[HPforGrownups] Harry & Lord Voldemort's Wands

[Kathleen Salisbury]

No: HPFGUIDX 56121

Hello Everyone!

I found this which I thought was interesting:

HOLLY (Ilex aquifolium)

A beautiful white wood with an almost invisible grain; looks very much 
like ivory. Holly is associated with the death and rebirth symbolism of 
winter in both Pagan and Christian lore. In Arthurian legend, Gawain 
(representing the Oak King of summer) fought the Green Knight, who was 
armed with a holly club to represent winter. It is one of the three 
timbers used in the construction of chariot wheel shafts. It was used in 
spear shafts also. The qualities of a spear shaft are balance and 
directness, as the spear must be hefted to be thrown the holly indicates 
directed balance and vigour to fight if the cause is just. Holly may be 
used in spells having to do with sleep or rest, and to ease the passage 
of death.

YEW (Taxus baccata)

A beautifully smooth, gold-coloured wood with a wavy grain. All parts of 
the tree are poisonous except the fleshy covering of the berry, and its 
medicinal uses include a recently discovered treatment for cancer. Long 
associated with magic, death, rebirth and the runes, the yew may be the 
oldest-lived tree in the world. Ancient yews can be found in churchyards 
all over Britain, where they often pre-date even the oldest churches. 
There are some convincing arguements for it being the original 
'World-tree' of Scandinavian mythology. In Europe, yew wood was used for 
making bows, while on the northwest coast of North America, the Pacific 
yew (Taxus brevifolia) is used by the Haida and other tribes for making 
masks and boxes. Yew may be used to enhance magical and psychic 
abilities, and to induce visions.

Patricia Bullington-McGuire wrote:

> I don't think JKR just coincidentally chose two types of wood with such
> radically opposed associations.  She's too well informed not to have
> noticed the symbolism associated with holly and yew.  And really, there is
> no point telling us about the different woods if they don't have any
> effect on the wand.  She draws our attention to the various woods that
> wands are made of on so many occassions that it must be something she
> wants us to pay attention to.  So no, I don't believe the wands are the
> same even though they are very similar, in much the same way that Harry
> and Voldemort are not the same even though they have many uncanny
> similarities.

I agree completely with this!  JKR knows her stuff.

Kathleen



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