[HPforGrownups] Wormtail and Wormtongue and Wormwood

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 11863

 Message: 16
>    Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 04:32:13 -0000
>    From: "Amy Z" <aiz24 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Wormtail and Wormtongue and Wormwood
>

> Whether JKR was deliberately (or even unconsciously) alluding to
> Wormtongue and Wormwood or not, Wormtail has an unpleasant sound to
> it, IMO.

In a preface to Screwtape, CS Lewis wrote, "The names of my devils have
excited a great deal of curiosity, and there have been many explanations,
all wrong. The truth is I merely aimed at making them nasty....by the
sound.....I fancy that Scrooge, screw, thumbscrew, tapeworm, and red tape
all do some work in my hero's name, and that slob, slobber,slubber, and gob
have all gone into Slubgob."

BTW, Slubgob, mentioned at several points in Screwtape, is the head of the
Training College for Young Tempters - i.e., he is the Albus Dumbledore of
Hell.

   - CMC