Katie Rask
Abstract
Mythical Animals in the Harry Potterverse
It is well known that the Harry Potter books abound with references to ancient myth and
history, which serve to teach young children and older readers about mythical animals to
which they might not be otherwise exposed. In addition, the current movie versions of the
books fashion visual forms of these imaginary creatures. It is the intent of this paper to
present a comparative look at the mythical animals found within the Harry Potter series,
their ancient inspiration, and how they have been used in JK Rowling’s Potterverse.
Particular reference will be given to ancient literary descriptions and artistic
representations from the archaeological record. For the purposes of this presentation, both
mythic ‘beasts’ and ‘beings’ will be included in the discussion and visual aids will be
provided.
Topics will include, but not be confined to, the following. The inspiration for Buckbeak
is the winged and beaked horse (or hippogriff) from Greece, which, along with other
types of magical horses, plays an important role in Celtic art and was sacred to the cult of
the deities Rhiannon and Epona. Sacred to the gods, they appear frequently on coins and
seals of the Romano-British era, just as the winged Pegasus, similar to the Beauxbaton
steeds, is an important character from Greek mythology.
The centaurs found in JK Rowling’s series also hail from the Greek world and were
considered, as a whole, a violent and uncivilized species. They are depicted in all types of
Mediterranean art, ranging from terracotta figurines and architectural sculpture to wall
paintings and pottery. Only the centaur Chiron, mentor of heroes such as Achilles,
interacted with the human race on peaceful terms; he will be compared with Rowling’s
kindly Firenze. The Sphinx, found in the Triwizard maze of Book Four and renowned for
terrorizing ancient Thebes and questioning Oedipus, was almost as popular in ancient art
as the centaur.
The basilisk appears less frequently, but is described by writers such as Pliny the Elder
and Lucan, and had associations with death and the world beneath the ground, just as the
basilisk in Hogwarts does, lurking deep beneath the castle. Moreover, it was considered
the ‘king of all snakes’ and we will briefly discuss why the serpent, associated with death
and immortality in the ancient world, is the ideal animal to represent Voldemort.
Another topic of discussion will be Cerberus, the infernal door guardian of Hades. This
beast guarded the Underworld, just as Rowling’s three-headed dog guards a dark gateway
leading to a dangerous world beneath the earth. The Grim, pulled from the folklore of the
United Kingdom and similar to the Black Dog, has roots in ancient lore, and will be
compared to the liminal hellhounds of Hekate, an Underworld goddess connected with
crossroads.