Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Final: Spirited Away


 

The use of Animals/Creatures in "Spirited Away".




       Spirited away is about a Young naive girl named Chihiro. She is an unwilling hero. She does not want to go on this adventure to save her parents but through the power of love she is willing to do anything. I am going to take a look at the creatures in Spirited Away and the significance to the plot of the story.
       One of the most powerful animal in Chinese culture is the Dragon. The dragon shows warlike qualities and is aggressive. The Dragon is the king of water and weather. In Spirited away the dragon was a Boy names Haku who helped Chihiro find her parents. He was also the river dragon who saved her when she was younger. Haku was also Yubaba's henchman, which also identifies with the dragon personality.
      Another creature used in Spirited Away was the Bird . The evil Yubaba was a crow. She was the head of the bath house. She took the workers names so they would forget who they were and never leave. There are a few bird references in the Chinese culture. The crow in Japanese or Chinese culture represent the sun which is probably why Yubaba flew towards it every morning after work. However, The crow in Asian culture represents goodness and in Spirited away Yubaba is the total opposite. Yubaba's twin sister Zeniba was more like the crow but she was represented by a paper crane. The crane in Asian culture is considered the bird of happiness or the heavenly crane. it symbolises good. "The wings of a crane were said to be able to lift souls up into heaven. Zeniba is a good example of the crane. she was very kind and forgiving and wanted chihiro to call her granny. She also gave her a hair tie that was like a talisman. Zeniba said it would keep her safe. I Believe it also gave her courage.
       Another animal is the Pig. The pig has a lot of qualities. They are known to be kind and in the Chinese culture they are known to bring good luck. they can also symbolise naive and self indulgence. In spirited away Chihiro's parents are turned into pigs by Yubaba because they ate all the food that was meant for the guests of the bath house. The pig in this case show greed and selfishness. If Chihiro does not save them in time, they will be slaughtered and sacrificed to feed the guests
      I think the creator of spirited away did an awesome job depicting the characters in the movie to Asian culture. he infused not only Chinese culture but also Japanese culture. He showed that animals have a significant meaning in everyday life.



photo credit-*cool story*

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Blog Entry 13: final draft



Campbell & Rowling: "The Monomyth" & "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"








       Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Hp7) is the final book in a series written by author J.K. Rowling. Rowling is an English Author who started writing these books for her kids. She wrote Seven books all together. The series was extremely popular that they were turned into Movies. Hp7 Resembles Joseph Campbell's Monomyth (The Heroes Journey). Harry, the hero, goes through trials and tests throughout Hp7. Although it seems Rowling followed the Monomyth there are steps that Harry did not take in Hp7.
        Harry has multiple Archetypes. The most obvious one being "Hero", he is also an "Altruist" and a "Martyr". He is an Altruist because he is willing to sacrifice himself to better the wizard world. He knows in order for there to be peace, not only does he have to kill Voldemort, he must also kill himself. He is a Martyr because he is Christ like. Dumbledore says harry is the prophet. Although he goes through adventures he puts everyone else first. He has empathy towards other people. He feels guilty for the war that is going on in the Wizard world. At the end he must make a decision to sacrifice himself in order to save mankind.

The Call to Adventure:

        Harry, Ron and Hermione actually start the adventure (call to adventure) in the very end of the previous book, (Harry potter and the half blood prince) when Dumbledore dies and Harry knows he must continue looking for the Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort.
        Harry has help from Ron and Hermione,but, he also has a supernatural aid. I consider Dumbledore (although he died in the previous book) to be a main supernatural aid. Throughout the entire Harry potter series Dumbledore was like the wise old man that looked after Harry. He always gave him advise and tried to prepare him for what was going to come. He also gave Harry, Ron and Hermione Talisman. When Dumbledore died he left some items to The three. He left Harry the golden snitch he caught in his first Quidditch game. He also left him the sword of Gryffindor but the minister of magic took back because he said it was not Dumbledore's to give away. He believed it to belong to Godrick Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. He also said it was lost and no one knew where it was. He left Ron a dimlluminator which he said "when things seem the most dark it will show you the light"(Hp7). He left Hermione a book called "The Tales of Beetle Bard" which Dumbledore said "I hope she find it entertaining and informative" (Hp7) Each of these Talismans helped Them in different ways.
        The final separation between the three and the "normal world" or the belly of the whale would be when they are forced to leave Ron's brother Bill's wedding, Although they were never in a "normal" world to begin with. Harry tries to leave the burrow the night before Bill and Fleur's wedding to protect everyone. Ron stops him and tells Harry that he does not care what happens to him, He wants to be with Harry and help him. However, During the wedding reception some of the Death Eaters swarm in. While everyone else is trying to fight them off, Ron, Harry and Hermione apperate. Hermione takes them to London, the only place she feels safe because she would go there all the time with her parents as a little girl. From this point on they can no longer go back or see any one they know because it puts everyone else in danger. You might even argue that the Belly of the Whale starts from the moment Harry enters Hogwarts in the very first book of the series because ever since that moment, he has been training and preparing for this final battle.

Initiation:

