Tangential Thoughts: Relics and Wands
You know, the funny thing just after reading a new Potter book, is that I always seem not to be able to get stuck into any other decent books. For example, I’ve recently started Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth, which I just know I will find a cracking read, but which I just can’t seem to find the urge to progress past page 60 at the moment.
Not to worry; it’ll pass. I guess my head must still be abuzz with thoughts and ideas inspired by HBP, and it would be quite rude not to share them with you.
So - Relics. Wands.
I’m quite sure that I am not the only person who sees the relics of three of the four Hogwarts-founders - a sword, a cup and a locket - and immediately thinks of the four Minor Arcana in the Tarot deck. Well now I know I’m not, because it has been discussed in some of the debate forums. But since it’s such a fascinating subject, who am I not to take an opportunity to leap on the bandwagon?
If you are familiar with the Tarot, you will know that each of the four Minor Arcana (suits) represents one of the four elements:
Earth - Disks*
Fire - Wands
Air - Swords
Water - Cups
* Also known as Pentacles, Coins or Stones
We know, too, that the Hogwarts houses are also supposed to symbolise the four elements:
Earth - Hufflepuff
Fire - Gryffindor
Air - Ravenclaw
Water - Slytherin
If JKR is planning to use the objects from the Tarot Arcana as the relics of the founders, they just don’t match. The cup should belong to Slytherin, the locket (and this seems as good a way as any to represent a disk) should belong to Hufflepuff, and the sword to Ravenclaw. But, this need not be a problem.
Since the parallel is too strong to ignore, I’m going to play along here and assume that JKR *is* using the Tarot objects as the relics and I can only imagine that she has subverted the straight line connection between relic and founder/house - possibly in order to blur the demarcation between the houses; a division so bemoaned by the Sorting Hat in OotP. All of which means that, since Gryffindor’s relic is the sword, Hufflepuff’s is the cup and Slytherin’s is the locket (disk), Ravenclaw’s relic *must* be a wand. And what better object to use as a horcrux in a tale of wizards, witches and magic?
(Parenthetically, the subversion of the straight line connection between relic and house does not appear to be a random shuffle - there is a straight swap between the male founders and the female founders: Salazar takes “Helga’s” Locket; Helga takes “Salazar’s” cup. Godric takes “Rowena’s” sword; Rowena takes “Godric’s” wand. Neat, huh?)
Notable Wands and their Horcruxual potential
Harry’s Wand - seems to be notable only by virtue of its connection to Voldemort’s. Quite possibly manufactured at the same time as Voldemort’s. Possibly, because I am wedded to the idea of Harrycrux ™, I cannot see Harry both being and having a horcrux.
Voldemort’s Wand - Keep your friends close and your horcruxes even closer? Nah, don’t think so. And having two soul-bits about ones person just seems a little greedy.
Lily’s Wand - Noted for its ability at performing charms. But where would it be? Interred along with her body? Can we envisage a Book 7 scene where Harry has to exhume his mother’s remains? I can’t. What happens to dead wizards’ wands, anyway?
Neville’s Wand - Or more specifically, his new wand. Notable mainly for not being his old wand.
Luna’s Wand - Twice noted in OotP that she tucked it behind her ear for safekeeping, which seems to correlate (or contrast) with the revelation that her other possessions apparently do go missing but mysteriously find their way back. And Luna is a Ravenclaw.
Of the above, I would have to say that Luna’s wand would be my favourite candidate, although I think that the strongest clue is none of the above but in the revelation that the wand maker, Ollivander, has gone missing. That screams “clue”, in my opinion. As does the sensation Harry feels when he walks into Ollivander’s shop for the first time in PS/SS:
“For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.”
Curious!
Speaking in general terms, I’m fairly certain that hidden within the six books are the clues we readers need to solve the remaining mysteries. I very much doubt, for example, that Harry will be running about in Book 7 picking up random objets d’art in the vain hope that they might be the missing horcruxes, so I see no reason why we should be doing so.
