Significance of the House animals?

[cedric]

Ok i got the wondering. what are the animals for.
Gryffindor is a lion
Slytherin is a serpent
Ravenclaw is a eagle
and Hufflepuff is a badger
I was wondeing if maybe they have something to do with the plot maybe. i dont know but i want to know what the stand for or something
. i mean ok the only thing we say so far dealing with the animals is Slytherin serpent with the chamber of secret. i need some thory or something. it has been me for a while

[Spitf1re]

My theory is that
Gryffindor is the Lion to represent courage
Slytherin is the serpent because of the basilisk
Ravenclaw is the eagle because eagles are intelligent and cunning
And hufflepuff is the badger for loyalty? or some other Hufflepuff trait.

[WhiteSlash]

That's it!
Gyffindor-Stands for bravery and goodness.
Slytherin-Cuning and Darkness(Plus, Slytherin was a Parselmouth)
Ravenclaw-same as you said
Huffelpuff-samey same...

[applepie15]

I agree. But I'm not ruling out the possibility of more meaning.

[Ava]

Oh, I thought Ravenclaw was some kind of a falcon ar something.

[Justin Etre]

Do you think that Godric Gryffindor could tak to lions, and the others to their rspective house animals, and that was how they were chosen to represent the houses?

[cedric]

good theory. i thought it was maybe that they could turn to into those animals

[crafty girl]

Yeah, I was always a bit confused about the badger. The other animals are pretty obvious choices for what they're meant to represent. But the badger... What the heck is that supposed to mean? Maybe Hufflepuffs have amazing burrowing powers...

[Justin Etre]

Maybe there is some mythological beast which is badger like?

[Huntingdon]

^It didn't turn up in Fantastic creatures.

The lion is obviously representative of bravery, as the snake is of cunning. I don't think it necessarily means Gryffindor could speak to lions though.

Ravenclaw would have made more sense with a Raven, since they are reputedly wise and magical birds. Is it actually identified as an Eagle in the books? I remember someone claiming that it was changed for the film. Nonetheless, an Eagle is an impressive bird, although not known for being intelligent.

The Hufflepuff badger just seems to reinforce the idea of them being close to the earth. They're supposed to be practical people, "down to earth" in common parlance, and there are few creatures more prosaic and practical than a badger. They live in family groups and take turns to look after the youngsters and elderly of the clan, so suppose that is representative of loyalty.

It would be interesting to ask JKR why she chose the badger for Hufflepuff. It's an often overlooked creature, yet is one if Britain's top predators in reality. Perhaps this indicates that Hufflepuff will suddenly play a crucial role in defeating Voldemort, in book 7 perhaps?

[Puffskein]

The description of the house banners in GOF talks about the Ravenclaw eagle. I agree about the lion and snake. Huntingdon has interesting ideas about the badger. Just to avoid any potential confusion, the British badger is a different species from the American one, although they are related and look similar. Do they have the same living habits?

[Inkwolf]

All birds of prey are dim-witted. Dunno what that Eagle's doing in there. They just LOOK impressive and inspiring.

The others all make sense to me. Badgers are fierce and stubborn (which we've seen from some of the Hufflepuffs!) and, as Huntingdon points out, close to the earth.

[Huntingdon]

Originally posted by Puffskein
Do they have the same living habits?

Apparently there are some differences. This (http://www.badgers.org.uk/brocks-world/01_facts.html) websites explains the differences quite well. :)

[Dedalus]

Badgers can apparently symbolise strength, determination and caring. I don't know why, since I've never really seen a very caring and determined badger (okay, so I've never seen a badger before, neither). They represent others things that don't match Hufflepuff's traits, mostly, but the above virtues are in there in the badger's symbolism

[Cat]

Originally posted by Dedalus
Badgers can apparently symbolise strength, determination and caring. I don't know why, since I've never really seen a very caring and determined badger

Steadfastness. Badgers plod along and dig holes so determinedly that it seems they're very hardworking. Even when they're gnawing your legs off.

Badgers also represent humilty. That must have something to do with living in holes. Or maybe it's just because badgers look so funny.

[Snowangel]

I had never really thought of this before but I did wonder why the Badger would be in there. It always seemed so unimpressive next to the other animals. I think the hardworking trait would make sense, though.

[arabella_black]

I never understood the badger thing either.
Maybe it is that if you aggrivsate a Hufflepuff too much it will stop being cute n dopey looking and viciously attack. Maybe hufflepuffs have incredibly strong jaws. lol Or maybe some farmers use to accuse Hufflepuff of giving their cows T.B.!
The hardworking thing is the most probable!

