Harry Potter and Narratives of Destiny - Critical Essays

Aug 26, 2026

Critical essays examine how Arthurian motifs, legends, and character name echoes structure key narrative moments in the Harry Potter series. The discussion traces parallels between figures such as Merlin and Dumbledore, including guidance of youth, magical authority, and death imagery linked to Avalon. It further explores how sanctity, quest patterns, destiny versus choice, and astronomy-related fate concepts complicate or destabilize Arthurian models within Rowling’s storytelling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time20 min

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Harry Potter and Narratives of Destiny

Arthurian motifs and sacred quests

Parallels between Merlin and Dumbledore

Naming echoes and Avalon associations

Destabilizing the Arthurian paradigm

Astronomy, fate, and destiny

ReingHawry t e Again人New Crihcal EssaysEd.GiselleLizaAnatolBbaP1aee,2009 5 # Harry Potter and Narratives of Destiny Lisa Hopkins ”部7** When the sword emerges from the water in Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows,it offers clear confirmation of the importance of Arthurian motifs inthe sequence.The silver doe that leads Ron and Harry to the sword¹recallsthe mystic white hart that in Arthurian legend appears to herald the start ofa quest:?at first the sword in the pool looks to Harry like a cross³this rareglance at Christian iconography reinforcing the sense of sanctity associatedwith the grail and with other Arthurian quests.In this chapter,I argue thatthe Arthur narrative is an important paradigm for the Harry Potter books,butalso,like other narratives that are evoked during the series,a paradigm thatis there ultimately to be deviated from since the story of Arthur is one of anappointment with destiny,whereas the story of Harry is one of choices anddecisions—the very distinction that Dumbledore tries so hard to explain toHary,and that ultimately makes Harry's own position not only tolerable butsurvivable. OiA.5705 … The connection between the Harry Potter books and the Arthurian legend hasalready been hinted at in previous books.First,there are the obvious similaritiesbetween Merlin and Dumbledore (who is indeed a member of the Order ofMerlin).Both are much older and wiser mentor figures who guide the younghero toward fulfilling his potential;both can perform formidable magic;andDumbledore,like Merlin,is involved in arranging the young hero's fosterage.Moreover,like King Arthur,who when mortally wounded was taken away ina boat by the Lady of the Lake,Dumbledore too is borne toward death in aboat,across a lake in which a human hand eerily appears,and is buried by alake,as Arthur is said to sleep in the island of Avalon until the time comes forhim to return.The sense of a parallel is further underlined by Ron's convictionthat,despite all the evidence to the contrary,Dumbledore might somehow 心 have returned,as Arthur,the“once and future king,”was prophesied to do.Dumbledore also echoes the structural role of King Arthur himself in theArthurian narratives because both stand back from the action and allow theheroic deeds to be done by others,whether Harry or the Knights of the RoundTable. There are also other echoes of the Arthur story in Dumbledore's given names.Albus recalls Albion,an early name for England,and one explicitly linked withthe Arthur story in Shakespeare’s King Lear,where the Fool couples"therealm of Albion"with the prophecies of Merlin.Percival was the name ofone of Arthur's knights,who failed in his quest to find the Holy Grail,just asDumbledore thinks that he himself failed in his quest to reunite the Hallowsbecause he was unworthy.⁵ABrian ofthe Isles is mentionedin the first part of LeMorte d'Artlur,and Wulfric evokes two separate figures,both with pertinentassociations.First,there is Wulfricof Haselbury(known as St.Wulfric althoughhe was never in fact canonized),and that Rowling may have had this Wulfricinmind is suggested by the fact that he spent part of his early life at Deverill,andRowling gives the name Barnabas Deverill to a former possessor of the ElderWand.Second,Wulfric was the name of the brother to whom St.Dunstan,Abbot of Glastonbury,entrusted the worldly affairs of the monastery while hehimself concentrated on spiritual matters.7 Glastonbury is,according to legend,a prime candidate for King Arthur's Avalon,not least after a cross was allegedlydisinterred there in the twelfth century bearing the words"Hic jacet sepultusinclitus rex Arturius in insula Avalonia”("here lies buried the famous kingArthur in the isle of Avalon"). It is suggestive,however,that not only the names of good characters recallnames from the Arthurian legendarium.For example,Slytherin student BlaiseZabini invokes Blaise,the legendary teacher of Merlin,and some Harry Potterfans have linked the name of Vold

FAQs

How does the text connect Harry Potter to Arthurian legend?

It argues that Arthurian motifs and structural patterns appear across the series, including parallels between Arthurian figures and characters such as Dumbledore.

What role does the Arthurian narrative play in relation to Harry’s story?

The text contrasts Arthur’s appointment with destiny against Harry’s choices and decisions, emphasizing how the Arthur model is ultimately deviated from.

Which recurring motifs are used to build parallels with Merlin and King Arthur?

Mentor guidance, formidable magic, arrangements around fosterage, and death imagery involving lakes and boats linked to Avalon are highlighted as key parallels.

Aug 26, 2026

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