Discuss the importance of paganism and death in the Harry Potter series.
The Harry Potter series has many themes throughout; the battle between good and evil, the discussion of love and relationships, adolescence, racism and war. This essay will focus in particular on the themes surrounding and including paganism and the links this then has with wider cultural aspects. The relationship between death and paganism and the way this is represented in order to affect the wider social un-consciousness will determine the importance of these themes throughout the series. Whilst analysing the notion of a popular text such as Harry Potter and how Intertextuality facilitates this.
The term paganism generally refers to religions that predate Christianity, in essence the religious and scientific faiths and beliefs people held before the growth of western Christianity and Judaism. Examples of such Pagan religions would be Celtic folk lore and Greek Gods. Paganism can also refer to the use of witchcraft and occult practices. O’Brien argues that “with the occult themes now a part of mainstream culture, the Potter series is juxtaposed between a growing amount of blatantly diabolical material for the young on one hand, and on the other a tide of cultural material that redefines good and evil in subtler ways.” (O’Brien 2003:p7)
Some theorists argue that this fear of pagan culture within the Christian community has lead to much “controversy among concerned parents, educators and various religious groups.” (Soulliere 2010:p1) There is little support for the positive nature and aspects that can arise from pagan subtexts
Paganism is represented through the series by the use of divination as an occult practice. Abanes refers to a specific scene in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:
[A] loud, harsh voice spoke behind him. “It will happen tonight.”
Harry wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging…
Professor Trelawney didn’t seem to hear him. Her eyes started to roll. Harry sat there in a panic. She looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure…
[T]hen Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice quite unlike her own.
(Rowling 1999: p238)
He states that this “scene is depicting mediumship. Rowling is describing real-world occultism.” (Abanes 2001: p194) He then goes on to argue that the use of an occult practice in such a context encourages the occult in the youth of today in a popular context. In addition to this he suggests that “book IV gives additional credence to Trelawney’s occult powers by having the second half of her prediction come true (i.e. Voldemort’s pseudo-resurrection)” (Abanes 2001: p122). The fact that the prediction she makes come true further supports the argument that children would be encouraged to seek occult practices in order to determine the outcomes of the future.
Astronomy classes are held from the third book onwards and the Centaurs who are regularly portrayed throughout the series as having the ability to see into the future.
[Bane] ‘Firenze, we sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens, Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the plants?’
Ronan pawed the ground nervously.
‘I’m sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best,’ he said, in his gloomy voice.
Bane kicked his back legs in ager.
‘For the best! What is it to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in the forest!’
(Rowling 1997:p188)
He argues that the practice of foretelling or attempting to see into the future is against Christianity and therefore a pagan practice. Characters such as the centaurs who are prominent in many key scenes in the series, such as saving Harry from his first encounter with Voldemort’s in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the final battle in Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows.
[Xenophilius] ‘That is a children’s tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct. Those of us who understand these matters, however, recognise that the ancient story refers to three objects, or Hallows, which, if united, will the possessor the master of death.’
(Rowling 2007:p333)
There are other numerous instances of pagan symbolism throughout the book; for example, the idea within Christianity that Easter eggs are a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. This can be paralleled with the symbolism behind the resurrection stone and the resurrection of Harry at the end of Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows. Thus making Harry the master of death, it can be argued that this is a symbol of paganism as it suggests that one can gain power through obtaining magical objects.
Moving back to divination and prediction of Harry being ‘the chosen one’ from Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix onwards, a prediction also made by Professor Trelawney, shows the general belief in the ability of fortune tellers, which will be transgressed through to the audience. Some fundamental Christians have argued that this has lead to a return to popular culture buying into pagan values.
There are other numerous instances of pagan symbolism throughout the book; for example, the idea within Christianity that Easter eggs are a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. This can be paralleled with the symbolism behind the resurrection stone and the resurrection of Harry at the end of Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows. Thus making Harry the master of death, it can be argued that this is a symbol of paganism as it suggests that one can gain power through obtaining magical objects. Again further promoting the occult in childhood.
In the final instalment, Harry Potter and the deathly hallows play a vital part in conquering Voldemort. The ideas that these things need to be gained however in order to become the master of death, therefore control death, and imply acting God. This, Christians would argue, is a strictly pagan idea that death should not be controlled and it is unnatural to have power such as this.
In contrast, there is an argument that there is a heavy Christian allegory to the Harry potter series. The first example of this is the biblical references that can be seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows;
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death”…A horrible thought came to him, and with it a kind of panic. ‘Isn’t that a Death Eater idea? Why is that there?