[fuzzi95]

wait a minut??? Could a sphinx be reagarded as a type of lion? If so, then only a griffindor would be able to talk to her???na probably not!

[dr_strangelove]

personally, i think badgers are pretty cool; i like the awkward little animals that everyone laughs at but will kick your :censored: if you annoy them...

[Max]

The badger explains why Hufflepuff students are good at Herbology. Badgers are also very down to earth (literally) and they're also loyal and caring, though they can also kick your butt if you annoy them too much.

[Moonlight]

I was going to say something like Max about the badgers, that they are good at digging and Sprouts The Herbology teacher.
I'm stumped about the Eagle...maybe because they can soar high above the rest (a fox would've been a better Symbol I think...)

[Max]

Maybe the eagle symbolises the quick-wittedness of the Ravenclaws.

[Inkwolf]

But eagles AREN'T quick-witted, darn it! :evil:

Maybe because of their eyesight, representing the Ravenclaw's ability to take the long view of events....

But I still say the Raven should have been the house symbol.

[Puffskein]

Thanks for the badger link, Huntingdon. That was interesting - I've never heard of ferret badgers or stink badgers!
I went out badger watching once - we attracted them with peanut butter. Two badgers came quite close to us.

[Bixie]

Originally posted by Inkwolf
But eagles AREN'T quick-witted, darn it! :evil:

Maybe because of their eyesight, representing the Ravenclaw's ability to take the long view of events....

But I still say the Raven should have been the house symbol.

I'd go with the Lion for bravery, courage etc (Richard the Lionheart)
Slytherin's symbol is explained - Salazar was a parselmouth
Hufflepuff - Yeah I'd go for the Badger representing loyalty and steadfastness.

AND I'd agree with an eagle for Ravenclaw as their main trait appears to be cleverness and wisdom.

OK an eagle may not in reality be quick witted but looking back over British history the eagle has often symbolised this.

I've read Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper and in The Grey King a question is asked as to who are the three elders of the world.

Now elders are often regarded as wise and knowledgable - and the answer to the question is: the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, the EAGLE of Gwernabwy and the blackbird of Celli Gadarn.

In the same books ravens,crows and rooks are birds belonging to the Dark. :rasp:

[daredevildiver13]

I don't know why but before I read the books I heard someone say the word Voldemort and I automatically thought of a snake. Maybe you don't believe me but I really got the picture of a snake in my mind. I had the same thing for ravenclaw and gryffindor. But the badger does stump me. What about the badger in the Sword in the Stone and the Wind in the Willows. I never really thought much of the badger.

[Huntingdon]

There's a badger in Sword in the Stone??

[daredevildiver13]

Yes, it is the Wart's last adventure.

[1MelissaPotter]

I think they animals are definately representative of the qualities that the founders of each House had. Bravery, Intellegence, Loyalty, and a thirst to prove yourself.

[Max]

Yeah, the house animals are representations of the qualities each house possesses.

[LewsTherin]

(Note to mods: I've done a seach and haven't anything pertaining to this topic. If I've missed something, feel free to merge/close this.)

Righty. I was having a look at the Hogwarts Crest/Symbol/Coat of Arms or whatever you want to call it, and thinking about the sorting hat's songs.

Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin all have appropriate animals as their symbols, but Hufflepuff's is not.

Hufflepuff's symbol is a badger. A badger is a hard-working or rather a busy animal, is fierce and dangerous when cornered, and is a cunning hunter.

"You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil."

Now, the animal and the sorting hat's description do not match at all. Besides hard work, a badger does not seem to be the right choice. Loyalty (they're generallty solitary animals) and patience do not describe a badger. So, why the choice of a badger? Or is there more to the kind-natured, slightly dense Hufflepuff's than we think? Will they prove to be the most stalwart fighters against Voldemort? ('cause face it, a fight will take place at Howgarts at some time)

I don't see this as foreshadowing, but it is intersting that Hufflepuff's animal would match the least.

Another interesting thing to note is that every single animal in the Hogwarts Crest is dangerous and quite fierce. A snake is potentially deadly, a Griffin/Lion sure as hell is is, a badger is dangerous when cornered, and Eagles too are dangerous when threatened. Significant?

It's not much of a theory this, but hopefully it's something fresh to discuss.

So, do you think that the animals in the Crest match their houses qaulities, or do you think they hint at more? Do they reveal qaulities that we have yet so see in their respective houses?

