The power in Voldemort's name

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 8853

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, alw at w... wrote:
"Hmm, now I'm going to have to go back and read all the books again  
for any reference to Voldermort.  Somehow, I don't think Trelawney 
is a bad guy, but it does give you pause...of course, I have quite a 
few  questions about Voldermort's name all together.  Like who started 
the  whole "He who must not be named" and "You know who".  To me, it 
seems  like that bit started in Voldermort's camp as a way to increase 
fear.  Either that, or Voldermort's name has more meaning than 
we already know - that speaking his name is a way to curse him or 
something (I know, I know - that's way out in left field somewhere)."

It isn't out in left field at all.  There's a notion in a lot of 
magic-works-universe fiction that the true name of a thing is 
powerful.  Usually, though, it runs the other way; you have more power 
over a thing if you know its truename.  In LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea 
trilogy, people did not reveal their truenames except to their most 
trusted friends.  Ged, the central character, was known as Sparrowhawk 
to most people.  "How are you called?", people would say.

Maybe that's what it is -- if you use Voldemort's ("flight of death" 
in French) name it will tick him off and he'll get you for attacking 
him.