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*The female lines continue through Narcissa (through her descendants with Lucius Malfoy), Andromeda (with Ted Tonks), Callidora (with Harfang Longbottom), Cedrella (with Septimus Weasley) and possibly Isla (with Bob Hitchens). |
*The female lines continue through Narcissa (through her descendants with Lucius Malfoy), Andromeda (with Ted Tonks), Callidora (with Harfang Longbottom), Cedrella (with Septimus Weasley) and possibly Isla (with Bob Hitchens). |
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*It is also possible that the female Black line continues in Harry Potter, as he is possibly related to [[Charlus Potter]] and [[Dorea Black]]. |
*It is also possible that the female Black line continues in Harry Potter, as he is possibly related to [[Charlus Potter]] and [[Dorea Black]]. |
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− | * |
+ | *Out of 36 members, most are descendants of Phineas Nigellus and Ursula Flint (25), 7 were of known generations preceding him and 3 were his siblings. The remaining 1 was Phineas himself. |
*[[Isla Black|There]] [[Phineas Black|is]] [[Marius Black|at]] [[Cedrella Weasley|least]] [[Alphard Black|one]] [[Sirius Black III|disowned]] [[Andromeda Tonks|Black]] in each generation (except the generation consisting of Cygnus Black I, Arcturus Black I and Misapinoa Black. |
*[[Isla Black|There]] [[Phineas Black|is]] [[Marius Black|at]] [[Cedrella Weasley|least]] [[Alphard Black|one]] [[Sirius Black III|disowned]] [[Andromeda Tonks|Black]] in each generation (except the generation consisting of Cygnus Black I, Arcturus Black I and Misapinoa Black. |
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*All of the males that have been blasted off the family tree were not disowned due to marriage (except for possibly [[Eduardus Limette Black]], who was blasted off for an unknown reason). [[Phineas Black (II)|Phineas was]] disowned for supporting Muggle rights, [[Marius Black|Marius]] was disowned for being a Squib, [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] for leaving gold to his disowned nephew, and [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] for running away from his home and not believing in the importance of [[Blood status|blood-purity]]. The three females to have been disowned after marriage are [[Andromeda Black|Andromeda]], [[Cedrella Weasley|Cedrella]] and [[Isla Black]] (all for marriage to a Muggle/Muggle-born, a disrespected family, and a Muggle, respectively) . |
*All of the males that have been blasted off the family tree were not disowned due to marriage (except for possibly [[Eduardus Limette Black]], who was blasted off for an unknown reason). [[Phineas Black (II)|Phineas was]] disowned for supporting Muggle rights, [[Marius Black|Marius]] was disowned for being a Squib, [[Alphard Black|Alphard]] for leaving gold to his disowned nephew, and [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] for running away from his home and not believing in the importance of [[Blood status|blood-purity]]. The three females to have been disowned after marriage are [[Andromeda Black|Andromeda]], [[Cedrella Weasley|Cedrella]] and [[Isla Black]] (all for marriage to a Muggle/Muggle-born, a disrespected family, and a Muggle, respectively) . |
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− | *It is possible [[James Potter]] was not the son of [[Dorea Black]], as he married [[Muggle-born]] [[Lily Evans]] and would possibly have been disowned for that. |
+ | *It is possible [[James Potter I|James Potter]] was not the son of [[Dorea Black]], as he married [[Muggle-born]] [[Lily Evans]] and would possibly have been disowned for that. |
==Notes and references== |
==Notes and references== |
Revision as of 15:31, 5 August 2011
- "En stirps nobilis et gens antiquissima Black."
- — "Behold the offspring of noble birth and the nation of the most ancient of Black".[src]
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was one of the largest and oldest pure-blood wizarding families in Britain. Many wizarding families in Britain are distantly related to the House of Black. Like the Malfoy and Lestrange families, the House of Black is synonymous with elevated status and wealth. The Black family tree is displayed in the drawing room of the family home at 12 Grimmauld Place in London, England on an intricate tapestry, as an ornate mural. It starts in the Middle Ages and shows the dominant line of the family up to the present day.[2]
By the late twentieth century, the House of Black had become extinct in the male line with the deaths of Sirius and Regulus Black, neither of whom had children. The female line remained extant through the Malfoy family and Teddy Lupin, though the latter descends from a Black who was disowned. The Potter family is also distantly related to the Black family through Dorea Black.
History
- "...my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal..."
