OT: Superstitions regarding Snakes, Lions, Badgers and Eagles, now with comments

[sophineclaire <metal_tiara@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49354


This was originally a reply to Barb's post on the Symbolism of Lions 
and Snakes. I've added a little extra commentary in connection with 
the books an it's characters.  WHat's in between ( ) is my commentary.


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Barb <psychic_serpent at y...> 
wrote:
> 

Barb said

> It might be worth noting that Harry has made a "friend" of sorts of 
a snake before ever arriving at Hogwarts. When he inadvertantly 
frees the snake at the zoo, it seems rather grateful (and Harry 
certainly seems to bear the snake no ill will, especially as it was 
probably very amusing to Harry to see how terrified of it Dudley 
was). 
> 
> I rather like the symbolism of the snake being the symbol of evil 
by dint of being the Slytherin symbol, but speaking with snakes 
(being able to communicate with evil) being a talent of Harry's. I 
also like that we know that Snape is a good guy, since that also 
brings in the abilities/choices issue and the question of whether 
a "snake" (real or symbolic) is inherently evil or its ACTIONS that 
are good or evil.
> 

Now me: 
I have this book called "Dictionary of Superstitions" by David 
Pickering. I'm just going to put down what they say here about 
snakes::

Superstition has always reagrded snakes with fear and respect, 
crediting them with supernatural powers. Snake cults have thrived in 
many different parts of the world and snakes occupy and prominent, 
if not always healthy, position in many of the world's religions, 
including Christianity. Christian snake-handling sects exist in 
modern USA, practioners believing that their faith protects them from 
a venomous snake's bite.

The idea of the snake being in some way protective is shared by 
many traditions; tattoos, for instance, often take the form of a 
snake pattern, and hanging a snakeskin from the rafters will protect 
a house from fire. Killing the first snake that a persons sees in the 
year will, meanwhile, guarantee them victory over any foes over the 
next twelve months. Snakes are also widely interpreted as a phallic 
symbol and are therefore strongly associated with various forms of 
sex magic.

( Killing the first snake of the year: Harry slayed the Basilisk in 
the CHamber of Secrets sometime between May and June of 1993. This 
type of protection in itself could have lasted Harry right to the end 
of POA. Now, he may not have been victorious over all foes in the 
obvious ways, i.e. Peter getting away, Sirius still guilty etc, but 
he was victorious in more subtle ways. He saved Buckbeak from certain 
death, he was able to cast a Patronus and repell the Dementors, he 
prevented Snape {ignoring MAGICAL DISHWASHER} from giving Sirius to 
the Dementors, and he was Victorious over Peter by showing a bit of 
Mercy and now has Peter under a life-debt {should Peter have any 
sense of honour/pride/remorse to fulfill that debt, we shall see...})


Superstition has chreished a number of misconceptions about 
snakes. These include the widespread beliefs that all snakes 
hypnotise their prey; that they inject venom via their forked tongue; 
that they can all spit their venom and that, according to US 
tradition, 'hoop snakes' can roll in the form of a hoop at their 
enemies by seizing their tails in their own mouth. Another popular 
idea has it that snakes cannot die until the Sun goes down.

( Misconceptions about Snakes, misconceptions about Slytherins. Just 
as none of the Witches and Wizards who attend and work at Hogwarts 
are perfect, I think that the FOunders had more than their fair share 
of flaws, it's just that it seems that there is more focus on the 
flaws of Slytherin than any other. I'm waiting for the big Whammy 
about Gryffindor that will blow everything out of the water and 
shatter many of Harry's perceptions about exactly how noble Godric 
was {if he has any  perceptions about Godric in that way})

Seeing a snake crossing one's path is unlucky, as are dreams about 
snakes; a pregnant woman who is frightened by a snale may give birth 
to a child with a constricted neck (though it is also said that 
snakes will never bite pregnant women). Tying a snakeskin around the 
waist of a woman in labour will ease childbirth, while carrying a 
snakeskin is generally supposed to be beneficial to health, 
effective against headaches and in extracting thorns from the skin. 
In the USA is it said that women in labour who are fed a drink made 
from the powdered rattle of a rattlesnake will have an easier time. 
Carrying a snake's tooth will ward of fever, and one may be carried 
for luck in gambling. Other uses for snakes in folk medicine include 
an old English treatment for swollen necks, which requires a live 
snake to be drawn across the affected part three times and then 
buried alive in a bottle.

Superstition recommends a host of animal and plant preperations 
for the treatment of snakebites. among the more bizarre is one which 
claims that rubbing crocodile blood into the bite will negate the 
effects of the poison. Another course is to tie the dead body of a 
snake around the wound. To avoid getting bitten by a snake in the 
first place the simplest course is to wear an emerald

( So generally, the Snake was a more than useful creature in terms of 
medicine and protection. Maybe in relation to the snake in terms of 
supersition, Snape is situated in the most appropriate house. I 
believe there are a couple of medical associations around the world 
that have snakes incorporated into their logos. This link should 
explain more {http://www.frankmarrero.com/caduceus.htm} Nice little 
side note about a peaceful snake called the Phoinix that eats rodents.
I like the last bit, with wearing emeralds to protect against the 
snake bite. Though I would like to see a connection between Harry's 
eyes and that bit as being part of some grander scheme, Harry was 
already bitten by a Snake and nearly died because of it. Or maybe 
Harry has just accept the Slytherin part of his nature and only then 
will he be able to protect himself and others effectively, rather 
than argue that he's nothing like those gits in Slytherin.)



