete fiction, yet it is the author’s reflection of traditions like

rites of passage and attention to both cryptid beings and the narratives told about them

which make the Potterverse believable and relatable. Through the use of recontextualized

folkloristic material Rowling is able to create a universe which symbolizes that of the

reader specifically in that is it is similar to, yet different from, the primary world. While

the fantasy element of the series separates the primary world from the secondary and

creates a safe space in which interpretation can occur, the use of both the folkloristic and

the folkloresque coordinates the direction interpretations of these symbols should take.

It is Rowling’s use of folk narratives, however, which fully demonstrates the

depth and believability of her universe. The use of legends within the series, both those

borrowed from European folklore and those specifically created for the Potterverse,

present discussions of believability which demonstrate the range of belief and the

importance of negotiation on both individual and social levels within the Potterverse and

the primary world which it mimics. Rowling’s characters are presented with divination

practices such as tea leaf reading and palmistry, introduced to the idea of Death

personified, and introduced to the complexities of prophesy. None of these belief systems

are presented unquestioningly, however. While Hermione may represent the staunch

critic in the majority of these discussions, other characters, such as Lavender Brown and

Xenophilius Lovegood, represent her antithesis, the believer.

Rowling’s legend narratives mimic the structures and topics of the genre within

the primary world, thereby clearly defining her reliance on folklore in building the

Potterverse, yet it is the discussions of these materials which more intensely mirror belief

in real life. Potter characters pick and choose what they believe and what they do not.

Differing levels along a continuum of belief are evident in these scenarios as well;

allowing characters to believe to an extent, rather than whole-heartedly, specifically

represents the primary world in which individuals seldom believe completely and

unquestioningly. As demonstrated specifically in Ron’s negotiation of his belief in the

Hallows legend, one individual can experience a change of belief both over time and

according to context (Rowling 2007: 416). Much like the real world, Rowling’s

presentations of belief are not static or universal, but rather demonstrates fluidity within

both individuals and societies, as well as a continuum of positions. Interactions between

Potterverse characters with differing beliefs, specifically those interactions which center

around the Deathly Hallows, demonstrate for readers the dangers of misunderstandings of

interpretation between groups and through the juxtaposition of violent interaction to that

of cohesive difference, demonstrates for young readers more healthy and effective ways

to deal with difference.

Rowling’s construction of a secondary world and her reliance upon the

folkloresque to enhance its believability are not unique practices but rather a generic

tradition exhibited in a number of fantasy publications. The term “secondary world,” as

well as the understanding of what it entails, were elaborated by the renowned fantasy

author J.R.R. Tolkien as a realm harboring its own laws and structures which the mind

can enter and believe from the inside (Tolkien 1947:12). Specifically in terms of the use

of folkloristic material within world building, Tolkien’s “Beowulf: The Monsters and the

Critics” cites W.P. Ker who claims “they give the impression of reality and weight; the

story is not in the air…it is part of the solid world” (Tolkien [1936]1991:18n7).

Tolkien himself practiced the tradition of using and creating folklore within his

Lord of the Rings series through the construction of oral traditions specific to his fantasy

universe. Fantasy writing requires imagination and the creation of a realm in which the

fantastic makes sense. To build such a universe, numerous authors have turned to existing

folkloristic materials, as these too require ingenuity and imagination and aid in the

construction of similarly fantastic creations. The fanciful nature of much of folklore

supports and enhances the same characteristics within fantasy literature, influencing

authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman to not only borrow from existing

folklore, but, like Rowling, to create their own folkloresque inventions to solidify their

respective universes. Foster claims the use of the folkloresque within popular culture

adds authenticity to the material in which it is embedded through its association with

“real” folklore (Foster and Tolbert 2016:5). This characteristic of the folkloresque is a

primary goal of authors who construct their fantasy worlds from folkloristic materials and

are exemplified pointedly within the works of H.P. Lovecraft. As Evans states, “The most

interesting thing about [Lovecraft’s] own use of folklore is not so much the incorporation

of actual items or texts into his stories, but his invention of tradition—his use of the

structures, style, and devices of folklore in a way that gives his fiction ‘authenticity,’ that

makes it seem like folklore” (Evans 2005:119; emphasis original).