- — Sirius Black to Harry Potter on his family's values[src]
The Black family traces its origin back to the Middle Ages. They claim to have entirely magical ancestry, but as Sirius Black informed his godson Harry Potter, no true pure-blood families existed by the twentieth century. The pure-blood families like the Blacks simply removed Muggles and Squibs from their family trees. The Blacks place a great importance on blood purity, considering themselves akin to royalty in the wizarding world and disdaining Muggles, Squibs, Blood traitors and Muggle-borns. The family motto, which can be found on the family crest, is Toujours Pur, which means "Always Pure" in French. Many members took this phrase very seriously.[3]
Because of their views, a large number of the Black family members practise the Dark Arts and supported Lord Voldemort during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. A few Blacks even became Death Eaters, while many others never took the Dark Mark but believed in the "purification" of the wizarding world nevertheless.[3] A few members of the family, however, disagreed with the traditional views of their family; Sirius Black, for example, joined the Order of the Phoenix, as did Nymphadora Tonks, a distaff member of the Black family. Both were murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange née Black, Sirius's cousin and Tonks's aunt, in battle.
With Sirius's death, the male line of the Black family ended; the female line continues through the descendants of his cousins Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy, his second cousin, once removed, Arthur Weasley, the Burke family, the Crouches, the Longbottoms and the Potter family[4].
Harry is shocked to find Sirius is related to the Malfoys, but Sirius explains all pure blood families are interlinked somehow. Sirius is, in fact, related to Molly and Arthur Weasley.
Family Tree
- "This is the Black family tree... I hated the lot of them."
- — Sirius Black to Harry Potter[src]
Legend: Names in grey boxes were removed from the tree by Walburga Black. The published tree does not contain descendants of side branches of the family. See also:
- Another Version of Black Family Tree, which shows the Blacks are additionally related to the families Longbottom, Weasley, Flint, Rosier, Macmillan, Yaxley, Prewett, Crabbe, and Crouch. This version is full of errors and should not be considered cannon.
- HP Lexicon Tree.
"Blasted Off"
- "Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh! …Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers!"
- — The portrait of Walburga Black screaming at her "traitor" son[src]
The original tree described from Grimmauld Place was subject to some magical interference. According to Sirius Black, his mother Walburga blasted names of "blood traitors" off the tapestry without hesitation.[3] The Black family motto of Toujours Pur ("always pure") was followed assiduously by family members; any who disagreed with the notion of blood purity or married Muggles or people of different blood statuses were disowned and blasted off the family tree, as were any Squibs. Thus, family members that remain on the tapestry can be assumed to have married fellow pure-bloods. Some even married their own cousins; Walburga and Orion Black, for instance, were second cousins. Generations of this practice resulted in inbreeding, which in turn has caused problems such as low fertility and mental instability.
The known disowned members are Eduardus Limette Black (for an unknown reason), Isla Black, for marrying Muggle or Muggle-born Bob Hitchens, Phineas Black, for supporting Muggle rights, Marius Black, for being a Squib, Cedrella Black, for marrying blood traitor Septimus Weasley, Alphard Black, for giving gold to his runaway nephew Sirius, Sirius Black III, for running away from home, and Andromeda Black, for marrying Muggle-born Ted Tonks.
Etymology of Given Names
Most Black family members are named after stars or constellations. For example, the star Sirius is in the constellation Canis Major (the Dog). What's more, Sirius Black, an Animagus, could morph at will into a black dog named Padfoot. Another example is Bellatrix, the third brightest star in the constellation Orion, which is also the name of Sirius's father and Bellatrix's uncle. Cygnus, Andromeda, and Cassiopeia are also constellations, and Regulus, Alphard and Arcturus are stars as well.
Some members of the extended family have also chosen to follow this naming pattern. For example, Narcissa Malfoy née Black named her son Draco, which is the name of a constellation. In turn, he named his son Scorpius, which is one of the constellations of the zodiac, known as Scorpio in Western astrology. Narcissa herself, however, was not named in keeping with this convention. She was instead named after the flower Narcissus.