[Camo]

What kind of animal would you have as the Hufflepuff symbol?
Maybe the founder of the house was a badger-mouth (speaks to badgers) or maybe he was an animagus, who knows?

[cedric]

ya , know we id start a topic on this, as a matter of fact i did, but anyway, i was wondering the same thing, because why a badger? and i was thinking about gryyfindors too, it should be a pheonix to me.

[Dedalus]

I did a bit of research some time ago about the symbolism behind animal characters, so here's what I got for the Hogwarts crest animals, taken from animal symbolism in celtic mythology, alchaemic references and just the Western view of these creatures ...

Lion - courage, strength, strong family ties (an interesting one, with people like the Weasleys all being in Gryffindor, and Harry's determination to always stand up for his parents)
Snake - transformation or rebirth and immortality (more to connect with Voldemort, that one), shrewdness, power
Badger - tanacity or perserverance, caring, knowledge of the Earth (interesting to note because of Professor Sprout being head of Hufflepuff)
Eagle - intellegence, knowledge of magic in particular, spiritual power

Of course theres hundreds more for each of these animals. These are just the ones that tie in the most with that house :)

It's interesting, the animal symbolism in Harry Potter. Some of it is so tightly tied, that you wonder whether she set out with that purpose or else it just comes naturally, to associate certain traits with certain animals. Dogs are known as "the protector", wolves are known as "the teacher", snakes can symbolise immortality and rebirth, as I said, which is very close to Voldemort ... it's just all groovy.

[cedric]

i was interested in the gryffinfors animals. i did a little research and came up with an animal called a Gryphon. it is a winged lion, with the beak of a eagle,they loved gold,it was said that there feathers cured blindness,( it seems like it is commonly similatr to the hippogriff)

[Jessie]

Gryffindor - Lion; bravery
Slytherin - Serpent; Salazar Slytherin was a parsel-mouth
Hufflepuff - Badger; well, they're rather quiet & loyal
Ravenclaw - Eagle - Wise, I suppose. And quick-sighted, but in the intellect sort of way.

[Mad Macca]

I think that seeing as Salazar Slytherin was a parselmouth, and his house was Slytherin, and it is a snake, that the other co-founders must have some type of connection with the animal that their house represents, not just what they might have been like. Perhaps Rowena Ravenclaw was an animagi and could turn into an Eagle, or something along these lines for the rest of them.
:lol: Maybe Helga Hufflepuff dug a hole to China :lol:

[Jessie]

I agree. Good point, Mad Macca! Godric was definitely brave, in my opinion. Helga...heck, maybe she DID dig a hole to China. ;)

[Mad Macca]

Yeah, Godric was brave, in my opinion. Maybe he was bought up by lions! Ok Macca, enough of the crazy talk!

[Barbara Kennedy]

Originally posted by Dedalus (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=165829#post165829))
I did a bit of research some time ago about the symbolism behind animal characters, so here's what I got for the Hogwarts crest animals, taken from animal symbolism in celtic mythology, alchaemic references and just the Western view of these creatures ...

Lion - courage, strength, strong family ties (an interesting one, with people like the Weasleys all being in Gryffindor, and Harry's determination to always stand up for his parents)
Snake - transformation or rebirth and immortality (more to connect with Voldemort, that one), shrewdness, power
Badger - tanacity or perserverance, caring, knowledge of the Earth (interesting to note because of Professor Sprout being head of Hufflepuff)
Eagle - intellegence, knowledge of magic in particular, spiritual power

Of course theres hundreds more for each of these animals. These are just the ones that tie in the most with that house :)

It's interesting, the animal symbolism in Harry Potter. Some of it is so tightly tied, that you wonder whether she set out with that purpose or else it just comes naturally, to associate certain traits with certain animals. Dogs are known as "the protector", wolves are known as "the teacher", snakes can symbolise immortality and rebirth, as I said, which is very close to Voldemort ... it's just all groovy.


Badger : tenacity, preseverance, steadfastness, loyalty, caring, down-to-earth [nurturing].

Each student in Hufflepuff House would have most of these traits.
They would achieve great things through sticking to a job or assignment until it is done to their exacting standards.
In a fight, a Hufflepuff would not hesitate to die to protect another, as they give their all to any cause worthy of their effort.
I also sense that the Hufflepuffs are quietly studious. Unassuming in apearance but surprisingly fierce if pressed.

[zora_domina]

I would guess that it should be a Hedgehog that JKR was thinking of, rather than a badger, but hedgehogs are quite small and rather unimpressive (if you think badgers are not impressive, you ought to meet one up close and personal... they're like a snarling foot stool!).

