Wandlore
From Harry Potter Wiki
- "You talk about wands like they’ve got feelings...like they can think for themselves."
- —Harry Potter to Mr. Ollivander[src]
Wandlore is an ancient, complex, and mysterious branch of magic in the fictional world of Harry Potter. This particular branch of magic is carefully studied by Wandmakers. It is also one of the central notions in the last book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and must be understood in order to comprehend the ability, powers and actions of wands.
Much of wandlore was unknown until J.K. Rowling explained it more fully in her last installment of her Harry Potter series.
Contents |
[edit] The Study of Wandlore
[edit] Its Beginnings
Wandlore may have been explored first by ancient wizards more than two-thousand years ago. This can be deduced from the peeling sign of Mr. Ollivander's Wand Shop which reads, "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C." In the beginning of Wizard history, the magical forces of the wand may have been experimented upon and explored through the ages, with all its findings written down like many other mysteries of the world (e.g. atoms, planets, gravity...), each with its dedicated and brilliant explorers (e.g. Newton, Galileo...). And like those fields, it is further comprehended as time goes on.
[edit] Study of the Lore
After Magical Education, a person seeking to become a wandmaker must become the apprentice of a skilled wandmaker. From there, they may undergo the study of Wandlore. There is also a possibility that there are gatherings where Wandlore lessons are taught. Even so, it is clear that Wandlore must be understood clearly in order to become a skilled wandmaker.
[edit] Complexity
Mr. Ollivander reveals to Harry Potter that Wandlore is "complex and mysterious". This means that even the most skilled do not fully comprehend Wandlore. Mr. Ollivander himself confesses that he does not fully understand Priori Incantatem and also why Harry's wand destroys Lucius Malfoy's when Harry dueled Lord Voldemort.
J.K. Rowling's choice of wands assigned to the various wizards is neither random, nor serendipitous. There is much ancient mythology and botanical knowledge regarding the powers and natures of wood and other natural elements.
[edit] Harry Potter and Voldemort's Wands
Harry Potter's wand is made of Holly with a Phoenix feather core. In numerous ancient and modern historical references, the Holly tree, an evergreen, represents life and is deemed a guardian and protection against poison, lightning and witchcraft. The Phoenix feather represents renewal of life, which Harry Potter accomplishes on more than one occasion when others thought he should be dead. His wand wood is also the same as his birth month's wood in the Celtic calendar.
In contrast, Voldemort's wand is Yew and Phoenix feather. Yew is associated with some of the oldest legends of Great Britain, for it was revered by the Druids. It is poisonous and is known to kill cattle. The Phoenix feather may represent Voldemort's obsession with preserving his own life. He created Horcruxes so that he may be reborn each time he is killed.
[edit] Other Examples
- Draco Malfoy's wand is made of Hawthorn. According to botanical and historical references, Hawthorn flowers have the smell of death or decomposing meat, and are fertilized by carrion insects. Hawthorn is also Draco's Celtic birth month wood.
- Hermione Granger's wand is made from vine wood, which is the wood attributed to her birth month on the Celtic calendar.
- The Deathstick is made of Elder. From ancient tradition, Elder is the emblem of sorrow and death. Some of the mythology surrounding Elder assigns it the power to drive away evil spirits and protect against witches.
Examination of Ollivander's description of other wands reveals the nature of the wizards. For example, he described Bellatrix Lestrange's wand as "unyielding" and Peter Pettigrew's as "brittle".
[edit] Creation and Components of a Magic Wand
Through Wandlore, a future wandmaker learns the ancient secrets of creating a wand, each having three components:
[edit] Wand-Wood
Bowtruckles, tree-guardians, opt to live in wand-trees whose wood is of wand quality - Wand-wood. Therefore, it can be assumed that one can not simply walk into a forest, retrieve a twig, and create a wand. Wand-wood may already be magical or merely be the only type of wood strong enough to sustain the power of magic within.
[edit] Magical Cores
Wands contain Magical Cores, possibly magically inserted once the wand has been carved. These magical cores enhance the wand magic or give the wand-wood magical abilities. The only cores able to produce magic are from magical species. Mr. Ollivander opts to only use Phoenix Feathers, Unicorn Tail Hairs, and Dragon Heartstrings, which may be the most powerful and best of magical cores (although other materials, such as Veela hair, or even Thestral hair, have been mentioned) - Ollivander wands have been praised for being the best.
