Stag Symbolism (WAS: Harry's patronus, how many are there?)

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 55029

Katy asked:

> But what is this historical legend re: St. Godric and stags? I'd be 
> interested to learn of it.

Now me:

I didn't go into more detail in my original post since I've posted 
about this in the past, but since you asked...

St. Godric is "noted for his close familiarity with wild animals" and 
is represented in art as a "very old hermit dressed in white, 
kneeling on grass and holding a rosary, with a stag by him." (see: 
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintg6t.htm). In the legend 
of "St. Godric and the Hunted Stag," a hunting party is pursuing a 
particularly beautiful stag, which runs to St. Godric's hermitage for 
shelter.  St. Godric lets the stag in, but the hunting party follows 
the stag's tracks and cuts through "the well-nigh impenetrable 
brushwood of thorns and briars" to find St. Godric.  They ask St. 
Godric where the stag is, "but he would not be the betrayer of his 
guest." (see: http://users.erols.com/saintpat/ss/0521.htm).  IMO, 
this legend parallels the workings of the Fidelius Charm, with St. 
Godric as the stag's Secret-Keeper.  However, unlike Peter Pettigrew, 
St. Godric does not tell the hunters where to find their prey, and 
the stag survives.  

Since JKR has said there is a connection between Godric Gryffindor 
and Godric's Hollow (see: 
http://www.geocities.com/aberforths_goat/text.htm (Fall 2000 BBC 
Newsround),  and since the Medieval Latin etymology of "patronus" 
is "patron saint," I think the stag is a clue to a connection between 
the life of St. Godric and Godric Gryffindor, and by extension, a 
clue to a connection between Godric Gryffindor and Harry.

~Phyllis