Badgers are my totem animal - belligerent, tenacious, moody, and they like the ground a lot. While I like flying, I certainly seem to have a strong connection to the ground... (and anyone who's read my Knockturn alley posts knows the rest... lol! )

But I think that unless we see a totally different side of the Hufflepuffs in future books, the badger is *not* the right totem animal for their house.

Though it *is* the noise they make when they're angry. huff-rrll-puff.

There are no hoofstock represented by the houses - perhaps that's why the place is called Hogwarts? To get that angle of the animistic magic?

-zora

[Barbara Kennedy]

Originally posted by zora_domina (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=278796#post278796))
I would guess that it should be a Hedgehog that JKR was thinking of, rather than a badger, but hedgehogs are quite small and rather unimpressive (if you think badgers are not impressive, you ought to meet one up close and personal... they're like a snarling foot stool!).

Badgers are my totem animal - belligerent, tenacious, moody, and they like the ground a lot. While I like flying, I certainly seem to have a strong connection to the ground... (and anyone who's read my Knockturn alley posts knows the rest... lol! )

But I think that unless we see a totally different side of the Hufflepuffs in future books, the badger is *not* the right totem animal for their house.

Though it *is* the noise they make when they're angry. huff-rrll-puff.

There are no hoofstock represented by the houses - perhaps that's why the place is called Hogwarts? To get that angle of the animistic magic?

-zora


I never realized they made that sound, having never seen one, or heard one. It would certainly explain how they came by the name, Hufflepuff.

Edited in the following to get rid of embarrassing old double-post.
Is it possible that the Hog in the Hogwarts crest was the heraldic device [symbol - for those who don't know anything about heraldry] of the King, or other leader, at the time the School was being built? The school crest would then be a symbol of the founder's support of that leader and/or that leader's support of the school.

[black&potter]

i believe there are other secret rooms ment just for the house it was build for but who knows whether we would even hear about them i mean the only reason we found out about the chamber of secrets is because voldemort is the slytherins heir

[hedwig7]

Hmmm interesting... i've never really thought about the animal symbolism in detail and now im bursting with questions... but i do think its interesting - the eagle from Ravenclaw immediately made me think of Harry flying on the back of the eagle owl when he had that Voldemort dream in Divination- which also made me think maybe that special room was there- because there is a "gloomy" corridoor (sp?) and then a door and then the room with Voldemort- maybe Harry will visit that again??? Also i keep associating Neville with Hufflepuff for some reason...... maybe cauz he's so good at Herbology... also the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room could be somewhere around the greenhouses- maybe underground, somewhere cozy??

[Barbara Kennedy]

Originally posted by Barbara Kennedy (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=279102#post279102))
I never realized they made that sound, having never seen one, or heard one. It would certainly explain how they came by the name, Hufflepuff.


Or more precisely why Helga Hufflepuff, or one of her ancestors, chose the badger for their heraldic device.

Note: could someone post a picture of the Hogwarts school crest in this thread?
I don't know how.

EDIT: there is a picture of the crest now posted on the thread "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus"

[imperator]

For Gryffindor, Lions are the natural choice for their emblem. Lions have been known throughout history as brave animals, courageous leaders of the packs. IMO it wouldn't make as much of an impression of a house with brave students if its symbol wasn't the lion.

For Slytherin, hmm another logical choice. JKR's most poweful calling to associate snakes with the Slytherins must have come from the 'snakes being satan' biblical imagery. Not many animals bring evil and intimidation to such a level as a snake does.

For Ravenclaw, it would have made sense more if their symbol was a raven, being wise and thoughtful. JKR could have picked the eagle for it having a more regal appearance, intelligent in a way (picking out victims) and just general quick-thinking and survival skills.

Hufflepuff? I would think its symbol be better a squirrel, or the industrious ant. I think I read it somewhere that badgers sleep 2/3 of their days.

[FawkesBox]

Although I do feel like many of you that the animagi thing has been played out a bit much- perhaps these were the animals into which the founders changed much like the Marauders did.

Naturally, their qualities would also represent the houses to which they belong.

[Puffskein]

The European badger is actually a very social animal, unlike the American badger, or so I gather. They live in a family in a big burrow called a sett, and they like peanut butter.

