[HPforGrownups] Re:( TBAY): HP and the Superfluous Scene - Latin Learners

[rosie]

No: HPFGUIDX 40209

Rowen said:
  "IT's better to have your 
  characters find out information (and thus, your readers) than talk 
  directly to your reader. I don't really know how to explain why this 
  is extremely faux-paux in writing. I can't come up with a word for 
  it. If someone who is more articulate than me could explain it 
  better, please do so."

  In the terminology of creative writing classes, I think it's called "Show, not Tell" :). I absolutely agree.

  ---------------
  Tessy wrote:

  "I have spent the last few days thinking about the four
  founders, particularly about the two women Rowena and
  Helga. My first question is: Is there anything
  stated, when Hogwarts was founded? I assumed that it was
  somewhere around 100 AD or something. But going by
  this date, I wonder how it was possible for Helga and
  Rowena to learn Latin, since this is the language
  needed for the various spells. I assume that the
  magical community was mixed with the non-magicals in
  that time, since magic was associated with the gods
  in pre-Christanity ages. Women had a high status in the
  celtic culture and most of the religious figures were
  females. But assuming this would lead to the fact
  that the celts detested the christians (save for the
  friars because there the two religions mixed) and would not
  want to learn their languages. So how did Helga and
  Rowena learn Latin?"
 
 I *think* I'm correct in saying that by the time Hogwarts would have been founded (assuming c.100AD) Britain had already been invaded by the Romans, some time earlier; although Greek was used for really important things, Latin was the language learnt and taught. Only the plebs didn't know any; anyone with an education would know Latin in Britain. In any case, as Pip says, I think Hogwarts was founded about 1000 years later than that.

  Rosie







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