Is there actually some science/folklore behind the Harry Potter series? Options

[Phoenix70]

Hey, I'm new, and I personally think that these harry potter books were fantastic, and not to try and ruin anything, or anythingelse offensive, but is there anything actually made up. I mean I've done only a small amount, but if you notice, there is really nothing made up throughout the books, besides the characters. For example, there are the mythical beasts. There is actually folklore about Unicorns and Phoenixs (sp). I've done some reasearch on the Phoenix, because they are fascinating, and I have come to the conclusion that before Hary Potter even existed, there was myths and legends about Phoenix and Dragons. Phoenix even came up in the early century art of the Christian people ( around Biblical times) and these birds were thought to make nests of cinnamon, burn up, die, and have a new life cycle start, living as old as the last. Some were even thought that the birds gathered the remains of ashes from the incinerated counterpart, make them into egg of myrrh, and deposit them in Egyptian cities. The myths even tell of the birds regenerating when they were hurt making them practically invincible. Even dragons were depicted throughout history, although there is no actual vidence of existence, you could actually call the larger of the reptillian species dragons. Sorry for rambling, I'm good at this type of stuff.

This post has been edited by Phoenix70: Nov 30 2007, 09:00 PM

[Phoenix70]

Hey, I was going to just add another thing to what I said earlier. Today in Global, my class was studying Ancient India. I was wondering that with the social status in India has anything to do with the workers at the Depertment of Mysteries (the Unspeakables) because part of the lowest social status in India is the "Untouchables" class. Does this relate anything to the books?

[crmhpfan]

Hey, I was going to just add another thing to what I said earlier. Today in Global, my class was studying Ancient India. I was wondering that with the social status in India has anything to do with the workers at the Depertment of Mysteries (the Unspeakables) because part of the lowest social status in India is the "Untouchables" class. Does this relate anything to the books?

If you're want to add something to your post, you can just press the "edit" button, and that will save you from doing a double-post.

[Phoenix70]

Thanks for the idea. Sinse I'm new i really don't know anything yet.

[crmhpfan]

Thanks for the idea. Sinse I'm new i really don't know anything yet.

Nah, that's all right. Hope you're enjoying it here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[baty4potter]

Thanks for the idea. Sinse I'm new i really don't know anything yet.

You will learn quickly, but again please do not double post.

[Phoenix70]

What do you mean by double posting? Like at the top where I didn't edit my text? If it is, then i'm sorry.

This post has been edited by Phoenix70: Nov 30 2007, 09:03 PM

[crmhpfan]

What do you mean by double posting? Like at the top where I didn't edit my text? If it is, then i'm sorry.

I think that's what Baty was referring to.

[Phoenix70]

Can anyone else think of anything else that wasn't made up in HP besides spells and some of the mythical beasts?

This post has been edited by Phoenix70: Dec 1 2007, 07:27 PM

[You-Know-Poo]

Are these just coincedinces?

The train station, King's Cross, is the same as in Dracula

Grawp's nickname for Hermione, "Hermy" is the name of the dentist in the American, Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer

In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus, I can't remember if it's Oedipus himself, anyways, some one answers a sphinx's riddle

This post has been edited by You-Know-Poo: Dec 1 2007, 10:50 PM

[Phoenix70]

I don't know, never read Dracula, but it was on my to-do list. Is there actually the same train station?

[crmhpfan]

I don't know, never read Dracula, but it was on my to-do list. Is there actually the same train station?

Does it specifically refer to Kins Cross or just a London Underground Station?

[Phoenix70]

Wow there is so much stuff just scattered in the most random places, I wouldn't know if refers to Kings Cross, or the Underground station, Sorry!

Where Hippogriffs made up too? Or were they just a Griffin with a horse body. (Just in case, I believe a Grifin is a lion with feathers and wings) I think that's the name?

[Dijares]

Jo has used a great amount of information from Greek mythology to Shakespeare. To try to find all of it will be difficult. Her story is her own, but as with any fantasy/sci-fi, there are many different resources to draw from.

[Phoenix70]

Well, with that being said, is there any way we could try to come up with a list of things made up? If there are that many, than there should be no problem making a huge one. Oh, and Muggles had something to do with Shakespear, although I forget what. It was like a street or something.

[mollyweasley]

Well, the plots are all new and made-up. Just for an example - the Triwizard Tournament, Quidditch, Floo network.
Oh, and wasn't the dentist in Rudolph, Herbie, not Hermy?
(I love that show! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap.gif) )

[Phoenix70]

I wouldn't know about the dentist, haven't seen it for a while so.

Yeh, I'll admit the plots are all made up, but there is some stuff placed here and there thoughout the series.

[Bellatrix]

Phoenix70, I was amazed like you about how much of her books depicted real stories and legends.
For example, according to legend, there was a philosphers stone, and in reality, nicholas flamel existed and was married to perenelle.
I thought the basilisk was made up too, but thats also a mythical creature (and many others such as a hipogriff, a sphinx, centurs, unicorns)

Creatures which are made up are blast-ended skrewts, flobber worms

[The_missing_weas...]

Well here is something I found, I've been researching a lot of things from harry potter.

The basilisk like in the book, is supposedly the king of serpents and is only defeated by holding a mirror to him and legend has it that it is afraid of the crow of the rooster, and the weasel. Also a basilisk is born during Sirius, the dog star. Could rowling have gotten some of her character names just from that? And is Sirius' animagus form a dog because Sirius is the "dog star"?