Lycoris Black (1904 – 1965) was a pure-blood witch and a member of the noble House of Black. She was the middle child of Sirius Black II and Hesper Gamp and sister of Arcturus and Regulus Black. Lycoris never married and never had children.[1]
Etymology[]
Lycoris means "twilight" in Greek. This name loosely fits into the Black family tradition of naming people after stars, in the sense that twilight denotes the times of day when the stars first begin to appear, or to disappear. It is also a genus of flowering plants in the Amaryllis family that is associated with death and reincarnation in Chinese and Japanese folklore; another member of family with a name of flower is Narcissa Malfoy. Ovid and Virgil also mention a mistress of Mark Antony called Lycoris. It is also possible that this name was derived from the plant and sweet liquorice. The name is also similar to that of Lycorias, a Nereid (sea nymph) of Greek mythology.
Behind the scenes[]
- Lycoris Black's likeness on the Black Family Tapestry, as featured in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, seems to have been based on a depiction of a nobleman from the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries, currently in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London.
- Based on a statement by Horace Slughorn that all members of the Black family were in his house, Lycoris may have been a member of the Slytherin House. However, she attended Hogwarts c. 1915 - 1922, when Slughorn was not Potions Master.
- Lycoris, on the family tapestry in the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is depicted like a man rather than a woman.
- It can also be noted that Lycoris's name is similar to her distant relative Licorus Black who appears only on the version of the Black family tree tapestry shown in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Appears on Black family tapestry)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)