Fwd: Origins of the Founders (British Geography input needed) (No OOP at all)

[Penny Linsenmayer]

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Penny Linsenmayer" 
<pennylin at s...> wrote:
Hi --

Working on my Nimbus - 2003 geography presentation, and I 
came across a puzzling bit of information in a message from 2 
years ago.  I could use some input, particularly from British 
members.........

 > In which case Godrics Hollow is not necessarily in South Wales 
as has
> > previously been supposed by some as Hagrid flew over 
Bristol on his
> > way to Surrey. Wherever Harry was taken in the interim was in 
South
> > Wales though.
> >
> > In GoF the Sorting Hat describes Godric Gryffindor as being
> > from 'Wild moor.' it is unlikely he came from Wales (we don't 
have
> > any moors). 

Every website I'm seeing says that the moor lands are 
concentrated in Yorkshire (duh), Wales, Cumbria and Dartmoor.  

So, does Wales have moors or not?  

Hufflepuff seems to have Wales covered as she came
> > from 'Valley Broad', somewhat stereotypically Welsh.>>>

Even if that is stereotypically Welsh, are there not other areas of 
the UK with broad valleys?  

Ravenclaw from glen does suggest to *me* anyway that she 
hailed from Scotland.

At the time of these discussions earlier, Neil came up with a 
theory that the fen origin of Slytherin might be referring to Ireland:

 > An alternative, slightly more likely theory, is that 'fens' refers 
to the
> Irish fens - i.e. the Irish peatlands (originally boglands - later 
drained,
> rather like the English fens).  This, of course, fits in nicely with 
the
> association of Slytherin with snakes, since legend has it that St 
Patrick
> drove all the snakes from Ireland.

So, if you say that Slytherin came from Ireland, Ravenclaw from 
Scotland .........and you assume that the four houses are meant to 
correspond with England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (which may 
be a faulty assumption in and of itself), is there really no way to 
associate Gryffindor with Wales?  I'm thinking the moors could 
very definitely be in Wales from what I'm reading, and I can't 
imagine that England is completely without an area fitting the 
description "valley broad."  

Sorry to interrupt your regularly-scheduled OoP discussions with 
something so old, but I could use some opinions if anyone has 
any thoughts.

Penny
--- End forwarded message ---