Good King Wenceslas Looked Out

Have you ever felt this inexplicable urge to hunt down a small bird and tie it to the top of a pole? If so, you should go to Ireland on the 26th of December. That's how they (used to) celebrate there.

Like probably many people, I have never really given the 26th of December much thought. People don't have to go to work or school, but most of the Christmas fuzz is already over. Then I found this really lovely Christmas song (while watching The Big Bang Theory) called 'Good King Wenceslas' where in the very first verse it goes "good king Wenceslas looked out, on the feast of Stephen..." and I started to wonder; what is this feast of Stephen actually? Here are some answers. I focused on the tradition in Ireland, because it is the most extraordinary? weird? interesting? Decide for yourself.

What is so special about the 26th of December?
It is a bank holiday in many countries all over the world and known as St. Stephen's Day or Boxing Day (in the UK and some Commonwealth countries, taking the name from the custom of giving household servants small gifts; "Christmas boxes").

Who was this Stephen?
A deacon at the early church of Jerusalem who enraged many members of the synagogues with his teachings. After his trial, at which he held a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities, he was stoned (in c. 34). He is said to be the first Christian martyr.

And what is this to do with the Irish hunting small birds and tying them to poles?
Frankly speaking, nothing. Even though St. Stephen's Day is a national holiday in Ireland, the celebrations of the Day of the Wren (that's the poor bird) have little connection to the saint.
The wren, a very small bird, is considered the king of all birds in Ireland. You can find out more about how that came to be by reading this story. It's a very cute story.

Originally, groups of boys would go out and hunt for a wren. After finding one, they would chase it until they caught it or until it died from exhaustion. The poor bird was then tied to a holly bush or pole and carried from house to house where the boys would sing the wren song. They themselves wore straw masks or blackened their faces. The money that was collected during this creepy caroling was used to hold a dance for the village. If you were one of the donators you were given a feather for good luck.

There are a few stories about the origins this bird-murdering tradition. They always portray the wren indeliberately betraying people, leading to it being persecuted for centuries.

One legend that dates back to the 700's and the raids of the Vikings holds that a wren betrayed Irish soldiers sneaking up on a Viking camp in the middle of the night. The wren started to eat bread crumbs that were left on a (Viking's) drum, thus waking up the drummer who alarmed the camp. This lead to the defeat of the Irish who then started to hunt wrens.
Another story goes that a wren betrayed St. Stephen himself. He was hiding in a bush from his enemies when a chattering wren gave him away. The wren should be hunted down after that and stoned, just like St. Stephen.

If these legends are true, I don't know. The latter one kind of makes more sense as it describes a connection to St. Stephen explaining why wrens are tied to poles on this particular day.

How it is celebrated these days
In Irish, this day is called Lá Fhéile Stiofán (Day of the Wren) or Lá on Dreoilín (Wren's day)
Luckily for them, no real wrens are killed anymore during the festivities. People now tie fake ones to the end of poles and go from door to door wearing old clothes and straw hats. They play traditional music, sing and dance to collect money 'to bury the bird'. Depending on the region, they are called wren boys or mummers. Even though this tradition is less common than it was a few generations ago, a Mummer's or Wren Boy's Festival is held every year in New Inn (County Galway) and Dingle (County Kerry).

The Wren Boys now also include girls. Money that is collected during the festivities is often used for charity and school or community projects. 

In this video you can hear the wren song traditionally sung by the wren boys/mummers and also a short explanation about this tradition. I don't know if the song or the dancing children are cuter :D

the lyrics: 

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze, Although he was little his honour was great, Jump up me lads and give us a treat. / As I was going to Killenaule, I met a wren upon the wall. Up with me wattle and knocked him down, And brought him in to Carrick Town. / Droolin, Droolin, where's your nest? Tis in the bush that I love best. In the tree, the holly tree, Where all the boys do follow me. / Up with the kettle and down with the pan, And give us a penny to bury the wren. / I followed the wren three miles or more, Three miles or more three miles or more. I followed the wren three miles or more, At six o'clock in the morning. / I have a little box under me arm, Under me arm under me arm. I have a little box under me arm, A penny or tuppence would do it no harm. / Mrs. Clancy's a very good woman, a very good woman, a very good woman, Mrs. Clancy's a very good woman, She gave us a penny to bury the wren.

