[HPforGrownups] Origins of the Founders (British Geography input needed) (No OOP at all)

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 67112

 Penny said -
 
Hi --
 
Working on my Nimbus - 2003 geography presentation, and I 
came across a puzzling bit of information in a message from 2 
years ago. I could use some input, particularly from British 
members.........
 
 
Every website I'm seeing says that the moor lands are 
concentrated in Yorkshire (duh), Wales, Cumbria and Dartmoor. 
 
So, does Wales have moors or not? 
 
Hufflepuff seems to have Wales covered as she came
> > from 'Valley Broad', somewhat stereotypically Welsh.>>>
 
Even if that is stereotypically Welsh, are there not other areas of 
the UK with broad valleys? 
 
Ravenclaw from glen does suggest to *me* anyway that she 
hailed from Scotland.
 
At the time of these discussions earlier, Neil came up with a 
theory that the fen origin of Slytherin might be referring to Ireland:
 
> An alternative, slightly more likely theory, is that 'fens' refers 
to the
> Irish fens - i.e. the Irish peatlands (originally boglands - later 
drained,
> rather like the English fens). This, of course, fits in nicely with 
the
> association of Slytherin with snakes, since legend has it that St 
Patrick
> drove all the snakes from Ireland.
 
So, if you say that Slytherin came from Ireland, Ravenclaw from 
Scotland .........and you assume that the four houses are meant to 
correspond with England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (which may 
be a faulty assumption in and of itself), is there really no way to 
associate Gryffindor with Wales? I'm thinking the moors could 
very definitely be in Wales from what I'm reading, and I can't 
imagine that England is completely without an area fitting the 
description "valley broad." 

Now me -

I have my doubts about the Irish Slytherin theory. To me the word fen is
immediately linked with East Anglia, personally I'd never heard of the Irish
peatland bogs being referred to as fens before reading this post.

I don't think there can be any doubt about Ravenclaw being Scottish - afaik
the Scots are the only people to use the word glen.

I don't think there are any moors in Wales but I freely admit I know nothing
about Wales. I would have put Gryffindor as coming from either Northern
England (Cumbria or Yorkshire) or from Dartmoor.

That leaves Helga from the valley - again the most immediate link is
obviously to Wales but there are certainly valleys elsewhere. Because of
where I live the Thames Valley is the only one I can think of off-hand but
were I to give it serious consideration I'm sure I could list others.

However rather than England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (which were rather
debateable labels 1000 years ago anyway, countries not being as well-defined
as they are today) I would say we have North (Ravenclaw, Scotland), South
(Gryffindor, Dartmoor), East (Slytherin, East Anglia) and West (Hufflepuff,
Wales)

K