Ignotus Peverell

Ignotus Peverell
Biographical information
Born	12 July, 1214 Godric's Hollow, West Country
Died	18 May, 1291 (aged 76) Godric's Hollow, West Country
Blood status	Pure-blood
Marital status	Married
Also known as	Third Brother
Title(s)	Owner of the Cloak of Invisibility
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Hair colour	Brown
Skin colour	White
Family information
Family members	Cadmus Peverell (brother) † Antioch Peverell (brother) † Son † At least one female descendant † Mr. Potter (descendant) † James Potter (descendant) † Harry Potter (descendant) James Sirius Potter (descendant) Albus Severus Potter (descendant) Lily Luna Potter (descendant)
Affiliation
Loyalty	Peverell family The Deathly Hallows

"It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life."

— The Tale of the Three Brothers by Beedle the Bard

Ignotus Peverell (12 July, 1214—18 May, 1291) was one of the three brothers mentioned in The Tale of the Three Brothers in The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The youngest of the three brothers, Ignotus was also described as the humblest and wisest of them, and had survived Death's cunning schemes due to these traits. He received the last of the Deathly Hallows, the Cloak of Invisibility, which was passed down through his family to the Potter family, and eventually to Harry Potter.

Biography

Early life

Little is known about Ignotus Peverell's childhood. He was born into the Peverell family on 12 July, 1214 in the village of Godric's Hollow in the English West Country, a younger brother to Antioch and Cadmus.

Being knowledgeable in the magical arts, it is unknown whether the Peverell brothers attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, were home-schooled or learned about the magical arts on their own, autodidactically.

The Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter: "So it's true? All of it? The Peverell brothers —"

Albus Dumbledore: "— were the three brothers of the tale. Oh yes, I think so. Whether they met Death on a lonely road… I think it more likely that the Peverell brothers were simply gifted, dangerous wizards who succeeded in creating those powerful objects. The story of them being Death's own Hallows seems to me the sort of legend that might have sprung up around such creations."

— Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore during the former's visit to Limbo

Death reluctantly handing over a piece of his own cloak

According to Beedle the Bard in his work The Tale of the Three Brothers, Ignotus was the humblest and wisest of the three Peverell brothers. When the three brothers managed to cheat Death while travelling along a "lonely, winding road at twilight", Death pretended to congratulate them on their magic and presented them with a gift of their choice. Ignotus did not trust Death by any means. So, rather than ask for something to further his own desires, he requested the power to leave that meeting without being followed by Death. Death, not wishing to betray any hint of his true intentions, most begrudgingly took his Invisibility Cloak and gave it to Ignotus. Ignotus's two older brothers met terrible fates due to the murderous lust the Elder Wand created in wizards, and the limitations of the Resurrection Stone.

It should be noted, however, that Beedle the Bard most likely employed artistic license as some aspects of his story seem not to match actual aspects of the Peverell's life (i.e. the story heavily implies that Cadmus Peverell killed himself before having descendents, when in actuality he was a direct ancestor to the House of Gaunt) and, as such, it should not be taken as an accurate account of the historical facts. As Albus Dumbledore himself theorised, it is much more likely that the Peverell brothers, as gifted wizards, managed to create the Deathly Hallows by themselves.

Later life and death

Death takes Ignotus Peverell from this life, as his son is left with the Cloak of Invisibility

Ignotus most likely married at some point, having had a son.

Ignotus went on to live into his seventy-six years, dying on 18 May, 1291 in his birthplace of Godric's Hollow. He left his son his Cloak of Invisibility, one of the Deathly Hallows, and was buried in the churchyard by the Parish Church of St. Clementine.

Post-mortem

Hermione Granger: "Look at this! Harry, that's the mark in the book!"

Harry Potter: "Yeah… it could be…"

Hermione Granger: "It says Ig — Ignotus, I think…"

— Hermione Granger and Harry Potter come across Ignotus's weathered grave in 1997

In 1899, Gellert Grindelwald stayed with his great-aunt Bathilda Bagshot in Godric's Hollow in an attempt to "explore the place the third brother had died" as he sought the Deathly Hallows.

In late December, 1997, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger came across Ignotus Peverell's much eroded grave, where they noted the sign of the Deathly Hallows was engraved beneath the barely legible name.

Ignotus's gravestone by the late 1990s.