        Harry, Ron and Hermione embark on this journey and face "The Road of Trials" that only one can imagine. They must locate the Horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort. In Hp6, Harry and Dumbledore found one of the Horcruxes. However when Harry went to open the Horcrux he found a note that said "R.A.B." already took the real one. So their first goal is to begin to figure out who "R.A.B." is to find the rest of the Horcruxes. In the Monomyth Campbell says "The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes."(Monomyth) Just like in any other Harry Potter book he goes through many trials in order to get to the problem. In Hp7 Harry does have three trials or quests. He must find the Horcruxes, Find the Deathly Hallows before Voldemort does and the biggest Quest: KILL VOLDEMORT!
        The Monomyth lists "The Meeting with the Goddess", However, Harry's "Goddess" is not an actual person as it is more of a feeling or a longing. Campbell says "This is the point when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful,all encompassing, unconditional love..."(Monomyth). Harry meets his "Goddess" in Hp7 for the first time I think when he and Hermione go to Godricks Hollow. The place where Harry's parents were killed and where Harry survived the killing spell. They go into the cemetery where his parents are buried. He comes across their grave and he stands there and talks to them and just thinks to himself. He longs for the love that his mother would have gave him or to feel his father be proud of him, but because of Voldemort he will never get that. Throughout the entire series Harry struggles with this love. It's almost as if his Goddess does not exist.
There is a lot of moments during Hp7 where it gives Harry perspective and showed him what he would have to do but I think the "Atonement" really gave Harry all the answers. "The Atonement with the Father" Campbell describes it as "But this requires an abandonment of the attachment to ego itself, and that is what is difficult. One must have a faith that the father is merciful, and then a reliance on that mercy."(Monomyth) As I read this part of the Monomyth it was uncanny how much it resembled the relationship between Harry and Professor Snape. Harry held such grudges against Snape and it seemed Snape did the same towards Harry. When Voldemort Killed Snape, Harry took Snape's tears and viewed his memories. He saw that Snape was in love with Harry's mother. He saw that Snape promised himself that he will always look after Harry and guide him. Throughout the Harry Potter series, Harry was always  saved or shown the right way by a "Doe" patronis. Harry always thought it was his mother but it turned out it was Snape. Snape had the Same patronis as Harry's mom did because your patronis can change due to strong emotions. Snape was so in love with Lily that even until the day he died he had the same patronis. Campbell also says "The problem of the hero going to meet the father is to open his soul beyond terror to such a degree that he will be ripe to understand how the sickening and insane tragedies of this vast and ruthless cosmos are completely validated in the majesty of being." (Monomyth) He goes on to say lastly " He beholds the face of the father, understands-and the two are atoned." That is exactly what Happened between the two. Snape's final words were "You have your mother's eyes." At that moment everything was forgiven. The bond between Snape and Harry set the tone for not only Hp7, but the entire Harry Potter series. Harry later names his son after him and Dumbledore (Albus Severus Potter).
        "The Ultimate Boon" Is Finally killing Voldemort. It took seven books but Harry finally gets to finish the war. The entire journey was in preparation for this. Up until Snape dying, Harry didn't know he would ultimately have to sacrifice himself to kill Voldemort. He didn't know a piece of Voldemort's sole was in him. In Killing Voldemort, He would restore the peace and safety in the wizard world. He would also avenge the death of his Parents, his Godfather and so many more innocent lives.

Return:

        "The Magic Flight" is when "sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding."(Monomyth) After Harry successfully killed Voldemort he gets the Elder wand, Which is the most powerful wand in the Wizard World. He knows it has so much power and does not want anyone else to have it. so to be on the safe side he takes the wand and snaps it in half. Ron was shocked and said he should have kept it. Harry knew that he did not want that much power and he wanted to make sure no one else tried to go after it.
        "The crossing of the return threshold" & "Freedom to live" I think go hand in hand in Hp7. Although we do not really knows what happens right after the war with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, we do know what happens 19 years later. Harry married Ron's sister Ginny and have three kids of his own who also go on to attend Hogwarts. "The hero is the champion of things to becoming, not of things, become, because he is." (Campbell) Harry is finally intent with his life. He does not regret anything nor is he hoping for anything in the future. He is happy being married and being a father. He finally got the family he never had. Just as the final three words of the very last page says "All is Well" (Rowling).





Citation:

"Monomyth." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 May. 2012. Web. 27 May. 2012

"Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" Harry Potter Wiki. Vostok, 04 July. 2005. Web. 20. May. 2012

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Scholastic 2007. Print.



photo credit....FanPop

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Entry 12: Clean Draft


Campbell & Rowling: "The Monomyth" & "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"





 


       Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Hp7) is the final book in a series written by author J.K. Rowling. Rowling is an English Author who started writing these books for her kids. She wrote Seven books all together. The series was extremely popular that they were turned into Movies. Hp7 Resembles Joseph Campbell's Monomyth (The Heroes Journey). Harry, the hero, goes through trials and tests throughout Hp7. Although it seems Rowling followed the Monomyth there are steps that Harry did not take in Hp7.
      Harry has multiple Archetypes. The most obvious one being "Hero", he is also an "Altruist" and a "Martyr". He is an Altruist because he is willing to sacrifice himself to better the wizard world. He knows in order for there to be peace, not only does he have to kill Voldemort, he must also kill himself. He is a Martyr because he is Christ like. Dumbledore says harry is the prophet. Although he goes through adventures he puts everyone else first. He has empathy towards other people. He feels guilty for the war that is going on in the Wizard world. At the end he must make a decision to sacrifice himself in order to save mankind.

The Call to Adventure:

       Harry, Ron and Hermione actually start the adventure (call to adventure) in the very end of the previous book, (Harry potter and the half blood prince) when Dumbledore dies and harry knows he must continue looking for the Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort.
      Harry has help from Ron and Hermione,but, he also has a supernatural aid. I consider Dumbledore (although he died in the previous book) to be a main supernatural aid. Throughout the entire Harry potter series Dumbledore was like the wise old man that looked after Harry. He always gave him advise and tried to prepare him for what was going to come. He also gave Harry, Ron and Hermione Talisman. When Dumbledore died he left some items to The three. He left Harry the golden snitch he caught in his first quidditch game. He also left him the sword of Gryffindor but the minister of magic took back because he said it was not Dumbledores to give away. He believed it to belong to Godrick Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. He also said it was lost and no one knew where it was. He left Ron a dimlluminator which he said "when things seem the most dark it will show you the light"(Hp7). He left Hermione a book called "The Tales of Beetle Bard" which Dumbledore said "I hope she find it entertaining and informative" (Hp7) Each of these Talismans helped Them in different ways.
       The final separation between the three and the "normal world" or the belly of the whale would be when they are forced to leave Ron's brother Bill's wedding, Although they were never in a "normal" world to begin with. Harry tries to leave the burrow the night before Bill and Fleur's wedding to protect everyone. Ron stops him and tells Harry that he does not care what happens to him, He wants to be with Harry and help him. However, During the wedding reception some of the Death Eaters swarm in. While everyone else is trying to fight them off, Ron, Harry and Hermione apperate. Hermione takes them to London, the only place she feels safe because she would go there all the time with her parents as a little girl. From this point on they can no longer go back or see any one they know because it puts everyone else in danger. You might even argue that the Belly of the Whale starts from the moment Harry enters Hogwarts in the very first book of the series because ever since that moment, he has been training and preparing for this final battle.

