Harry Potter

OK so major accomplishment - I’ve just finished reading all of the Harry Potter books! It took me a month and a half but I’ve done it. Sunday I read the last 100 pages of book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I loved the books, and I think that JK Rowling is a very talented writer. She is able to captivate her audience and keep them from page one. I, for one, definitely want to own the whole series and I can’t wait to reread it.

Since I’ve been reading the books, I’ve had a few conversations with some Christian friends. One of them told me that the names Rowling uses in her books are actually names of demons. Being curious as to which names were actually demonic, and whether that was accurate information, I started doing some research. As I was looking for information I found a couple of sites claiming that the books are in fact a manual to witchcraft, or more specifically, a manual to Wicca.
I had heard that concern before and, to be honest, as I was reading the books I was on the lookout for any red flags that might pop up. In my opinion, there were no red flags and I would definitely allow my kids to read the books, albeit I’d wait till they were bit older because of the violence in the stories.
I found an online “track” that supposedly an ex-witch turned Christian, wrote. And since she is one of the loudest people out there, and I believe she is the one that started the whole Wicca and demon thing, I read what she had to say.
According to her, these are the actual names of demons: Azkaban, Circe, Draco, Erised, Hermes, and Slytherin. Now I did some research and this is what I found:
The name of Azkaban which is the prison within the fantasy world, is derived from Alcatraz, which is a prison off of the coast of San Francisco.
Circe is a goddess in Greek mythology that can turn people into animals.
Draco is the latin word for dragon, it is also a constellation.
Erised is simply desire spelled backwards.
Hermes is another Greek god
Slytherin is a dorm within the story. The dorm symbol is a snake and what do they do? They slither, hence slithering or Slytherin.

All the names that I researched have some kind of a meaning behind them pertaining to their specific character. The names are usually taken from ancient mythology, whether Greek or Norse, or they are French, Latin or Greek in origin. An example of that is one of the more clever names, Sirius Black. Sirius can come from the Greek seirios, which means burning, but it is also the brightest star in the Great Dog constellation. Sirius is a man that can change into a black dog, hence Sirius Black becomes, and ultimately is, the black dog. Rowling has obviously researched her names and I think she does so brilliantly.
Voldemort is also a good example. The name is compiled from French; vol de mort, or flight from death, which is the one thing that the character is aspiring to do - become immortal, he is fleeing from death.
I think that the people that are trying to pass the names off as some kind of demons are going a little bit awry. I realize that some of the names in mythology, whether Greek or Norse, might be actual demons but they are also literary names within the common language, which is where, I think, Rowling got them from.

As to the books being a manual to Wicca, I highly doubt that. Anybody who has been around actual Wiccans and spoken to them about their religion would know that they do not use broomsticks, or wands, or even use their own innate abilities. Wiccans call upon “spirits” (which, incidentally, I do believe are demonic) to do their bidding. In Harry Potter, a witch or wizard is born with magical abilities, sort of a gene X factor. This reminds me more of the X-Men than actual Wiccan practice. Wiccan’s also believe in a god and goddess, which Harry Potter makes no mention of at all, actually there’s not even a god in the whole story. Now the books tell a story about a magical world, whether Rowling gets ideas from Wiccan practices, I do not know, but she probably did some kind of research to gain ideas for her plot. She probably researched myths, other religions, and even children’s books, but as far as I can tell the story is not a manual for Wiccan practices.

I have to admit that there are probably more cons than pros to reading Harry Potter but still, I think that every Christian needs to make his or her own choice. Although it makes for a great read, and I’m a sucker for good stories, the fact of the matter is, the plot does deal with the occult and magic which is something the Bible is clear about:

"There shall not be found among you anyone who
…practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer,
or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist,
or one who calls up the dead.
For all who do these things are an abomination
to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD
your God drives them out from before you.
You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.
For these nations which you will dispossess
listened to soothsayers and diviners;
but as for you, the LORD your God
has not appointed such for you."

Deut. 18:10-14

I shall say one more thing though. If you are reading, or planning on reading the books and don’t want to know how the story ends don’t read this following part.

Once you’ve read all the books and reflect on the story you realize that it starts with a prophesy about a boy that will be the end of the evil Lord Voldemort. The evil “king” seeks to kill the boy but doesn’t succeed. The boy is forced into “exile” among people that are not his own, muggles. Starting to sound familiar? He comes out of “exile” and takes his place amongst his peers where he starts learning about who he is and what his life is about. At the end of the story he faces Voldemort, not as an adversary, but as somebody willing to sacrifice himself to save the world and especially all of his friends that he loves. He dies, but he rises again. Now his sacrificial love protects his remaining friends from evil and in the end he kills Voldemort. To me, although the imagery is not exact, there is still an analogy of what Christ did for us on the cross.

Like I said, this is something that every Christian needs to discern for him- or her- self. I loved the books, and I thought that they made for a great read.

I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on the matter, please comment!