A Rubeus by Any Other Name...

Would NOT smell as, well, ah...sweet!

In JK Rowling's deft hands, character names are more than just a reflection of the personality of its owner.  While many writers like to pick apart JKR's prose for overuse of adverbs or other small infractions, one technique she is almost universally admired for is her ability to craft unique, meaningful, and enchanting names.  I mean, siriusly, can you imagine Rubeus Hagrid as a Robert Harris?  Or Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore as Albert Davis?

But JKR's talent was not just in giving her characters a whimsical, though accessible, name which made them seem fully a part of their magical world.  It was most importantly her ability to craft a name which carried hints of the mystery surrounding that character.

For example, many fans (myself included) are still convinced that when the Harry Potter Encyclopedia comes out, Dumbledore's animagus form will be revealed as a bumblebee.  After all, Dumbledore is an old English word for bumblebee, and he always seemed to be humming about the place.  And can you imagine that a former Transfiguration professor and a wizard as skilled as Dumbledore never learned to transform himself?

Years ago, when the HP books were new and fans were first beginning to share their enthusiasm over the Internet, the main clues being discussed were the meanings behind names.  Readers quickly caught on that many came from myths; others from places; some were named after flowers or stars; and then there are JKR’s own creations, combinations of words with new meanings (such as Umbridge, a portmanteau from umbrage and bridge, as she provided a connection from the school to the ministry). All types of names were strikingly relevant to the character or object they represented, and most held some sort of clue regarding that character's role in the series.

For example:

1. Argus Filch = Argus Panoptes from Greek mythology. Argus of the 100 Eyes made a great watchman, just like nasty old Filch.
2. Petunia = flower name meaning anger and resentment, sounds like petulant
3. Lily = flower associated with death and resurrection
4. Bellatrix = the third brightest star in Orion, means female hunter
5. Draco = Draco constellation, draco means dragon, a reminder of his serpentine Slytherin family.
6. Grimmauld Place = definitely a grim old place, but it might also be a play on the Brother’s Grimm and a nod to their fairy tales.
7. Minerva McGonagall = named after the Roman goddess of wisdom and war. She resembles a distant, austere goddess (with a warm side she reveals upon occasion), but a very apt second in command, as shown in Deathly Hallows.

When is a Horcrux not a Horcrux?

When it is an ancient Cross of Horus.

Many of you have probably heard of an ancient Egyptian amulet called the ankh, which is still popular in jewelry today.  And you may even know that it was a symbol representing eternal life.

But did you also know that it was sometimes called the Crux Ansata by Coptic Christians and early Egyptologists, who also referred to it as the Cross of Horus?

Why Horus?  Well, the god Horus was the son of Osiris.  Osiris, the father, represented the deceased Pharoah.  Horus the son, however, was the embodiment of the Pharoah who lived. He was commonly pictured as a falcon, lord of the skies.  In paintings on tomb walls of the Egyptian judgment scene, the weighing of the heart, you would frequently see Horus with his falcon head, carrying the ankh, the Cross of Horus, to impart the breath of eternal life to the lips of the deceased.  He could also withhold the ankh and thus deny eternal life to those whose hearts were weighted down by misdeeds.  (Note: Many Egyptian gods and goddesses were shown holding the ankh, not just Horus, but in the Weighing of the Hearts scene, it was usually Horus who carried this key to life when presenting the deceased to Osiris for final judgment).

So, what does any of this have to do with Harry Potter?  Well, my other obsession with Harry Potter, besides helping writers learn to improve their own craft, has been in tracing the Egyptian mythological references which run through JK Rowling's stories.  I think there are many, and I think the Horcrux is one of them.

Hor + Crux = Cross of Horus.

For Voldemort, his Horcruxes gave him eternal life.  But when Harry, who represents Horus, got involved, they led to his final death.  Harry urged Voldemort to account for his murderous misdeeds.  When Voldemort refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing, it was Harry/Horus, who denied him eternal life.

Most fans are familiar with the Greek, Nordic, and even Druid references which JKR wove into her subtext.  But not as many picked up on the Egyptian.  I think the Egyptian may have even been primary.  In fact, I think that the whole reason for JKR to place Bill as a curse-breaker in Egypt, was to point the way there. But when I first presented the Horcrux = Cross of Horus theory back in 2005 at the Witching Hour conference in Salem MA, very few people were onto JKR's use of Egyptian subtext.  Now, lots of fans have caught on.

Over the years, I've analyzed many of these Egyptian references through the series and will share them, with time, here.  Follow the Egyptian Mythology label to read them all.

And why point these out?  Because in seeing how JKR used ancient myths and symbols as subtext for her stories, we can do the same.  This layer of subtext is what gave her series such a rich depth and hooked her readers into searching out all the clues within.