[paperflowergirl]

While the actual living-habbits and properties of animals have some relation to the house-animals, I think that the choice of house animals can better be explained by looking up the symbolic meaning of these animals in different mythologies.
Snake -
In the Bible: the devil disguised himself as a snake when tempting Eve
Hinduism: the naga (snake people) are the enemy of Garuda (the phoenix), who held his mother prisoner until he obtained the elixir of life for them. (Voldemort's snake is called Nagini - fem. form of naga, and the whole story is related to Harry's name - see my article)

this list could go on forever as virtually all mythologies have snakes in one form or another, but I find these two the most interesting and relevant stories when thinking about Slytherin and Voldemort, and the role they play in HP.
Isn't it also interesting how the names of the founders relate to their animals?
Snake - slithering sounds a lot like slytherin
Lion - the griffin (from gryffindor) is half eagle half lion
Eagle - just like the eagle was the bird of Zeus, the raven (ravenclaw) was the bird of Odin (he had two). they were called Hugin and Munin, meaning thought and speach.
Badger - ehhh this is more of a stretch than the others. knowing that the badger sybolizes hard work and diligence, we can see a connection between this and the expression "huff and puff" (hufflepuff)

[Earendil]

I know that this is a stupid little thing, but in CoS, I do believe that McGonagall was yelling at a student because he had turned his friend into a badger. Coincidence? Probably, but I thought it was a pretty wacky coincidence anyway--out of all the random animals she could have picked, why a badger? :wacky:

paperflowergirl, very nice analysis of the animals. My personal theory is that all the founders were either Animagi that could turn into their respective animals (or maybe JK is beating the Animagus plot dead by now?), or they could each speak to their respective animals.

[tarachristwen]

i think that each animal symbolises their own qualities.

lion-courage,bravery
badger-hardworking
eagle-intelligent
snake-sly.cunning,malicious

[Barbara Kennedy]

I still stick by my theory that the animals are from the family crests of the four founders and the hog in the Hogwarts crest was symbolic of the current political leader when the school was being built.

[^0-0^Harry^0-0^]

Is it only me that thinks that the animals are meant to be simbolisms they just were. as in that may be their patroninus's became those animals ans that describs them . We know that slytherin could talk to snakes (that makes me think that the others could do somethinng special with the others)
Hope that makes sence .. please reply

[Remus Black]

I thought that the animals meant what they fed their students for dinner. Or in Slytherin's case, what the students were fed to. J/k

I think they symbolise traits of the houses. I never thought they could have a double meaning.

[TheThyphon]

I agree with Barbara Kennedy when she talks about the family crests, but a belive the crests are a symbol of the best qualities of the funders thus the new students.

[drdementor]

More on Badgers in literature:

1) The Wind in the Willows-- Badger is the wisest animal of the four animal friends (Toad, Rat, Mole, Badger)-- he's a tough fighter, and arms the animals for their final battle against the weasels and stoats that have taken over Toad Hall. He doesn't much like company in the winter. He looks out for their friends, even when they don't like it; he is the one who tries to make Toad stop his reckless driving. He is the loyalest kind of friend, one who is not afraid to upset his friends to prevent them from harming themselves or others.

2)The "Redwall" series-- there are several badgers in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. One of them is named "Constance." Most of the badgers are the guardians of a fort, protecting the inland from pirates. They are a bit gruff, with dry senses of humor. They can be very gentle with their friends but are fierce warriors.

3) Trufflehunter in "Prince Caspian" by C. S. Lewis. Trufflehunter is a faithful, loyal animal who remembers that the Narnians should have a person as their king and is the most welcoming to Caspian. He has a lot of common sense.

So, my impression of the "talking" badgers in literature has been that they are down-to-earth, calm, sensible, loyal animals that fight fiercely when threatened. That may not be how badgers are in real life, but that's how they are portrayed in some famous books. Just as personified snakes are written as typically cunning, wordy, and untrustworthy (even though they are not that cunning), badgers are shown as these traits.

I think that the Hufflepuff kids haven't so far shown much of their badger personalities except that they have banded together (loyalty), backed down when they were found to be incorrect (could be the "fair" side), and trained to fight when threatened.

Maybe we'll get to see some more badger traits soon!

The big surprise for me so far has been Ravenclaw; I can't remember seeing them do anything particularly smart or witty! Cho of course was torn up emotionally, and her little friend seemed none too bright.

[Mundungus Fletc]

If the animals are a reflection oif the crests of the founders then they are almost certainly a retrospective adition. The sort of heraldry described wasn't around in Britain a thousand years ago -it developed later. So for example the Heraldric achievement of St Edward the Confessor was drawn up long after his death

Interestingly there was a king whose symbol was a boars head - Richard III of babies in the Tower fame. His symbol was a white boar. After he was chucked out a lot of pubs that had taken his symbol changed it to a Blue Boar. There are still quite a few about.

