Runes

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 122044


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "charme" <dontask2much at y...> 
wrote:

> > Geoff:
> > I have all the UK Bloomsbury hardback HPs and have no runes on 
any of
> > mine.
> >
> > It's not only the religious right - I'm an evangelical Christian 
and
> > I am not totally happy about runes..... I don't intend to go over 
the
> > edge though. I've had to defend my position on Harry on a number 
of
 
charme:
> I'm confused.  Runes are part of culture, and included much the 
same way 
> many of the other dynamics of the books are derived by JKR. I'm 
mean we have 
> creatures of Greek mythology, names and other assorted HP 
particulars which 
> are derived by a variety of other legends and cultures. Forgive me, 
but why 
> would runes be any different to the religious right, or to your way 
of 
> thinking, Geoff? Please understand I am not being coy or 
argumentative in 
> asking this, either.  I really don't know! :)

Geoff:
The "religious right", which I think is more noticeable in the US 
than the UK represents the ultra-evangelical group who have 
campaigned against Harry Potter because of perceived witchcraft and 
black magic which I would object too as well if I thought that was 
the intent of JKR. It should be remembered that "acceptable" writers 
such as Tolkien and Lewis also make use of magic in a similar way.

Because JKR has indicated her Christian leaning and her membership of 
the Church of Scotland, I believe that her writing will overtly or 
covertly reveal something of what she holds to be true. I take 
comments by Dumbledore such as "death is but the next great 
adventure" (PS "The Man with Two Faces" p.215 UK edition) and "it is 
our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our 
abilities" (COS  "Dobby's Reward" p.245 UK edition) as underscoring 
very basic Christian truths. I have read in depth at least two books 
written by leading Christians which draw parallels between the 
teaching of the Bible and the events of the books and many of my 
church friends who like myself would describe themselves as 
evangelicals are in agreement with the views expressed by these 
authors.

What I do have a concern over is matters which, as Tonks remarked, 
might be seen as leaning to the occult and thus to black magic. There 
are runes and runes. Basically, runes can be used as a form of 
written communication. After all, Tolkien uses a runic script for the 
dwarves and Sindarin Elves. Then there are the runes which we have 
been discussing – runes of power – which do leave me wondering where 
they fit in our interpretation of good and bad magic. There is also 
the fact that in the long series of Rosicrucian posts, Hans has, on 
occasion, used portions of the Old and New Testaments in a way which 
I believe to be out of context with the intention of Jesus or the 
quoted writer.

There is a very wide range of opinion on this group. As I said in a 
recent post, threads are cyclical. For example, we had a series of 
posts on runes about a year ago and the subject has come round again. 
There are also cycles of perception as to who is driving 
the "spiritual" side in interpreting the world of Harry. Last year, 
at one point, Wiccans and atheists were convinced that the Christians 
on the group were getting the lion's share and, at other times, the 
positions were reversed.

In truth, I do not want to look for sub-texts and hidden agendas in 
the books; I am not by nature a conspiracy theorist. I read the books 
because I like the characters and the story lines. Some readers will 
groan if I say again that I identify with Harry when I look back at 
the way in which I thought and acted as an adolescent. I sometimes 
think that we get deeply involved in the nuances of the Wizarding 
World and produce various wacky theories (and some not so wacky) to 
keep our little grey cells ticking over until 16th July and take 
ourselves a little too seriously. I know that I do.

I now need to take myself off to bed. I don't usually find myself 
thinking deep thoughts at 01:25!