Questioning Historical Authority

Too often, students are told to blindly accept what is written in history books as undeniable fact. In America, we are trained from a very young age, often even in pre-school years, to listen to what a teacher lectures, memorize the data, and internalize the information as ultimate truth, such as the outcomes of wars and the origination of indoor plumbing. How can we be sure that we are being told the “right” version of history? Is it not often asserted that “history is written by the victors”? If what we are being taught in history class is in fact merely a biased re-telling of a story by unreliable witnesses or interpretable data, how can we be sure that we are getting the whole story, if we are learning the true story at all? These questions are also referred to in Anne Rubenstein’s chapter of Harry Potter and History titled, “Hermione Raised Her Hand Again: Wizard Writing History”, in which she asserts that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series teaches the idea of questioning authority, and the importance of searching for the truth in historical stories.

In Kindergarten, a teacher chants a song about Cristopher Columbus, engaging the class to memorize the song, and therefore learn the details of Columbus’ great expedition to find a “new world”. We learned that he “sailed the ocean blue in 1492” and even learned the names of his three ships. Students are led to believe that Columbus was the first person who discovered America, but evidence suggests that he was not. Considering there were already an indigenous population living there, Columbus could not have been the first to discover the land. This amendment of history is also evident in the history books in the Wizarding world when Hermione consults Hogwarts, A History and when she asks Professor Binns about the Chamber of Secrets, to which he initially refuses to speak about because it is a “myth” rather than a factual story of Hogwarts (Rubenstein 316). Anne Rubenstein alludes that just like Muggles in the real world, “Hermione has learned that she cannot trust the official history of the magical world to answer her questions, (314)”.

So why are false records being kept and taught to students in the Muggle and Wizarding world? Rubenstein makes the obvious argument that “… people sometimes lie, and even when they intend to tell the complete truth, perceptions of the past differ (317)”. Oral histories, which are heavily relied on in Muggle history and Wizarding history, are not altogether reliable, and furthermore, artifacts such as diaries and written accounts can also be misrepresented by the author’s prejudices, or these accounts can be misinterpreted in terms of language. For example, some words in one language (“I miss you” in English) are not directly translatable in another language (“Tu me manques” in French) which leaves room for some serious misinterpretations of textual evidence.

Sorting through historical evidence to find the true story of our past is a daunting task, but it can be rewarding to come closer to the truth through thorough research. Rubenstein notes that because of untrustworthy and biased reporters, “even seemingly simple, trustworthy documents – newspaper articles, for example – cannot be taken at face value (318)”. Because of this, it is paramount to sift carefully through historical data, and to teach students not to blindly trust everything they read in history books, on social media, or even on the news.

Journal #3 – On Real World Magic

In her essay Magic for Daily Use and Profit, Birgit Wiedl discusses the forms of magic in the Muggle world. She mainly focuses on the use of magic before the Statute of Secrecy was signed in the late 17^th century, examining the real medieval crafts and pagan rituals that many people regarded as witchcraft. Harry Potter may not be allowed to cast spells around Muggles, but the use of magic is deeply rooted in the Muggle world and continues today.

Bezoars, for example, seem like figments of J.K. Rowling’s imagination. A stone that cures poisoned people sounds incredible. They are, however, very real objects that even Muggles prized. Wealthy individuals kept bezoars for their healing properties, as well as for the status associated with them (Wiedl, 20). They were not cheap, as they came from the stomachs of ungulates and were praised as the exemplar of all antidotes. If someone tried to spike an aristocrat’s food with poison, having a bezoar nearby came in handy. Although we do not hear much about bezoars in the age of modern medicine, its historical popularity was widespread.

When it comes to casting spells, Professors Flitwick and Lupin would probably disagree about the importance of incantations. The Christian church, when squashing pagan rituals, tried to make clear the distinction between prayers and incantations (Wiedl, 22). Spells, however, were more similar to religion than the church probably would have cared to admit. Even exorcisms, highly religiously-charged rituals, rely on a kind of verbal magic. Spells and charms often use words or phrases to charge the magic, making them more powerful and effective. Sigils use letters and symbols to cast their magic, and are charged through intent as well as by physically writing or drawing the desired sigil.