Initiation:

        Harry, Ron and Hermione embark on this journey and face "The Road of Trials" that only one can imagine. They must locate the Horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort. In Hp6, Harry and Dumbledore found one of the Horcruxes. However when Harry went to open the Horcrux he found a note that said "R.A.B." already took the real one. So their first goal is to begin to figure out who "R.A.B." is to find the rest of the Horcruxes. In the Monomyth Campbell says "The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes."(Monomyth) Just like in any other Harry Potter book he goes through many trials in order to get to the problem. In Hp7 Harry does have three trials or quests. He must find the Horcruxes, Find the Deatyhly Hallows before Voldemort does and the biggest Quest: KILL VOLDEMORT!
      The Monomyth lists "The Meeting with the Goddess", However, Harry's "Goddess" is not an actual person  as it is more of a feeling or a longing. Campbell says "This is the point when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful,all encompassing, unconditional love..."(Monomyth).  Harry meets his "Goddess" in Hp7 for the first time I think when he and Hermione go to Godricks Hollow. The place where Harry's parents were killed and where Harry survived the killing spell. They go into the cemetery where his parents are buried. He comes across their grave and he stands there and talks to them and just thinks to himself. He longs for the love that his mother would have gave him or to feel his father be proud of him, but because of Voldemort he will never get that. Throughout the entire series Harry struggles with this love. It's almost as if his Goddess does not exist.
       There is a lot of moments during Hp7 where it gives Harry perspective and showed him what he would have to do but i think the "Atonement" really gave Harry all the answers. "The Atonement with the Father"  Campbell says it is "But this requires an abandonment of the attachment to ego itself, and that is what is difficult. One must have a faith that the father is merciful, and then a reliance on that mercy."(Monomyth) As I read this part of the Monomyth it was uncanny how much it resembled the relationship between Harry and Professor Snape. He held such grudges against Snape and it seemed Snape did the same towards Harry. When Voldemort Killed Snape, Harry took Snape's tears and viewed his memories. He saw that Snape was in love with Harry's mother. He saw that Snape promised himself that he will always look after Harry and guide him. Throughout the Harry Potter series, Harry was always being saved or shown the right way by a "Doe" patronis. Harry always thought it was his mother but it turned out it was Snape. Snape had the Same patronis as Harry's mom because you can pick up another patronis due to strong emotions. Snape was so in love with Lily that even til the day he died he had the same patronis. Campbell also says "The problem of the hero going to meet the father is to open his soul beyond terror to such a degree that he will be ripe to understand how the sickening and insane tragedies of this vast and ruthless cosmos are completely validated in the majesty of being." (Monomyth) He goes on to say lastly " He beholds the face of the father, understands-and the two are atoned." That is exactly what Happened between he two. Snape's final words were "You have your mother's eyes." At that moment everything was forgiven. The bond between Snape and Harry set the tone for not only Hp7, but the entire Harry Potter series. Harry later names his son after him and Dumbledore (Albus Severus Potter).
       "The Ultimate Boon" Is Finally killing Voldemort. It took seven books but Harry finally gets to finish the war. The entire journey was in preparation for this. Up until Snape dying Harry didn't know he would ultimately have to sacrifice himself to kill Voldemort. He didn't know a piece of Voldemorts sole was in him. In Killing Voldemort, He would restore the peace and safety in the wizard world. He would also avenge the death of his Parents, his Godfather and so many more innocent lives.

Return:

       "The Magic Flight" is when "sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding."(Monomyth) After Harry successfully killed Voldemort he gets the Elder wand, Which is the most powerful wand in the wizard world. He knows it has so much power and does not want anyone else to have it. so to be on the safe side he takes the wand and snaps it in half. Ron was shocked and said he should have kept it. Harry knew that he did not want that much power.
       "The crossing of the return threshold" & "Freedom to live"  I think go hand in hand in Hp7. Although we do not really knows what happens right after the war with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, we do know what happens 19 years later. Harry marries Ron's sister Ginny and has three kids of his own who also go on to attend Hogwarts.  "The hero is the champion of things to becoming, not of things, become, because he is." (Campbell) Harry is finally intent with his life. He does not regret anything nor is he hoping for anything in the future. He is happy being married and being a father. He finally got the family he never did. Just as the final three words of the very last page says "All is Well" (Rowling).





****MUST CITE RESEARCH AND QUOTES!!!****


photo credit....Boomtron
 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Entry 11: Harry Potter and the Cambell's Monomyth

       Ruff Draft------>IN PROGRESS


part 1-  Seperation


 Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows( Hp7) is the final book in a series written by author J.K. Rowling. Rowling is an English Author who started writing these books for her kids. She wrote Seven books all together. The series was extremely popular that they were turned into Movies. Hp7 Resembles Joseph Campbell's Monomyth (The Heroes Journey). Harry, the hero, goes through trials and tests throughout Hp7. Although it seems Rowling followed the Monomyth there are steps that Harry did not take in Hp7.
        Harry, Ron and Hermione actually start the adventure (call to adventure) in the very end of the previous book, (Harry potter and the half blood prince) when Dumbledore dies and harry knows he must continue looking for the Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort.
       Harry has help from Ron and Hermione,but, he also has a supernatural aid. I consider Dumbledore (although he died in the previous book) to be a main supernatural aid. When Dumbledore died he left some items to The three. He left Harry the golden snitch he caught in his first quidditch game. He also left him the sword of Griffindor but the minister of magic took back because he said it was not Dumbledores to give away. He believed it to belong to Godrick Griffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. He also said it was lost and no one knew where it was. He left Ron a dimlluminator which he said "when things seem the most dark it will show you the light"(Hp7). He left Hermione a book called "The Tales of Beetle Bard" which dumbledore said "I hope she find it entertaining and informative" (Hp7) Each of these Talismans helped Them in different ways.
        The final seperation between the three and the "normal world" or the belly of the whale would be when they are forced to leave Ron's brother Bill's wedding, Although they were never in a "normal" world. Harry tries to leave the burrow (Ron's parents house) the night before Bill and Fleurs wedding to protect everyone. Ron stops him and tells Harry that he does not care what happens to him, He wants to be with Harry and help him. However, During the wedding reception some of the Death Eaters sworm in and Harry, Ron and Hermione apperate.The Belly of the whale can also be considered when The Order of the Phonix transfers harry to The Burrows for safe keeping. You might even argue that the Belly of the Whale starts from the moment he enters Hogwarts in the very first book of the series because ever since that moment hes been training and preparing for this last final battle. The Death Eaters arrive to the reception and while everyone else is trying to fight them off, Ron Harry and Hermione flee. Hermione takes them to London, the only place she feels safe because she would go there all the time with her parents as a little girl. From this point on they can no longer go back or see any one they know because it puts everyone else in danger.

