The Mythology Behind Harry Potter Characters
Mythological references and some fun facts about Harry Potter characters
I know that the internet is filled with articles about Harry Potter and I know that you’re getting sick of super fans discussing Dumbledore’s sexual orientation, but worry not! For this is not one of those articles.
This is just me trying to put my knowledge of mythology (and Harry Potter) to good use.
I’ve always been a bit of a nerd about fantastic stories, so myths and legends were always an attraction for me. And as I read and re-read the Harry Potter series -as many of you do surely- I started recognising some references and sub-meanings mostly hidden in the names of the characters.
Let’s start with the creatures then…
Although there are many mythological creatures involved in the books such as unicorns, centaurs, hippogriffs, mermaids, basilisks and occasionally dragons, I think Fluffy is the most direct reference to a certain character in Greek Mythology.
Yes, I’m talking about the big, three-headed dog guarding the entrance of the tunnel that leads to the philosopher’s stone. That kinda makes you think of Cerberus, Hades’s three-headed furry friend who happens to be guarding the gates of hell. Also, in one of the stories Orpheus has to go through the gates of hell to rescue Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades. Long story short, he gains passage by charming Cerberus with music. Sounds familiar? I thought so.
Moving on to the human characters.
Minevra Mcgonagall
Minevra is the Roman Mythology version of Athena; daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom, handcraft and warfare. Same goddess, different name. Old Mcgonagall might not seem fit for that name at first, but we all know she can be a total badass when the time comes. And a little fun fact about Minevra/Athena: she likes transforming people into animals. I see what you did there Rowling!
Sybill Trelawney
The women who had the gift of prophecy were called sybills in ancient Greece. Clear enough, moving on.
Remus Lupin
If you’ve ever been to Rome, you’ve probably noticed a depiction of a wolf nursing two babies. That depiction comes from a story from the Roman mythology and the names of those babies: Remus and Romulus.
It’s a long story but the short version is: The babies are twin sons of Ares (or Mars in Roman mythology), the god of war, abandoned in a river by their mother. They are rescued and raised by a wolf. They later become the founders of the city Rome. Hence the S.P.Q.R thing and the nursing wolf pictures all over the city.
And if that’s not enough, the name Lupin comes from Lupus, the constellation of the wolf. Remember when we were shocked when Lupin turned out to be a werewolf? He might as well be called “Wolf Wolfington Wolfskin”.
Sirius Black
Sirius is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. Translation: The great dog!
Arcturus Regulus Black
Regulus is Sirius’s brother, a former follower of -you know who- and one of the many characters with a complicated past.
As for his two names, both Arcturus and Regulus are names of stars. The thing is, Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo! So i guess we can say he always had a Gryffindor inside.
Alastor Moody
Not exactly a mythological character but Alastor is one of the epithets of Zeus, meaning avenger of evil deeds. Considering Mad-Eye filled half of the cells in Azkaban, it’s safe to say that the name suits him.
So, these are the most obvious references to mythology and partly constellations (which I include in the mythology for they take place in many of the stories).
I hope you find these references and connections as intriguing as I do.
If you have any other fun facts, please let me know in the comments.