Astrology, as taught to Harry Potter and friends by the centaur Firenze, did not exist in the form it does now. Although Firenze tells his students that fortune is written in the stars, medieval astrology was a far cry from the newspaper horoscopes we read today (Wiedl, 27). Little difference separated astronomy from astrology. The craft included observation, interpretation, and theory, and many famous stargazers (Galileo Galilei, for example) engaged in astrological thought because it was not perceived to be superstitious (Wiedl, 28). The rise of Christianity pushed the “magic” from the craft, but still relied on the positioning of the stars to set dates. Nowadays, astrologists are not as praised. Just as Hermione and Professor McGonagall disliked Professor Trelawney’s imprecise magic, many people believe that astrologists (and others who practice magic such as soothsaying, scrying, and palm-reading) are frauds.

Modern witches are often snubbed for practicing magic. In our see-it-to-believe-it world, people turn up their noses at spells and charms. Witches are mocked for believing in something that “isn’t real.” I think that magic, along with almost everything else intangible in the world, works if one wants it to work. Religious individuals use verbal magic through prayer and blessings. They also rely on the power of symbols, communion, and intent. To me, drinking the blood of Christ and praying to a higher power is comparable to brewing a potion and paying tribute to the earth. If their beliefs are legitimate, why aren’t those of a Wiccan? The use of magic as a spiritual outlet has been prevalent throughout history, and I think that its ridicule in modern society is misplaced.

Works Cited

Wiedl, Birgit. “Magic for Daily Use and Profit.” Harry Potter and History. Ed. Nancy R. Reagin. N.p.: Wiley, 2011. 9-37. Print.

In her article, “Hairy Snout, Human Heart? Werewolves in Harry Potter’s World and in European History,” Eveline Brugger talks about how the idea of werewolves changed throughout history and compares that to the how werewolves are seen in the Harry Potter novels. She then compares and analyzes to experiences of the two prominent werewolves in the series, Remus Lupin and Fenrir Greyback. At one point Brugger compares being a werewolf to having AIDS as they are both dangerous, contagious illnesses that often result in a social shunning by society (303).

This comparison is a fair one to make as there are many similarities to how people who are werewolves are treated in the Harry Potter novels and how people with AIDS were treated, especially during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. When the AIDS epidemic started in the 1980s no one really knew what caused AIDS but it was noticed that people who were homosexual or did drugs seemed to be the only people to be getting AIDS.

It was commonly thought that AIDS could be passes from person to person by touch, even though that was untrue, and therefore people who were known to have AIDS were highly discriminated against just as people who are werewolves are in the wizarding world. In the beginning of the epidemic no one knew where it was coming from; they just knew people were getting sick and mostly in the homosexual community. And just as people who contracted AIDS didn’t ask for it people who were werewolves didn’t ask for it either, “humans turn into werewolves only when bitten” (Brugger 294) and “men who turn into wolves don’t do it of their own accord” (Brugger 295). People with AIDS and those who were werewolves didn’t ask for what happened to them but just became victims of circumstances they couldn’t control and for which they were, and are sometimes still are, viciously discriminated against.

In the 1980s people who died of AIDS were often denied a proper burial and were cremated in the hospitals often without the consent of the family members. People who were in homosexual relationships often weren’t allowed to see their partners due to the intense negative stereotyping around homosexuality at the time, partners of people with AIDS were often not allowed to see their partners in the hospital or go to their funerals because families wouldn’t allow them to see their partners. People with AIDS lost their job or couldn’t find housing because no one wanted to work with or live around someone with AIDS. People who were werewolves in the wizarding world came across similar treatment in that they weren’t really accepted in the general population so often created their own communities outside of the general population as Lupin tells Harry, “’they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing – and sometimes killing – to eat’” (HBP 334). Finding and keeping a job once people knew you were a werewolf was also problematic as we see when Professor Lupin as to leave Hogwarts at the end of Harry’s third year, despite the fact that he was their best Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, “’this time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents…. They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry’” (POA 423).