“It's a huge order. But Dumbledore has given him some pretty valuable clues and Harry, also, in the course of previous six books has amassed more knowledge than he realizes.”
That, of course, means Harry and us.
Not to worry; it’ll pass. I guess my head must still be abuzz with thoughts and ideas inspired by HBP, and it would be quite rude not to share them with you.
So - Relics. Wands.
I’m quite sure that I am not the only person who sees the relics of three of the four Hogwarts-founders - a sword, a cup and a locket - and immediately thinks of the four Minor Arcana in the Tarot deck. Well now I know I’m not, because it has been discussed in some of the debate forums. But since it’s such a fascinating subject, who am I not to take an opportunity to leap on the bandwagon?
If you are familiar with the Tarot, you will know that each of the four Minor Arcana (suits) represents one of the four elements:
Earth - Disks*
Fire - Wands
Air - Swords
Water - Cups
* Also known as Pentacles, Coins or Stones
We know, too, that the Hogwarts houses are also supposed to symbolise the four elements:
Earth - Hufflepuff
Fire - Gryffindor
Air - Ravenclaw
Water - Slytherin
If JKR is planning to use the objects from the Tarot Arcana as the relics of the founders, they just don’t match. The cup should belong to Slytherin, the locket (and this seems as good a way as any to represent a disk) should belong to Hufflepuff, and the sword to Ravenclaw. But, this need not be a problem.
Since the parallel is too strong to ignore, I’m going to play along here and assume that JKR *is* using the Tarot objects as the relics and I can only imagine that she has subverted the straight line connection between relic and founder/house - possibly in order to blur the demarcation between the houses; a division so bemoaned by the Sorting Hat in OotP. All of which means that, since Gryffindor’s relic is the sword, Hufflepuff’s is the cup and Slytherin’s is the locket (disk), Ravenclaw’s relic *must* be a wand. And what better object to use as a horcrux in a tale of wizards, witches and magic?
(Parenthetically, the subversion of the straight line connection between relic and house does not appear to be a random shuffle - there is a straight swap between the male founders and the female founders: Salazar takes “Helga’s” Locket; Helga takes “Salazar’s” cup. Godric takes “Rowena’s” sword; Rowena takes “Godric’s” wand. Neat, huh?)
Notable Wands and their Horcruxual potential
Harry’s Wand - seems to be notable only by virtue of its connection to Voldemort’s. Quite possibly manufactured at the same time as Voldemort’s. Possibly, because I am wedded to the idea of Harrycrux ™, I cannot see Harry both being and having a horcrux.
Voldemort’s Wand - Keep your friends close and your horcruxes even closer? Nah, don’t think so. And having two soul-bits about ones person just seems a little greedy.
Lily’s Wand - Noted for its ability at performing charms. But where would it be? Interred along with her body? Can we envisage a Book 7 scene where Harry has to exhume his mother’s remains? I can’t. What happens to dead wizards’ wands, anyway?
Neville’s Wand - Or more specifically, his new wand. Notable mainly for not being his old wand.
Luna’s Wand - Twice noted in OotP that she tucked it behind her ear for safekeeping, which seems to correlate (or contrast) with the revelation that her other possessions apparently do go missing but mysteriously find their way back. And Luna is a Ravenclaw.
Of the above, I would have to say that Luna’s wand would be my favourite candidate, although I think that the strongest clue is none of the above but in the revelation that the wand maker, Ollivander, has gone missing. That screams “clue”, in my opinion. As does the sensation Harry feels when he walks into Ollivander’s shop for the first time in PS/SS:
“For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.”
Curious!
Speaking in general terms, I’m fairly certain that hidden within the six books are the clues we readers need to solve the remaining mysteries. I very much doubt, for example, that Harry will be running about in Book 7 picking up random objets d’art in the vain hope that they might be the missing horcruxes, so I see no reason why we should be doing so.
“It's a huge order. But Dumbledore has given him some pretty valuable clues and Harry, also, in the course of previous six books has amassed more knowledge than he realizes.”
That, of course, means Harry and us.