[HPforGrownups] LOTR Parallels in HBP

[heather the buzzard]

No: HPFGUIDX 133348

Katherine:
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR BOTH LOTR AND HBP

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>We have:
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>1.  Pieces of soul stored in a ring
>2.  Evil giant spiders
>3.  The bodies of the dead guarding a path through water (Inferi in HP; 
>Dead Marshes in LOTR)
>4.  Evil servants bent and twisted to the nefarious purposes of the 
>leader (Death Eaters in HP; Nazgul in LOTR)
>5.  Young, purehearted heros (Frodo & Sam; Harry & Ron)
>6.  Great Wizards (Dumbledore; Gandalf)
>7.  Reflective basins which reveal hidden thoughts of the past 
>(Pensieve in HP) and future (Galadriel's Mirror in LOTR).
>8.  Wise forest creatures who speak in riddles (Ents in LOTR; 
>C'ent'aurs in HP)
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>Any others I've missed?
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heather now:

Well, this is an old, old topic (there are websites devoted to 
comparisons), but there are a few fresh additions after HBP.  Like the 
ring, of course.

One I noticed was the phoenix's lament... a magical sad song that seems 
to fill them with the utter despair of the loss of Dumbledore.  This is 
very much like the elves' lament for Gandalf in Lothlorien.  And I 
already mentioned that DD's sacrifice was a lot like Gandalf's, and all 
the 'white' imagery around it reminiscent of Gandalf's return.

Heck, the Dementors are a lot like the Black Riders.  The comparisons 
are really too numerous to enumerate all of them...

heather the buzzard