CHAPDISC: DH24, The Wandmaker

[kamion53]

No: HPFGUIDX 183622

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
Siriusly Snapey Susan wrote:
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> 
> 5.  Is there significance to JKR's choice of "Nurmengard" as a name 
> for the prison?
> 
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 Kamion answers:
Nurmengard is one of those names that brings with it many 
associations and that is the coolness of JKR's writing:

One of the associations is with the Norns, the ancient goddesses of 
fate in Norse mythology, also called the Weird Sisters from wyrd=fate
Gard could be chosen because is reminds of Asgard, a place of Norse 
afterlife.... prisoners in Nurmengard were seriously struck down by 
fate and taken out from the active life in the wizards world.

But the fact, that it is describe as a prison build by Grindelwald, 
made me associate it, at the first reading aleady, with 
Buchenwald, one of the earlier concentration camps of the Nazi's, 
build in 1937 near Weimar in Thuringia. Although it was not an 
extermination camp like Auschwitz, death toll was high due to 
starvation and hard labor.
Nurmengard for me never got the association with Nurenberg like 
Potioncat got it in her answer, it's actually the first time I see 
someone make that association. Nurmengard and Buchenwald are both 
prisons, while Nurenberg is a city. I also assume, although no 
mentioning is made of it, conditions in Nurmengard, no matter who 
ruled there, were as bad as in Azkaban, as it is presented in PoA.

But I also believe that we go deeper into the meaning of Nurmengard, 
then JKR ever intended. The place is not that important and does not 
play a big role, even a role less significant then Durmstrang. So JKR 
would have chossen the first idea, that popped into her mind and 
liking the sound, did not attach any filosofic meaning to it.