/etymology of Ludovic / Fleur de Lys

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)" <catlady at ...> 
wrote:

Geoff wrote in
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPFGU-OTChatter/message/31742>:
 
> << Ludwig is quite a noted name. Ludwig van Beethoven comes to mind as
> did Ludwig who built Oberschwanstein castle in Bavaria. >>

Catlady:
> I believe Hogwarts Castle looks much like Oberschwanstein castle,
> except being built on top of a cliff, it has more levels tunnelled
> inside the cliff, so it can have underground rooms with windows (in
> the cliff face).

Geoff:
It depends on how you visualise Hogwarts. In the films, the 
castle is much sturdier than Neuschwanstein.

The latter has a number of very slim towers which make it 
look tall and graceful - I think Disney used it as an inspiration 
for some castles in his films.


Geoff (earlier): 
> << I've always assumed that JKR's abbreviation of Ludovic to Ludo
> was one of her famous(?) plays on words with the Latin because of
> his obsession with games. >>

Catlady: 
> I agree, and conveniently, the "vic" element even sounds like
> "victory", as in  your example below. 
> 
> << In public schools, the overall winner of a championship used to
> be declared "Victor Ludorum" (= Champion of the Games). Its
> etymology is not from "ludo" , the verb, but "ludus" (=game), the noun. >>
> 
> Magister Ludi?

Geoff:
That would translate as "Master of the Games". This is used more in 
the sense of teacher, expert, chief - not the overall winner. It's most 
common derivative in English is probably 'magistrate'.