Patroni (speculation) WAS: (Re: CHAPDISC: Ch. 19: The Silver Doe)

[zanooda2]

No: HPFGUIDX 182930

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:

> I have no idea what Kingsley's lynx or Luna's hare 
> represents--unless the hare is her father, with his 
> hare-brained schemes.


zanooda:

Well, I tried to read something on animal symbolism yesterday, but
it's just impossible, you know. In different cultures the same animal
means different things, and even in the same culture some animals have
 too many meanings, which sometimes contradict each other. I mean, how
can rabbit/hare symbolize lust and innocence at the same time? I gave
it up :-). Everybody seems in consent about dogs, however - they 
always symbolize loyalty and protection. BTW, about Xeno's
"hair-brained schemes" - rabbit usually represents quick-thinking and
guile, not stupidity :-).

As for lynxes, they are linked to the supernatural. Lynxes have an
incredibly keen sight, so they are believed to be able to see the
unseen and help develop psychic abilities - stuff like that.


> Carol wrote:

> But, to get to the point, I've thought since I first read about them
> that Hermione's playful otter (a member of the weasel family)
> represents Ron and Ron's Jack Russell terrier somehow represents
> Hermione.


zanooda:

I snipped your very insightful essay about Jack Russell terriers,
which I read with much interest (I love dogs, although terriers are
not my kind of dogs :-)). However, I'm still not convinced. Somehow I
don't see Hermione (or Molly, for that matter :-) as Jack Russell
terrier. It was funny though that while reading your post I glimpsed
at the TV screen for a moment, and guess what, an old episode of
"Frasier" was on, with Eddie, the Jack Russell terrier, right there on
the screen! Isn't it strange? Eddie was of course the weirdest dog
ever, although I think in RL (not on TV) the dog who played him was
just a normal terrier - energetic, self-assured and not very obedient.


> Carol wrote: 

> Umbridge, in contrast, gets a cat Patronus
> to go with the "foul" kittens that decorate her walls because JKR
> loathes Umbridge and hates cats. (McGonagall is an exception to the
> rule, of course. I think that JKR hadn't thought about Patronuses 
> yet when she made McGonagall a cat Animagus--she was merely 
> associating cats and witches as in folklore. And since McG was 
> already associated with cats, JKR gave her a cat Patronus as well.)


zanooda:

Well, animals, like people, have different traits. Cats can symbolize
 independence and wisdom - that's McGonagall. They also like to play
with their victims before finishing them off - that's Umbridge :-).



zanooda, who would have given McGonagall a different Patronus - maybe
an owl ...