[HPforGrownups] Re: The Name Snape (was: Bartemius (was: Not So Faithful (was: Re:

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 3196


----- Original Message -----
From: "Amanda Lewanski" <editor at texas.net>
To: <HPforGrownups at egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 9:17 AM
Subject: Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: The Name Snape (was: Bartemius (was: Not So
Faithful (was: Re:


> Rita Winston wrote:
>
> > --- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Jim Flanagan" wrote:
> >
> > > Slitherin, Snape - allusions to "snake" or snake-like
> >
> > Blaise very wonderfully found out that 'snape' is an old dialect word
> > for 'rebuke', which certainly fits him.
>
> It's also so reminiscent of 'snap,' an abrupt breaking, which fits with
> Severus, which sounds like 'sever' and 'severe.' Appropriate name all
round.

Its also reminiscent for ancient history fans of the Roman Emperor Septimus
Severus (who reigned from 193-211)

I just checked out my e-text of Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall to get the
dates of his reign, and, re-reading some of the text, it turns out my
allusion was even more apt than I first suspected.  At the beginning of
Chapter Six, Gibbon tells us "Severus was passionately addicted to the vain
studies of magic and divination, deeply versed in the interpretation of
dreams and omens, and perfectly acquainted with the science of judicial
astrology...."

    - CMC