Family Name | Astronomical Origin |
---|---|
Alphard Black | Alphard is the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. |
Andromeda Tonks née Black | Andromeda is a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere and the name of a galaxy. |
Arcturus Black I, II, III | Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes the Herdsman. |
Bellatrix Lestrange née Black | Bellatrix is a star in the constellation Orion. |
Cassiopeia Black | Cassiopeia is a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. |
Cygnus Black I, II, III | Cygnus is a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, also known as the Northern Cross. |
Draco Malfoy | Draco is a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. |
Merope Gaunt | Merope is a star in the Pleiades. |
Orion Black | Orion is a well-known constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. |
Phoebe Black | Phoebe is perhaps associated with another name of the sun god Apollo, Phoebus. |
Pollux Black | Pollux is a star in the constellation Gemini. |
Regulus Black I, II | Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo. |
Scorpius Malfoy | Scorpius is a constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. |
Sirius Black I, II, III | Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. |
Blood Relatives
- Black (I)
- Black (II)
- Alexia Walkin Black
- Alphard Black — removed posthumously for leaving money to his disowned nephew
- Andromeda Tonks née Black — disowned for marrying a Muggle-born, Ted Tonks
- Arcturus Black I
- Arcturus Black II
- Arcturus Black III
- Bellatrix Lestrange née Black
- Belvina Burke née Black
- Callidora Longbottom née Black
- Cassiopeia Black
- Cedrella Weasley née Black — disowned for marrying a blood traitor, Septimus Weasley
- Charis Crouch née Black
- Cygnus Black I
- Cygnus Black II
- Cygnus Black III
- Dorea Potter née Black
- Eduardus Limette Black — disowned for an unknown reason
- Elladora Black
- Isla Hitchens née Black — disowned for marrying a Muggle, Bob Hitchens
- Lucretia Prewett née Black
- Lycoris Black
- Marius Black — disowned because he was a Squib
- Misapinoa Blishwick née Black
- Narcissa Malfoy née Black - wife of Lucius Malfoy and mother of Draco Malfoy
- Orion Black - Walburga's husband.
- Phineas Nigellus Black
- Phineas Black — disowned for supporting Muggle rights
- Pollux Black
- Phoebe Black
- Regulus Black I
- Regulus Black II
- Sirius Black I
- Sirius Black II
- Sirius Black III — removed for being a blood traitor; removed after he ran away.
- Walburga Black - mother of Sirius and Regulus Black.
Relatives by Marriage
- Bob Hitchens — husband of Isla Black
- Caspar Crouch — husband of Charis Black
- Charlus Potter — husband of Dorea Black
- Druella Rosier — wife of Cygnus Black III
- Ella Max — wife of Cygnus Black I
- Harfang Longbottom — husband of Callidora Longbottom née Black
- Herbert Burke — husband of Belvina Black
- Hesper Gamp — wife of Sirius Black II
- Ignatius Prewett — husband of Lucretia Black
- Irma Crabbe — wife of Pollux Black
- Jimbo Blishwick — husband of Misapinoa Blishwick née Black
- Lucius Malfoy — husband of Narcissa Malfoy née Black
- Lysandra Yaxley — wife of Arcturus Black I
- Melania Macmillan — wife of Arcturus Black III
- Rodolphus Lestrange — husband of Bellatrix Lestrange née Black
- Septimus Weasley — husband of Cedrella Black
- Ted Tonks — husband of Andromeda Tonks née Black
- Tripe — wife of Mr. Black
- Ursula Flint — wife of Phineas Nigellus Black
- Violetta Bulstrode — wife of Cygnus Black II
- Remus Lupin — husband of Nymphadora Tonks, daughter of Ted and Andromeda Tonks
Distant Relatives
Thus, the Blacks are related to the Max, Blishwick, Flint, Hitchens Gamp, Bulstrode, Burke, Yaxley, Macmillan, Crabbe, Potter, Peverell, Gaunt, Longbottom, Fortescue, Weasley, Delacour, Johnson, Granger, Crouch, Prewett, Rosier, Lestrange, Meliflua, Tonks, Malfoy, and Lupin families (albeit most of them distantly) but are related to all wizarding families as all families were once pure-blood and all pure-blood families are related. Also, muggle-born people are descendants of Squibs who are born into either a pure-blood family or a half-blood family (which is part pure-blood). Therefore, all wizarding families (and some Muggle ones) are related to the House of Black.
Etymology
Black can be considered a colour, though it is more accurately the absence of colour. In Western culture, the colour black has typically been associated with evil, darkness, and witchcraft, but also with prestige and sophistication — appropriate for the House of Black. Black has also been associated with life and prosperity by other cultures. In ancient China, black was the symbol of the element of water, which also corresponds to Slytherin, the Hogwarts house of almost all members of the Black family. In English heraldry, black represents darkness and ignorance; a possible allusion to the prejudice common to members of the House of Black.