Jinx!

In my last post, that you all read so very attentively, I am sure, I was telling you about the telling names of Harry Potter. And as you were all very well behaved, I am going to give you this post as a Christmas present. This is going to be about how other things in the Harry Potter series are filled with information and insight. So much excitement!

Sorry, Professor.

SPELLS

Accio: Latin for summon ->summoning charm
Expelliarmus: composition of 'expellere' (Latin for to expel) and arma (Latin for weapons, armour, ammunition) ->disarming spell
Incendio: Latin for burning or set fire to which is exactly what it does. 'Incendio' also means great fire in Spanish.
Alohomora: consists of the words aloha (which is a greeting as well as a farewell, in this case a farewell) and 'mora' which is Latin for delay, drawback, stoppage. Together they say Goodbye, obstacle! And unlock doors or chests.
Stupefy: means to make someone unable to feel or think properly, more precisely to make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a stroke ->stunning spell
Wingardium Leviosa: Wingardium is a combination of the English word 'wing' and the Latin word 'arduus' which means steep. Leviosa could relate to 'leviare' which means to lift in Latin. ->levitation charm
Levicorpus: 'Levi' is Latin for slight, 'corpus' for body. ->spell that lifts people
Liberacorpus: 'Libera' means to free ->counteracts Levicorpus
Diffindo: Latin for split, cleave, put off. ->severing charm
Finite Incantatem: 'Finite' means to end, stop. Incantate could relate to the Latin word 'incantationem' which means incantatem. Together they make stop the incantation ->general counterspell
Lumos: 'Lumen' is Latin for light. 'Luminous' in English means full of shedding light, emitting light. ->wand-lighting charm

Nox: Latin for darkness. ->wand-extinguishing charm
Morsmordre: combination of 'mors' (Latin for death) and 'mordere' (Latin for bite). Death-bite? No, Death Eater. This spell conjures the Dark Mark.
The Unforgivable Curses
  -Imperio: Latin for command, control ->you gain control over another person's mind, thoughts and actions by casting this spell upon them
  -Crucio: Latin for torture
  -Avada Kedavra: derives from the Aramaic and vaguely translates to 'let the thing be destroyed' or 'disappear/be lost at this world' ->killing curse that only one person is known to have survived (twice). Also sounds like 'cadaver' which means corps; or Abracadabra.

PLACES

Grimmauld Place: The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix and also the house Sirius grew up in. Harry later inherited it from him. It is a play on words and sounds like grim, old place which it definitely is.
Knockturn Alley: A shopping area devoted to the Dark Arts, off Diagon Alley in London. Also a play on words as it sound like nocturnally (anything that refers to, is done or occurring at night). It is a very dark, dangerous street indeed.
Privet Drive: Privet is a very common shrub planted as hedges in England, especially in the suburbs. It is often associated with boring, unimaginative people (*cough*). 'Privet' also means prohibtion. (*more coughing*)
Little Whinging: Privet Drive and the Dursley's house is located in Little Whinging. To 'whinge' means to whine or to complain which is one of the Dursley's favourite activities, whether it's about Harry, the neighbours, Harry, motorbikes, or just Harry.

hoggy warty Hogwarts..

Slytherin: Sounds like slither, something that snakes do. No wonder a snake is in Slytherin's house blazon. Slytherins are also known to be 'sly' people. The founder of Slytherin house and one of the four of Hogwarts was Salazar Slytherin. Salazar was the fascist dictator in Portugal at the same time as Mussolini and Hitler.
Gryffindor: A griffin is a creature of mythology with a lion's body and an eagle's head. Lions are known to be brave and eagles to be wise, noble creatures, all traits of Gryffindor house. (D'or is French for 'of gold' which is one of Gryffindor's colours.) Godric consists of the words 'God' and 'ric' (power, rule, realm). Together they make power of God.
Ravenclaw: Ravens are known to be smart birds, and Ravenclaws are known to be smart students. Rowena is named 'mother of the nation' in Welsh poetry which could link to her being one of the founders of Hogwarts.
Hufflepuff: I could find nothing about Hufflepuff whatsoever.. is that a sign? :(

