Walpurgis

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 61332

That the DEs in some ealier incarnation (either literary or "historical") 
actually serves as a culturally significant marker.

What it signfies is that the theory that wizards fully adopted the social, 
cultural and religious norms of the surrounding Muggle communities seems to be 
on the right track.

Given that they happily "celebrate" such Muggle cultural holidays as 
Christmas and Easter was already a strong hint, but that their most die-hard 
pureblood, wizards-only faction should be honoring *Walpurgis* sends the signal that 
the confomation to European Christianity goes a lot more than skin deep.

Walpurgis is one of the nights of the quarterly "witch's sabbat", a 
cross-quarters division of the annual cycle, as are Candlemas, Lammas, and All Hallows 
Eve. It is named for a Germanic saint, Walburga. In the Pagan calendar this 
festival is known as Beltane.

That the proto Death Eaters are/were the "Knights of Walpurgis" implies 
something slightly  different from the "Knights of Beltane".

-JOdel