Tolkien/HP comparison: Willows

[ftah3]

No: HPFGUIDX 31585

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "jenbe_me" <jenbea at s...> wrote:
> 
>   Just thought I'd throw this in here:
> 
>   A major tree that plays a part in both series of books, Harry 
> Potter and Lord of the Rings is a willow. In Harry Potter, it's the 
> Whomping Willow, and I think it's safe to assume that we all know 
> what it does- and the destructive properties it can have! (Just ask 
> the Weasley car, if you can catch it wandering around the Forest 
> somewhere). Yet it's also the secret entrance, at the base, to a 
> tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. 
> 
>   Likewise in LOTR, you have Old Man Willow, who, in Tom 
Bombadillo's 
> forest, has grown old and rotten at the core, and when the four 
> hobbits fall asleep, lured into his shade, they become entangled in 
> his roots and almost "eaten" by the tree. 
> 
>   What I find most interesting is that both authors chose willows, 
> normally a sign of peace in most cultures, for trees with such 
> violent aspects! Interesting. Any ideas why?

Actually, the willow plays a lot of symbolic roles.  Peace, love, 
tenderness are all symbolized by willows; but so are death and 
protection, and the keeping of secrets.  I found the following:

"Placed in homes, it protects against evil and malign sorcery. ...If 
one needs to get something off their chest or to share a secret, 
confess to a willow and your secret will be trapped. ...Good for 
planting and lining burial graves for its symbolism of death and 
protection."

Additionally, it's associated with the gods Artemis, Ceres, Hecate, 
Persephone, Hera, Mercury, Belili, Circe, and Belenos ~ a wide range 
of types, not all of them sweet and loving.

Source:  http://www.treelore.com/trees/willow.html

So in terms of LotR, the death symbolism aligns (sort of).  In terms 
of HP PoA, the keeping of secrets and protection symbolism aligns.

On the other hand, a practical, rather than symbolic, explanation 
also works to explain at least JKR's use of the willow.  If you watch 
a willow whipping in the wind...it might lead to thoughts of a really 
mean, "whomping" tree.  Similarly, if you need a tree that has the 
right structure for reaching out and hitting/grabbing things, the 
willow with it's long limber branches suits perfectly.

Mahoney