Can anyone help me?

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "jenw118 <jenw118 at y...>"
<jenw118 at y...> wrote:
> ..snip... 
> I need some help.  My best friend and I have a disagreement about 
> JKR and the Harry Potter books.
> 
> My friend, Vicki thinks that the books involve REAL witchcraft.  She 
> also believes that the books are coaxing children to explore real 
> witchcraft further.
> 
> I completely disagreed with this, and I told her that I'd prove to 
> her in some way that her thoughts were not based on fact.  
>
> jenw118 at y...

bboy_mn responds:

I think if anybody needs to prove anything, it's your friend Vicki.
What evidence does she have besides the hysterical raving of a bunch
of religious fanatics that like to read their own name in the paper?

You can look most of the incantations up in any Latin dictionary.
While JKR has a great working knowledge of the English language, she
also teaches French and is knowledgable in the classic languages like
Latin and greek. So she Latinizes her incantations because that's the
ancient European Language. When I create Asian incantations, I use
Sanskrit, the ancient dead language of Asia. 

You don't need to be a witch to make these things up, all you need is
a Latin dictionary. Here I'll give you an incantation to bolt a door
so it's lock is unbreakable-

'Ostium Ictus Infragilis' (Door Bolt Unbreakable) but if you are a
really powerfull wizard, you might stand a chance of beaking it with a
very forceful 'Effringo' (break open).
 
Anyone who can't see that this is pure fantasy probably needs a
serious reality check. (No offense to your friend)

As far as leading kids to witchcraft, the closest thing we have to
witchcraft is the Pagan Religion. When kids do call to enquire, they
doesn't ask kids to join them. They tell them that Harry Potter is
fake. Most Pagan website have added disclaimers telling kids in
advance that their religious is not a fantasy to be played with, and
assuring them that (again) Harry Potter magic is all fake. 

Kids are more likely to go scrambling for a Latin dictionary to look
up all the incantations than they are to go looking for real witches. 

Actually, as I think about it, there is a real magic to the Harry
Potter story, and it's not tickle charms and jelly leg curses. The
magic is the way the books inspire us all. They inspire us to dream,
to care, to love, and to seek knowledge and truth. How many kids read
this and fail to see how much Draco's actions hurt Harry's feelings?
How many of those kids fail to turn to their own daily lives and see
that same hurt going on around them? It teaches us empathy; caring
about other people's feelings. 

Of course, people will claim that Harry is a bad role model because he
breaks the rules. But men of good conscience have always broken the
rule when the rules were wrong. Which is more important? Which is the
better moral choice? To follow the rules, or to do what is right? To
follow the rules or to selflessly risk your life to prevent the most
evil wizard who ever lived from getting the Philosopher stone and
beginning a new reign of terror. They may have broken the rules, but
they did a selfless, brave, noble, and morally right thing when they
broke them. Again, regardless of rules, and ignoring innocent childish
mischief like sneeking out to Hogsmeade, Harry always make the morally
correct choice. He always chooses the greater good over his own safety. 

Does this make kids think about witchcraft; yes. Just as it makes them
think about studing Karate after seeing a Jackie Chan movie. Just as
they think about being a soldier after seeing a heroic war movie. But
it not the witchcraft, the martial arts, or the soldier's life that
they want. What they are truly seeking is the heroic adventure, the
excitement, the epic quest, the struggle of good over evil, or put
more simply, they want to dream wonderful dreams. I find no moral flaw
in wanting to dream wonderful dreams. I find no moral flaw in being
inspired.

Most kids probably aren't as extreme as the fanatics at the various
Harry Potter for Grown-Ups groups, but I think they still serve as a
model for ways in which kids could be inspired to seek knowledge. A
few weeks ago, we were discussing the type of sword Harry would have
been likely to use. That sent several of us scrabbling over the
internet researching medieval swords. There was a long discussion of
the merits of thrust vs slash swords. Then the subject of wizards
clothes came up, and that sent several of us scrambling to research
period costume to determine what kind of clothes they really would be
likely to wear. 

I've done a lot of research on English culture and language, as well
as geography. I've never been to London, but I can tell you where
Chinatown is. I can tell you that there is a butchers shop just south
of Berwick Street Market (Fenn's of Picadilly). I know the highest
elevations in England and Finland. Knowledge I gained from trying to
determine where Durmstrang was. I know that Finland has 60,000 lakes.
I know where there is a small isolated moutain range in Romaina that
could hide a dragon preserve. I know that there are 120 Magic
Societies in Britain (stage magic). Things I would never know without
the inspiration of Harry Potter.

Speaking of stage magic, wouldn't it be more likely for kids to be
inspired to learn magic that they could actually do, rather than for
them to seek out strange witchly rituals that essentially produce nothing?

No; I can see so many great things that have come from the Harry
Potter books, so many ways in which people, young and old alike, have
gained; have been enriched. 

Can your friend show any tangable evidence of how people, young or
old, have truly lost or been deminished in any way? I think not.

Sorry, just felt the uncontrollable urge to vent. And sorry, I didn't
have any links for you. Thanks for listening; I feel better now.

bboy_mn