Dr. Alisa Clapp-Itnyre
English L392
November 19, 2015
The Use of Mythology in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is filled with hints toward Greek, medieval, and Biblical literature, as well as other folklore. Through her conscious use of past archetypes, Rowling displays an expansive intellect that readers many not notice during their first read-through of the series. Rowling uses her knowledge of these classics in the naming of the characters, the inclusion of certain creatures, and other symbols.
1. Characters
In the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the character of Nicolas Flamel is introduced. Flamel is based on a French lawyer who was born in 1330 …show more content…
Pixies, in folklore, are very similar to the house elves in the Harry Potter universe; they are helpful to have around but will disappear if they are given a gift of clothes (Colbert, 57).
3. Symbols
The number three appears symbolically throughout the series. For example: the main characters in the story (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) are a trio; Fluffy is a dog with three heads; Fluffy is guarding a trapdoor in the third floor, there are three rings at each end of the Quidditch pitch; there are three Deathly Hallows; “The Three Brothers”; etc.
When looking to other sources it is easy to find other examples of three being a powerful symbol. For example: in the Bible there is a Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost); in regards to totality, there is a beginning, middle, and an end; in numerous fairy tales Genies are said to grant three wishes; …show more content…
Examples include: there are seven players on each Quidditch team; there were seven obstacles set up to protect the Philosopher’s Stone; the obstacles were set up by seven different individuals at Hogwarts; there are supposed to be seven horcruxes; etc. Outside of Harry Potter, examples of the number seven providing significance include: the seven known planets that were used to give names to the days of the week; “the seven wise” in Greek mythology; the phrase “in seventh heaven”; etc.
Another symbol in the Harry Potter universe comes in the form of the broomsticks. When Harry gets his first broomstick, it is a Nimbus 2000. After the Nimbus 2000 is destroyed by the Whomping Willow, Harry receives a Firebolt. A nimbus cloud is the name for a large gray rain cloud and a firebolt is another name for lightning when it strikes the earth. As Elisa Lerner points out, this can be seen as Rowling acknowledging Harry’s transformation from a developing character to one of pure