Harry Potter and the Eqyptian Symbols

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 153858

> >>Randy:
> > I think that protective healing powers, Lily's eyes, Lions, 
> > Serpents, and the Order of the Phoenix could be related to the 
> > mythology of Horus.
> > What do you guys think?

> >>Ceridwen:
> The story of Horus is the story of a son avenging his father's 
> death.  There could be a parallel.  But I doubt if there is any   
> more than that, since Isis did not die, and Osiris was put back    
> together from his scattered remains, which is why he is depicted   
> as a green- faced mummy.
> <snip>
> I think we're looking too hard for symbols which have some meaning 
> to the story.  There may be symbols in the books, but the story is 
> its own.  I can't think of any reason why Harry having Lily's eyes 
> would be important based on what we have so far, but I seriously   
> doubt an Egyptian connection there.  I think it would have to be  
> something more connected with the story we have in canon, rather   
> than with something miles and millenia away.
> Just my own opinion.

Betsy Hp:
Hmm, I'm not sure if Randy was going for an exact parallel or not, 
but while I do agree that JKR's "story is its own", it might be a 
mistake to totally dismiss the books' symbols and the myths they 
spring from as something "miles and millenia away".

If JKR has any interest in Egyption myths (and she does lightly 
pepper her books with Egyption stuff: Bill, the Weasleys' vaction, 
etc.) or just myths in general, I'd be surprised if they didn't play 
some part in the shaping of her story.

I read a fascinating article on Snape called, "Severus Snape and the 
Anubis Archetype: Smoke and Mirrors" by Clunycat, posted at the 
Leaky Cauldron.

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#scribbulus:essay:192

In it Clunycat uses archetypes of several mythical gods of Death to 
shed some light on the role Snape plays in the books.  I don't think 
JKR wrote Snape *as* Anubis, but she may have had some of that 
archetype's characteristics in mind when she dreamed Snape up.

I don't think JKR is writing an allegory.  Her characters are too 
real, too multi-faceted for that, I think.  But let's not throw the 
baby out with the bathwater.  When you have a school with houses 
representing the four elements it could be suggestive that mythical 
symbols hold some meaning.  Or at least, that's my opinion.

Betsy Hp (who'd meant to comment on this a couple of days ago, but 
Yahoo went all wonky)