[HPforGrownups] Re: "Voldemortist"

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 44091

Richard:
> As a matter of pure pedantry (and completely OT, purely for information) 
> AFAIK (as ever, I'm open to being proved wrong) there is no "British" 
> throne. "Britain" is a geographical and topographical entity, not a 
> constitutional one. <snip further explanation>

Eloise:
Yes, I realise that. I was simplifying, which is dangerous, given that I was 
also making a pedantic point! I was simply indicating that it was before the 
Union (which would have been a better way of putting it) and that I wasn't 
using 'English' as a sloppy synonym for 'British'. Basically, I didn't want 
to stray too far OT in my explanation. ;-) But yes, I am guilty of inaccuracy 
and my LOON badge is looking a little tarnished.

> <>
> >Richard (Gul Plum):
> 
> (as a matter of pedantry but of absolutely no significance other than to 
> myself, there is no space between the "l" and the "P") :-)
> 

Eloise:
Apologies! I had meant to check before I hit the 'send' button. I forgot, as 
Voldemort would say.
Oh dear, that LOON badge *does* need attention!

Richard:
> Eloise:
> >But... sources, such as they are, say that Vortimer was the eldest son of
> >Vortigern and there *is* a legend about Vortigern meeting the young 
> Merlin,
> >who fortells his defeat.
> 
> <>
> (Just for completeness, whilst Vortigern is generally accepted to have been 
> 
> a real historical character, Vortimer as we know him, like Arthur, is 
> considered to be a purely mythical construct based on a concatenation of 
> several real people; Merlin is generally considered to be based on two or 
> three real "wise men" or bards of the time.)

Eloise:
Agreed.  I just didn't want to open that particular can of worms.
Some people accept as fact what we see as myth or semi-historical.


Richard:
> 
> In any case, the relevance of this whole story to HP is that some people 
> have presented Vortimer as an etymology for "Voldemort" (at least I assume 
> it's Vortimer, as his is the only possibly vaguely similar-sounding name). <
> >

Eloise:
My point, given that this whole Voldemortist thing is such utter piffle, was 
simply that whoever thought up the whole cock and bull idea could have been 
conflating or confusing the two characters, Vortimer and Vortigern. There's 
not that big a difference between 'mer' and 'gern', especially to someone 
unfamiliar with the names, who quickly cast their eye over some web pages and 
thinks they've come up with a brilliant idea. Or someone who has heard the 
story about Vortigern and Merlin and has later completely misremembered the 
name.

*You* wouldn't confuse them, but as you point out there's a lot of 
er...fanciful and ill-informed etymology around. I bet somebody would! There 
is such a big leap between Vortimer and Voldermortist that I can't think 
there has been any real attempt at etymology, however incompetent.

Or else someone is just having a joke. That wouldn't surprise me, either.


> I like your Riddle Backstory!
That way he retains the Slytherin blood, whilst still having a grandfather 
who is little more than a charlatan!

Eloise



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