veelas+rock-solid-prediction ootp

[mysmacek]

No: HPFGUIDX 60736

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Anne" <anne_conda at w...> wrote:
> eh?), I stumbled over the term "Vila". Whereas the spelling differs a 
> bit from "Veela", it shouldn`t distract that much, since that lexicon 
> is in German.
> I always thought JKR made those creatures up. Indubitable, the 
> calculation "Vila" = "Veela" seems to be about right, since:
> "Vilas" are maids of marvellous beauty, with floating blond hair, 
> recurrently in the shape of hawks (!), swans, wolfes or horses. Next 
> was chilling news to me: "Vilas" are the restless souls of deceased 
> maids, coming back to lure clueless men in their fatal round dance. 
> The "Vila"- legends are Slavonic folklore, were "Vilas" are some sort 
> of wind- or death  ghosts. (gives the impression Mr. Weasley has full 
> right to warn his boys about the Veelas, doesn`t it? And how "veela" 
> is Fleur
just
errr
 curious *shivers*)
> 
> Oh, the source is: "Knaurs Lexikon der Mythologie".

Hi,
I guess you are right - at least I always thought that Veela is just
an English spelling of the word Víla (similar to Karkarov -> Karkaroff)

Veelas are favourite folklore creatures here in Bohemia, rather common
in fairy tales. Mostly they are depicted as beautiful, yet etherical
women with long hair, luring men to dance till death. In contrast, in
some tales they are good spirits of forrest, like dryadas

Also English word `Fairy' is commonly translated as Víla in Czech - so
we have a term Kralovna vil (Queen of fairies) or Mala morska vila
(Little mermaid). But this meaning could be much later, and maybe the
good veelas stem from this later sources too.

Another common term for Vila is Rusalka (I guess from the term rusy -
red haired)

Regarding the word will-o-wisp -
http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=will-o'-the-wisps
and some etymology is at
http://www.mysterylights.com/types/wisp/

I doubt it originated from Vila, since will-o'the-wisps in Czech is
'Bludicka'

Regards,
Mysmacek