part 2-  The Trials (initiation)
      
      Harry, Ron and Hermoine embark on this journey and face "The Road of Trials"  that only one can imagine. knowing that he is by himself and does not have Dumbledore to guide him anymore is a struggle. He almost feels guilty for the whole magical world. He feels that maybe if he wasnt around, Voldemort wouldn't be as determined to take over the magical world. Harry does have Hermione and Ron to help him find the Horcruxes. In Hp6, Harry and Dumbledore found one of the horcruxes. However when harry went to open the Horcrux he found a note that said "R.A.B." already took the real one. So their first goal is to begin to figure out who "R.A.B." is to find the real Horcrux.
       They travel back to Harrys Godfather's old house to stay and think about their journey. Harrys Godfather, Sirius Black, was killed by his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. Another reason Harry wants to end this war. Everyone in his family was killed by a member of the Death Eaters. They approach a door that has the initials "R.A.B" on it. they open the door and reliaze that it was Sirius' brothers old room. They asked the house elf if he seen the Horcrux but the house elf said unwillingly that mondungus came in and stole it. Mundungus was known as a theif and coward. They sent the elf to go look for Mundungus. A little while later he returns with the Thief and Dobby, another house elf who adored Harry. They questioned Mundungus until he told them what happened to it. They then found out that a woman took it from him, that lady was Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge is the head of the Muggle Born Commitee and who Harry, Ron and Hermione hate. She thinks Harry is spreading rumors that Voldemort is back and that he is no good. She never believed Harry and wanted him captured.
       Harry Ron and Hermione decide to go to the ministry of magic and find the Horcrux. they must change their apperence so no one sees them and tries to captue them. They disguise themselves as three people who work inside the ministry. They split up and they found the horcrux and stole it off of Umbridge's neck. Obviously now they must try and escape the minisrty, which does not work out to well because as theyre running out a snatcher grabs hold of ron and as they apperated into the wood rons arm was ripped open. They decide to set up camp in the middle of the woods until Ron's arm heals and he can apperate agian. Unfortunatley when you have the Horcrux on you it makes you crazy and irritable so as Ron was wearing it he started a fight with Harry. Ron decided he wanted to leave. the next morning Harry and Hermione continued on the Journey by themselves.
      Harry suggests that they go to Godricks Hollow. It' the place where he was born and where his parents were killed by Voldemort. Although Hermione thinks it is a bad idea they go anyway. They walk into a Graveyard and harry looks for his parents headstone. Once he found it he looks behind him to see an old elderly women standing there staring at them. they follow her and Harry realizes who she is, Bathilda, Dumbledores old next door nrighboor. after going with her into the house she turns into nageeni who is Voldemorts snake. Hermione rescues stunbs the snake and they apperate to another forest.
       They set up camp for the night and harry watches out while Hermoine sleeps. Harry sees a glowing Doe in the woods so he follows it. It leads him on to a frozen lake. He looks through the ice and sees the lost sword of Griffindor. Harry jumps through the ice and grabs the sword but then become trapped under it. All of a sudden someone pulls him out if the ice and back on the dirt. he turns and it is Ron. Harry did not know what to say, he was shocked but excited. They then proceed to destroy the first Horcrux with the sword.
       The next day they decide to go vist an old classmates father, Xenophilis Lovegood. They arrive at his house and he tells them the story of the deathly hallows. Not knowing he was just wasting time while he waited for the Death Eaters to come. Lovegoods daughter Luna was taken by the Death Eaters and they said if he gave them Harry they would return his daughter. The Death Eaters came and started to destroy the house. Harry, Ron and Hermione apperated just in time to another forest. As soon as they get there the Snatchers grab them and bring them to The Malfoy's mansion where they are holding the Death Eaters headquaters. While this is going on Voldemort Found one of the Deathly Hallows, The Elder Wand.
       After escapeing the Malfoy's mansion they find hiding in Bill and Fleurs house. They gather their thoughts and try to figure out what their next move should be. They decide they need to get into Bellatrix's Volt in the gringotts bank. They must transfigure themselves into different people so they can get into the bank without being noticed. Hermione also had to transform into Bellatrix to get into her volt. After a long expierience in the bank they finally get into the volt and find the next Horcrux.
      Now the three are on a race to get to Hogwarts and defeat Voldemort. They enter Hogwarts with help from (name) , Dumbledore's brother. As soon as their friends are aware of their arival they make a plan to defend themselves from the Death Eaters and destroy Voldemorts army. Harry, Hermione and Ron see Professor Snape talking to Voldemort. Voldemort belives that Snape is the sole owner of the Elder wand and in order for the wand to do the most damage it must be controlled by the rightful owner. Voldemort then decides that he is going to kill Snape. Harry, Hermoine and Ron witness this. Just as Voldemort leaves the three run into see Snape as he dies. Snape takes a vial out of his cloak and cries a tear into it then hands in to Harry and tells him to just look at them. Harry goes into Dumbledores old office to look into the (MEMORY POND THING) Harry sees all of Snapes most volernable memories and thats when he realizes that Snape was never against him. Snape was always in love with Lily, Harry's mom, and devoted his life to protecting him. He saw that Snape was always the one helping him when Harry always thought he was trying to ruin him. He also saw a conversation between Dumbledore and Snape before he died. Dumbledore told Snape that in order for Voldemort to die Harry must die as well. Thats when harry noticed that this war was not going to end until he sacrificed himself the same way Dumbledore did to save Draco Malfoy. Harry then summoned Voldemort t oface both their destinies. They meet in the forbidden forest and Voldemort thinks he ha killed Harry but he was still alive only pretending to be dead. Voldemort takes Harry's dead body into Hogwarts to show everyone that their "Hero" is indeed dead. However, Harry jumps out of Hagrid's arms and the Final battle between good and Evil begins. After a long battle Harry successfully kills Voldemort resulting in a calming peace. After everyone is settled down and people begin to be taken care of battle wounds, Harry, Ron and Hermoine step outside. Harry then  takes the Elder wand and explains to Them that he was the rightful owner of the wand. They asked Harry what he was going to do with it. Harry took the wand and broke it in half then tossed it off the broken bridge.


**MUST SHORTEN THE "ROAD OF TRIALS"**

part 3-  Return

      The return in Hp7 is a relief for the entire Magical world. Voldemort is now dead and everyone can now live in a world without war. Harry, Hermoine and Ron grow up and begin lives of their own. Ron and Hermoine haave children together and Harry marries Ginny (Ron's sister) and they have children as well. Their children go to Hogwarts just as their parents did. Although without out all the mysteries and adventure it is most likey a lot less exciting.









Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Blog Entry 10: Notes on Hp7


The Monomyths 17 Steps/ Stages:
Departure
Call to Adventure
Refusal Of the Call
Supernatural Aid(?)
The Crossing of the First Threshold
Belly of the Whale

Initiation
The Road of Trials
The Meeting with the Goddess--------> the love
Woman as a Temptress
Atonement with the Father
Apotheosis
The Ultimate Boon

Return
Refusal of the Return
The Magic Flight
Rescue from Without
The crossing of the Return Threshold
Master of Two Worlds
Freedom To Live


-harry sets off to find the remaining horcruxes
      - he must not be seen by any of the ministries workers

-TALISMANS
     -his scar
     - his wand
     - The broken mirror he carrys around but doesn't know what its does
     - The sword of giffindor

significant symbols
     -his scar
     - his wand
     - its always dark during the quest....(then harry conquers the quest and the sun comes out.)


*DEPARTURE*

-Call to adventure
      harry, Ron and Hermione set out to find the remaining horcruxes. They already have 2 horcruxes. they must find the remaining 5. Since Dumbledore died in the previous book (harry potter and the half blood prince) they don't know exactly where to find them or what they might even be. Harry must think like Voldemort in order to locate the final Horcruxes. they are essentially in hiding from the ministry because harry is wanted.
    
 -Supernatural Aid
     Although Dumbledore is dead he seems to be the main super natural aid for harry, Ron and      Hermione. He left them each something in his will that would help them during their quest. He left harry the the first golden snitch that he caught in harry potter and the sorcerers stone.  he left Ron the light catcher thing(real name??) And he left Hermione the book of the deathly hallows. He also left the sword of griffindor to harry but the minister of magic took it back because he said it did not belong to dumbledore for him to give it away.Dumbledore wanted them to have the sword because it was able to break the horcruxes when they found them. Each of these things helped them in some way.

The crossing of the threshold-
 The crossing of the first threshold happens on Ron's older brother bills wedding day. They are at the reception when the death eaters suddenly arrive forcing Harry Ron and Hermione to vanish to London. From that point on they are on the run trying to defeat the horcruxes and Voldemort. This can also be the belly of the whale.

*INITIATION*


-Road of Trials
    Harry and his friends go through many task/trials in the final book. he has to not only find the horcruxes but he also has defeat Voldemort and find the deathly hallows before Voldemort. I don't think he fails at any of the trials, i think because of Hermione and Ron are there to help him along the way.

-Meeting with a Goddess
    The goddess in Hp7 i believe its not a "person" but its just the love he has for Hogwarts( his real home) he has a deep love for his parents whom he never met but is still fighting for them. He desperately wishes that he can feel the "real love" from his parents or be able to hug them. The main power behind him fighting Voldemort is avenging his parents.
   

-Atonement with Father or Apotheosis
   When he finds out that Prof. Snape has been on Dumbledores side the entire time. He realises that Snape has been trying to protect him and not trying to kill him. That gives him more empathy and sorrow for never believing in him and gives him more strength to fight.

-The Ultimate Boon
     Harry's boon i feel is knowing that Voldemort is never going to come back and that his future kids will be able to grow up in the magical world free of any harm. also that his parents death has been avenged.

*RETURN*

-The magic flight
     Although harry doesn't necessarily "run" with the boon(the elder wand) to hide it he does however break it in half and tosses it off the broken bridge at Hogwarts.

-The Crossing of the Return Threshold
    I don't believe Harry ever goes back to the muggle world. He does wind up 19 years later marrying Ginny (Ron's sister, Harry's love interest in the series.)and having three kids of his own.


another 8 step formula that might fit hp7 better
Campbell's proposed structure has been expanded and modified since its conception. Many modern characterizations of it add in new steps (such as the hero having a miraculous birth) or combine or prune others. For instance, Phil Cousineau, in his book, The Hero's Journey, divides it up into the following eight steps:
  1. The Call to Adventure
  2. The Road of Trials
  3. The Vision Quest
  4. The Meeting with the Goddess
  5. The Boon
  6. The Magic Flight
  7. The Return Threshold
  8. The Master of Two Worlds
    (Wikipedia)

In Progress

Blog Entry 9: Overview of Critical Approach



       I am Choosing Joseph Cambells Monomyth to base my final project on because I find it interesting. The Monomyth is a basic 17 step outline to the Heroes Journey. Although a lot of myths have all 17 steps they all come pretty close to it. Wikipedia explains the Monomyth as "These 17 stages may be organized in a number of ways, including division into three sections: Departure (sometimes called Separation), Initiation, and Return. "Departure" deals with the hero's adventure  prior to the quest; "Initiation" deals with the hero's many adventures along the way; and "Return" deals with the hero's return home with knowledge and powers acquired on the journey."  (Wikipedia) I started to read and gather notes from "Hero with a Thousand Faces: A BookCaps Study Guide". In this book The Journey is defined as  "The Journey is representation of the journey that induvisuals take throughout life, the journey to a spiritual awakening, the journey toward knowledge and enlightenment, and also the journey of the universe." (BookCaps) The Monomyth and Harry Potter are very simular. I will compare the Heroes Journey and Harry Potter by Departure, Initiation and the Return.


 Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces(A BookCaps Study Guide) BookCaps 2012.  Kindle             

Wikipedia contributors. "Monomyth." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 May. 2012. Web. 8 May. 2012.


photo credit......Wikipedia





Friday, May 4, 2012

Blog Entry 8: My critical approach

       



        



         For my final project I am torn between  Campbell's Monomyth and Pearson's Archetypes. I am Thinking of mainly discussing Harry Potter and his journey based on the Monomyth but also going into a little of his Archetype. I think discussing the journey aspect of Hp7 more than the personalities of it will be more fun. I plan to do extensive research to get a more in depth explanation of the Monomyth and how it compares to Hp7. I plan to look at Campbell's "A hero with a thousand faces" for information. I will have to look into all the symbols and find out about Harry's Talisman. I will have to refresh my knowledge on Hp7 by skimming over it again (to long to reread). I will compare Hp7 To The heroes Journey. I will compare each step in the Monomyth to Harry's journey in the Deathly Hallows. There are a lot of key steps that Harry, Ron and Hermoine, take that resemble the steps in the Monomyth. Harry and his friends depart willingly to defeat Voldermort. they hit a lot of bumps along the initiation and the return is finalized with a win for the wizard world.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Blog Entry 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows



        The book I chose to do my project on is "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling. I LOVE the entire Harry Potter series. I have read each book in the series multiple times and I have all the movies and watch them quiet frequently! The series has it all, Love, Magic, Evil, Mystery and so much more. It was dificult to chose just one book so i just went with the most recent one. Although Hp7 is a long book (759 pages) it has a lot of context that anyone can break down and write about. It is not as complex as it seems....If you are into this type of fiction.


