Nominative Determinism: Classically Derived Names in the Potter Saga by David Butler and Dr Rebecca R

Nominative Determinism: Classically Derived Names in the Potter Saga by David Butler and Dr Rebecca R. Butler ominative determinism occurs lupus, a wolf. The idea of men who could The most celebrated of the ancient Nwhen a person’s name reflects what transform into wolves occurs in Latin too, world’s Sybils was perhaps the Cumaean, that person does or is, for instance Mr such creatures being termed by the poet who came to Rome during the reign of Baker making bread or Ms Taylor making Ovid as ambigui. Lupin himself is an Tarquinius Priscus. She sold books of dresses. In the Potter saga J. K. Rowling ambiguous figure, the kindest and gentlest prophecies to the Romans, which could seems to have a particular fondness for of men when himself, a terrifying figure be consulted only on the authority of the nominative determinism. In her case the when transformed. Roman senate. names often derive from Latin and Greek The example of Lupin raises familiar The Sybil had 12 books of language and tradition. if unanswered questions. Was Remus prophecies for sale. When she announced This note will consider those given this first name because he was the price the Romans declined to buy, examples of nominative determinism in infallibly destined to become a werewolf? regarding the price as exorbitant. She the Potter saga with their roots in classical Or did he become a werewolf because his destroyed six books and offered the language and mythology. It thus excludes parents were unwise enough to give him remaining six – at the same price. The derivations from other linguistic sources that name? How is it that his family name process was repeated. When there were such as Durmstrang, the northern was Lupin? He became a werewolf only three books left the Romans bought academy of magic, its name derived from through being bitten. There is no them at the original exorbitant price – an the 18th century German literary suggestion that he came from a hereditary early demonstration of the economic movement known as Sturm und Drang or lupine family. Rowling does not pose reality that scarcity of supply increases the name Voldemort, which ambiguously these questions, let alone answer them. prices. The books were stored in the may come from the French either as ‘theft They are part of the mystery of temple of Capitoline Jupiter, where they from Death’ or as ‘flight from Death’. nominative determinism. were destroyed in the fire of 83 BC. Sybill Trelawney’s great-great- grandmother Cassandra is of interest. She was named after the princess of Troy, Remus Lupin Sybill and Cassandra Trelawney daughter of Priam and Hecuba, who was brought back from the Trojan War as the Remus Lupin was the Defence against the The same cannot be said of Sybill war prize of the victorious Agamemnon. Dark Arts teacher who taught Harry the Trelawney, the Hogwarts Divination Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra was so Patronus charm. He was one of the teacher, whose destiny was much clearer. pleased to see her husband back home originators of the Marauder’s Map. He Her great-great-grandmother was the with his new girlfriend that she and his died during the Battle of Hogwarts. Lupin famous seer Cassandra Trelawney, so it cousin Aegisthus murdered them both. was a werewolf. was perhaps always possible that Sybill This Trojan Cassandra was Remus was the first name of one of too would inherit the Inner Eye. In the celebrated not only for her prophetic the mythical twins who founded the city ancient world the word Sibylla was used as powers but also for the way in which of Rome, twins who were said to have a proper name for female seers and also those powers were exercised. Apollo been suckled by a she-wolf. for other women. Its etymology is granted her visionary powers in return for The surname Lupin derives from the unknown. A number of different cities in sexual favours she promised him. Latin second declension masculine noun the ancient world claimed to have a Sybil. However Cassandra broke her word. The Journal of Classics Teaching 17 (33) p.54-57 © The Classical Association 2016. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits Downloaded54 fromnon-commercial https://www.cambridge.org/core re-use, distribution,. IP address: and reproduction 170.106.202.58 in, anyon 26 medium, Sep 2021 provided at 04:03:59 the, subject original to thework Cambridge is unaltered Core andterms is ofproperly use, available cited. at The written https://www.cambridge.org/core/termspermission of Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2058631016000143 University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work. Apollo therefore instead of revoking her Again, when Professor Dolores powers ordained that, although Cassandra Umbridge challenged Trelawney to make Argus Filch would prophecy the truth, the Trojans a prophecy, she said that Umbridge was in Argus Filch was the caretaker at were fated never to believe her. great danger. Umbridge scoffed at the Hogwarts, responsible for maintaining As a result Cassandra forecast that prophecy, but we soon see Umbridge order in the school. He was a squib, born her brother Paris’ elopement with Helen unwisely venturing into the Forbidden into a magical family but devoid of would lead to the destruction of Troy, and Forest and being carted off by an angry magical powers. He was also a vengeful that the great wooden horse should not mob of Centaurs. She was indeed in soul, refraining from torturing the pupils be brought inside the walls of Troy. Her danger. Trelawney was right again, and only because Dumbledore forbade it. warnings were ignored, with disastrous once again like the namesake of her Filch’s given name is the Latinised consequences. ancestor she was destined not to be version of the Greek Argos, a many-eyed Whether this same fate befell believed. creature described as Panoptes, ‘all-seeing’. Cassandra Trelawney, to foretell the truth His many eyes make the Greek Argos a and not to be believed, we do not know. perfect watchman, engaged as such by no But it is certainly a fate that befell her Minerva McGonagall less than Hera. In this case the derivation great-great-granddaughter. Sybill of the name must be intended ironically, Trelawney made two prophecies that were The Roman goddess Minerva was since even with the help of his cat Mrs believed. She predicted that a child would regarded in classical mythology as the Norris (a name borrowed from a different be born who could fight on equal terms Italian equivalent of Greece’s Pallas tradition) Filch was totally unable to keep against the Dark Lord, which turned out Athene. Like her Greek counterpart, order in Hogwarts. Fred, George and to be Harry. That was the great prophecy Minerva was the goddess of (among Harry, with the help of the Marauder’s preserved in the Ministry of Magic’s many other attributes) wisdom and Map and the Invisibility Cloak, ran rings Department of Mysteries and sought with magic. She was often depicted with her around him. Peeves the poltergeist made such intensity by Voldemort and the sacred companion, an owl, significantly fun of Filch at every opportunity. Death Eaters. Later Trelawney correctly from the viewpoint of Hogwarts where Rowling was not the first to borrow predicted in a trance that the Dark Lord’s owls were both plentiful and the the name Argos. Homer used the same closest ally, Peter Pettigrew or Wormtail, backbone of the communication system. name for Odysseus’ vigilant dog. When would be restored to him. Pettigrew It is somewhat surprising that Odysseus returned incognito after his escaped from Lupin and Sirius Black in McGonagall’s Patronus was a cat rather 20-year absence, the dog was the first to his animagus form of Scabbers the rat. than an owl. recognise him. Despite these two correct prophecies, both Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall regarded Trelawney’s powers with scepticism. Alastor (Mad-Eye) Moody Sirius Black McGonagall dismissed Divination as a hoax subject and Dumbledore joked, Alastor Moody was one of the most Harry Potter’s godfather was an animagus, when Trelawney’s prophecy about successful Aurors, the wizards who able to change himself at will into a huge Pettigrew proved accurate, that this was combat Death Eaters on behalf of the dog. Accordingly he is named Sirius, for her second success in more than 20 years Ministry of Magic. It was said that half the Dog Star. Sirius is the brightest star in so maybe she deserved a pay rise. the cells in Azkaban were filled by Moody. Earth’s skies. It is known as the Dog Star Contempt for divination reached its peak Moody also served as Defence against the because it belongs in the constellation when Hermione Granger walked out of Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts for one Canis Major. Greek and Roman mythology the lesson, dismissing it as unworthy of year, spending part of the time locked up are both rich in stories about this dog. her attention. in his own trunk while Barty Crouch One Greek version identifies Canis Major But Dumbledore, McGonagall and junior impersonated him, using Polyjuice as the dog gifted by Zeus to Europa. One Granger were mistaken. In Harry’s tea Potion. Moody was killed during the Roman version sees Canis Major as the leaves Trelawney saw a huge dog which evacuation of Potter from the Dursley watchdog set unsuccessfully to protect she took for the Grim, a symbol of household.

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