[grawp66]

I don't think the animals are nescessarily from the Founder's family crests. They're just animals that illustrate traits the Founder's thougt most importent, and they represent the students in each of the houses.

On the Ravenclaw eagle: Eagles, in reality, may not be the most quickwitted animals, but they that is how they are often portrayed. They have good eyesight, they are firece. I think they look sharp and intelligent - how may stories have you read about stupid eagles?

On the Hufflepuff Badger: I agree with everyone who said that Badgers are loyal, caring and hardworking animals, which is why they symnbolise Hufflepuff. I think another reason is that they are often overlooked, just like Hufflepuff students, because they are quiet and awkward. But they can be quite fierce when they need to, which I'm sure is true for Hufflepuffs as well.

[Elf]

Although the mascots seem to represent the traits of their houses, it still seems odd to me that a griffin consists of both a lion and an eagle, two of the house animals. I've often wondered if this could mean something, especially seeing as I have suspicions that we will be learning more about Godric Gryffindor specifically.

[Kimmetje]

I think the people who found Hogwarts (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Huffelpuf) were animagus's and that in the crest they chose animals as they are better united than alone. They chose an animal and that animal might have been their fave animal or the animal they could turn into...

[arcosk8]

Gryffindor-we can see Godric Gryffindor as a brave man,someone strong,long hair,maybe with the body of a lion,that`s a reason of the lion in Gryffindor,Godric looked like a lion. Also the studnet`s qualities,for example:Harry-brave,Hermione-intelligent,Ron-loyal. And those were qualities Godric had,and maybe a lion has...
Hufflepuff-Hufflepuffs are loyal and patient. I don`t know why a badger,maybe badgers act the same,or maybe Helga had a badger...who knows...
Slytherin-in Slytherin we can find people who like achieving their goals..maybe people who like botherin others,and all the Slytherins are pure blood. A reason of why a serpent is that Salazar looked like one,he was thin,pale,maybe large and he could talk to snakes/serpents. Also serpents are really selective with their food,as Salazar with his students.
Ravenclaw-it`s obvious,dividing Ravenclaw into two words would say:raven and claw. So Rowena wanted to have a raven,but it didn`t looked nice,so he chose the eagle,that looked like a raven and had claws-lol-(in mugglenet it says the mascot is and eagle)..so that`s the main reason.
-also the theory of the founders` animagus form is good....-

[tmlane86]

What Max said, but by the picture I thought hufflepuff was a rabbit.

[IceKat55]

Hufflepuff-Hufflepuffs are loyal and patient. I don`t know why a badger,maybe badgers act the same,or maybe Helga had a badger...who knows...
Didn't Rowling say that her favorite animal was a badger? I think I remember that... :huh:

[drdementor]

No, her favorite animal is an otter.

[MadamFlitwick]

Maybe the animal symbols are the form the housemasters (I have NO idea how to spell this) patreonuses took?

[3SingMuggle]

The badger is for Hufflepuff because badgers can carry/pull 20 times their own weight, whereas Hufflepuffs are described (by the sorting hat) as hard-working, or unafraid of toil, something like that. I think pulling 20 times your own weight is working hard!

[stupiddeer]

i think the symbols for each house just have animals that have the same qualities as the studends in those houses, lions are brave, snakes are cunning or something, eagles are smart, and badgers work hard and also slytherin picked a snake 'cause he was a parselmouth, and what if the founders were animaguses and could turn into those animals

[Starlight]

I haven't got time to read through all the posts, so I'll just quickly add my two cents, sorry if someone has already pointed these out - I think they can represent the four elements, earth, fire, air and water.

Hufflepuff - Badger - EARTH
Ravenclaw - Eagle/Raven, whatever type of bird it is - AIR
Slytherin - in one of the Sorting songs it mentions fen in relation to Slytherin, which I think is a bit like a marsh, so WATER
Gryffindor - Lion - I don't know a lot about astrology, but I know that all the signs are divided into the four elements and Leo, the lion, is a FIRE sign.

Not sure what relation this has, if any, to the plots of the books though, except it ties in with what the Sorting Hat said about the four needing to be united.

[stupiddeer]

that would be cool if the eart, wind, water, fire had to with the philosipher's stone, those were the elements scientists thought the world was made of when they were trying to make the philosopher's stone

[LS fan aSoUE]

it's just symbolism of the animals carachteristics

lion-brave
eagle-smart
serpent-wily
badger-erm...