‘It doesn’t mean defeating death in the way Death Eaters mean it, Harry,’ said Hermione, her voice gentle. ‘It means…you know…living beyond death. Living after death.’
(Rowling 2007: p269)
The quotation “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” is a biblical reference (1 Cor. 15:26). This can be argued in the same sense of the encouragement of paganism that it encourages the research of Biblical texts. As well as a Christian ideology being fed to the readership, another example of this can be seen in the same chapter, whilst looking at the gravestone of Dumbledore’s family;
Hermione was looking at Harry, and he was glad that his face was hidden in shadow. He read the words on the tombstone again. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. He did not understand what these words meant. Surely Dumbledore had chosen them…
(Rowling 2007: p267)
This moment in the book is a poignant moment for Harry on his journey of discovery about Dumbledore and his parents. The link to Biblical scripture about his future and possibility of peace after death will bring him comfort and allows Harry and the audience and insight into the grieving process. Through doing this an allowing such an obvious Christian allegory in the books it allows Rowling to tap into a new level of the subconscious of her audience.
Linking back to the resurrection stone and the idea that at the end of the book Harry can become the master of death, this can become an allegory of the sacrifice of Jesus, by willingly letting himself be put to death in order to save people from their sins. Harry knowingly goes into the forest to be killed by Voldemort, knowing that he himself was the obstacle preventing Voldemort from being killed.
Finally, the truth. Lying with his face pressed into the dusty carpet of the office where he had once thought he was learning the secrets of victory, Harry understood at last that he was not supposed to survive, His job was to walk calmly into Death’s welcoming arms. Along the way, he was to dispose of Voldemort’s remaining links to life, so that when he flung himself across Voldemort’s path, and did not raise a wand to defend himself, the end would be clean, and the job would be done in Godric’s Hollow would be finished: neither would live, neither could survive.
(Rowling 2007: p554)
His hands were sweating as he pulled off the invisibility cloak and stuffed it beneath his robes, with his wand. He did not want to be tempted to fight.
‘I was, it seems…mistaken,’ said Voldemort.
‘You weren’t.’
This is the ultimate sacrifice that Harry makes, further enhancing the prophecies told beforehand; further substantiate the claims of an Intertextuality between the Harry potter series and pagan ideologies;
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must dies at the hand of the other for neither can lives while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.
(Rowling 2007:p741)
In contrast to this, through the loyalty and integrity that Harry shows his friends and his enemies, this is exemplified in the following extract;
‘They recognised you? But how? What had you done?’
‘I…’ Harry tried to remember; the whole journey seemed like a blur of panic and confusion. ‘I saw Stan Shunpike…you know, the bloke who was the conductor on the Knight Bus? And I tried to disarm him instead of – well, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, does he? He must be Imperiused!’
Lupin looked aghast.
‘Harry, the time for Disarming is in the past! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least stun if you aren’t prepared to kill!’
‘We were hundreds of feet up! Stan’s not himself, and if I stunned him and he’s fallen he’d have the same as if I had used avada kedarvra! Expelliarmus saved me from Voldemort two years ago,’ Harry added defiantly. Lupin was reminding him of the sneering Huffelpuff Zacherius Smith, who had jeered at Harry for wanting to teach Dumbeldore’s Army how to disarm.
‘Yes, Harry,’ said Lupin with painful restraint, ‘and a great number of death eaters witnessed that happening! Forgive me, but it was a very unusual move then, under imminent threat of death. Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!’
‘So you think I should of killed Stan Shunpike?’ Said Harry angrily.
(Rowling 2007:p63-64)
When Harry makes the conscious decision to only disarm Stan Shunpike rather than to harm or kill him, it shows his moral principle that he cannot harm another human, this reinforces the Christian commandment of ‘love thy neighbour.’ This again dispels the argument of the paganistic Intertextuality and reinforces the subtext of a Christian theme and the Intertextuality between the Harry potter series and biblical scripture.
From this we see Harry’s defiance to stick to his principles, ones we know he had learned from Dumbledore, the power of love, in the fight of good versus evil is paramount throughout the series stating;
If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand it is love. – Dumbledore
(Rowling 1997: p 216)
‘You are protected by love’ said Dumbledore loudly.
(Rowling 2005: p 477)
Harry shows this love for Dumbledore in the immediate aftermath of his death, and is knowingly fiercely loyal to Dumbledore and what is sure to be the quest in which Harry is on.