But all hope is not lost. Similar to AIDS there is no cure for being a werewolf but in both cases, there are medicines that can help alleviate pain and extend a person’s life who has either condition. As Brugger quotes from Fantastic Beasts, “there is no known cure, although recent developments in potion making have, to a great deal, alleviated the worst symptoms” (294), even though one cannot reverse the process that made them a werewolf there is a way to make the transformation more manageable. Professor Lupin talks about this potion, Wolfsbane Potion, when he is explaining how he keeps himself safe in the school during the full moon, “’it makes me safe, you see…. I keep my mind when I transform…. I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.’” (POA 353). The same is true for people with AIDS, there is no way to cure a person of AIDS over the years there have been a lot of developments in treatments for AIDS that have helped prolong the lives of people who have AIDS.

So, despite the fact that Brugger’s article only makes the comment that being a werewolf is like having AIDS there are a lot of commonalities between but just how people with either condition is treated but also to what extent the malady can be managed. Werewolves and people with AIDS have been shunned by society and there is little that can be done about their conditions when it comes to curing them but that doesn’t mean that those people can or should be treated as subhuman.

Cassidy LeDonne

Popularity of Werewolves

Werewolf: a person who changes for periods of time into a wolf, typically when there is a full moon (“Werewolf”).  Werewolves are mythical creatures who has a Middle/Old English origin (“Werewolf”).  Though the origin of werewolves takes place in England, the population of werewolves and endless amount of stories about them, has expanded throughout the world.   Werewolves can be found in any culture, whether it be in their history, TV shows or movies.  That leaves the question, why are werewolves so popular?  In the reading “Hairy Snout, Human Heart: Werewolves in Harry Potter’s World and in European History” in the book, Harry Potter and History, Eveline Brugger talks about the idea of humans transforming into animals, specifically werewolves, in the magical world of Harry Potter and the history of the werewolf existence.

The popularity of werewolves stems from Europe.  “Of all European predators, the wolf probably has the most ambiguous reputation” (p 294).  But what’s so confusing about the wolf population?  Why is there so much curiosity about them?  Well, there is a weird appeal to people that you can be both human and animal.  For a while there wasn’t acceptance that humans could turn into animals, especially in the beliefs in religion in the early twelfth and thirteenth centuries.  Once the term “werewolf” was accepted and the idea that werewolves could exist, they were feared.  Fearing werewolves is what made the mythical animal so popular.  Most “wolves appear as threatening and dangerous” (p 294) and that attracts a lot of attention.  Wolves were viewed as very dangerous back in the day, as they appeared in horror genre movies.  However, current day, there are a lot of TV series that portray friendly wolves.  In the TV series, “Teen Wolf”, Scott McCall plays a wolf, who was bitten, but goes to extreme measure to save his friends and family.  Scott McCall is hero in a sense and is out to get the bad wolves or bad creatures that try to destroy his hometown.  As Eveline Brugger states, “In their wolf shape, some of them are murderous beasts, while others are tame and kind” (p 295).  In Harry Potter, Remus Lupin and Fenrir Greyback are great examples of the good and bad wolf concept.  Remus Lupin appeared as someone who struggled with their existence as a wolf and only wanted to do well, even if at full moon, he wasn’t his human self.  Fenrir Greyback appeared as someone who embraced their wolf-like behaviors, even in human form, and only wanted to create hectic and chaotic environments.  Since, in recent years, there was a good and bad wolf existence, it only furthered extended its popularity around the world.

