Wand wood
From Harry Potter Wiki
Various different types of wood are used in the construction of wands. They are also embedded with a core of a magical substance. Wands vary according to length, from at least 7" to 16", as well as rigidity, ranging from "springy"[1] to "unyielding"[2].
Contents |
[edit] Known Wand Woods
| Wand Wood | Known Wands Constructed of this Wood | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ash | Cedric Diggory's wand, Ron Weasley's first wand (originally Charlie Weasley's). | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from February 18 to March 17[3]. |
| Blackthorn | The wand of a Snatcher that was later used by Harry Potter. | |
| Cherry | Mary Cattermole's wand, Neville Longbottom's second wand. | |
| Chestnut | Peter Pettigrew's wand | |
| Elder | The Elder Wand | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from November 25 to December 23[3]. |
| Elm | Lucius Malfoy's wand | |
| Hawthorn | Draco Malfoy's wand | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from May 13 to June 9. There is also an old popular superstition in Great Britain and Ireland that ill-luck attended the uprooting of hawthorns.[4][3]. |
| Holly | Harry Potter's wand | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from July 8 to August 4[3]. |
| Hornbeam | Viktor Krum's wand | |
| Mahogany | James Potter's wand | |
| Oak | Rubeus Hagrid's wand | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from June 10 to July 7[3]. |
| Rosewood | Fleur Delacour's wand | |
| Vine | Hermione Granger's wand | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from September 2 to September 29[3]. |
| Walnut | Bellatrix Lestrange's wand | |
| Willow | Lily Evans's wand, Ron Weasley's second wand | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from April 15 to May 12[3]. |
| Yew | Lord Voldemort's wand |
[edit] Author's Comments
J. K. Rowling has explained her choice of wand woods for Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort:
- "It was not an arbitrary decision: holly has certain connotations that were perfect for Harry, particularly when contrasted with the traditional associations of yew, from which Voldemort’s wand is made. European tradition has it that the holly tree (the name comes from ‘holy’) repels evil, while yew, which can achieve astonishing longevity (there are British yew trees over two thousand years old), can symbolise both death and resurrection; the sap is also poisonous."[5]
Rowling has also revealed that she discovered that Harry's wand wood corresponded to his date of birth in the Celtic tree calendar afterwards, and decided to use the calendar to assign the wand woods of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as a "hidden connection" between the three[5].
[edit] Behind the scenes
- Other woods in the Celtic tree calender include birch, rowan, alder, hazel, ivy, and reed[3], thus these may be other wand woods.
- Although J. K. Rowling has said that she "only used the Celtic assignations for Ron and Hermione"[5], Draco Malfoy's wand wood of hawthorn matches his date of birth in the Celtic tree calendar as well.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ The wand of Cedric Diggory was described as "pleasantly springy" by Ollivander in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
- ↑ Ollivander described Bellatrix Lestrange's wand as "unyielding" in Chapter 24 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 About.com: Celtic Tree Months
- ↑ wikipedi's article on Hawthorn
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Extra Stuff: Wands at J.K. Rowling's Official Site