[Harry] ‘Well, where I went with Dumbledore and what we did is my business. He didn’t want people to know.’
‘Such loyalty is admirable of course,’ said Scrimgeour, who seemed to be straining his irritation with difficulty, ‘but Dumbledore is gone, Harry. He’s gone.’
‘He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him,’ said Harry, smiling in spite of himself.
(Rowling 2005: p604)
There is substantial argument to suggest both pagan and Christian Intertextuality. The majority of the evidence here points to the magical setting of wizardry and witchcraft to be a smokescreen for a wider cultural moral. The Christian ideology is highly evident through many varieties whether ideological or through biblical references. Therefore paganism within the series is used as a setting and a background to much deeper Christian ideological morals, in the context of provoking a reactionary culture amongst the audience.
Death is addressed throughout the novels, it progressively worsening as the characters age and mature, this is generally in line with the progression and aging of the initial audience. Many of the early books can be seen as standalone books, out of context to the wider series, again to reflect the needs and mentality of the audience. With there being small deaths that are not covered, due to their lack of cultural connotations and use to the central plot, they are mainly used to exemplify Voldemort’s evil nature.
In Harry Potter and the goblet of Fire, the use of death is used in a more sophisticated manner and Harry shows his dealings with the grief of friends in a more complicated context. The death of Cedric Diggory in the book is the first times we see Harry grieve for the loss of a loved one. His pain after the passing of Cedric, shown through his anger and weeping in the immediate aftermath of this death allows the audience to view grief in a different way. In addition this is where we first see a connection between the mortal world and the afterlife;
[James Potter] He walked close to Harry, looking down at him, and he spoke in the same distant, echoing voice as the others, but quietly, so that Voldemort, his face now livid with fear as his victims prowled around him, could not hear…
‘When the connection is broken, [Priori Incantatem – between the wands] we will linger for only moments…but we will give you time…you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts…do you understand, Harry?’
‘Yes,’ Harry gasped; fighting now to keep hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers.
‘Harry…’ whispered the figure of Cedric, ‘take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents…’
‘I will,’ said Harry his face screwed up with the effort of holding the wand.
‘Do it now,’ whispered his father’s voice. ‘Be ready to run…do it now…’
(Rowling 2000:p579)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, again sees the death of an important character. Sirius Black, who was a best friend of Harry’s parents and one of the main parent-like figures’ that Harry has in the series, is murdered. This murder however is graceful as he falls through the veil to his death. The murder is not in the context that we would see murder from an adult viewpoint.
‘He hasn’t gone!’ Harry yelled.
He did not believe it; he would not believe it; still he fought Lupin with every bit of strength he had. Lupin did not understand; people hid behind the curtain; Harry had heard them whispering the first time he had entered the room. Sirius was hiding, simply lurking out of sight –
‘SIRIUS!’ He bellowed. ‘SIRIUS!’
‘He can’t come back, Harry,’ said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. ‘He can’t come back, because he is d-‘
‘HE – IS – NOT – DEAD!’ roared Harry. ’SIRIUS!’
There was movement going on around them, pointless bustling, the flashes of more spells. To Harry it was meaningless noise, the deflected curses flying past them did not matter, nothing mattered except that Lupin should stop pretending that Sirius – who was standing feet from them behind the old curtain – was not going to emerge at any moment, shaking back his dark hair and eager to re-enter the battle.
Lupin dragged Harry away from the dias. Harry still staring at the archway, was angry at Sirius for keeping him waiting –
But some part of him realised, even as he fought to break free, that Sirius had never kept him waiting before…Sirius was not reappearing out of that archway when Harry was yelling for him as though his life depended on it, the only possible explanation was that he could not come back… that he really was -
(Rowling 2003: p712)
The grief that Harry displays at this point is paramount to a child’s understanding of grief, as well as exemplifying the teenage role that Harry has assumed as he has aged.
The progression of the use and theme of death is seen dramatically in the penultimate instalment of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The death of Albus Dumbledore and the grief shown by Harry and the wider community is paramount to the use of death to impart wisdom upon the audience. He demonstrates the same level of grief that was shown at the death of Cedric Diggory, by using his own body as a shield over the body. It is evident that harry has problems discussing the death of Dumbledore, who out of all the characters was most like a parent to him.
Harry felt as though he, too were hurteling through space; it had not happened…it could not have happened…
(Rowling 2005: p557)
He did not want to leave Dumbledore’s side, he did not want to move anywhere. Hagrid’s hand on his shoulder was trembling.