[DragonBlk17]

well the lion=courage
eagle=loyalty
badger=friendship maybe?
snake=I can't think of a word for it

[3SingMuggle]

well the lion=courage
eagle=loyalty
badger=friendship maybe?
snake=I can't think of a word for it

You're right, you just didn't get Hufflepuff. Badgers are extremely strong animals, they can pull 20 times their own body weight. Ants are strong animals, too, but how weird would an ant look next to a lion, snake, and bird? I was puzzled with the badger for a long time, but learned that tidbit of info above.

[rotsiepots]

I think this (http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp/keyword.badger/qx/symbolism_details.htm) site summarises the characteristics of badgers, and Hufflepuffs, quite nicely:

The badger is an animal noted for his fierceness and courage in fighting to defend his home. The image of the badger is a symbol of bravery, perseverance and protection. It is not a common symbol in heraldry; however, it is a typically English one.

[shelbell32]

On the other side of the Atlantic arose a belief about the eagle and the sun that persisted for many centuries. The eagle was thought to he the only animal capable of looking directly into the sun. Aristotle and Pliny wrote of this and added that the eagle tested its young by facing them to the sun, rejecting any that looked away. The writers of early bestiaries, such as the twelfth-century Book of Beasts, added to the eagle's mystery by giving it the power of eternal youth:

When the eagle grows old and his wings become heavy and his eyes become darkened with a mist, then he goes in search of a fountain, and, over against it, he flies up to the height of heaven, even into the circle of the sun, and there he singes his wings and at the same time evaporates the fog of his eyes in ray of the sun. Then at length taking a header down into the fountain, he dips himself three times in it, and instantly he is renewed with a great vigour of plumage and splendour of vision. (myth)

This is from this website: eagles (http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/index.html)

There is also a bit under the "essence of eagles" link about the power of eagle feathers and how they were important in war ceremonials and HEALING RITUALS.

I was struck by how similar the eagle is to the phoenix. The sun sort of represents fire when the eagle rebirths itself. I am not sure if or how this relates to HP, but I thought it was worth noting. I was originally looking up the eagle in reference to Ravenclaw, but I had read a previous post about the griffin being half eagle and half lion and thought the symbolism pertained more to that.

If this has been already hashed out, forgive me. My eyes get so tired when trying to read every single post on these threads.

Anyway, any thoghts on this?

[Mafalda04]

Acutally i have wondered about this...

Slyterin animal is a snake.. b/c of Salazar could talk to snakes
Ravenclaw.. well a raven, thats obvious
Hufflepuff.. who knows.. maybe Helga likes weird named plants like Sprout
Gryffindor.. why a lion? shouldnt it be a Gryffin or something.. did Godric have a connection with Lions? where did a lion come from? when the name is GRYFFIN? lol.. I wish i knew why!

well the lion=courage
eagle=loyalty
badger=friendship maybe?
snake=I can't think of a word for it

I guess the lion could be for the courage.. I was thinking Bravery and not like Wizard of Oz... but whatever... I just wish i knew why its not a Gryffin or something else..

[Mundungus Fletc]

Gryffindor.. why a lion? shouldnt it be a Gryffin or something..

I have wondered about this as well. And shouldn't Ravenclaw have a raven not an eagle? A Griffin is a combination of lion and eagle which may indicate some kind of special connection between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

[Mafalda04]

I have wondered about this as well. And shouldn't Ravenclaw have a raven not an eagle? A Griffin is a combination of lion and eagle which may indicate some kind of special connection between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

lol I thought it was a raven?! an eagle! haha :rotfl: you can tell i need sleep...

[Ella Marauder]

Ravenclaw's house animal isn't an eagle. It's a crow, or raven, or something (I'm Portu
guese!).

[Mundungus Fletc]

According to the Lexicon it's an eagle. This is the link
http://www.hp-lexicon.org/hogwarts/houses/ravenclaw.html

[iluvhhr]

I think maybe the founders were Animagi. Either that, they felt they connected with those animals, or the animals were the best representatives of each House's qualities.

[jediravenclaw]

In heraldry, the Lion represents courage and strength (not a very big surprise)

Snake: wisdom (ever wonder why the symbol for medicine is two snakes wrapped around a staff?)

Personally, I always assumed the Ravenclaw symbol was a raven (divine providence AS WELL AS wisdom by learning from those before you). If it is an eagle: Nobel, alert, quick-witted, judicious. Hawk: persistent, alert.