[edit] Wand-Length
All wands have their individual Wand-Lengths. The longest wand known in the Harry Potter series once belonged to Rubeus Hagrid of Oak with a length of sixteen inches. It was snapped in half after being blamed for the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. The shortest wand once belonged to Dolores Umbridge, who dropped it in the Forbidden Forest before it was snapped in half by a centaur's hoof. Her wand is described as being "unusually short". Incidentally, both the shortest and the longest wands known in the series were snapped in half.
There is also some correlation between character's height and the lengths of their wands. Hagrid, who is a half-giant, has a very long wand, and Dolores Umbridge, who is described as being squat and toad-like, has a very short, stubby wand.
[edit] The Creation of the Elder Wand
The creation of the Deathly Hallow Elder Wand is odd. In the book The Tales of Beedle the Bard, there is the legend of the Deathly Hallows called, The Tale of the Three Brothers. In the story, Death is asked by the oldest of the Perevell brothers to be given a wand that would win duels. Death approaches an Elder tree, retrieves a branch, and creates the Elder Wand.
It is not said if this tree bore wand-wood. Death did not even give the wand a magical core. This is possibly what also makes it unique. However, Dumbledore and many others who chased after the Deathly Hallows believe that it was actually created by Antioch himself, instead of by Death. If this is the case, then it can be assumed that the wand indeed was made from a worthy Elder and has magical core of creatures who are involved with death, such as a Thestral hair.
[edit] The Subtle Laws of Wands
- "The wand chooses the wizard. That much has always been clear to those of us who have studied wandlore...if you are any wizard at all you will be able to channel your magic through almost any instrument. The best results, however, must always come where there is the strongest affinity between wizard and wand. These connections are complex. An initial attraction, and then a mutual quest for experience, the wand learning from the wizard, the wizard from the wand."
- —Mr. Ollivander[src]
Wands possess a force of magic that itself has its own boundaries where none can go beyond. This is similar to Newton's Laws of Motion and other forces, and are known as The Subtle Laws of Wands (Mr. Ollivander also refers to them this way[1]).
[edit] The Fundamental Laws
Mr. Ollivander states that a wand chooses a wizard. It is not clear why but wands do, and wizards must clearly accept this fact - this is the most fundamental law. The connections made between both wizard and wand are most complex. Secondly, a wizard and his wand must make a mutual quest for experience, the wand learning from the wizard, the wizard from the wand. Thirdly, a wizard may channel his energy with any wand whether his or not. However, the best results come where there is a great likeness between a wizard and a wand. Lastly, a wand may be won from its master and only then will its allegiance bend towards the new master. When a wand has not been won, it will not work as well for its new owner, as when Harry was forced to use a blackthorn wand and when Hermione used Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, neither of which they had won.
- Hermione: "I hate that thing. I really hate it. It feels all wrong, it doesn’t work properly for me… It’s like a bit of her."
- Ron: "It’ll probably help you get in character, though. Think what that wand’s done!"
- Hermione: "But that’s my point! This is the wand that tortured Neville’s mum and dad, and who knows how many other people? This is the wand that killed Sirius! I miss my wand."
- — Hermione on using Bellatrix Lestrange’s wand[src]
[edit] Priori Incantatem
Two wands with the same magical cores coming from the same magical creature cannot be forced to duel against one another. Should two such wands ever come in the way of one another, a rare connection is formed called, Priori Incantatem. When the connection is formed, the wands battle to merge a golden orb into the other's shaft; the one that succeeds to force the orb in the other is the winning wand. Because of its rarity, most wizards never learn that such a connection is possible - this is the first law of Priori Incantatem.
After two brother wands connect through means of Priori Incantatem, both wands come to know one another and may react towards each other without the consent of their owners or the winning wand only reacts towards the losing wand - this is the second law of Priori Incantatem.
[edit] Damaged Wands
Wands that have suffered an immense degree of damage can not be fixed by any means most wandmakers know, except with help from the Elder Wand, as seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
[edit] Accomplished Wandmakers
- Further information: Mr. Ollivander
The only known major wandmakers are Mr. Ollivander and Gregorovitch. Ollivander is widely considered the best in Britain while Gregorovitch was the best in his land which has remained unknown. After the end of the series, it is known that Ollivander was tortured for Wandlore information by Lord Voldemort while Gregorovitch was killed for not telling who the Elder wand thief was, by Voldemort.
Even though Ollivander is known to produce the best wands, he himself does not fully understand wandlore. After the series, he remains the only known wandmaker by name. Remus Lupin mentions in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that "...people will have to do with other wandmakers" after Ollivander was kidnapped by Death Eaters under Voldemort's orders. This suggest other lesser known wandmakers exist, though not in the same vein as Ollivander.
