Notification of prejudices

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 191507



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, sigurd at ... wrote:
>
> Dear Steve
> 
> But at that you have reached a tautology. Let's flesh out this a little. What is the definition of "mythology." From what I hear you say it is very close, if not identical to what I call "basic assumptions." ...
> 
> Otto
>

Steve:

I think you are looking at this a little too deeply. By Mythology, I mean that Gryffindor are told they are 'brave', their history is related over and over again, point out the stories of many brave people, but ignoring those like Peter Petegrew, who I will admit had a very cowardly kind of bravery. 

So, something of a legend builds up, and you see yourself in Gryffindor, and you hear all the story of how brave Gryffindors are, and you hear the selective history and the legends of Gryffindor bravery. And you start to think of yourself as brave, and in small ways perhaps even reflect bravery in your daily life. 

But, it is easy to be brave in small ways. It is easy to live out the mythology of Gryffindor bravery when life never puts you to the test. But, when real danger presents itself, then we find out whether you are living the myth, or whether you have taken bravery to heart.  

The Same would be true Hufflepuff, they are keep your head down, don't make waves, be fair, be hard working, and being in that house, you hear they your have those traits, and you hear about the many hard working uncomplaining Hufflepuffs through out history. You hear the legends, and you start to believe them, you start to live the mythology. 

But once again, it is easy to hold on to that myth when life never tests you. Hufflepuffs are likely to keep their head down and stay out of trouble. However, sometimes trouble comes knocking, perhaps not on your door, but on your neighbors door. Then you have to decide whether you are going to dream the myth, or live it. Are you going to keep your head down and not make waves or cause trouble, or are you going to lift your head up and create trouble by the boat load simply because it is the right an moral thing to do? 

In some sense, it is good that we try to live up to the mythology that informs us. In some sense that is the purpose of mythology, to show us the right way to live by parable example. But, when the chips are down, do we simply talk the talk, or do we take action and walk the walk. 

Any mythology can be perverted to selfish greedy ends. Hufflepuff could potentially be manipulated into a certain action by appealing to a twisted interpretation of their values. The same could be done with Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and certainly has been done to Slytherin. 

There is nothing wrong with the basic characteristics of Slytherin. They are positive and productive archetypes in all societies. But, among some, the Slytherin characteristics have been twist to destructive ends. This same thing holds true of religion in the modern world, it can be twisted and used for selfish ends. The same it true of 'Honor Codes' in some schools. Those 'Honor Codes' can become so twisted by malicious interpretation that it justifies the most despicably dishonorable things.  

The characteristics of each House represent the mythology of that House. These are the legends, these are the stories that are told around the camp fire. These are the stories that shape the people who hear them. But these are also the stories that can be twist to bad ends. These are also the legends that are easy to idolize and emulate when life is easy, the question is can you see the larger overriding legend in each set of myths, and can you seemingly go against type when the greater moral good calls for it? 

In the final battle, I think all the Houses found the best in their mythology and acted on it. In the end, they all fought, though not to the last person, for the greater and truer moral good. 

By myths, I don't mean falsehoods of fiction, I simply mean the stories that shape us. Each house has its own traits and accompanying stories that shape it. I suspect, in the future, the Hufflepuff legend of Cedric Diggory will be one that guides them. But, that story and the interpretation of it could just as easily be twisted in very negative and very un-Hufflepuff like ways. 

That is one way in which the rich and powerful manipulate the masses, by twisting the interpretation of modern and ancient mythology to their own ends. 

And that was my central point, each House, through its characteristics, has the potential to foster both good and evil simply by re-interpreting its legends and myths. 

Steve/bluewizard