Badger (yes, the badger was used on coats of arms, but not very commonly): perseverance, protection and bravery.


I think the badger was really only used in England though,or primarily an English charge. I think this all applies because these are the animals on the House achievements and they would be used in the above ways on real life achievements.

btw, for those who don't speak heraldry:
(achievement = "coat of arms") (charge = part of a coat of arms).
:)

[James Macca]

In heraldry, the Lion represents courage and strength (not a very big surprise)

Snake: wisdom (ever wonder why the symbol for medicine is two snakes wrapped around a staff?)

Personally, I always assumed the Ravenclaw symbol was a raven (divine providence AS WELL AS wisdom by learning from those before you). If it is an eagle: Nobel, alert, quick-witted, judicious. Hawk: persistent, alert.

Badger (yes, the badger was used on coats of arms, but not very commonly): perseverance, protection and bravery.



As it says under Gryffindor, the Lion represents courage, as it says in PS, and this is a direct quote, "You might belong in Gryffindor where dwell the Brave at heart"

As it says for Eagle quick-witted, once again as it says in PS, "Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind"

For Hufflepuff, the badger, Perseverance, as it says in PS "Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, and unafraid of toil"

So they seem to be fairly decent reasons as to the house animals..
However i can't see where the connection between wisdom and slytherin, unless we are supposed to take Voldie as a direct example.. After all, Dumbles does say that he is the most knowledgable wizard of the time although i can't remember which book its in, i have a feeling it may be PS..
And on that note, isn't the medical sign a sword with two snakes around it, not a staff.. I'm not too sure on that tho..
Personally i believe Slytherin is a snake mainly because Salazar chose a great dirty snake, in the words of Ron, to do his dirty work and the fact that he was a parselmouth..

[thrushcross]

I haven't got time to read through all the posts, so I'll just quickly add my two cents, sorry if someone has already pointed these out - I think they can represent the four elements, earth, fire, air and water.

Hufflepuff - Badger - EARTH
Ravenclaw - Eagle/Raven, whatever type of bird it is - AIR
Slytherin - in one of the Sorting songs it mentions fen in relation to Slytherin, which I think is a bit like a marsh, so WATER
Gryffindor - Lion - I don't know a lot about astrology, but I know that all the signs are divided into the four elements and Leo, the lion, is a FIRE sign.

Not sure what relation this has, if any, to the plots of the books though, except it ties in with what the Sorting Hat said about the four needing to be united.

Ah! I clicked on this topic to make this very comment! :) You've beat me to it, but I thought I'd back you up and say that the houses really do seem to fall along elemental lines... the character traits associated with each element seem to correspond with stereotypical traits we associate with the respective houses.

Earth signs, like Hufflepuffs, are characteristically considered dependable, hard-working, and practical. Down-to-earth types. Air signs and their Ravenclaw counterparts are known for their intelligence, cleverness, and skill in communication. Water signs are supposed to be more emotional, which can translate to moodiness or a tendency to brood in some cases (though not all, of course!) and suggests the ambition (in the sense that ambition involves intense subjective scrutiny and restlessness) and subtle threat of Slytherin. They're also supposed to be especially artistic, which might correlate with wizarding talent and pride in that talent. Fire signs are associated with all of the self-sufficience, boldness, and courage we've come to associate with Gryffindor. (Check out this site (http://www.astrology.com/aboutastrology/interpreting/elements/index.html) if you're interested in learning a bit more about how the elements are interpreted in astrology.)

That said, the animals chosen to represent each of the houses do seem to correlate with the elements of their respective houses.

The burrowing badger is about as earthy as they come. The eagle, simply as a bird, is clearly an image of flight and the eagle itself is often a symbol of intelligence as well. The snake, especially when considered a "serpent," can have connotations of water (remember the way the basilisk moved through the pipes, and the fact that the Chamber was accessed through a bathroom). And the lion is a wonderful example of a passionate, confident, fiery beast.

The elemental aspect of the houses may not do much to unravel the plot of the series, but it does help to explain the mascot choices.

[jediravenclaw]

yeah, the wisdom meaning behind the snake doesn't seem to fit slytherin much, but the fact that green in heraldry means hope in love as well as joy fits it even less. *shrug*

The others fit well enough though, but then again, I'm just looking at this from a historical point of view.

[Kobila]

I consider myself a hufflepuff and have always wanted a different house animal..maybe a horse there hard working maybe a dog for its loyality. I think slytherin and gryffindors animals are just right for the characteristics the imply.