Fans delighted in finding these Easter Eggs of clues, hidden deep within her text.  They scoured the Internet, searching out the meaning, and then plastered their theories of what was to come in the series based on their interpretation.

As writers, especially if your story has mystery or fantasy elements, weaving in this layer of subtext will delight and engage your reader.  Studying how it has been done by a successful author will help you improve your own craft.

Have you used any ancient symbols or myths to add subtext to your story?

Maturing the Mandrakes

For an example of the zoom detail (see prior article) which JKR weaves in so delightfully, I thought it would be good to look at a bit of world building which progresses throughout one story.

Remember the mandrakes from Chamber of Secrets?  Those wonderful potted plants which Professor Sprout was nurturing to stew up and give to Harry's classmates who had been petrified?  JKR depicted the mandrakes with such humorous, human detail, which was only depicted in one scene in the movie.  But in the books, bit by bit, she showed the mandrakes growing up. I thought it would be interesting to capture this clever progression in one place.

During the first day of classes:

Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.

Harry let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear. Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.
(p.117 - 118)

Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot.
(p.119)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Right before the Christmas break:

By next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was canceled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.
(p.250 - 251)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In early February:

There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.


"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for repotting again," Harry heard her telling Filch kindly one afternoon. "And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."
(p. 298 - 299)

Note: this is really quite gruesome when you think about it. Professor Sprout is nurturing these baby mandrakes in order to cut and stew them up.

Snape's Gray Undies

It was one of JK Rowling's most memorable scenes from Order of the Phoenix, one that fans could not wait to see come to life on the big screen, and not just because they were eager to view the four marauders together, alive as teenagers.  No, everyone wanted to see Snape and James go at each other.  And many were dying to laugh at Snape's graying underpants.

    Behind [James], the Impediment Jinx was wearing off.  Snape was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.
   "I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lilly.
   "Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, turning back to Snape.  "OY!"
    But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood.  James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants. (p. 647, OotP)

I do not think those gray undies are thrown in casually for a bit of nasty flavor.  Indeed, I think JKR possibly crafted this whole scene around them.

This view through the Pensieve opens Harry’s eyes to the fact that he’d placed his father on a pedestal that was both unhealthy and unrealistic. The world is not filled with good people and Death Eaters, but ultimately most of us are various shades of gray. And that’s where Snape’s exposed undies come in. Snape, like his undies, is one of the grayest.

Snape was deliberately constructed by his creator to be a man of uncertain allegiance, trusted by few, doubted by many, living in a world of shadows, existing on both sides of the Dumbledore/Voldemort divide. A man who intentionally concealed secrets and motivations.  A character of ambiguity.

Harry's Inception

Have you ever noticed how each Harry Potter book starts with Harry in a dormant or sleeping position? It's true! Take a look at this:

1. PS/SS -- In this first book, the reader is presented with not one, but two dormant Harrys! First, we have the baby Harry swaddled in blankets in Hagrid's arms, sound asleep. Then, when we are introduced to the almost 11-yr-old boy, he is asleep in his cupboard under the stairs...but not for long. Aunt Petunia approaches.
   
   
2. CoS -- The book starts out with Harry and the Dursley family at breakfast, and Uncle Vernon upset because he was awoken by Hedwig. However, after the reader is caught up on what happened in the first book, the first thing Harry says is "I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I'm not there." (p. 7) Can't be much more dormant than hiding in your bedroom pretending not to exist.
   
   
3. PoA -- "It was nearly midnight, and [Harry] was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent.." (p. 1) Harry is reading A History of Magic and trying not to get caught.
   
   
4. GoF -- "Harry lay flat on his back, breathing hard as though he had been running." (p. 16) He's awoken from his dream of The Riddle House.
   
   
5. OotP -- "The only person left outdoors was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flower bed outside number four." (p. 1) Rather an odd position to be in to listen to the news, don't you think?
   
   
6. HBP -- "Harry Potter was snoring loudly. He had been sitting in a chair beside his bedroom window for the best part of four hours, staring out at the darkening street, and had finally fallen asleep with one side of his face pressed against the cold window-pane, his glasses askew and his mouth wide open." (p. 42) Harry has been waiting for the promised approach of Dumbledore, while not truly believing he would arrive.
   
   
7. DH -- This is the book that breaks the pattern. Although Harry starts off in his bedroom, this time he is active, taking charge. He's been cleaning out his trunk all morning, preparing for his departure, and has cut himself on that broken mirror of Sirius', bleeding.

So, why all this dreaming, sleeping, lying down, or pretending not to exist? When something like this happens once or twice in a series, it could be merely a coincidence. However, when a pattern is present in every single book, the author is obviously making a point. But, what could it be?

WriteOnCon -- My Notes

So, the most exciting thing on the web this past week was the first annual online Writers Conference at WriteOnCon.com. What a fabulous idea! A conference online! No expensive plane trip or hotel room! No conflicts of timing! You can attend any and all of the workshops! And wonderful, extraordinary agent, editor, author resources, all at your fingertips!

