Ignotus and the Mirror: a Response to Terri_Testing and Jodel

[sweettalkeress]

So I have a theory about Ignotus’s connection to the Mirror of Erised, inspired by the recent essay by Terri_Testing, and particularly one of Jodel’s comments. This theory assumes that at least some of the information in the legend of the three brothers is true, but doesn’t require that it be completely true (though it can be). Essentially, Ignotus

Comments

[jodel_from_aol]

Actually, in a long correspondence with Swythyv back around the time that canon closed we made a fairly good argument between ourselves that the sigel of the hallows really ought to have been engraved in the archway over the Veil in the DoM. Which would have been an even closer association to the Hallows than the Mirror. I suspect that if Rowling had even considered the concept of the Deathly Hallows back in 2002 when she was actually writing OotP, it would have been

[seductivedark]

On family relationships, I'd suggest that, with the WW being such a small population, there is probably less than that fabled 6th degree of separation between families. If the Peverells lived in the 13th century (or thereabouts,) then by now, everyone in the WW, certainly all of the pureblood lines, would be related to them in one way or another, possibly in two or more ways. If the WW encouraged marriage between magicals rather than either ignoring pairings between Wizards and Muggles or having an open policy, then that separationist policy would almost guarantee that everyone, beyond the influx of Muggleborns, is related

[jodel_from_aol]

Well, I'd be inclined to suppose the effect would only affect the gazer, not alter his/her DNA. Of course if the mirror were actually in the possession of the creator's family that would mean that family members would be all the more likely to end up gazing into it. Particularly given that Iggy had quite a reputation, even if he never did anything else of note to the end of his life

[seductivedark]

Yes, having a family means a lot in the WW, and not just to leave possessions. It all seems very family-oriented, with the parents' enemies becoming the children's, though that may just be my own impression. One reason I wasn't totally convinced that Ignotus made the mirror (at least on his own) was because Cadmus really, really wanted to see his late fiancee. He couldn't recall her from death the way he wanted, so maybe he made the mirror in his despair just to see them standing together. If not, I'll bet he spent a lot of time at brother Iggy's house looking into the mirror

[mary_j_59]

Good discussion! I just wanted to add that my absolute favorite use of the mirror as a portal is in Jean Cocteau's "Orphee". People enter the land of the dead by walking into a mirror wearing surgical gloves. It's quite an image.