The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

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The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Book information
Author	Beedle the Bard
Released	Timeless
Subject	Fairy Tales
Copies	Hermione Granger

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of wizarding fairy tales. It was written in around the 15th century by Beedle the Bard.

Albus Dumbledore acquired the original copy of the book, written in runes, at some unknown time. He bequeathed it to Hermione Granger in his will. It was given to her in person by Rufus Scrimgeour, who interrogated her as to why this particular book should be left to her, and what might be the significance of it. Hermione, having been raised on Muggle fairytales, had no idea, and simply answered that maybe Dumbledore thought she would like it since he knew she appreciated books.

At some later date, Hermione translated the book into modern English and published a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The edition, which was published to raise money for a children's charity, incorporated original notes about the stories written by Dumbledore some months before his death. Noted squib author J.K. Rowling provided the introduction.

The Tale of the Three Brothers

"That is a children's tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct. Those of us who understand these matters, however, recognize that the ancient story refers to three objects, or Hallows, which, if united, will make the possessor master of Death."

— Xenophilius Lovegood

The symbol of the Deathly Hallows. The vertical line represents the Elder Wand; the circle, the Resurrection Stone; the triangle, the Cloak of Invisibility

One story by Beedle is "The Tale of the Three Brothers". This story was about brothers who meet Death on the road; each in turn tries to outwit him.

In 1998, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley came to hear the legend. The three brothers were Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell. They came to a river which was too deep to wade across, and built a bridge using magic. Death appeared to congratulate them for their ingenuity, and offered them rewards (or so he said; his real intent was to give them traps which would be their undoing, because he felt cheated by their survival.) Antioch asked for a weapon that would always win any battle, a weapon worthy of one who had cheated Death. Death snapped a twig off an elder tree and gave it to him — the Elder Wand. Cadmus asked for something to give him power over Death, for he had lost his loved one before this encounter. It was also an attempt to humiliate Death. Death gave him a river stone, which, by the terms of the deal, became the Resurrection Stone. Ignotus, however, did not trust Death, and asked for something that would allow him to avoid Death. Death was trapped by his words, and handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility. The brothers continued on and went their separate ways.

Time passed. Antioch provoked a duel with a wizard he disliked, left him for dead, and afterwards boasted of his unbeatable wand. He was killed that very night by someone who had heard his boasting, and wanted the wand. Cadmus found misery when he brought his former lover back to life with the Resurrection Stone and learned she had been happier dead, ultimately committing suicide in order to truly join her. Ignotus hid from Death his entire life using the cloak until he finally reached a ripe old age, and he gave the cloak to his son. He and Death finally "met as old friends," and departed as equals.

The items mentioned in the "tale" became legendary artifacts known together as the Deathly Hallows. If joined together, they would make the wielder extremely powerful, the "Master of Death." (Dumbledore later states that the true Master of Death is one who accepts that it is inevitable, in much the same way Ignotus did. Dumbledore is also the one to reveal finally that the three brothers were the Peverells, though he believes that the tale of how they received the items is a fabrication which would naturally appear around such powerful items, whereas the Peverells simply created the items.)

Lord Voldemort sought the Elder Wand because he believed it would allow him to defeat Harry Potter.

However, it was Harry himself who temporarily became the Master of Death, when he ultimately united all three artifacts.

Other stories

Other tales include:

• "The Fountain of Fair Fortune"
• "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"
• "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump"
• "The Warlock's Hairy Heart"
• "Grumble the Grubby Goat"

Behind the scenes

• Antioch is also the name of the ancient town (in Phrygia, now southern Turkey) where the disciples of Jesus Christ were first dubbed "Christians".
• Cadmus was also the name of the legendary Greek founder of Thebes. He introduced the alphabet to the Greeks.
• Harry is surprised that Ron has heard of the book while Hermione has not; Hermione has to remind Ron that she and Harry were both raised by Muggles.
• A real version was written by J. K. Rowling and seven copies were produced on the 1st of November 2007 a copy for herself, five for her close friends and one copy being auctioned for charity. A mainstream edition was published for the general public in 4th December 2008, with all proceeds going to charity.
• Unlike her other spin-off works which were written under the name of one of the characters in the book, Rowling writes an in-universe introduction to the book (which ostensibly has been edited and translated by Hermione Granger). As such she establishes that J. K. Rowling also exists in the Potter universe.

See also

• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)