Nagini and Fawkes (lifted < another thread)

[dcgmck]

No: HPFGUIDX 107145

- Saraquel:
- 3) Why have a Nagini?

Amey:
- In Hindu Mythology, *Nag* are the magical race of snakes. They 
- possess some very powerful magic and may live for thousands of years
- (some are immortal). They are alternatively associated with black 
- magic and white magic. So I think, Nagini is one of the Nagas and 
- her venom is the thing which keeps LV in the current form. It is 
- something like Unicorn blood in that respect.

dcgmck:
This is fascinating.  JKR has said that she draws names from a 
variety of sources without necessarily implying anything, but that's 
hard to tell from examination of her more interesting names.  

Fawkes is a phoenix, a creature that, like the Nagas, can 
theoretically exist for millenia through their continual rebirthing.  
Equally interesting is the fact that Dumbledore's phoenix bears the 
name of a man memorialized by British tradition who was, in fact, a 
conspirator against the 17th century union of England and Scotland.  
The historical Fawkes ended up getting publicly hanged, drawn, and 
quartered after naming a fellow named "Rookwood" as a cohort.

Now JKR has named the familiars of the two most dangerous wizards of 
the time Nagini and Fawkes, reflecting a more global contrast of 
cultures while hinting at millenia-old animosities/rivalries.  Who's 
the familiar here:  the wizard or the creature?  

For those who look for a time loop of some sort in the narrative, the 
names and histories of these two diametrically opposed entities offer 
great promise.  I look forward to reading (on the other thread) more 
about Nagas.  I have to believe that JKR already knows.