However, the English word black is derived from either the Old English blœc, meaning "black", or blac, meaning "pale".[7] Pallor is associated with sickness and the colour white, which is usually held to symbolize purity in Western and Indian culture, and death in East Asian cultures. This mirrors the typical colouring of members of the House of Black — dark hair and pale skin[8].
Behind the scenes
- A hand drawn copy of the most recent section of the family tree was donated to a charity auction for Book Aid by J. K. Rowling, in February 2006. The drawing was purchased on behalf of Daniel Radcliffe for £30,000.
- According to Sirius Black, if all of the pure-blood families stick with the pure-blood marriages, almost all of them will be relatives because there are only a few pure-blood families. Therefore Sirius relates to the Crabbe family, the Tonks family, the Potter family, the Weasley family, the Malfoy family, the Crouch family, the Longbottom family, the Lestrange family, the Lupin family, the Gaunt family, the Riddle family, the Peverell family, and the Slytherin family.
- Walburga and Orion Black were second cousins though they married.
- Another version of the family tree tapestry appeared in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film). When film makers told Rowling that they needed to "visualise Sirius Black's family tree," she faxed them the complete Black family tree, going back eight generations. On that tree the name Phineas is misspelt Phineus.[9]
- Many members of the House of Black have died at considerably younger ages than is the norm for wizards and witches. Of those whose dates of birth and death are shown on the family tree, none lived to be older than one hundred, and most died between the ages of fifty and eighty, though this is possibly the result of major inbreeding (see above) as well as mental instability (As seen [2].
- Many members of the family are said to have great good looks, with a touch of aristocratic arrogance to it.
- After Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the only pure-blood members who weren't dead or imprisoned are: Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Scorpius Malfoy, Andromeda Tonks, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Ron, and Ginny.
- The female lines continue through Narcissa (through her descendants with Lucius Malfoy), Andromeda (with Ted Tonks), Callidora (with Harfang Longbottom), Cedrella (with Septimus Weasley) and possibly Isla (with Bob Hitchens).
- It is also possible that the female Black line continues in Harry Potter, as he is possibly related to Charlus Potter and Dorea Black.
- Out of 36 members, most are descendants of Phineas Nigellus and Ursula Flint (25), 7 were of known generations preceding him and 3 were his siblings. The remaining 1 was Phineas himself.
- There is at least one disowned Black in each generation (except the generation consisting of Cygnus Black I, Arcturus Black I and Misapinoa Black.
- All of the males that have been blasted off the family tree were not disowned due to marriage (except for possibly Eduardus Limette Black, who was blasted off for an unknown reason). Phineas was disowned for supporting Muggle rights, Marius was disowned for being a Squib, Alphard for leaving gold to his disowned nephew, and Sirius for running away from his home and not believing in the importance of blood-purity. The three females to have been disowned after marriage are Andromeda, Cedrella and Isla Black (all for marriage to a Muggle/Muggle-born, a disrespected family, and a Muggle, respectively) .
- It is possible James Potter was not the son of Dorea Black, as he married Muggle-born Lily Evans and would possibly have been disowned for that.
Notes and references
- ↑ Squibs and members who married non-purebloods were disowned, and they and their descendents were not considered part of the family
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Black Family Tree
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ Although it has never been confirmed that Septimus and Cedrella are Arthur's parents, this can be inferred based on Sirius Black's statement in Ch. 6 of Order of the Phoenix that Arthur was "something like [his] second cousin once removed." The Black family tree establishes Cedrella as a first cousin once removed of both Orion and Walburga Black, Sirius's parents. Thus, any children she had would be their second cousins, and second cousins once removed of their sons Sirius and Regulus. Also, almost all of Sirius's relatives can be seen on the Black family tree because both his parents were born into the House of Black, making it unlikely that he could be related to Arthur in a way not shown. See also this talk page and an HPL essay for more information.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Sirius Black stated in Ch. 6 of Order of the Phoenix that Molly Weasley was his "cousin by marriage". This means that Ignatius Prewett, Lucretia's husband, could not have been Molly, Fabian, and Gideon's father, as this would have made them first cousins by blood of Sirius. Ignatius was Sirius's uncle by marriage, and if Molly was his niece, this could explain Sirius's comment. See this talk page for more information.
- ↑ Behind the Name: Black
- ↑ Sirius Black, Regulus Black, and Bellatrix Lestrange née Black are all noted to have black hair and pale skin, while Andromeda Tonks née Black has brown hair and pale skin.
- ↑ "'Empire' Magazine Feature on OotP" from The Leaky Cauldron