So, here's the notes I have so far from this wonderful event. Notice that I haven't yet finished attending all the workshops, and will add to this list as I do. Plus, this list is Tweet-style because I used Twitter to take notes (this includes being listed from newest to oldest, reverse order chronology).

Risa Green on Transitioning from Adult to YA

• High school is a universal experience.
  
• Try to make your YA characters do things that is not expected. Don't treat them like adults; they're kids.

Agent Mary Kole on Avoiding Character Stereotypes

• What is your character's primary conflict w/ each of the other characters in the story? & how does it change?
  
• Characters are defined by their relationships to other people, and all relationships are complicated.
  
• The worst thing that can happen in your writing is cliche.

Aprilynne Pike on Creating New Mythologies:

• Having an entirely new mythos is a great way to make your story command the attention it deserves!
  
• When you are creating a new mythos, you have to be bold! You really have to change something!
  
• As you are creating your new and unique mythology, ground it in tradition.

In a Series, Foreshadowing a Character

One thing JK Rowling did throughout her series was to give a cameo to a character in a book before that character truly had a starring role. For example, in the first book, the Dursleys talk about Arabella Figg as Harry's babysitter before she comes out as a squib in Order of the Phoenix. Likewise, Gregorovitch is mentioned as the maker of Krum's wand in Goblet of Fire before he becomes a carrier of an important secret and the target of Voldemort's wrath in Deathly Hallows.

One of JKR's most beloved characters, Sirius Black, is also foreshadowed in an earlier book. In answer to Dumbledore's question as to where he got the motorbike, Hagrid answers:

“Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,” said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. “Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I’ve got him, sir.” (p. 14, SS)

Notice that JKR plants Sirius into the very first chapter of her first book, even though he doesn't appear as a true character until two books later with Prisoner of Azkaban. She also gives a hint as to his character and role with that motorbike and his presence at Godric's Hollow.

In Prisoner of Azkaban, JKR gives Cedric Diggory a cameo, even though his starring role is not until the next book, Goblet of Fire.

"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square...even Wood admits it." (p. 180, PoA)

If even Wood admits it was fair, but Cedric was willing to forego a win for a rematch, then he must be a true champion. It's a wonderful, although brief, introduction to the young man whose sense of honor and fair play makes him a winner with Harry in the maze, and then lose his life because of it.

Layering characters into stories in this manner reveals the depths to which JKR plots her series. To a reader, a series feels more real and connected when an important character doesn't just begin and end their career in one book. Readers love a sense of interconnectedness and a well thought-out plot.

If you're writing a series, plot out each book, its plots and characters, far enough in advance, that you can bring onstage characters from a later story and introduce them to your audience before their closeup.

What have you foreshadowed in your story or series?  Have you brought on a character even before they had a starring role?

Clue Technique - Hide in a List

JKR uses many techniques to hide the clues she buries in her story and to distract the reader's attention. Over the course of several posts, we'll analyze different ways she does this. Today, let's look at a couple of examples of how she uses lists to hide important clues.

First, here's a list from OotP when Harry and friends are cleaning out Sirius’ “black” house:

      They found an unpleasant-looking silver instrument, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harry’s arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin. Sirius seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy, until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut; a heavy locket that none of them could open; a number of ancient seals; and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class, that had been awarded to Sirius's grandfather for 'services to the Ministry'.

   'It means he gave them a load of gold,’ said Sirius contemptuously, throwing the medal into the rubbish sack.

(p. 108, OotP, Bloomsbury)

That heavy locket is a Voldy-Horcrux, which R.A.B, aka Regulus Black, brought back home for safe-keeping and destruction. Slytherin’s locket is first mentioned in HBP, but notice how it’s hidden here, in an earlier book, in a list of many interesting items, all with curious descriptions. Notice the tweezers scuttling like a spider, or the charmed music box putting them all to sleep. Among such an intriguing list, a simple locket that no one could open is not remarkable. It’s not even listed as the first or last item of the list, where the eye tends to naturally fall.

Here's another curious list from CoS:

[Harry]    “I wouldn’t mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts either.”

   “Could’ve been anything,” said Ron. “Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would’ve done everyone a favor...”

(p. 232, CoS)

Ron is joking, but hits the truth dead-on. In this list, JKR does put the necessary clue at the end of the list. However, there are two sly Rowling tricks sidetracking the reader from taking note--not only is it an obvious joke, but it’s also third in a list of increasingly absurd jokes, and therefore the most ridiculous, in Ron’s point of view.

Learn from JKR--hide clues in a list, but don’t make it the only item of interest that stands out! Hide your clue with disguises either boring or ridiculous. And if you want to be really deceptive, embed the clue in the middle of the list and not the beginning or end.

What technique have you used to hide clues in your story?