Names of the Four Founders

[catlady_de_los_angeles]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C5503
From: catlady_de_los_angeles
Subject: Names of the Four Founders
Date: 8/1/00 1:31 am  (ET)

Rowena Ravenclaw
Helga Hufflepuff
Godric Gryffindor
Salazar Slytherin

I'm not going to questions their surnames because I accept that silly
surnames are a natural part of the wizarding world. But I am disturbed
by the ethnic mix of their first names....

Rowena was the Saxon girl in IVANHOE, so I guess she's a Saxon. Helga
could be Saxon, or Danish (from the Danelaw, as ruled by King Canute,
who might be whom knuts are named after -- probably not after Knut
Rockne). Godric I think is a Norman name, a touch anachronistic as the
school was founded at least one lifetime before 1066. And Salazar,
what kind of name is that, Spanish? Tim (my domestic partner) said
Salazar Slytherin was a Byzantine (from Byzantium) as shown by his
behaviour style.

So shouldn't there be at least one Celt among the founders? A Welsh
wizard -- it's not like the race that produced Merlin can't produce
great wizards. And an Irish witch, if Ireland is included in the same
school district (as JKR said in one interview).