While Rowling’s method of folkloresque construction in building her universe

may be conventional within the fantasy genre, the Potterverse itself remains unique.

Generally, secondary universes are created in one of two settings depending on the

specific genre of fantasy the author is striving to write. High fantasy works, such as

Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, are described by Farah Mendlesohn and Edward

James as “immersive” and “not set in our world” and appear in a universe drastically

different from the world of the reader (2009:253). Often, these universes are given their

own names, with Tolkien’s Middle Earth as an example. Whether these realms are set on

a distant planet or in a far off time, or if such information isn’t even presented due to the

vast differences between the secondary and primary worlds, the two are clearly separate.

Low fantasy and magical realist writers, by contrast, place the fantastic of their created

universe in the midst of the mundane and treat such materials either as intrusions or

commonplace, respectively (254). Works such as Neil Gaiman’s American Gods use the

primary world of the reader as a backdrop, yet introduce fantasy into the everyday, either

as just an aspect of day-to-day life, or as a new circumstance which must be navigated

and negotiated.

Rowling’s Potterverse, however, doesn’t fit either of these distinctions. The

wizarding world of Rowling’s writing exists within and alongside the world of the

Muggles, but in a way which is distinct and separate. The structure of Rowling’s

secondary fantasy world exhibits aspects of both high and low fantasy explicitly in its

contrast of the Muggle and wizarding worlds, yet somehow the series itself counts as

neither. Rather, the Potter series fantasy exists somewhere between high fantasy and

magical realism, itself presenting a liminality within the fantasy genre. While this

practice of framing fantasy within the mundane is not unheard of in children’s fantasy

literature and can be demonstrated in such works as Peter Pan, it is the wizarding world’s

reliance upon the Muggle social structure which exhibits a new secondary world

construction. Whereas Wendy Darling and her brothers are completely removed from

their everyday world in order to experience the fantastic of Peter’s realm, the wizarding

world is built specifically from that of the Muggles and relies upon its institutions and

settings for depth. The wizarding world simply could not exist without its Muggle base

and counterpart, demonstrating the importance of the proximity of these societies and the

author’s intent at juxtaposition.

Each installment of the Potter series begins with Harry at his aunt and uncle’s

house with little interaction with the wizarding community. Once back at Hogwarts,

however, Harry and the reader are both fully submerged into the wizarding world and

Muggles are often completely forgotten or only mentioned as a sidebar when important to

the narrative. These instances often include discussions contrasting the home life of

Muggle-born and wizard-born students, for example when Seamus Finnigan tells Harry

his mother doesn’t believe Harry’s claims that Voldemort has returned and a fight ensues

between the two boys (Rowling 2003:217). As Rowling stated in her BBC World Book

Day chat in 2004, “the breach [between the Muggle and wizard worlds] was final” and

the two communities will never be rejoined (JK Rowling's World Book Day Chat, March

4, 2004). Clearly, the author sees the two societies as different, each hosting its own

governing Ministry and educational centers, despite the wizarding world existing right

under the nose of its Muggle counterpart.

It is this unique proximity between the two systems within the Potterverse with

allows the juxtaposition to occur which Attebery claims allows symbolic folkloristic

interpretation to take place. The wizarding community of the Potterverse presents a full

and complete fantasy structure, yet the Muggle world in which it is situated strategically

reflects the reader’s primary world in its reliance on the mundane and neglect of the

fantastic. Situating these two differing worlds side by side within the Potterverse asks for

a juxtaposition of the two communities which in effect enhances an understanding of the

Muggle world as realistic allusion and the wizarding community as a symbolic

presentation of the real world. By embedding meaning within folkloristic symbols within

the magical community, readers are able to decode the narrative’s moral lessons without

the feeling of being pressured to agree with or take a stance against the author (Attebery

2013:4). These folkloristic symbols allow readers to construct their own interpretations of

the series aided by the author’s guiding hand. By appearing less didactic and moralizing,

Rowling’s lessons become more accessible for readers who otherwise may feel attacked

or ostracized by more explicit moralistic lectures.

