YEW

[sydenmill at msn.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 87238

(As background reading for this post, please refer to Post #85551 by 
Berit, entitled, "Holly and Yew," [thank you for the research, Berit!]
as well as the excellent response by justcarol67 in her Post #85730.)

In GOF, the number of times JKR mentions that a Yew tree is located 
close to Tom Riddle, Sr.'s grave is startling. Now, according to the 
information in the above-noted posts, yew trees were planted all over 
the English countryside near graveyards due to their 
rumored "rebirthing" powers. Okay. That would explain a yew tree in a 
graveyard. But. Notice the number of times it gets mentioned in GOF, 
all within just a few pages. (Caps used in lieu of underlines for 
emphasis only. I'm not shouting. Honestly.)

(All quoted material taken from GOF, American Edition hardback:)

page 636:
"They were standing in a dark, overgrown graveyard the black outline 
of a small church was visible beyond a large YEW tree to their right."

page 646:
"The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between the 
graves, behind the YEW tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were 
Apparating."

page 654:
"Silence once more; nothing was stirring, not even the leaves on the 
YEW tree."

(Do you think JKR wanted us to notice there was a YEW tree close to 
Tom Senior's grave? What difference would it make, really, other than 
to set the stage, establish some atmosphere?)

Then, from SS, chapter 5, we all remember the production Ollivander 
made about the fact that Voldemort's wand was made of YEW:

page 83:
"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. YEW. Powerful wand, very powerful;, and 
in the wrong hands. . ."

Then, on page 85, again, same exact phrasing, so's we'd be sure to 
notice:
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. YEW. Curious how these things 
happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember..."


Then, further nonchalant mention of YEW comes in OOP, page 444:
"...Harry nudged Ron and pointed into the black space between two 
gnarled YEW trees. A pair of blank, white shining eyes were growing 
larger through the gloom..." 

I am wondering what the significance of YEW is beyond the fact that 
Voldemort's wand is made of it for JKR to make such a point of 
mentioning it so often. Does anyone have a theory?


Further, just a sidenote:  Did the picture at the start of OOP, 
chapter (21), "Eye of the Snake," strike anyone else as symbolic? 

There are two gnarled YEW trees intertwined, divided at their bases, 
with separate roots --but with just one set of ghostly eyes in the 
singular "head" of the pictorial composition. I know this is supposed 
to be the thestral staring from the gloom of the forest mentioned in 
the above passage. But. Isn't it funny that the chapter, "Eye of the 
Snake," about Voldemort, should have this particular picture? A 
subliminal repetition of the "in essence divided" theme?


Thought-provokingly yours (I hope),
Bohcoo