OTHER THINGS

Peeves: 'to peeve' means to annoy, irritate or cause of annoyance. Nailed it.
Moaning Myrtle: Moaning and complaining is all she ever does. Myrtle is a type of evergreen that is often overlooked because of its plainness.
Nimbus: 'nimble' is light or quick in movement, agile. Perfect qualities for a broomstick.
Firebolt: 'bolt' is a short heavy crossbow arrow; could indicate how this is a very fast broomstick (as it is as fast as a bolt shot from a crossbow).
Fawkes: Possible connection to Guy Fawkes who in 1605 tried to set fire to Parliament. In England, on the 5th of November, Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy. Every year he is 'resurrected' to burn again.
Aragog: Arachnids is a class of 'joint-legged invertebrate animals' (Wikipedia) also known as spiders. Gog or Gogmagog is the name of a legendary giant who according to British folklore was thrown off a cliff during a wrestling match. The words combined form 'giant spider'. Another possible connection could be the Greek word 'agog'(conductor) which would make him the 'conductor of giant spiders'. Disturbing, but yes.
Hagrid: 'Grid' is a giantess in Norse mythology known for her bad temper. The prefix 'Ha' could simply stand for half which would make Hagrid - a half-giant.
Fenrir Greyback (werewolf): Fenrir or Fenris is a gigantic and terrible moster in Norse mythology. Can you guess what this monster looks like? 
Animagus: A combination of the words animal and magic. An Animagus is a witch or wizard that can deliberately turn into an animal. (I solemnly swear..)
Muggle: comes from English slang, a 'mug' is a fool or somebody who is easily fooled.

I hope you liked your early Christmas present! 

Well, yeah, this post.. I've put all my heart and soul in it :(

This is still not everything that could be said about the Harry Potter series, but the in my opinion most important names and places and things (that can be explained) are explained. 

...You Need Only Ask

In case you won't notice, there are several words with links. Feel free to click on them.

Yes, this is going to be about Harry Potter! Or more precisely, the telling names of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is not only a great writer and inspiring person, but has also mastered the art of giving her characters telling names. And not only her characters; place names and incantations alike are brilliantly filled with information. But let's focus on the people first. 

The Potters

A common surname J.K. Rowling has always been fond of. A potter's field is a place for the burial of unknown or poor people. This term tragically fits and indicates the death of Lily and James as well as Harry not knowing the real cause for eleven years.

  -Harry: derives from the Anglo-Saxon and means power. His name could also refer to famous magician Harry Houdini who lived in the 1900's.

  -James: comes from the same root name as Jacob, means 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter'. In this case, supplanter fits quite well. To supplant is to take place or substitute, especially through intrigue. James' death was indeed due to underhand tactics and intrigues of one of his so-called friends.

  -Lily: a flower that is traditionally associated with death and rebirth. They die every year but sprout fresh leaves from the decayed bulb. Lily sacrifices herself so that Harry can keep on living. Her maiden name, Evans, is Celtic and means young warrior. Also quite suitable for her.
  -Hedwig: yes, also pets are part of the family. In case you don't know her, she's a beautiful snowy owl. Her name means refuge in battle which she he is in a way to Harry as she prevents him from getting hit by a killing curse. She died a heroine :( 

The Weasleys

Most obviously, both the Weasleys and the weasel have red hair. But there's more to it according to Rowling: "The weasel has a bad reputation as an unfortunate animal." The Weasleys themselves are unfortunate because they are poor. Funny note: They life in a village called Ottery St. Catchpole. The otter is a member of the weasel family and also Hermione's patronus.
  -Arthur: he is the head of the family and could represent King Arthur who, if the legend is to be believed, overcame enemies and thereby brought peace and harmony. Arthur Weasley plays a major role in the Order Of The Phoenix and the defeat of the Dark Lord.
  -Ron: Ronald originates from Old Norse and is a composition of advice/judgement and ruler/power. Ron is in many ways a powerful and important advisor of Harry's.
  -Ginny: short for Ginevra who, according to an old myth, playfully hid in a trunk on her wedding day. The lid fell and buried her alive until eventually only her skeleton could be discovered. This is a strong correlation to Ginny being taken into the Chamber of Secrets where... Rowling, however, also said that she picked the name to give the only Weasley girl a special and extraordinary name.
  -Hermes: was the Greek messenger. Hermes the owl is the successor of Errol who regularly failed to deliver letters properly. 