While the Muggle world presents an exact replica of the primary world, including

locations such as King’s Cross Station and political structures such as the Prime Minister

which actually do exist within the world of the reader, the wizarding world is more of a

fun-house mirror representation of the primary world. This community reflects similar

institutions such as education and politics, pastimes such as storytelling and sports, and

even social issues and negotiations relative to those of both the Muggle community and

primary world, yet with a spin specific to the magical community Rowling has created.

Meanings interpreted within the wizarding world, then, are able to be juxtaposed across

the boundary to the Muggle world and understood within the primary world to which the

Muggle community relates without putting pressure upon the reader to take action.

The comparisons of the Muggle and wizarding worlds provide a juxtaposition not

only between these two realms, but also to the primary world which it represents in a way

which is explicit for the reader. By presenting such dichotomous societies side by side on

the page, Rowling is able to point strategically to the way the fantasy should be

interpreted by reader and to what topics symbolic meaning has been applied. Placing the

magical Potterverse within and yet clearly separate from the Muggle world makes the

interpretation of these metaphors more accessible and easier to compare for young

readers who are unfamiliar with metaphorical symbolism or unconfident of their reading

abilities. In reading and interpreting the Potter series, the audience is not required to

decontextualize the fiction itself in order to apply its lessons to the primary world, but

rather is able to see such allusions made specifically on the page by the author.

By presenting comparisons between the primary/Muggle world and the wizarding

community directly within the text, rather than across the secondary and primary universe

boundary, it is possible Rowling’s construction of the Potterverse makes meaning more

apparent to young readers and allows acceptance and real-world contextualization to

occur more smoothly. If the use of the folkloresque within the construction of the

Potterverse enhances the universe’s accessibility to readers through familiarity with

forms and content, placing this fantasy world directly adjacent to a society which

undeniably represents the world of the audience more clearly demonstrates the intent to

which the fantasy has been applied and the ways in which the author means it to be

interpreted.

Further Directions

The potential of symbolic interpretations of the Potter series to offer accessible

and understandable meanings and lessons for young readers through a relatable fantasy

context offers exciting potential for future study into the phenomenon the series has

become. Ethnographic interviews into reader response and experience of the series could

delineate specifically the understanding Harry Potter fans have of the series and the ways

in which it mirrors their own lives. These interviews should be directed towards the

personal interpretation of the novels’ moral content as it is understood and then applied

by individual readers within their everyday lives. Such research would be able to

investigate if Rowling’s audience is able to interpret her use of traditional materials

which mimic the primary world, and, if so, if these interpretations were able to transmit

any meaning or understanding to their own lives.

One theory which could prove of use in such a study is Mary Hufford’s discussion

of the Taleworld, the universe of the narrative being presented, and Storyrealm, the

communicative context of that particular narrative (Hufford 1992:8). Hufford argues that

narrative meaning has the ability to slip from the Taleworld to the Storyrealm context and

primary world of the audience via similarities of content and verisimilitude (11).

Research could examine the possibility of Rowling’s folkloristic world-building

construction as the pertinent similarities Hufford mentions which allow meaning to be

transmitted from within a narrative to its Storyrealm context. This work would

investigate the possibility of Potterverse moral lessons and discussions to not only be

understood as symbolic and appropriate to the real world, but actively applied by the

reader within the primary world as well. Specifically, can moralistic lessons within the

Potterverse be adapted and adopted within the reader's reality due to the reflection of the

primary world of the reader within the Taleworld, a concept similar to that of Tolkien’s

secondary worlds? If the distinction between the fictional world of Harry Potter and the

world of the reader is as permeable and intertextual as the boundary separating Hufford’s

enclaves of Storyrealm and Taleworld, this research could investigate the ability of

morality lessons within the Taleworld to transcend to that of the Storyrealm and the

everyday context in which it is grounded.

