Pansy/ Re: House characteristics

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 150656

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_svirn" <a_svirn at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> > Betsy Hp:
> > Is that the direction of the shift, though?  The Sorting Hat gives
> > us the *history* of the Founder's ideals, <snip>
> 
> a_svirn:
> A propos of the history. Have we discussed the meaning of
> the "geographical background", so to speak, of the four founders? If
> there is any meaning, that is? I got the feeling that that Slytherin
> was even geographically alien of some sort. Both ladies are
> obviously from Scotland, from "glen" and from the "valley broad" –
> Highlands and Midland Valley, I take it. "Wild moor" can be
> anywhere, of course, but the most likely choice is North Yorkshire.
> And "fen" is obviously Fen Country, which makes him the only
> southerner among the northerners. That would have made a huge
> difference a millennium ago.

Geoff:
I think that you are jumping to a lot of unfounded geographical conclusions
here.

The only two folk who can be positively identified with specific areas are
RowenaRavenclaw and Salzar Slytherin.

The use of the word "glen" is almost unique to Scotland. It refers to a narrow
valley, strath being the equivalent term for a wide valley. The corresponding Welsh names 
would be glyn (or more commonly cwm) or ystrad.

Slytherin is certainly NOT a southerner. The Fens lie in Lincolnshire on the eastern side of
England and are on roughly the same latitude as Liverpool or Sheffield.

Wild moor would more accurately describe Dartmoor in Devon or Bodmin Moor in
Cornwall and also cover chunks of Scotland such as Rannoch Moor. Here on the group, we
had a long discussion about two years ago about the location of Hogwarts and many of
the geographical features of the Highlands were considered. I live on Exmoor but, we
like the North Yorkshire Moors are a little bit gentler.

As for "valley broad", I have already commented on strath and ystrad which could cover
cover Helga Hufflepuff but there are several broad valleys in England - the Thames
Valley and Severn Valley for example. Without more information, we cannot presume that 
the founders represented different areas - or the four home nations.