Barb again:

> While the lion (symbol of Gryffindor) traditionally was a killer of 
snakes (and griffins in particular are supposed to be the enemies of 
basilisks) I hope that JKR will eventually rise above some of the 
symbolic rhetoric she's woven into the text and show that all 
snakes/Slytherins are not destined for evil--just as we know, because 
of Peter Pettigrew, that all lions/Gryffindors are not necessarily 
good.
> 

>From the same book, only about lions:

As the 'King of the Animals', the lion is said to be virtually 
fearless; as a result, most traditions surrounding it reflects its 
strength and regal bearing ( feeding a little lion heart to a child, 
for instance, will make it grow up healthy and courageous). only when 
faced with a gamecock, which refuses to acknowledge the lion's rank, 
will the animal betray anything like trepidation. 

( I suppose we could argue about this all day as to whether Snape is 
like a gamecock, but Snape does recognize that dear ol' James held a 
higher social and academic position at Hogwarts then he did. Snape 
just didn't like it, that's all { No! I will not go into the Prank, I 
will not go into the Prank....})

Superstition claims that a lion will never kill a fellow king and the 
lions formerly held in the Tower of London were siad to be 
mysteriously attuned to the well being of the English sovereign: if 
one of the lions died then the ailing monarch's days were surely 
numbered. Any warrior going into battle dressed in a lion's skin 
could congratulate himself on the certain knowledge that no harm 
could befall him.

( Lets suppose that the prank occured in either the 5th or 6th years 
at Hogwarts and both Severus and James were Prefects { Ignoring my 
beloved Sirius was the prefect theory}. For their year, they were 
the 'Kings' of their respective houses. In comes the Prank and James 
saves Severus because a Lion would never kill a fellow king. That's 
just artsy interpretation #1. Artsy interpretation #2; Voldemort may 
not be an official sovereign or a minister of Magic, but he did have 
a firm control over the Wizarding world during his first wave. He 
kills Lily and he days with a human body are numbered. Artsy 
interpretation #3; the Invisibility cloak was pretty much the Lion's 
skin for the Maurauders and Harry. What harm can befall someone who's 
invisible? Harry certainly had some close calls with Snape but he 
always seem to get off almost scot-free.) 

Lionesses are said to breed every seventh year, an event that is 
marked by a larger number of stillbirhs among other species, 
including humans. Other supersitions state that lions sleep with 
their eyes open annd that lion cubs are born dead and remain so until 
their parents breathe life into them.

( It's been mentioned that Harry's class could be especially small 
given the time frame in which they were born. A connection? I hope 
not, because it cheapens the tragedy of Voldemort's reign by 
associating these deaths with lionesses giving birth and not due to 
the vindictiveness and evil-doings of some predjudice wizards.)

It seems that Snakes are actually a very helpful creature in terms of 
health and luck for others while Lions have more regal standings and 
certain concerns about security for themselves.

Since I'm on a roll, lets look at Ravens and Badgers

For badgers: 
An ancient rustic belief from Yorkshire regions that the badger 
has longer legs on one side in order to help it to run across and up 
a slope. Elsewhere in Europe, Badgers' teeth are particularly prized 
by gamblers, who claim that carrying one on the person guartees 
success in any wager as well as bestowing good luck in general.

( Just like the House that Helga built, badgers get the shaft on 
being interesting. )


For Eagles ( since they are the animal for Ravenclaw, not ravens...):

Associated with the gods of both ancient Greeks and Romans, the 
eagle has always been linked with strength, divinity and immortality. 
The ancient Egyptians, who worshipped the eagle-headed Horus, 
believed that the human soul took the form of an eagle after death. 
Christians, too, see the eagle as a symbol of resurrections. Irish 
traditions claims that Adam and Eve were turned into Eagles and live 
to this day off the coast of Galway. In Wales, the eagles of Snowdon 
were said to raise whirlwinds throughout the land by flapping their 
wings.

(JKR has gone through great pains to make the Phoenix the bird for 
resurrection and rebirth so I dobt that the Eagle is going to take 
it's place anytime soon. Maybe a reference as to where Rowena may 
have come from.)


Seeing several eagles flying together is said to be a sign of 
peace, but if the birds remain motionless on rocky outcrops they are 
a warning of an enemy's approach. 

( Does anyone remember Harry trying to approach Cho amongst all those 
ravenclaws??)

It is widely held that eagles never grow old and that they renew 
their youth by flying so close to the sun that their feathers catch 
light and then plunges into the sea, from which they emerge 
rejuvenated. 

(As I said, rebirth is being left to the Phoenix, unless one wants to 
talk about Rowena's more bizarre age-defying remedies.)

Their flesh , feathers, eggs and blood are consequently valued as 
ingredients in the witchcraft of many countries. The eagle is now 
protected by law and those who persist in plotting to steal an 
eagle's eggs (which bestow great good luck against witchcraft if 
eaten by two people) are warned that, if successful, they will nnever 
again enjoy peace of mind. 

(Take anything from a Ravenclaw. and you will never forget it.)

Many dilike hearing the piercing cry of an eagle, which is taken as 
an omen of death, and likewise become nervous if they see an eagle 
hovering for a long time over a particular spot as this too is 
interpreted as a warning of immeninent demise. 

(Well, Ravenclaws do play a fair bit of Quidditch. Cho had Cedric 
doomed from the start *Goes off to find POA to see Cho's exact 
positions during her matches.*)

the heart of an eagle can be used to concoct an effective 
Aphrodisiac, while its gall bladder should be mixed with honey as it 
is a remedy for poor eyesight and its marrow is credited by some as 
having strong powers as a contraceptive. Eating the still warm brains 
of a dead eagle is said to conjure up fabulous illusions.

( Well, umm, Ewwww. Though given Ravenclaws reputation for book 
learning, I suppose that they may go to fairly extreme lengths to get 
those high marks. or laid.)


----SophineClaire
( If only I was this enthusiastic about my classes.)