Photo credit: Harry Potter Wiki

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Harry Potter :The Warrior archetype

    
        
           The Warrior archetypes are not just about fighting. A warrior is a survivor, someone who has gone through a lot and has overcome their struggles. They fight for what they believe in and for people they care about. There are some negative effects of being a warrior like they are ruthless, overly competitive.
           In  "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" I consider the main character Harry to be a warrior even though he is literally a "magician" or a wizard. He didn't have his parents  growing up which made him tough skinned. When it came down to fight for what he believed in he did it with no hesitation. The anima and animus are both present in the book because the other main characters (Hermione and Ron) are also warriors but they display different characteristics. Hermione is more of a thinker and sees not only the outside but also the inside as to Harry and Ron who tend to only look at the outside. Harry was a warrior before he even knew it. when he was only an infant the dark lord Voldemort tried to take over the wizard world. Voldemort went into Harry's parents house and killed his father and as he was about to kill Harry, Harry's mom jumped in front of him and Voldemort killed her. Harry survived the attack which he later on became famous for. He was the boy who survived the dark lords attack. From then on he was considered the chosen one and he is the only one who can kill Voldemort and make the magic world safe again.
          Harry has a long journey that lasts over seven years. each year he had to go through different trials to get to his final quest which was to stop and kill Voldemort. As you can see in the picture above, Harry was never alone through his journey, he always had help from friends, teachers and Professor Dumbledor who was like his mentor. Even though Dumbledor died before the first battle, he was still there guiding him in spirit.
          Harry's archetype shows throughout all 7 books or journeys but the warrior in him shines through the brightest in the final battle of Good vs. Evil. Harry realizes that he may never come back from this fight. He may never see his friends again, but, he is willing to fight til the end. he is avenging his parents death and also providing a better world for future witches and wizards.


Picture credit goes to video game blogger. to check more pics out click Here

Monday, April 16, 2012

Blog Entry 5: The Monomyth

         Joseph Campbells “The hero’s journey” is a break-down of seventeen steps the hero does in order to complete his quest. I used the monomyth layout on J.K Rowlings “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. The Harry Potter series are my favorite books to read and thought I could dissect it and see if it fits into the monomyth layout.
      
        Harrys call to adventure begins when he sets off on a quest to defeat Voldemort, the wizard worlds villain. He must find the seven horcruxes. During his quest he has his two friends Ron and Hermione. Hermione is more like the brains of the group. She knows all the spells and always tells harry what he must do. Ron although is always afraid he is always there for Harry and Hermione. The main “super-aid” in the Deathly Hallows I believe to be Harrys old head of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledor. Even though Dumbledor died in the previous book (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) he still found ways to leave Harry and his friends clues and objects that would help them in killing Voldemort. Harry crosses the threshold and enters the journey to find the horcruxes willingly. He knows he is the chosen one and that he is the only one that can kill Voldemort and save the wizard world. Harry knows he might die during this journey but he is willing to do so to save his friends and also to avenge his parents death. The final separation from the known world or “the belly of the whale” would be when harry is wanted all over the wizard world. The “Death Eaters” (Voldemorts followers) are corrupting the ministry and wants Harry captured and presented to Voldemort before Harry or his friends are able to find the Horcruxes and destroy them. Harry Ron and Hermione are on the run and they face danger everyday they are on this quest to save their world. Harry knows he will never be able to go back to his friends or teachers at Hogwarts or else he will put them in danger as well.
                
          In order to find the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort, Harry and his friends cross multiple tests. Usually there are three trials, However, In “The Deathly Hallows” The main quest is finding the seven Horcruxes. The road to each horcrux has its own trial. There are three “Deathly Hallows” which are known to be the most powerful items any witch or wizard can possess. They are; The Elder wand, the most powerful wand anyone can have. “The Resurrection stone”, which can bring anyone back from the dead.  “The Cloak of Invisibility” which is self-explanatory. Finding the Deathly Hallows is Harrys side mission. He has to find them before Voldemort does. If Voldemort has all three Deathly Hallows, he will be unstoppable. In the Monomyth Campbell list “magic fight” under the heroes return. In Harry Potter I believe it should go under the initiation section. Harry spends the whole book keeping things and trying to make sure Voldemort doesn’t get them. Such as the Invisibility cloak that Harrys father left to him.  The seven Horcruxes were hidden by Voldemort so no one can take them and destroy them therefore killing Voldemort in the process. Harrys “Meeting with the Goddess” is more of a feeling than an actual person. I think what gives harry the drive to fight in the Good vs. Bad war is knowing that Voldemort killed his parents and harry would do anything he can to stop him even if it means dying in the process. He also gets his will to fight from the love him receives from his friends and his teachers. They also are willing to die fighting Voldemort. The “goddess” harry finds is actually the love he never had as a child and that keeps him going through the war. The “Ultimate Boon” or the achievement of the quest is knowing that future generations of witches and wizards can go on in peace knowing that Voldemort is finally dead. Harry avenged his parents as he always wanted.
            