The popularity of werewolves also comes from the idea that humans can turn into animals specifically on a natural cause.  The full moon plays a huge role in the curiosity behind werewolves.  Even though the full moon didn’t “play a prominent role either in pre-modern werewolf literature or in the werewolf persecutions” (p 301), it now plays a huge role in the popular culture today.  In every movie or TV show, there will be scenes that show the significance of the humans turning into werewolves on a full moon.  In the first season of the TV show, “Teen Wolf”, Scott McCall just recently got bitten by a werewolf and every full moon that happens, he tries to chain himself to his bed or chain himself to a pole to try to restrain himself from turning into a murderous beast, since he couldn’t control his powers at first.  Eveline Brugger adds, “In the Harry Potter universe, the full moon is crucial for the transformation, and most other modern werewolf stories also mention the influence of the moon in some form” (p 301).  In Harry Potter, viewers can see Remus Lupin struggling with his transformations whenever there was a full moon.  Through Harry Potter, and other TV shows like “Teen Wolf”, the popularity of werewolves has increased and is now a typical mythical animal that people will see in today’s entertainment culture.

The werewolf image has transformed since its original appearance back in the early twelfth and thirteenth centuries.  The werewolf image started out as something many religions weren’t willing to accept into their beliefs and since then, werewolves have turned into a huge culture popularity.

Work Cited

Reagin, Nancy Ruth. Harry Potter and History. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2011. Print.

“Werewolf.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

While reading Hairy Snout, Human Heart? Werewolves in Harry Potter’s World and in European History by Eveline Brugger was comparing being a werewolf to having AIDS or HIV. Eve line stated, “Lupin’s condition—and the reaction it causes among the majority of the Wizarding population—indeed resembles a dangerous, contagious illness” (303). That is in fact a very good comparison, however in today’s society most people with AIDS or HIV are able to live a normal day-to-day life. Mental illness is more of an issue in today’s society that affects people’s day-to-day life more than AIDS or HIV. My mother works in the mental health field therefore, I grew up seeing the side affects of mental illnesses.
Today’s society if a person is diagnosed with a mental illness there is an invisible label on that person. In the Wizarding World there is also a label on those who are a werewolf. Both werewolves and mental illnesses change a person’s life. Once a month the werewolf has it transformation and they have no control over their actions. A person who has a mental illness, like Bi-Polar disorder or schizophrenic, also has no control over their actions. Both are being overruled by their disorder and are not their selves during those times. Many of people who know of wizards who have been bitten treat them differently and may not associate with them. Then again there are wizards who do associate and accept their disorder and allow them to live a normal life. Lupine, for example, had his friends in the Harry Potter books to help him live a good life and did not neglect him because of his illness.
In Harry Potter and History it was noted that there is “The anti-werewolf legislation passed by the Ministry makes it almost impossible to find employment and generally pushes them toward the fringes of wizarding society” (299). In today’s society there is not legislation against mental illness and jobs due to discrimination, however there is the unspoken rule employers use. In today’s job society employers will keep searching and/or decline a person from a job offer due to their mental illness, but will not use that reason. Both werewolves and mental illnesses face this situation. Another comparison is people in today’s society are nervous to have children around a mental disabled person for an unknown reason. On page 304 in Harry Potter and History, Brugger mentioned that “It is absolutely certain that a such a person would not be allowed to work with children—just as Professor Lupin lost his job at Hogwarts when parents learned that he was a werewolf”. The Wizarding World and today’s society is very similar when it comes to having a disability whether it be a werewolf or bi-polar.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Snipe was able to create a potion to help Lupin with his transformation. The potion was able to help Lupin’s werewolf side effects and allow him to be calm. Before a full moon, Lupin would take the potion and then stay inside his office until the moon passed. In today’s society there are all different kinds of medicine to aid a person through their lives. This allows them to live a normal life without having an uncontrollable life. Both potion and medicine are there to help a person control their life and to live a normal life.
Seeing that there are many of different comparisons to being a werewolf in the Wizarding World is surprising. The authors are able to attention on how others treat wizards who were bitten. Some are going to accept and will not change their opinions, while others will push them away. The similarities are also surprising because they both are able to create a connection between the two.