Winged boars (was Re:Wordplay)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 152666

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "finwitch" <finwitch at ...> wrote:
>
> > 
> > I think we have winged boars outside...
> > :-)
> > 
> > It's interesting that JKR always mentions them when Harry makes
> > a 'conventional' arrival at the school.  In PS, he arrives by boat
> > and in COS by flying car.
> 
> Finwitch:
> 
> They have wings because this is Magical world, out of the '-- and maybe 
> pigs would fly' saying describing something hard to believe/unlikely to 
> happen. (like magic in real world?;) )
> 
> In addition, it's HOGwarts! What else would be guarding it? I guess the 
> boars have warts, too!
> 
> As to why boars instead of regular pigs - because boars are WILD, 
> dangerous and not so domesticated -- and it's the boar that's the 
> *heraldic* animal!

Geoff:
The UK version is "pigs might fly" - conditional tense.

I did point out the other day that 'hogwart" is JKR's spoonerising of 
"warthog" which is an African wild pig. off topic, I think Flanders 
and Swann did a song about the warthog in their Bestiary set.

The point of my last paragraph which you quoted was that it is 
interesting that Jo Rowling actually makes a specific reference 
to the winged boars on the pillars on /every/ occasion that Harry 
comes through the gates on his way to the school which seems 
a bit of an overkill. 

We know that they are there, why reinforce our memory with a 
sledgehammer?