Durmstrang

[raunistar <raunistar@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48435

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Janet Anderson" <dorigen at h...>
wrote:
> My husband and I were discussing a book called "The Golden Compass,"
which 
> I'm sure many of you have read, and my hair stood on end as I
realized that 
> FINLAND
> 
> 1) is in Northern Europe and very cold
> 2) has mountains, lakes, and large stretches of seclusion
> 3) is partly inside the Arctic Circle
> 4) has a strong tradition of witches and witchcraft

I think Durmstrang may be connected to the sea, because they arrive to
Hogwarts by ship. Now, the only part of Finland that is north enough
and has high mountains, is Lapland, and especially northern Lapland.
That part of Finland is, however, not connected to sea. So, in my
opinion, Durmstrang could be better situated in north-eastern Russia,
particularly Murmansk area (as some other person has already pointed
out), because that area meets all the criteria you describe AND has an
access to sea AND has a culture (at least Muggle culture) closely
connected to the Eastern Europe (Bulgaria etc.). Even the name
Karkaroff sounds like a Russian name to me. Like Finland (especially
Lapland), north-eastern Russia has some old folk tradition of
witchcraft, shamans and such.

raunistar