The Knitting Prisoner of Anderson, Azkaban, and Crookshank

[Arachne Webbstir]

No: HPFGUIDX 61313

The following was written pre-release of OOP.  I'm not sure if it will get 
posted before midnight in England, Friday, June 20.  I probably won't have 
time to post here for a month, and may not read messages for even longer, as 
it may be months before I can get a copy of HP 5 from the library!
*****
How well do you know your fairy tales?   I recomend book CLASSIC FAIRY TALES 
collection and study by noted folklorists Iona and Peter Opies.  It's a book 
that can appeal to both young listeners and scholars, with samplings of 
classic old illustrations.

I connected Crookshank with artist George Cruikshank long before I read 
Eliza T. Dresang's essay in scholarly book THE IVORY TOWER AND HARRY POTTER. 
But Dresang doesn't seem to see what is right under her nose--perhaps 
prefering to look to far off "adult" horizon?

HP is aimed at children (and other readers who are young at heart).  What 
Rowling wants us to guess from her naming a cat after George Cruikshank may 
not be that he "agreed with Dickens on the need for social reform" (page 
227), but that he wrote and illustrated CRUIKSHANK'S FAIRY BOOK:  FOUR 
FAMOUS STORIES, containing Puss in Boots, Jack and the Beanstalk, Hop 'o my 
Thumb, and Cinderella.

Perhaps Crookshank, Hermione's  very intelligent pet cat, will help defeat a 
shape changing ogre--(or has he already, in a way, done so in PRISONER OF 
AZKABAN?  Some boy--not necessarily named Jack--may befriend rather than 
kill a giant in search for Hagrid's long-missing mother.  The littlest 
Creevy brother may play role of brave Hop o' My Thumb (not the same story as 
Tom Thumb); the 40 league boots in that story already turned up as the Port 
Key to the Quidditch World Cup in GOBLET OF FIRE.

Cinderella at the Yule Ball turned out to be Hermione.  (I'd thought color 
"periwinkle", like her dress robe, was a lavender-blue, but a yarn catalog 
photo seem to give it to shade resembling the Disney Cinderella ball gown.  
And yes, I know it's also  name of a pony in one of Rowling's favorite 
books!

Reason "why Molly Weasley/Hagrid/Dobby knit" may be hinted at in Han 
Christian Andersons's fairytale THE WILD SWANS, a version of Irish legend 
THE CHILDREN OF LLYR (I'm not sure of spelling) .  In the later, the ending 
is not so happy (except as a parable of the coming of Chritianity to 
Ireland); after giving free concert tour around Ireland for 900 years in the 
forms of swans, the bewitched siblings resume human form only in time to get 
baptized by St. Patrick, and die of very old age.

In Anderson's version of the tale, 11 brothers are transformed into swans by 
a jealous stepmother.  The sister is told by Morgana Le Fey (her "castles" 
are is name given to mirages seen off the coast, I think) or simply "a good 
fairy", how to break the spell:  she must weave or knit them coats of mail 
from stinging nettles (barehanded) without uttering a sound.  (I'm going by 
English translation, not original Danish).

A young king or prince falls in love with her as she works, but more jealous 
people start rumors that she's a witch muttering evil charms to snare their 
ruler.  The pious Christian girl is really silently saying prayers.  Her 
enemies are just about to burn her  at the stake,when she finishes the coats 
(except for one sleeve) and throws them over her brothers.

Actually, it may have been Scandinavian craft called "nalbinding" (there are 
various spellings) that Anderson had in mind (there's a Yahoo forum devoted 
to it in English too!).  An article in PIECEWORK magazine from Interweave 
Press had, I think, an article on it, saying  a long time ago, nailbinders 
looked down on knitters, feeling their craft required more skill.

It might be easier to do if you are tied to a stake, not needing the 2 or 
more long needles required by knitting.  Yet knitting also has a heritage of 
being magical.   VOGUE KNITTING, Fall 2001 (Halloween tie-in?) has article 
"Cast on a Spell" by Kerriann Godwin, based on information she found at 
40-year-old Musem of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall, 
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com

If you search there for "knitting", photo used in article will appear, 
showing work on alledgedly magcial  glass  needles.  Color of yarn used 
varied according to  type of spell:"  red for love, green or brown to gain 
material success, blue for healing, and black for cursing and revenge".  
After item was knit, charm was cast by throwing it into a fire--but that 
just might have been sending a gift by floo powder, as Santa Claus does!

By the way, knitting needles of turned wood (such as ebony, rosewood, and 
birch) are advertised in knit magazines and websites. These look a lot like 
wands to me--and might be great "disguise" for a witch or wizard when 
mingling among unspecting muggles.  There an HP Knit forum on Yahoo where I 
may recommend some pattern books, and try to share HP nspired knit ideas 
latter this year.

The world Azkaban, to me, looks  like blending of two words, 
Alcatraz--famous American prison on an island--with "banish".  It is similar 
to word "banquish" created by 7 year old girl Amy (from "banish" and 
"vanquish") in charming book THE LITTLE WITCH FAMILY by Eleanor Estes, about 
inventing and telling tales.  You may recall Humpty Dumpty in ALICE THROUGH 
THE LOOKING-GLASS called those "Pormanteau" words.

I'm wondering if LWF's Malachi the Spelling Bee will have any relation to 
OOP's teacher "with personality like poisoned honey" and yet another book I 
know Rowling read, but I don't have time to discuss now.  Estes also wrote 
Newbery Award winning bok THE HUNDRED DRESSES, a quietly wonderful book 
about prejudice in a classroom which is reflection of the greater world.

Rowling might be familiar with that "children's" classic.  I hope you well 
read and share its lessons too.

I hope I haven't forgotten anythng I wanted to say this time...  I forgot to 
say in Uncle and Aunts essay that those relatives loom large in the work of  
Wodehouse, perhaps since he was largely raised by formidable Aunts, simular 
to Neville Longbottom's.  And...   could Rowling have seen film PROOF OF 
LIFE in time to influence her picture of Sirius?  (movie is about men 
kidnapped for such a long time they may be going mad, resembling the 
forgotten COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, I think it is).

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