The Blacks

The family motto 'Toujours Pur' says all about their feelings toward the non-magical world or even muggle-born witches and wizards. It is French for always pure, indicating what they think about the ones that are not pure-blooded. In contrast to that stand two of their sons: Regulus and Sirius. Note how both their names refer to stars shining bright in the (black) night sky. They are the only decent members of this evil, dark family. 
  -Regulus Arcturus: both of his names are those of stars. Maybe because he had to shine twice as bright? A Death Eater at first, Regulus was the first to learn about Voldemort's malignant ambitions to create Horcruxes and turned against him.
  -Sirius: the brightest star in the sky, also known as the Dog Star or Great Dog (Canis Major). Remember how Sirius got his nickname Padfoot?

The Malfoys

Malfoy can be interpreted in many ways, but you always come to a similar evil or bad conclusion. In Latin, 'mal' means pale which they all certainly are. 'Mal foi' is French and means bad faith which could be down to them, especially Lucius, being not as faithful servants as they pretend to be. If you translate it from Portuguese, however, you go even deeper. 'Mal' is evil and 'foi' can be either was or became, which could imply that the Malfoy family has always been evil. 

  -Lucius: the servant of Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar. He is among the conspirators who assassinate Ceasar. In Romanian, 'lucios' means bright/shiny which could be a link to his love of the luxurious and extravagant, or plainly about his hair. Another possible connection is how similar it sounds to 'Lucifer' (the devil).
  -Draco: Latin for dragon. In the 7th century BC there was a Greek ruler called Draco who is known for his cruel and severe punishments of even minor crimes.
  -Narcissa: 'Narcissism' is excessive love for oneself. This can actually be said about all members of this family. Or show how much more Narcissa loves her family than she wants to serve Voldemort.

Alastor Moody: Alastor is similar to Alistair, the Scottish (Gaelic) version of Alexander. It is a very suitable name for an Auror as it means protector of men. Even more fitting is the verb 'alexein' which is Greek for ward off/avert/defend. His surname is self-explanatory and describes him pretty well.

Luna Lovegood: Luna is Latin for moon but also a term in alchemy for Silver (just look at her hair). The word 'lunatic' derives from it, and she is often described by fellow students as Loony which is just another way of saying she is crazy. This may be down to her not caring at all what others think of her, or maybe just because she likes to the read The Quibbler. Her surname correctly suggests that she is a warm-hearted, endearing person.

Remus Lupin: His name is just a dead giveaway for his condition. If the Hogwarts students learned more about mythology and thought more about their own language, Snape wouldn't have had to try so hard to reveal Lupin's secret. Remus was one of the twin brothers who were raised by a she wolf. 'Lupine' means to resemble a wolf. Combine the two names and you get what Snape called a 'Man Wolf'.

Hermione Granger: In Greek mythology, Hermione was known as the patron saint of high magic. This is maybe why she is such a gifted witch. In Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale, Hermione dies early in the play but is later brought back as a statue. At the very end, she returns to life. Doesn't this sound familiar (Chamber of Secrets)? 'Granger' is a very old word for farmer, which could indicate how ordinary, non-magical her parents are.

Albus Dumbledore: 'Albus' is Latin for white as which his hair and beard are described various times. 'Dumbledore' means bumblebee in Old English. J.K. Rowling supposedly chose this surname because she'd always imagined him 'walking around the castle, humming to himself'. Wouldn't that be the loveliest explanation ever? 

There is just so much more to write about Harry Potter, the characters or spells or places. Maybe if you all behave, there will be a sequel for Christmas. I mean, Dumbledore does look very much like Santa. Goodbye and Nox.