[HPforGrownups] Re: Raven vs. Eagle

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 13831

Kelley wrote:

> Did we ever learn why Ravenclaw's mascot is an eagle rather than a
> raven?

Easiest answer--because it is. Same reason Gryffindor's is a golden lion
and not a golden griffin (gryffin of gold = gryffin d'or).

>  I  thought this was a bit strange, and would assume this was
> deliberately changed for the movie ("why not have a raven as the
> mascot for Ravenclaw?").

Yeah, when things in a coat of arms have the same sound as the name of
the bearer, it's called a "cant" (like my name in my medieval society is
Oliphant, and I have an elephant on my arms). Cants are fun and
instinctive, and I figured they changed it for that, and because it
seemed to make more sense.

<lecture mode/ON> Medievally, though, which is technically when the
symbols of the houses would have solidified into tradition, the eagle
was the lord of the birds, as the lion was the lord of beasts. They had
some tremendously heavy positive symbolism about power and virture and
stuff like that, hence their frequent use in actual heraldry. <lecture
mode/OFF>

By the way, I haven't had time to look into it, but the badger's a
pretty respected creature of the earth. I haven't had time to research
the badger's and snake's heraldic histories, but it'd be fun if I could
tie them to the four elements, eh?.

ANYway, it's also been postulated (by others) that an eagle was Rowena's
animagus form, and postulated (by me) that said eagle had black claws
(most of them do), hence Raven-claw for her name. But this is way too
complicated for a movie audience, so they made it a raven. Because it
seemed logical. I bet.

>  Has JKR ever commented on this?

Dunno, but she must have okayed it, because there it is, and if it were
vital to the plot that Ravenclaw bear an eagle, she'd have fussed about
it.

--Amanda


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