More animal symbolism

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 38383

Whilst tidying up the study today, I happened to open a book at an entry 
about the hart. That's how it is when I tidy up; I spend more time reading 
than tidying. Still, what do they say? 'A tidy house is a sign of a wasted 
life'. But I digress.

Apparently (I expect this has already been posted, but I was unfamiliar with 
it) the hart or stag is an early Christian symbol of Christ *because it is 
the enemy of the serpent*. Apparently, so the legend goes, when old, it seeks 
out the serpent, *which it hates*, eats it and is restored to health.

I thought this was perhaps an interesting commentary on James' animagus form 
(and Harry's patronus). Any guesses what Harry's animagus form will be? (He 
*will* be an animagus, won't he? Surely we can't have learnt all this about 
animagi for him *not* to be one?).

Moreover - and this one I especially like, since I'm apparently the only one 
on this list who believes that the Weasleys are named after weasels -  when I 
did some further rooting on the Net, I found this (from a review of a book by 
Kerry A. Shirts, _The Bestiary of Christ_ which unfortunately seems to be out 
of print):

'The weasel? Yes the weasel was also used for an interesting reason. Since it 
could pack a punch and win combats with much bigger animals than itself, it 
was perfect for the Christians who, no matter how weak in themselves, can 
still triumph over Satan, the most terrifying monster of hell.'

So the Weasleys are to have their part in the triumph over Voldemort.

The bee symbolised hope for the soul's survival after death. 
Dumbledore, and his 'to the well organised mind, death is but the next great 
adventure', anybody?

To be clear, I'm not arguing for a specifically Christian interpretation of 
HP, but JKR does clearly use symbolism, some of it quite possibly of 
Christian derivation. The association of Voldemort and Slytherin with the 
serpent and the opposition of the stag to the serpent just seems a symbolism 
too significant to overlook. And I'm
 *thrilled* to have found a positive symbolism attached to the weasel. I like 
weasels; they used to run along our garden wall when I was a child.

(BTW, one of my chidren's books states that weasels live in the *burrows* of 
other animals. What's the name of the Weasleys' house? I wonder who it used 
to belong to?)

I'm also really frustrated, because I found a site before dinner, which I've 
now lost (and have spent the last hour or so trying to find), which gave 
heraldic meanings for various animals, including Hufflepuff-like virtues for 
the badger and an interesting take on the lion, which had both positive and 
negative qualities, which made me think of the difficulty the Sorting Hat had 
in placing Harry, the greyness we have discussed in regards to 'good' 
characters and, as this week's official question asks, whether good and evil 
are closely related. The lion, as I recall, also has conflicting values in 
Christian art, being both a symbol of Christ (legend being that lion cubs 
were born dead and licked into life on the third day by their sire) and being 
a symbol either of death or of evil, according to context.

Eloise





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