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 5" to 16", as well as rigidity, ranging from "springy"[1] to "unyielding"[2].
Known wand woods
Wand wood | Known wands constructed of this wood | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Acacia |
|
||
Alder | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 18 March to 14 April | ||
Apple | |||
Ash |
|
Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 18 February to 17 March[3]. | |
Aspen |
|
||
Beech |
|
||
Birch |
|
|
|
Blackthorn |
|
||
Black Walnut |
|
||
Cedar |
|
||
Cherry (tree) |
|
Both Mary's and Neville's wand has the same wand wood and core. | |
Chestnut (tree) |
|
||
Cypress | |||
Dogwood |
|
||
Ebony |
|
||
Elder |
|
Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 25 November to 23 December[3]. | |
Elm | The wand is also part of his walking stick, in 1993 while leaving his meeting with Dumbledore he pulls it out of his stick. | ||
Fir | |||
Hawthorn | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 13 May to 9 June. There is also an old popular superstition in Great Britain and Ireland that ill-luck attended the uprooting of hawthorns.[5][3]. | ||
Hazel |
|
Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 5 August to 1 September | |
Holly | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 8 July to 4 August[3]. | ||
Hornbeam | |||
Ivy |
|
|
|
Larch |
|
||
Laurel |
|
||
Mahogany | |||
Maple |
|
||
Oak | |||
Pear |
|
||
Pine |
|
||
Poplar | |||
Redwood |
|
||
Reed |
|
|
|
Rosewood | |||
Rowan |
|
Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 21 January to 17 February | |
Silver lime |
|
According to Pottermore silver lime is an incredibly unusual and attractive wood that works best for Seers and those skilled at Legilimency. It was greatly in vogue in the nineteenth century when the demand outstripped supply, causing some wandmakers to dye other wood in effort to fool purchasers into believing they had purchased a silver lime wand. | |
Spruce |
|
||
Sycamore |
|
||
Vine | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 2 September to 29 September[3]. | ||
Walnut |
| ||
Willow | Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 15 April to 12 May[3]. | ||
Yew | Further information: Yew |
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."[7]
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[7].
Behind the scenes
- Although J. K. Rowling has said that she only used the Celtic assignations for Harry, Ron and Hermione,[7] Draco Malfoy's wand wood of hawthorn matches his date of birth in the Celtic tree calendar as well.
- Wand wood bearing trees are often protected by bowtruckles and protective curses cast by their owners.[8]
- Many superstitions have arisen around wands, based on the woods used. Certain wands are supposedly incompatible "When his wand's oak and hers is holly, then to marry would be folly." It also can denote flaws in the owner's character "Rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans". Among these sayings is also "wand of elder, never prosper".[9]
- It is unclear if magical variants of trees used as wand woods, such as the Wiggentree and the Whomping Willow, can be used as wand wood, or if such wands would have additional properties.
See also
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- The Making of Harry Potter
Notes and references
- ↑ The wand of Cedric Diggory was described as "pleasantly springy" by Garrick 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 3.8 3.9 About.com: Celtic Tree Months
- ↑ Wand wood information from Pottermore
- ↑ wikipedi's article on Hawthorn
- ↑ Pottermore reveals Harry Potter characters' wand wood, cores significance
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Extra Stuff: Wands at J.K. Rowling's Official Site
- ↑ The Tales of Beedle the Bard, pg 85
- ↑ The Tales of Beedle the Bard, pg 100-01