House-Elves & the Tie That Binds. (long)

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 71833

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> 
> What are House-Elves?
> The House-Elf that JKR describes is her own personal variation of
> another mythical creature for Scotland know as the Brownie. 
> Brownie/House-Elves attach themselves to a family, especially 
families
> with kids. They are very loyal and protective, and if a good Family
> moves, their Brownies, unseen, will move with them. The Brownie only
> comes out at night and works anonymously, and they are invisible.
> Although, they are occasionally seen by the innocent eyes of 
children.

Valky (me)
I was a Brownie when I was six. LOL Well really, It's just a junoir 
girl guide. teehee.
I had forgotten the legend of Brownies. 
When my sister and I were young, my mother, who is Irish, told us the 
story of Brownies coming to the house at night to clean and asking no 
reward. 
[Though she is Irish, she had a scottish grandmother who told her 
many of the magical legends but more about that another time.]

My sister and I used to sneak to the lounge room in the midle of the 
night and clean up for mum, thinking we were real Brownies because of 
it. 
That was something I have long forgotten but your post brought back a 
memory of it. Thanks :D


> They don't accept payment for their efforts, however, they aren't
> against eating a bit of cake and milk if you leave some out for 
them.
> However, if you treat them badly or you insult them by offering pay 
or a reward, they will vanish without a trace; never to be seen again.
> We can easily see JKR's model in the Brownie.
House-Elves attach/bind themselves to a family (not to a place or a 
specific person). 
> They work for free, although it is a reasonable assumption that 
their 'Masters' provide them with shelter and food. However, we see 
that 'shelter' doesn't amount to very much. To offer a House-Elf a 
reward is an insult, and to force clothes on them, breaks the bond 
that holds them to the family. More so, it alienates them from the 
family; they are forced to leave.

> Point: It's not about clothes; it's about honor and dignity.

Valky:
With all of this I absolutely agree. Even the snipped bits, and I 
think that a story illustrating a dignified liberation of house-elves 
would be fantastic please let me know when it is done.
I don't think that it would be able to be explored on a great scale 
in books 6 and 7. Harry has liberated and elf from undignified 
slavery and marked the way for things to change. 
The most I think we can expect from JK in the series on this issue is 
a stark realisation by HRH as a group, these very points that you 
have made. Thereby helping us readers to understand that the house-
elves will continue to serve wizards beyond the word "scar." and it 
would be a severe injustice for it to be any other way.

re: bboy's bill of Elven rights by Hermione:
So the prominent members of society are never
> going to admit to slavery. They have no choice but to accept the 
Bills language that house-elves are not bound by law or magic to their
> master. So now the Master's either have to accept that they have no
> hold on their elves in which case, legally, the elf can do what he
> wants, or they have to enter into a legal and mutually beneficial
> contract of service with the elves.

Valky:
This is precisely the calibre we can expect from Hermione, post 
understanding of the basic nature of the Brownie!House-elf.
Again, it simply can't happen in the scope of the series so I look 
forward to reading your own work Steve. :D
I wonder, it seems you have considered the level of resistance by  
Wizard Nobility, but assuming that they all will just stick to the 
rules, I don't know about that. 
But thats law really, isn't it. It's a great Bill though, and an 
ideal career choice for Hermione.
 
Great post! If you have any other legends that make sense in 
reference to the books I would, for one, be grateful if you share 
them.

Valky