Character Discussion: James

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 120564


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Hans Andréa 
> <ibotsjfvxfst at y...> wrote:

> > This word is used in the Revised Standard
> > Version of the Bible I read, and Psalm 42 has a
> > fantastic little piece which sums up everything I can
> > say:
> > 
> > "As a hart longs for flowing streams,
> > so longs my soul for thee, O God.
> > My soul thirsts for God,
> > for the living God."
> > 
> > The Water of Life is the symbol for the original, pure
> > immortal life-force which enters the heart of those
> > who have this longing for it. I'll come back to that
> > later.
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Could you please educate me a little bit, since although I am 
> fascinated with this kind of imaginary, I am not really familiar 
> with it?
> 
> Is stag a biblical symbol for the Water of life and "stag" 
> and "hart" are the same thing?


Geoff:
A stag is the male of a large deer, especially the red deer and a 
hart is a male deer, escpecially a red, usually after its fifth year.

OT, you may be interested to know that I see these deer almost every 
day when walking my dogs. Exmoor has one of the largest herds of red 
in the UK.

One interesting thing which always occurs to me is that Harry's 
Patronus is the same as his father's Animagus form; I wonder what 
James' Patronus was? Or have I missed this somewhere?

In Christianity, the stag has no symbolism. The comparison in the 
psalm is that we, the seekers, are like deer looking for water. The 
same Psalm, in the New International Version, which I tend to use 
reads:

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O 
God"

As I remarked in an earlier post, the water of life is something 
which Christ promised to his followers.


Alla:
> 
> Thank you again and happy holidays to you and to everybody on the 
> list.

Geoff:
And the same to you.....