veil/Ddore's cowardice? (longish)

[urghiggi]

No: HPFGUIDX 78018

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Wanda Sherratt" <
wsherratt3338 at r...> wrote:

I think the 
> Christian parallels are getting too strong not to notice; one thing 
> that jumped out for me in your last paragraph was the name of the 
> train station.  Funny, but it never really registered before that 
> the station Harry uses to go between the wizarding and the muggle 
> worlds is "King's Cross".  I think Rowling is modelling her story on 
> the Way of the Cross, and Harry is going to suffer like Christ 
> before winning in the end.  We should make a list of all the Christ-
> symbols used so far.  One I noticed just by chance when looking 
> through GoF last week was during the Weighing of the Wands chapter.  
> First of all, Harry's wand is made of holly; the Christmas 
> carol "The Holly and the Ivy" lists all the Christian associations 
> with holly - blood red berries, sharp thorns, green in winter, etc.  
> Also, when Mr. Ollivander tests it out, it spouts a fountain of 
> wine, which reminds me of Jesus turning water into wine, not to 
> mention all the other associations with wine in the New Testament.  
> 
> Wanda

Wanda  -- well spotted! Anyone interested in this angle should read John 
Granger's "Hidden Key to Harry Potter," which analyzes the Christian symbols 
in the books in great detail (griffin, phoenix, unicorn, centaur, philosopher's 
stone, lion, to name a few). Granger's book has numerous annoying typos 
and some flaws of organization, but is otherwise very persuasive in many 
respects. JKR's use of these symbols, many of which date in common use 
from the medieval period, is certainly pervasive, and it's hard for me to believe 
it's coincidental. (Though the books are emphatically not allegories, which fall 
into a different category...)Granger also has interesting ideas about the 
alchemical symbolism in the books, and how that ties in with mystical notions 
about soul-purification in various major world religions (vs. a mere 
metallurgical trick).

I'd love to see a listserv devoted to the discussion of spiritual issues raised by 
the Harry Potter books, actually, and I know there are others at HPfGU who've 
talked along these lines in the past -- but I have no time to moderate such a 
list. On a general list such as HPfGU, such discussions are likely to annoy 
more folks than they entertain. Any takers for starting a new targeted list???

urghiggi, Chgo