[HPforGrownups] Re: Lupin, the Moon and the Bewitching Hour

[Andrew MacIan]

No: HPFGUIDX 32792

Greetings from Andrew!

Some comments in re traditional/folklore
lycanthropy...

--- cindysphynx <cindysphynx at home.com> wrote:
{snip} of description and hypothesis of effect of were
transformation.

The folklore that describes wereX transforms points to
the 'overnight' duration of the effect.  Part of this
is a survival of the Sun-based Diety, of course, but
it can also be seen as a direct link to the
'Moonlight' effect.

It seems to me that, given that we know the JKR has
not read all that much genre fiction, she has had a
fair background in popular myth.  Her use of the
'classic' werewolf appears to be a good example of
this.

>  
> I'm not sure we can sort this part out.  When Lupin
> returns from 
> being ill (that is, curling up in his office as a
> harmless wolf), he 
> is drained.  That could be a side-effect of the
> wolfsbane potion, 
> rather than the transformation.  Also, he could be
> spending between 1-
> 3 days as a harmless wolf -- who knows?  For all we
> know, he starts 
> teaching again while looking ill immediately after
> transforming back 
> into a man without taking time to recover.

If one were to understand the effects of the potion,
we might have an answer that is more satisfactory. 
However, leaning on Romany sources again, even if the
wereX is not 'drugged' and can run free, the
'hangover' is usually taken to be of three days
duration.

> 
> When he has a full-fledged, painful transformation,
> however, we don't 
> know how long that lasts.  True, Dumbledore says
> Lupin is out of the 
> forbidden forest the next day.  But we don't know if
> Lupin took the 
> potion the first two days and failed on the third
> day.  We also have 
> no information at all (IIRC) on what triggers
> Lupin's transformation 
> back into a man, either with or without wolfsbane
> potion.  Indeed, it 
> could be that in a 3-day full moon cycle, Lupin
> transforms and 
> untransforms three times (ouch!).

Again, without more canonic fact, we cannot say for
certain.  However, since there is no English/British
folklore about weres (that I can find, at least) that
is not borrowed from Central and Eastern European
sources, I'll 'vote' for the 'one night of were, three
days of deahtly ill' cycle.

> 
> Fortunately, it doesn't matter if I understand
> Mahoney's theory.  The 
> witching hour could be a particular time each of the
> three days, or 
> it could be one particular point in the cycle.  The
> theory works 
> either way, I think.

I consider it to be the 'high point' or perilunian of
the Full.  The question of when the strongest point of
that cycle is w.r.t. to civil day has been handled
quite well by Liz in one of her posts.  This strongest
point would be the one where I would expect a were to
change.

> 
> Cindy (wondering if the correct term is "bewitching
> hour" 
> or "witching hour")

Probably 'bewitching hour'; another survival from the
Western European dark ages, I'd say.

Cheers,

Drieux

=====
ICQ # 76184391

'Each game of chess means there's one less
      Variation left to be played;
 Each day got through means one or two less
      Mistakes remain to be made.'
      --'Chess' by Sir Tim Rice

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send your FREE holiday greetings online!
http://greetings.yahoo.com