          Harrys return into “normal” was an easy transition. He goes on to marry Ginny which is Rons little sister and they have three kids together. It seems easy for Harry to go back into normal life in the wizard world because he never fit in in the muggle world. He definitely has the freedom to live now that Voldemort is dead. He is not scared of death. Harry was never afraid of death even before the war. He really never thought about what might happened to him if he didn’t make it, he thought more about his life after his trials and quests. Now Harry, Ron and Hermione can live in peace and their legacies will live on forever.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Blog Entry 4

         William Allingham was born March 19th 1824 in Ireland, his parents were of English descent. His mother died when he was only nine years old, a few years later his father sent him off to boarding school which made Allingham unhappy. He returned when his father became ill and worked at a bank where his father was already manager. He published his first book on poetry when in 1850, which was not successful. Throughout his life he published over 15 books that were successful. He worked as an editor from 1874-1879. He married Helen Paterson in 1974 who was 24 years younger than him. He died at the age of 64 on November 18th 1889. The opening lines from Allingham's poem The Fairies (Up the airy mountain/Down the rushy glen/We daren't go a-hunting/For fear of little men...) was quoted by the character of The Tinker near the beginning of the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, as well as in Mike Mignola's comic book short story Hellboy: The Corpse, plus the 1973 horror film Don't Look in the Basement. Several lines of the poem are quoted by Henry Flyte, a character in issue #65 of the Supergirl comic book, August 2011. (Wikipedia) “The Fairies” was written in 1950 (answer.com)
            The “Fairies” written by William Allingham is about wee little men army (4-6).They are little men who stole a little girl named Bridget and kept her for seven years(29-30.) They let her go but she goes back to find all her friends are gone so they take her back. (31-33). She was so devastated and dead with sadness, but the l-ittele men thought she was just sleeping, so they kept her deep in the lake (35-38). They are also very protective of their belongings. They will make you sleep with the thorns from their thorn trees, if you dare to dig them up (43-48). “The Fairies” is a poem about evil little fairies. The title makes you think that the poem is going to be about cute little fairies that sprinkle magical pixie dust on things. In Irish folklore Fairies were happy and painted the colors on the flowers and they worked along the side of Mother Nature (Mary). It seems Allingham took the original fairies folklore and gave it a twist. He makes you fear the little men “Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, we daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men” (1-4). He uses dark colors when describing where they live “Of the black mountain lake” (14). He gives the feel of cold and darkness.
         "The Fairies" is about little men who take a little girl for their own and who are very protective of where they live and their stuff. The poem itself is already vivid enough that it is almost self-explanatory. Allingham described the Fairies so well and he made you simply made you feel from the start of the poem that these little men were not good little men. The poem is very dark and Allingham was very good in describing it, using words like “black”(14), “gray”(19), “cold starry nights”(26) “dead with sorrow”(36) He got straight to the point and let you know this poem was going to have twist from the Irish folklore that he probably grew up with. The fairies seem more evil when they take little Bridget and keep her for seven years (29-30). They thought she was sleeping but she was actually dead with sorrow (35-36) Because she tried to return home but because so many years had passed no one was there, almost as if everyone had forgotten her. When they took her back she was so distraught from losing everything that she was lifeless. They kept her deep within the lake, on a bed of flag-leaves, watching til she wakes (37-40). You can also tell the Fairies are evil by what they will do to anyone who digs up their thorn-trees. “They have planted thorn-trees For pleasure here and there. If any man so daring As dig them up in spite, He shall find their sharpest thorns In his bed at night”(43-47). The Fairies would seriously hurt anyone who dares to mess with them. They want to hurt you enough that you don’t do it again but also keep you alive so you can warn people of them.
        Lastly, “The Fairies” is a very dark and scary poem to imagine. Allingham paints vivid pictures with his words. He makes you feel empathy for Bridget when she is taken and makes you fear taking down their Thorn-trees because they might come after you. “Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men” (1-4)
Those first four lines say it all.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Jung Typology test

Here are my results on the Jung Typology test....
 
 
Your Type is
ENFJ
Extraverted Intuitive Feeling Judging
Strength of the preferences %
56 38 38 56

ENFJ type description by D.Keirsey
ENFJ Identify Your Career with Jung Career Indicator™ ENFJ Famous Personalities
ENFJ type description by J. Butt and M.M. Heiss




Qualitative analysis of your type formula

You are:
  • moderately expressed extravert
  • moderately expressed intuitive personality
  • moderately expressed feeling personality
  • moderately expressed judging personality

Friday, March 16, 2012

Blog Entry 3: The Fairies by William Allingham

"The Fairies"
by: William Allingham (1824-1889)

      P the airy mountain,
      Down the rushy glen,
      We daren't go a-hunting
      For fear of little men;
      Wee folk, good folk,
      Trooping all together;
      Green jacket, red cap,
      And white owl's feather!
       
      Down along the rocky shore
      Some make their home,
      They live on crispy pancakes
      Of yellow tide-foam;
      Some in the reeds
      Of the black mountain lake,
      With frogs for their watch-dogs,
      All night awake.

      High on the hill-top
      The old King sits;
      He is now so old and gray
      He's nigh lost his wits.
      With a bridge of white mist
      Columbkill he crosses,
      On his stately journeys
      From Slieveleague to Rosses;
      Or going up with music
      On cold starry nights
      To sup with the Queen
      Of the gay Northern Lights.

      They stole little Bridget
      For seven years long;
      When she came down again
      Her friends were all gone.
      They took her lightly back,
      Between the night and morrow,
      They thought that she was fast asleep,
      But she was dead with sorrow.
      They have kept her ever since
      Deep within the lake,
      On a bed of flag-leaves,
      Watching till she wake.
       
      By the craggy hill-side,
      Through the mosses bare,
      They have planted thorn-trees
      For pleasure here and there.
      If any man so daring
      As dig them up in spite,
      He shall find their sharpest thorns
      In his bed at night.
              Up the airy mountain,
              Down the rushy glen,
              We daren't go a-hunting
              For fear of little men;
              Wee folk, good folk,
              Trooping all together;
              Green jacket, red cap,
              And white owl's feather!      

