[Re: [Fwd: [HPforGrownups] Ok. Questions, comment,and altogether musing brought out of SS!]]

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 2648

Hi, everyone. I ran the list of "who's this" by that old friend of mine
who was into alchemy, and here's his response. He does tend to be pretty
thorough, don't he?

--Amanda

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Fwd: [HPforGrownups] Ok. Questions, comment,and altogether
musing brought out of SS!]
Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 14:37:49 -0400

Hengist is the name of the first King of Kent from 455-488 (the first
Saxon,
with his brother Horsa, brought in by Vortigern to fight the Picts and
Scots).
The "of Woodcroft" might be the invented name of someone who might have
been
named after that King (a la SCA practice)
Check out: http://www.ghgcorp.com/shetler/oldimp/161.html

Alberic is a common name in the Medieval Europe, with at least one saint
(see:
http://saints.catholic.org/saints/alberic.html and
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saints/alberic2.html) and the dwarf in
Wagner's
ring cycle.   "Grunion" is a type of fish, related to the mullet, which
come
ashore in southern California to spawn. This is obviously a made-up
name.

Paracelsus was a famous alchemist and medical researcher in the early
16th
century (1493-1541). His real name was Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus
Bombastus
von Hohenheim.    (See:
http://pubweb.ucdavis.edu/Documents/ASPANG/Modern/Paracelsus/Introduction.html
and     http://www.mhiz.unizh.ch/Paracelsus.html)

Cliodna is the name of the Celtic goddess of beauty and the otherworld,
which
has been translated into a Fairy Goddess. People have also named
children after
her. This is also the name of the Banshee that haunts the MacCarthys.
(See:
http://www.loggia.com/myth/ireland.html ,
http://www.open-sesame.com/fairygoddesses.html , and
http://www.irishclans.com/folklore/banshee.html)

Nicholas Flamel was (is?) a famous Alchemist. He and his wife Perrenelle
supposedly worked out how to create the Philosopher's Stone from a book
he came
into possession of. What is known with certainty is that despite having
a
mundane job as a bookseller, he suddenly became very rich, giving away
lots of
gold to found orphanages (many of which still exist today) and help the
poor and
needy. Legend says that he and is wife faked their deaths, and remain
forever
young to this day. (See: http://www.alchemylab.com/flamel.htm)

If you guys have enough time to stay up all night arguing the
authenticity of
characters in a children's book, then you have WAY too much free time
(or you're
in the SCA)...    :)

<end forwarded material>

Hey, Greg. Laaate night, sorry if I'm incoherent. A question has come up
in the Harry Potter discussion group to which I belong, concerning
people mentioned someplace or other. One name I recognize (P), but can
you tell me if any ring a bell for you, or are they invented?

--Mandy

pg. 103  *Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion,
...Paracelsus,...Cliodna...*  Who ARE these people?  Anyone in real
life?

Also, the headmaster of Hogwarts was supposed to have worked on the
philospher's stone with Nicolas Flamel, which name I think is also
authentic. Yes?

G'night. Man, it's been a long year this week.