…
‘Ron – Dumbledore’s dead,’ said Ginny.
‘No!’ Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry, as though hoping the latter might contradict her, but when Harry did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bills bed, his hands over his face. Harry had never seen Lupin lose control before; he felt as though he was intruding upon something private, indecent.
(Rowling 2005: p 270-272)
Again helping children realise the importance of grief and death in a context they understand and a character to which they can relate. We see the characters working together to help each other with the grief which they feel.
Silence fell between them, each of them lost in their own thoughts, but Harry was sure that they, like him, were thinking about the following morning, when Dumbledore’s body would be laid to rest. Harry had never attended a funeral before; there had been no body to bury when Sirius had died. He did not know what to expect and was a little worried about what he might see, about how he would feel. He wondered whether Dumbledore’s death would be more real to him once the funeral was over. Though h had moments when the horrible fact of it threatened to overwhelm him, there were blank stretches of numbness where, despite the fact that nobody was talking about anything else in the whole castle, he still found it difficult to believe that Dumbledore had really gone.
(Rowling 2005: p 595-596)
A sharp pain rose in Harry’s throat at the sight: [Dumbledore’s body] for a moment, the strange music and the knowledge the Dumbledore’s body was so close seemed to take all the warmth from the day. Ron looked white and shocked. Tears were falling thick and fast into both Ginny and Hermionie’s laps.
(Rowling 2005: p599)
A little tufty-haired man in plain black robes had got to his feet and stood now in front of Dumbledore’s body. Harry could not hear what he was saying. Odd words floated back to them over the hundred of heads. ‘Nobility of spirit…intellectual contribution…greatness of heart’…it did not mean very much. It had little to do with Dumbledore as Harry had known him. He suddenly remembered Dumbledore’s idea of a few words: ‘nitwit’, ‘oddment’, ‘blubber’ and ‘tweak’, and again, he had to suppress a grin…what was wrong with him?
…
And then, without warning, it swept over him, the dreadful truth, more completely and undeniably than it had until now, Dumbledore was dead, gone…
(Rowling 2005:p600)
Throughout Dumbledore’s funeral harry and other characters feel very disconnected to the ceremony, which is a natural feeling for many teenagers, a further example of the book connects with its audience on the topic of grief and ways in which to handle the issues surrounding death.
The final instalment in the series, Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows is the book that contains a plethora of death and references to death. “Evil and darkness are now portrayed much more as being outside rather than potentially within.” (Manlove 2003: p178)
The first major death that occurs in the book is that of Alastor Moody, who dies whilst trying to protect Harry. This act of sacrifice so early on in the book reinforces the sense in the reader that the theme of evil plays precedence to the theme of good and shall be a continuing theme. We see all the characters deeply moved by this, in the same way they were all moved by the death of Dumbledore.
The deaths of Hedwig and Dobby further explore the varieties of grief experienced as a teenager.
The death of Fred Weasley, shows grief being explored from many viewpoints, mainly though that of his family. It explores the guilt that Harry feels, how he uses this and channels it into a positive action, again educating a naive young audience.
And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred’s ees stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.’
(Rowling 2007: p512)
This is also mirrored in the death of Lupin and Tonks, where Harry as their son’s godfather feels personal guilt. Moreover he feels regret due to the tension hat existed between himself and Lupin preceding his death.
The death of Snape is one of the most important death’s that is experienced by Harry in the series. It reinforces the Christian nature of Harry that he finally feels able to forgive Snape for all the bad and saw the good in him. The irony is paramount in the sense that only through his death, are his true intentions and his true nature become known.
‘Look…at…me…’ he whispered.
The green eyes found the black, but after a second something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank and empty. The hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more.
(Rowling 2007:p528)
The final two major death’s in the series are that of Harry Potter and Voldemort, the death of Harry himself and the morals inferred through this death again link back to the Christian or Pagan subtext which can be seen throughout the series.
Tom Riddle [Voldemort] hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snake-like face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy’s shell.
(Rowling 2007: p596)
The final death in the series represents the end of Harry’s quest and depicts the end of the battle between good and evil and further emphasises the power of the forces of good.
Death is explored in a deeper, than simply the death of individual characters. Death is also explored in the context of the death eaters, which the term in itself has connotations of evil, which is transferred through their actions as the servants of Voldemort.
A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands poiting straight upwards, was marching slowly across the field. Harry squinted at them…they did’nt seem to have faces… then he realised that their heads were hodded and their faces were masked.
