Doe Patronus (was Re: CHAPDISC: Harry Potter and the Deathly silver doe

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 182790

 
> Carol responds:> 
> Regarding Oryomai's observation about the doe Patronus reflecting
> Lily's relationship to James, I wondered about that, too. It's
> certainly not how Harry sees the doe (blindingly bright and 
beautiful
> and providing him with powerful protection), nor do I think that's 
the
> way snape would see it (it's a representation of his idealized 
Lily).
> JKR, perhaps, thought of James and Lily as a matched pair rather 
than
> Lily as James's ideal mate. At any rate, I know that the symbolism 
of
> a stag is easily researched, but I haven't found anything on the
> symbolism of a doe. (Bambi's mother comes to mind, but who knows
> whether that's what JKR was thinking of.)


Potioncat--writing a long, me too post:

Lily's Patronus is Bambi's mother?  Carol, I read the same post, had 
the same sudden connection then saw that you had already posted the 
same idea. The only other reference I remember about Bambi was a 
rather derisive remark about a big bad wizard producing Bambi as a 
Patronus. 

Harry Potter has been compared to many different myths, fables, 
religious events--but HP as the retelling of Bambi? Actually, it sort 
of works. A mother sacrifices herself for her son. His father, a 
great stag, protects him from a distance. Bambi was treated like a 
celebrity the moment he met his new friends. His two best friends are 
Thumper, the know it all (Hermione) and Flower the skunk who is a bit 
shy about his condition. (Ron) (Skunks are in the same family as 
weasels). There's a fire, and in the end, Bambi stands tall with his 
own rack of antlers.  I guess if you've read one coming-of-age book, 
you've read them all. (I don't know how to spell the long word Carol 
uses, but I would use it if I could.)

Here's what I found out about deer symbolism:

Deer symbolize gentleness, grace, swiftness, abundance, intuition, 
introspection, alternative paths to a goal, messages from guides, 
love, safety, serenity, sun, fertility and the warrior aspect (stag). 
They are connected to Artemis, Aphrodite, Athene, Diana, Elaphaia, 
Dionysus, Apollo, Vayu, Lu-Hsing, Cernunnos, Cocidius and Shou-Hsien.
(attributed to Wyldcat's Pagan Place)

Many of us expected that if Snape's Patronus reflected Lily, it would 
be something that was innocent and gentle. Many of us expected a 
unicorn. Oddly enough when I looked up unicorn, it was often 
described as deer-like. So a doe for Lily as Snape's Patronus makes 
perfect sense. If Harry is right and Lily's Patronus is also a doe, 
what does the doe represent for Lily? 

It isn't canon, but I think James's Patronus is a stag. When DD saw 
Harry's Patronus in PoA, he said something about Prongs being back. 
Since he didn't know about James being an Amimagus, he must have 
recognized it as a version of James's Patronus. 

I believe JKR chose the doe because it met the need to reflect Lily, 
while also pairing nicely with James's stag. After all, to the 
reader, James and Lily are an eternal pair.