Personality and traits

According to legend, Ignotus was a very wise, modest, and humble young man, far more so than his two self-centred, arrogant older brothers. He was therefore far more shrewd and was the only one of the three to see through Death's deception. His request for something to hide him from Death, rather than something to enhance his own very personal glory, kept him alive for many happy decades.

Ignotus preferred a rather joyful, peaceful life, unlike his brothers. As such, he lived for several years with no quarrels or worries and raised a family. Ignotus saw to it that the very last thing he did in his life was pass the cloak on to his son, guaranteeing that his future descendants could live long happy lives as he had, and when he finally left the mortal world with Death, Ignotus had no regrets.

Magical abilities and skills

• Transfiguration: Ignotus could create a perfect bridge without fail alongside his two brothers via Conjuration, a complex form of magic.
• Magical manufacturer (possibly): Legend has it that Death was the original owner of the Cloak of Invisibility and handed it to Ignotus when he asked it. However some people, like Albus Dumbledore have speculated that Ignotus created the cloak himself. To this day the Cloak remains the only Deathly Hallow still owned and used, moreover by Ignotus's direct descendants. The Elder Wand and Resurrection Stone were never used again after 1998 further contributing to how Ignotus' humble nature ultimately proved vastly more successful than that of his brothers.

Ignotus' Cloak of invisibility

Etymology

Interestingly enough, though not surprisingly, the word "Ignotus" is yet another of Rowling's uses of the Latin language. One meaning of the word is Unknown, which would make the name appropriate due to Ignotus' mastery of invisibility and successful concealment from even Death. It is also another form of the name Ignatius, which shows up throughout history, such as Ignatius of Loyola or Ignatius of Antioch.

Ignatius of Antioch's musings on death could link him to Ignotus's etymological origins. Theologically, Ignatius of Antioch considered salvation as one being free from the powerful fear of death. Furthermore he regarded the Christian Eucharist as a medicine for immortality and a remedy to escape death.

"Ignotus" (Latin word "īgnōtus") in addition to "unknown," may mean "forgiven," "strange," "unacquainted with," or "ignorant."

Some Christians have theorized that, if accepting "forgiven" as the meaning of the name, Ignotus' Invisibility Cloak may have some similarity to the concept of a "robe of [God's] righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10). In Christianity, it is suggested that becoming a slave of righteousness leads to holiness and thus eternal life (Romans 6) - as opposed to becoming a slave of sin, which leads to death. The concept of Jesus' death and resurrection granting forgiveness of sin (also Romans 6) might be interpreted as the "forgiven" being granted a "robe of righteousness" and thus, defeating death. 

If translating Ignotus as "strange," we might simply be seeing a bit of J.K. Rowling's quirky humor.

If translating Ignotus as "unacquainted with," we might consider Ignotus as unacquainted with Death for a lot longer than he perhaps should have been. However, as the story mentions that he met Death, then at the end of his life greeted Death as an "old friend" he appears to have been acquainted with Death for much of his life.

As Ignotus was considered to be the wisest of the three brothers, the translation of Ignotus as "ignorant" seems unlikely. 

It is interesting, however, that the name "Ignotus" sounds similar to the Barvarian name "Ignatius", which, when shortened, is colloquially known as "Nazi". This is unlikely to be connected to the name "Ignotus".

Behind the scenes

• According to the book Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy, the surname of Peverell disappeared fairly early in wizarding history. It is said that James Potter inherited the Cloak, and it is also said that Ignotus had a son. However, somewhere not far down the line one of his descendants probably gave birth to a baby girl, which could explain why their family's surname disappeared so quickly. This would mean the Cloak was passed down from mother to daughter, until one of them had a son, continuing the father to son tradition. But it is known, according to J.K. Rowling, that James Potter got the Invisibility Cloak from his father.
• The Tale of the Three Brothers states that Ignotus died when he "attained a great age". However, Harry Potter Film Wizardry puts his age at the time of his death as 76, which is not considered old in wizarding terms. However, The Tales of Beedle the Bard are fairytales and don´t portray everything like it was in reality. Another possibility is that the average lifespan of wizards was shorter during the Peverell brothers' time, just like in the real world's past. It is also likely that 76 was considered a great age for wizards in the 1200s, not least of all because of the level of bloodshed duelling involved in those days.
• Both Ignotus and his descendant Harry Potter, were both Masters of Death and both are born in July and also seem to share similar traits.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Appears in flashback(s))
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Appears in flashback(s))
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard