The Influence Of Ancient Myths In Harry Potter

“Mythos”- a Greek word meaning “tale” and the origin of the word mythology; according to the dictionary mythology means, a traditional story aiming to explain the meaning of things concerning deities and demigods.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling is a magical story about a boy who set on a heroic journey to save his home. Along the way he shows great heroism, courage, and natural intelligence as he navigates his way through Hogwarts and it’s mystery’s. Harry Potter’s story left a mark in every audience member's heart and a permanent fondness for the magical story in their minds.

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to, and study, the myths, in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece, its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.

influenced her views of the world since she looked up so much to her sisters. Minerva was

and remains one today. She fought for what was right even if it meant death.Minerva is a heroine

by Trujillo. Out of all these girls I believe Minerva was the most heroic, because she was

The term myth is used popularly as something told to others, which are usually fictional. They are usually stories passed down from generation to generation and have you asking yourself, is this really true? An example of a myth would be saying that if you put a penny underneath your tongue while intoxicated, you would blow zeroes when a police officer is conducting a Preliminary Breath Test also known as a Breathalyzer. This has never been proven to be factual so this would be a myth. Another example would be as kids, I always told my brother and sister that there was a boogey man underneath their beds or in their closets knowing there was no such thing. In contrast, the word myth is defined in our reading as “ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions” (Leonard & McClure, 2004). A few examples of the questions would be: why can’t we see the sun at night or stars during the day?

"The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by an invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing." (Severus Snape, Book five.) The book series entitled 'Harry Potter' has Biblical themes hidden beneath all of the spells, charms, and enchantments. Harry Potter, in my own opinion, is very Christ like and I feel like the book series could be looked at like a modernized version of the bible. He resembles Jesus Christ in multiple ways. J.K Rowling has subtly featured religious symbolism in her books such as, Harry dying for the wizarding world much like Jesus died willingly for our sins. After they died, they were both resurrected. Fawkes, the

Edith Hamilton is the author of the book Mythology. This book is about the Mythology of the Romans and Greeks through her eyes and the way she interprets it. In the beginning of the book Hamilton writes an introduction to Classical Mythology and how, and why it came about. She starts off by writing that Greek and Roman Mythology is meant to show us how people felt about the human race and about where they came from many years ago. She points out that Mythology describes the Earth when it was young and people cared for the Earth more than today. This is true, because in today?s world not many people are caring about the Earth and its going by us fast.

This paper examines the Greek mythological connections as well as analyze the hero’s journey in the popular children’s book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone written by J.K. Rowling . This novel is about the journey of a young wizard named Harry Potter who discovers his magical powers at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Athena also has a temple located on the grounds of the garden. Though it is called the temple of Minerva, the statue within its walls houses a spear and an owl. As she is the god of wisdom and war, these are her symbols. Minerva is the equivalent of Athena in Roman mythology. Her temple is much larger than the temple of Apollo. This should be so as Pigage designed the property, with the help of many renowned architects and scholars, as place of contemplation and reverence.

Once published, the book gained immense popularity and won many awards. Her publishers wanted her to write more which led to her creating the entire Harry Potter series. Her books were extremely popular then and now. The Harry Potter series is often thought to be one of the best book series to be written. Not only was the story told through writing, it was also made into multiple movies. Rand mentions how even though they were not liked, they still came out on top. J.K. Rowling’s books were not liked at first, but eventually they became one of the best selling book series and she came out on top.

A main rhetorical device that appears throughout the entire Harry Potter series is symbolism. There are many names and items that stand for something else and many are introduced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. First, Harry’s scar represents the true love parents have for their children and how they are willing to do anything, including being killed, in order to save them. Next, the Mirror of Erised shows a person their truest desires and everything he or she would want in life. Thirdly, each wizard’s wand is representative of his or her character and personality and if the improper one is used, terrible events will occur. Finally, the names of the founders of the four Hogwarts Houses are symbols of the core beliefs and values of each.

Not all mythology comes from ancient cultures. People all around the world continue to create new myths and rework existing ones. Modern technology such as movies, publishing, telecommunications, and the internet allow folktales, rumors, and myths to travel faster around the world. A feature of some modern legends is that they originated as artistic creations. Modern legends offer images of the best and worspect aspects of mankind. Modern myths suggest that good behavior can be rewarded while greedy and foolish behavior will be punished. While modern mythology is different from ancient mythology they are similar in that monstrous and scary partly human creatures still fascinate people today. Vampires and Werewolves are examples of modern mythologies most fascinating monsters. Modern mythology spawns from life’s wonder, excitement, mystery, and fear.

Another factor which I believe has led to the novels success is that while reading, the reader wishes that they could live in this fantasy world created by Rowling where life is anything but ordinary. The novels make the reader somewhat desire a life like the one led by the characters of the novels, like going to a school to learn wizarding, always having extraordinary things happen and just being at Hogwarts seems like an unequaled joy for some. These novels have the ability to reignite the long lost imaginations of adults, and keep the imaginations of children strong.