Update: I just added another photo of the Godric’s Hollow Churchyard to this post. I was describing some of the details of the set design in the book Harry Potter Film Wizardry…
Then there’s the much-anticipated Christian Imagery in the Godric’s Hollow scenes. On page 154 there’s a photo of the tomb of James and Lily Potter with the quote from 1 Corinthians 15:26, “THE LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH.
Cross-shaped grave markers are visible both in a storyboard and in a new photo of a tearful Harry and Hermione at the tomb.
The nearby church’s visible stained-glass window is huge and depicts five human figures. The central figure is of a crowned, bearded man–Christ the King! He is flanked by two men on each side of him, one of whom is holding an object marked with a dove descending (a symbol of the Holy Spirit!). All four of these men have a winged angel hovering above their heads.
My assumption is that this is a depiction of the four Gospel authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I am so thrilled about this detail of the set design. Bravo, WB!
Then on page 155 there’s the first published photo of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore’s grave, which is inscribed with “WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO” from Matthew 6:21, a quotation from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Update: I also wanted to mention that the stained-glass window and the Dumbledore family tomb were designed in the shape of a Gothic arch.
The tomb’s arch had a small quatrefoil at the top containing the letters IHS. I have seen this design in Catholic Churches before, and knew that IHS was an abbreviation for Jesus. This webpage was very helpful to me in deciphering the meaning of the quatrefoil design containing the letters IHS: http://fisheaters.com/symbols.html Here are some quotes from that page:
Quatrefoil: ubiquitous in Gothic architecture, the quatrefoil symbolizes the four evangelists, as do the Winged Man (Matthew), Lion (Mark), Ox (Luke), and Eagle (John) — the four beasts of Ezeckiel and the Apocalypse. |
IHS: dating from the 8th c., this is an abbreviation for “IHESUS,” the way Christ’s Name was spelled in the Middle Ages (despite popular belief, the monogram stands neither for “Iesus Hominum Salvator” –”Jesus Saviour of Men” — nor for “In His Service.”) Popularized by St. Bernardine of Siena, the monogram was later used by St. Ignatius of Loyola as a symbol for the Jesuit Order.
“I’m not pushing any belief system here, although there is a lot of Christian imagery in the books.” –J. K. Rowling on Oprah, broadcast 10/01/10.
Jo went on to say that it was “undeniable” and “very clear” in Hallows. I think the film will portray this imagery with great clarity indeed. If you would like to read an in-depth analysis of the Christian imagery in the novels, please read my book, The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, which is available from www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows. And please tell other Harry Potter fans about this blog, which will be updated quite frequently in the upcoming weeks.
Well, what do you think of this update? I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. Comments are welcome!
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Thank you for this amazing post, most beloved! I loved reading about the stained glass window, and the design of Dumbledore’s tomb. Ah, goodness! Deathly Hallows will be amazing.
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[…] In an earlier blog post I explained the significance of the quatrefoil and the IHS which appear at the top of this grave marker. Here’s a quote from this earlier post: https://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/christian-imagery-in-deathly-hallows-film-photos-of-g… […]
I was wondering how much of the churchyard was a constructed set… it looked very like St Michael’s Church in Alnwick… even the position of the board with the name of the church which is covered in snow in the shot. Should have guessed it was 100% soundstage!
Do you know where I can find pictures of St. Michael’s in Alnwick, Bolo Fasi? Your remark piqued my curiosity.