         "The Fairies" is a poem written by William Allingham. Allingham is an Irish poet. He published many books on poetry and "The Fairies" is one of his most famous ones. The poem seems simple, however, as I read it over a couple of times, it's actually more complex than it seems. I chose this poem because at first glance it seemed interesting and happy. I mean how dark could fairies be?
           In stanza 1 lines 3 and 4 it says "we daren't go a hunting for fear of little men;" it makes you fear the little people already and the poem just began. In stanza two he describes where the fairies live. He describes where they live as dark and airy like in stanza two line six he says "of the black mountain lake with frogs for their watch-dogs". it gives you a sense of how small these men really are. Obviously they are so small to even have a frog as a "watch-dog". In stanza 3 lines 1 through 4, he describes the king of the fairies as old. Stanza 3 line 3 he says "he is now so old and grey he nigh lost his wits" saying that he is not as on point as he used to be. In the same stanza lines 10 and 11, he says "On cold starry nights To sup with the Queen", you can almost picture the king and queen sitting together drinking in excess with evil, sinister grins. Stanza 4 is where it gets a little more darker, like in lines 1 and 2 "they stole little bridget for seven years long;". Also, in line 7 and 8 he says " they thought she was asleep but she was dead with sorrow". The words dead with sorrow have such a strong feeling to it. In stanza 5 lines 5 through 8 he makes it seem as though you better not mess with these little men "If any man so daring As dig them up in spite,
      He shall find their sharpest thorns In his bed at night." He makes it seem like it's the Fairy Mafia. He paints a good picture with his words on how devious and mean these fairies are. Usually when you hear the word "Fairy" you think of cute little flying people like Tinkerbell.
           The poem itself is already vivid enough that you really don't have to think hard or look deep into the meaning. Allingham described the Fairies so well and simply made you feel from the start of the poem that they were not so good. He got to the point and let you know this poem was going to take a turn, like in stanza 1 line 1 and 2 he uses the words "airy" and "rushy" to describe the cold empty mountains where you would find the Fairies. Just by those two words you feel the darkness and mistiness of where they live. Again he uses the word "black" to also describe where the Fairies live in stanza 2 line 6. So the poet kept in theme with the darkness throughout the entire poem using these kind of words. Even describing the king he uses such words like old and grey like in stanza 3 lines 2 and 3. Then in stanza 4 you really feel the darkness of the poem when the fairies take bridget for seven years. Then it goes on to say that they took her lightly back and they thought she was sleeping but she was dead with sorrow. The key words here are asleep, dead, sorrow. If you can picture it in your mind you can vision bridget lying there lost, depressed almost grey as if she lost her soul. If this were a movie, to me this is where it would be tones of black and white. Then he goes on to say "They have kept her ever since Deep within the lake, On a bed of flag-leaves, Watching till she wake." its saying that they are hoping she comes back to life which to me is a little contradicting. Why would they want her awake if they are the ones who took her? Maybe they are not so bad, but then in stanza 5 it goes back to darkness. Like in lines 3 through 8 he talks about how the planted a thorn bush and if anyone takes it they will find the sharpest thorn in his bed. The word "sharpest" to me is the key word here. It's like they seriously want to hurt anyone who messes with them, like a punishment.
           Finally, this poem to me is all about dark evil fairies. The poet William Alingham painted an excellent picture with words to describe the fairies and the whole scenery. It was not difficult to understand them poem or what he was trying to explain because from the very first line to the last you understood these fairies were not to be messed with.
           

      Try these links to find out more about William Allingham and his poetry.....Wikipedia
       
          
          

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Blog Entry 2: "The Fairies"

"THE FAIRIES"

by: William Allingham (1824-1889)

      P the airy mountain,
      Down the rushy glen,
      We daren't go a-hunting
      For fear of little men;
      Wee folk, good folk,
      Trooping all together;
      Green jacket, red cap,
      And white owl's feather!
       
      Down along the rocky shore
      Some make their home,
      They live on crispy pancakes
      Of yellow tide-foam;
      Some in the reeds
      Of the black mountain lake,
      With frogs for their watch-dogs,
      All night awake.
       
      High on the hill-top
      The old King sits;
      He is now so old and gray
      He's nigh lost his wits.
      With a bridge of white mist
      Columbkill he crosses,
      On his stately journeys
      From Slieveleague to Rosses;
      Or going up with music
      On cold starry nights
      To sup with the Queen
      Of the gay Northern Lights.
       
      They stole little Bridget
      For seven years long;
      When she came down again
      Her friends were all gone.
      They took her lightly back,
      Between the night and morrow,
      They thought that she was fast asleep,
      But she was dead with sorrow.
      They have kept her ever since
      Deep within the lake,
      On a bed of flag-leaves,
      Watching till she wake.
       
      By the craggy hill-side,
      Through the mosses bare,
      They have planted thorn-trees
      For pleasure here and there.
      If any man so daring
      As dig them up in spite,
      He shall find their sharpest thorns
      In his bed at night.
       
      Up the airy mountain,
      Down the rushy glen,
      We daren't go a-hunting
      For fear of little men;
      Wee folk, good folk,
      Trooping all together;
      Green jacket, red cap,
      And white owl's feather!


William Allingham Was born March 19th 1824 in Ireland but his parents were of English descent. His mother died when he was only nine years old, a few years later his father sent him off to bording school which mad Allingham unhappy. He returned when his father became ill and worked at a bank where his father was already manager. He published his first book on poetry when in 1850, which was not successful. Throughout his life he published over 15 books that were successful. He worked as an editor from 1874-1879. He married helen Paterson in 1974 who was 24 years younger than him. He died at the age of 64 on november 18th 1889. His poem "The Fairies" was featured in a few modern movies, like "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory" and the horor film "Don't look in the basement".

Poem found on Poetry-Archive
for more information on William Allingham check out these sites that I found useful :)
wikipedia
Celt



       

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Entry 1: Internet Research

       
        I thought a lot about what my first blog entry should be about. I am not into the supernatural all that much but I am obsessed with "Harry Potter". So I thought what would be better to write about than Witchcraft. I Googled "Witchcraft" and I found that the most helpful website was Wikipedia. They had an entire page on this topic along with an entire history on witchcraft and witches from the beginning and they even split it up according to different regions and religions. 
       There is more than one type of witchcraft practices. The lesser known is good magic. Good magic also known as white magic is associated with healing people or helping a community. Witches who practiced white magic were more commonly known as sorcerers, Wise Men, Blessers or Unbinding. They were used to give prophecies, and to help the community ward off evil spirits such as Vampires and the Devil. They would also help women become fertile. Although this type of witchcraft is considered good and helpful, there were lots of people, especially in the religious community, who thought otherwise.
       The more commonly known use for Witchcraft is for the dark side. Other practices of witchcraft are those who take over ones mind, or body and make them do things against their will. They also would cause illness and death. They were known to take away peoples personal belongings. Basically anything that could go wrong and did was due to witchcraft. In Medieval/Early Modern period, it has been said that Christians where in an apocalyptic battle against the devil who was known to have a secret army of witches.  The "Malleus Malefic arum" was a witch hunting manual. The book said that most witches were female and evil.
       I learned that not all witchcraft is used for cursing or harming people, it's also used for good. Whether you think witches used witchcraft for good or evil, for healing or to cause harm or help or destroy a community, it is still such a fascinating topic.




To get more in depth information about witchcraft click Here!
Picture credit goes to *Into the Darkness*
I hope you enjoyed my first entry =]