This investigation could prove of greater interest if it were to take into account the

diversity of Potter readership, particularly along the lines of age. Those millennials who

grew up during the time period of the original publication of the books are often now

parents of their own introducing the Potter series to their children. The 2016 releases of

both Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

have demonstrated an immense amount of popular interest, even from those who were

not fans of the original Potter series. Interviewing representatives of the entirety of the

Harry Potter fan culture, regardless of age or preference towards books or movies, can

offer a range of responses on both the use of folklore within the series and the possible

symbolic interpretations of the fantasy itself. Comparisons of the interpretations of new

Harry Potter fans to those who grew up as the original series was being published would

likewise be able to examine how these ideas may change with the readership as fans age.

Taking such experiential research a step further, examinations of Harry Potter fan

culture could also prove beneficial to the study of folkloristics in questioning how, if at

all, do the folklore and folkloresque elements of the series effect fan culture in terms of

cosplay and fan-fiction writing. A study of fan cultures related to the series could

examine group dynamics, representation and membership and the ways in which these

relate to occurrences and rules within the Potterverse itself. Further, if Attebery’s claims

of symbolic interpretation can be proven through reader-response studies, are there ways

in which such interpretations effect and influence fan culture? While these questions are

interesting and important to ask, undertaking such research would require not only an

intimate knowledge of the series, but also an experiential understanding of the effects of

the Potterverse on individual readers before beginning to investigate how the series could

possibly influence group creation and dynamics.

However, before tackling such on-the-ground and in-depth projects, an extension

of this study into the most recent Potterverse materials would prove beneficial. As I

undertook the study for this work, both Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the film

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them were released, yet due to time restrictions and

lack of familiarity I chose not to include these within the scope of my research.

examination of the folklore and folkloresque materials of these products would help to

strengthen the argument that Rowling’s use of the folkloresque was done intentionally to

construct the Potterverse in a way which would make it more similar to our own. Further

The new Fantastic Beasts film is not a dramatization of the textbook by the same title, but rather

chronicles Newt Scamander’s adventure in America prior to publishing his work. As this project was

undertaken, publication of the original textbook was suspended, and currently the screenplay for the film is

being published under the same title. In March 2017, the original textbook of Fantastic Beasts was

rereleased, although this new publication is missing the character commentary present in the original. There

are now two Potterverse publications and a film bearing the same title, yet each with its own Potterverse

contextualization.

study into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida, whether

or not it calls upon the same folkloresque materials and its relation to fan culture, could

also prove to be an enlightening study.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and the secondary world which accompanies

it, has fascinated millions of readers since the late 1990’s. After seven original books,

eight movies, a number of smaller companion publications to the original series and a

world-famous theme park, 2016 saw the release of two new Potterverse materials. The

popularity of these productions almost ten years after the conclusion of the original series

demonstrates the staying power of the Potterverse and its relevance both to literature and

popular culture. The continued popularity of the series is no surprise to scholars of the

folkloresque, however, who argue that success in popular culture is often linked to the

attachment of folklore material and the ability of such products to “connect to something”

beyond only themselves (Foster 2016:3).

The folkloresque is rampant within the Potter series, being used specifically in a

way which creates verisimilitude and structures the author’s fantasy realm, but also

allows juxtaposition and symbolic interpretation to occur in ways which are accessible to

young and developing readers. Through her writing and use of folklore Rowling

demonstrates the meaning behind one of the series’ most famous quotes, “words, in my

humble opinion, are the most inexhaustible source of magic we have” (Harry Potter and

the Deathly Hallows, part 2 2011).

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