(Rowling 2000: p 108)
Again this can be seen through the use of the characters of Dementors, creating the fear of the unknown and the idea of them being able to take your soul insights pagan connotations of the idea of death and the afterlife.
Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in lupin’s hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling, its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry’s eyes darted downwards, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, greyish, slimy-looking and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water…
(Rowling 1999: p66)
He could feel them watching him, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around him. Then it raised its rotting hands – and lowered its hood.
Where there should of been eyes, there was only thin, grey, scabbed skin. Stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth…a gapin, shapless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
A paralysing terror filled Harry so that he couldn’t move or speak. His patronus flickered and died.
(Rowling 1999: p281)
The concept of the afterlife is explored in much detail; in particular after the death of Sirius Black, Rowling explores the idea that there are numerous things that can happen to an individual after they pass away from mortal existence. Through this the book not only contains moral messages about interpreting your own afterlife, it means that it is identifiable to a multicultural audience. Although it has been criticised from the Christian perspective on this topic, it is integral to the popular nature of the series that it appeals to a multicultural audience as society is seen as multicultural.
In addition to this, the important part the horcruxes play in the quest to defeat and destroy Voldemort, again links in with the idea of person’s soul being destroyed through the act of killing and having no grief process or remorse over a death. The symbolism that by killing you rip someone’s soul apart further reinstates the idea that killing is harmful to you as a person, which can be argued as a Christian ideological subtext due to the fact that it backs up the idea of “thou shall not kill.”
Thus far, the essay has examined the positive aspects and outcomes of using death in the series, although there has been much criticism for the lengths and depths that Rowling has gone to on the topic of death within the series. “Merely debating what might happen if kids get the wrong idea about the occult does nothing to protect them from real danger” (Neal 2001:p127)It can be argued that due to the fact that many young children read the book the way in which death is explored is not suitable for such young audiences because “children’s narratives develop in social and cultural contexts.” (Herman 2008: p61)
In addition to this, the use of swearing in the later books, reflects the progression of the characters, Again it is widely assumed that this Intertextuality is needed for the books to be seen as popular with the adult audiences and shows how the book in some instances can be classed as adult fiction. Heilman again critiques this concept, discussing the ideas around magic and that “by paralleling our “muggle world” with the magical one. She presents our culture afresh to us.” (Heilman 2003:p 260)
“Torodov points out, the distinctive feature of the fantastic is uncertainly about the presence of supernatural events. This feature distinguishes the fantastic from ‘the marvellous’ where the existence of the supernatural is regarded as an established fact.” (Herman 2008: p159)
This debate would not be relevant if one did not look critically at the importance of the definition of what is a popular text. The Harry Potter series is evidently a popular text due to the hysteria and media attention that engulfs the world at every book, movie, DVD and game release, dubbed by sections in the media as ‘Pottermania’. “None of us really knows how to live in this era of media convergence, collective intelligence, and participatory culture.” (Jenkins 2006:p176)
However it is not enough to say that it is liked just because the media says so. When broken down there are many inertextual references that make the Harry Potter series a popular text due to the fact that it is able to relate and encompass so many genres in order to be accessible to many audiences. This is explained further and exemplified by the notion that “it is important to note…that the idealised story structure is itself subject to cultural variation.” (Herman 2008: p60)
Firstly the ideas of the myths and stories that are mentioned in the series, for example the centaurs and Hipporgiffs are part of our collective unconscious in the context of magic and horror, a genre of which popular culture and the community consuming it are highly familiar with.
This couples with the use of Intertextuality in the series, for example the detective aspect, where in every novel there is a mystery to solve and each of these lead to solving the quest and defeating Voldemort’s. Another example of is how the concept of time travel is explored in Harry potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. There is much humour used to lighten certain dark aspects of the novel, making it more appealing to wider audience, much the humour used is what has attracted the older and adult audience to the series.
In conclusion, it can be argued that the theme of death within the series is much stronger than the theme of paganism. The paganistic values in the book are opinions of conservative Christians rather than a theme. In addition to this paganism is a tool used by Rowling in order to create Intertextuality reaffirming the text as a popular narrative. Death is a genuine theme and presents moral thoughts and transcends lessons to the youth audience. The collective unconscious is again used here to make the book a popular text and the use of Intertextuality to make it relevant to the masses.
| WORD COUNT |
|
| Excluding Quotations |
Including Quotations |
| 2679 |
4997 |
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