[HPforGrownups] Harrys wand

[Troels Forchhammer]

No: HPFGUIDX 112410

At 17:29 08-09-04 +0000, Inge wrote:
>Speaking of wands.
>Probably an old discussion but new to me. Tried to find earlier posts
>on this but no luck.
>
>In my danish PS-edition it says - Harry trying out wands at
>Ollivanders - that the one which chose him is made of *chimera horn*
>(danish: kimærehorn) and that Voldemorts wand has the other half of
>it (since it's a twin *chimera horn*).
>No mention of Phoenix Feathers.

That is, I am afraid, entirely an invention of Hanna Lützen.

In general the Danish translation is OK, but she has made a few
errors that makes me cringe whenever I read the books out to the
kids :-(

My pet grievances (apart from the chimera horn) are the Firebolt,
which in Danish became a "Prestissimo" and Pigwidgeon who became
"Grisligiano" (shortened to "Gris" which means "Pig").

>Wondering if it is only in the danish versions that this occurs - or
>if it has been in any of the UK/American/other languages, too, that
>the mention was of *chimera horn* instead of Phoenix Feathers.
>And if so - why the change?

Well, if I were mean I'd say that she thought that she, as the
translator, should be allowed some 'artistic license', but I
actually think she tries to write in a way that she believes
will make it easier for the Danish children to relate to the
text. Why she would think that chimera horn was easier to
relate to, or more interesting, than phoenix feathers is
beyond me, but I also don't understand why she translated the
Firebolt into an Italian music expression (my own kids -- even
at 6 -- thought that "Firebolt" sounded infinitely 'cooler',
and there would be some very good translations into Danish that
would also be far, far better than her attempt, IMO.
"Flammekile" (flamebolt) or "tordenkile" (thunderbolt -- which
is used in the Norwegian translation) or "lynkile" (lightning
bolt) would all have been preferable to "Prestissimo", and
much easier to understand for the vast majority of Danish kids
(who know next to nothing about notations on music scores --
they'll recognise a note (though not its value) but that's
about it).

>(In books 2-5 in the danish edition the Phoenix Feather is mentioned
>and no more talk of *chimera horn*).

Actually that's not quite the case.

In GoF-18 'The Weighing of the Wands', where the English version says:

   "until at last he had found the one that suited him - this
    one, which was made of holly, eleven inches long, and
    contained a single feather from the tail of a phoenix."

The Danish version (3rd. printing paperback) has:

   "før han endelig fandt en, der passede ham - denne tryllestav
    på elleve tommer, fremstillet af kristtorn og kimærehorn samt
    en enkelt fjer fra en Fønix."

( "until he at last found one, which suited him - this wand
    of eleven inches, made of holly and chimera horn as well
    as a single feather from a phoenix."

IIRC this is the first time it is mentioned that Harry's wand has
anything other than the chimara horn (in the Danish editions).
Later on, in GoF-36 'The Parting of the Ways', all mention of the
chimera horn has disappeared.