the missing godparent

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 88288

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at y...>
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Taryn Kimel" <amani at c...> wrote:
> > Fawkes:
> > ... who is harry's godmother? ... if he has a godfather then he 
> > must have a godmother as well should he?
> > 


> > Taryn:
> > It's certainly not necessary. Within my family, I have a godfather
> > and a godmother, two of my brothers only have one godfather, and 
> > one of my brothers has two godfathers. ... while it's certainly 
> > very possible Harry has a godmother, I just want to stress that 
> > it's not NECESSARY. (If he does have a godmother...well, where is 
> > she?)
> >


> Carol:
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> However, I'm surprised that the WW has godparents at all, or that 
> they celebrate Christmas, Easter, have monks, and friars ..., or 
> even .. use such expressions as "My Lord!" and "Bless my soul!" ....
> Christianity in all its variants, ..., is a
> Muggle institution,  ...edited...
> 
> Carol, who knows that JKR can depict her world in any way she likes,
> but nevertheless finds the religious elements strange. (I'm not
> anti-Christian; I just think the WW and the RW should be a bit more
> distinct.)


bboy_mn:

Point one - Godparents-

Who is Harry's Godmother? In all likelihood she is ...(long pause to
build suspense...) ...dead. We know that all of Harry ancestors are
dead with the exception of Petunia, it seems reasonably logical that
one or more of these dead relatives (grandparents, uncles, aunts,
etc...) was one of Harry's other godparents. But in their absents,
that left only the relatively young, best friend of the family,
Sirius; who we all know was temporarily indisposed.

Point two - Christian Wizards

Let's look to history, mythology, and folklore for the answer to
Christian wizards. Over the course of world history, magic folk have
fallen into and out of favor many times. Many European kings kept
wizards as close personal advisors. Merlin was wizard to King Arthur,
not so much in the tales of Arthur as in the recorded tales of Merlin.  

Let's us also make a side note that Merlin was really one of the first
Fan Fiction characters. The tales of Merlin were written by many
different authors over the long period of many lifetimes. I'm not sure
if any author ever claimed ownership to that character. I suspect, he
existed in folklore, and was therefore public domain.

The implication in the HP series, and in folklore in general, is that
at times in history wizards, witches, and magic were a very favorable
and even desirable part of the muggle world. We also know that the
Church in the early years was tied very tightly to royalty and to the
government. Reasonably, much of the early prejudice and oppression of
wizard was forced upon society by the Church trying to gain power for
itself, and therefore, have greater influence over the kings and
queens of the land.

That would mean that during favorable periods in history, witches and
wizard would have been exposed, and indeed converted to the Christian
faith. I see no incompatability between the witches and wizards we see
in the HP series, and the possibility of Christian faith.

I will however admit, that in the more real non-fictional world, the
two seem to be mutually exclusive, but in the general world of
folklore and mythology in combination with the world JKR shows us, I
see no incompatability. I find it completely believable.

But then, that's just one man's opinion.

bboy_mn