Post by Pink on Jan 1, 2007 14:13:19 GMT
As much as I liked my last theory I think I'm now about 95% positive I know what the 'Deathly Hallows' thing is 
I was pondering it all late last night while lying in bed at about 3am, unable to sleep because it was so windy I was sure my windows were about to blow in. Anyway, I had an epiphany and pulled something out from a dusty corner of my mind about somewhere I'd read about Hallows before...
This morning I've been mooching about looking at this book of mine and online looking up some stuff and I think it's all fallen neatly into place!
Firstly, according to dictionary.com Hallows means:
Doesn't make a huge amount of sense with that particular meaning, and that is because the meaning of Hallows we're looking for is much, much older and doesn't appear in modern dictionaries.
About a year or so ago I got this big fat book all about Myths and Legends of the British Isles. I'll be honest and say I've bearely read any of it
but I did read the bit about Arthur and *that* is where I've read about Hallows before!
In a Nutshell, there were these thirteen items/artefacts which were known as the Hallows of Britain, or the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. There is also the same kind of thing for Ireland, The Four Treasures, AKA The Hallows of Ireland. Items of great significance, though I don't declare to know much of the story behind them.
You can look these up on Wikipedia though if you're interested.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Treasures
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Treasures_of_Britain
They were artefacts that questers, like Arthur himself, searched for. Kind of like Grail Questers who look for the Holy Grail (again like Arthur).
Now, how much sense does that make!
In British legend, Hallows are items/artefacts/treasures of large significance that people went on quests to look for.
What is Harry going to be doing in Book Seven?
Hunting for Horcruxes.
There you have the Hallows - the Horcruxes, and the quest to find them.
As for the Deathly part, well that's a pretty easy adjective to equate to a Horcrux is it not! The fact that you need to kill to create one, the dangerous nature of the Horcruxes and the whole aura of evil/darkness that surrounds them.
So, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is simply reference to the Horcruxes, and also a nod to Arthurian legend, and we already know how much stuff like that JK likes to incorporate into the books
Since I've been reading this morning I've read tons out there about this, so I'm very obviously not the first person to work this out. I guess there must be shitloads of articles about this out there now but I'm still pleased that my little brain managed to find that spark ;D
I was pondering it all late last night while lying in bed at about 3am, unable to sleep because it was so windy I was sure my windows were about to blow in. Anyway, I had an epiphany and pulled something out from a dusty corner of my mind about somewhere I'd read about Hallows before...
This morning I've been mooching about looking at this book of mine and online looking up some stuff and I think it's all fallen neatly into place!
Firstly, according to dictionary.com Hallows means:
hal·low (hāl'ō) Pronunciation Key
tr.v. hal·lowed, hal·low·ing, hal·lows
To make or set apart as holy.
To respect or honor greatly; revere.
tr.v. hal·lowed, hal·low·ing, hal·lows
To make or set apart as holy.
To respect or honor greatly; revere.
Doesn't make a huge amount of sense with that particular meaning, and that is because the meaning of Hallows we're looking for is much, much older and doesn't appear in modern dictionaries.
About a year or so ago I got this big fat book all about Myths and Legends of the British Isles. I'll be honest and say I've bearely read any of it
but I did read the bit about Arthur and *that* is where I've read about Hallows before!In a Nutshell, there were these thirteen items/artefacts which were known as the Hallows of Britain, or the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. There is also the same kind of thing for Ireland, The Four Treasures, AKA The Hallows of Ireland. Items of great significance, though I don't declare to know much of the story behind them.
You can look these up on Wikipedia though if you're interested.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Treasures
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Treasures_of_Britain
They were artefacts that questers, like Arthur himself, searched for. Kind of like Grail Questers who look for the Holy Grail (again like Arthur).
Now, how much sense does that make!
In British legend, Hallows are items/artefacts/treasures of large significance that people went on quests to look for.
What is Harry going to be doing in Book Seven?
Hunting for Horcruxes.
There you have the Hallows - the Horcruxes, and the quest to find them.
As for the Deathly part, well that's a pretty easy adjective to equate to a Horcrux is it not! The fact that you need to kill to create one, the dangerous nature of the Horcruxes and the whole aura of evil/darkness that surrounds them.
So, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is simply reference to the Horcruxes, and also a nod to Arthurian legend, and we already know how much stuff like that JK likes to incorporate into the books
Since I've been reading this morning I've read tons out there about this, so I'm very obviously not the first person to work this out. I guess there must be shitloads of articles about this out there now but I'm still pleased that my little brain managed to find that spark ;D
