Baptism/Christianity in HP

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 153771

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sistermagpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:

Leslie41:
> > True.  But then if they're not significant, why go through them at 
> > all?  To forge a tie to Sirius?  Yes, of course.  But why not just 
> > make Sirius Harry's guardian, all nice and legal?
 
> Magpie:
> Because dramatically what is needed is a title with warmth, and 
> godfather works perfectly. Hearing that Sirius was a friend of his 
> parents is one thing, hearing he was the kind of friend that they 
> asked to stand godfather really says how they felt about Sirius, and 
> also is the perfect title to explain what his relationship with Harry 
> can be.  Not something dry and legal--the Dursleys are his legal 
> guardians.  (Fairy tale stories very often have cold legal guardians 
> and fairy godmothers.)  Godfather is exactly the word I would use to 
> describe Sirius' relationship, and Harry uses it too...only without 
> either of them ever meaning anything too religious by it.  Sirius 
> takes his role of godfather very seriously, but we've never seen him 
> take an interest in Harry's religious instruction.  He considers 
> himself an adult who promised to take a special interest in this boy 
> when he was asked by his parents.  It's the association I've always 
> grown up with, myself, and seen reflected in lots of fiction, movies 
> and tv.

Geoff:
This is the point I made in message 153684:

<quote>
Now, I am personally sceptical that there will be a connection between
Harry's scar and his baptism. I accept that, since Sirius is confirmed as
his godfather not only by himself but by Cornelius Fudge, Harry was
obviously baptised in whatever form was considered appropriate by
James and Lily.

However, I am inclined to think that this was a literary device used by
JKR to strengthen the bond between Harry and Sirius. Had Sirius only
been a friend to his parents, Harry might not have set much store by
a suggestion that they live together and would not perhaps have been
so devastated when Sirius was killed; it is the fact that his parents had
placed this responsibility in his hands that created the closeness that
made Sirius the nearest thing he had to a real, loving family member.
</quote>

>From message 153768:
Leslie41:
> According to Mugglenet, Voldemort cannot be so quickly ascribed. It
> means "flee from death," but it can also mean other things. "Mort"
> seems to mean death, but it can also mean "evil". Thus, "violent of
> death" or "violent of evil".

Geoff:
Interesting that one translation has not emerged which did when this 
topic was discussed a couple of years ago. Voldemort could be 
rendered in English as "theft of death".