# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Campbell's idea of the monomyth brings a recognizable pattern to the heroic story. Campbell's theory is that there is one myth with "a hero with a thousand faces" (Indick, 2004). The story follows a three step pattern of separation, initiation, and return that can be further broken down into seventeen specific stages. Campbell gives a wonderful description of the heroic myth pattern that each hero follows "A hero ventures forth from the world of the common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man" (Indick, 2004, para. 21). The stages of the quest begin with the departure.

The first portion of each heroic journey begins with the departure. This departure is broken down into five parts. The first is the "call to adventure" followed by the "refusal of the call". This beginning is typical as the hero is called to duty and then seeing himself (or herself) as an ordinary person denies they could perform the task. The third part is supernatural aid. We see this in many heroic stories. The Greek myths would have the assistance of a god or goddess, a superhero of modern literature, such as Spiderman, might have a technological event, such as exposure to a new drug or in Spiderman's case a mutant spider bite. From there the next step is "crossing the first threshold" into the "belly of the whale" (Indick, 2004). Campbell recognizes in this step that the hero has undertaken the task and is now in the middle of the trouble. The next portion of steps are the "initiation".

The "initiation" much like the "departure" is broken into steps. The first is the "road of trials". This is a series of hoops the hero must jump through to achieve his goal. Aeneas had to survive the storm of the sea, travel with his men through strange lands, and perform battles in "The Aeneid" (Damrosch, Alliston, & Brown, et al, 2008). From there the hero "meets with the goddess". In the ancient myths like "The Aeneid" this was an actual goddess, in modern stories this could represent some other feminine character important to the hero, in Spiderman it was his grandmother with words of wisdom. The next steps are "woman as temptress", who may take the hero temporarily from his goal, atonement with the father" this common theme of problems with the father-son bond is a common theme in heroic stories, "the apotheosis" as the hero becomes "godlike" or ascends with the ranks of the gods (Merriam Webster, 2012). The final step of the second phase is "the ultimate boon". This is when the goal is met and the hero has completed what he intended to do. Often society benefits from this and the hero gains knowledge or such. The final phase in the story of a hero is the "return".

The "return" is when the hero has completed his journey and has to return to his life. There is the "refusal of return" followed by the "magic flight". Often the hero does not wish to return to his ordinary life. "The rescue from without" happens after the "magic flight" as someone assists the hero on his path to return to his old life. The final steps are "crossing the return threshold", "master of two worlds" and the "freedom to live". Harry Potter is a character that follows this pattern of the hero in his story.
Harry's Journey
Harry Potter has many of the characteristics of a hero as depicted in the ancient stories. Harry comes from a "god" and "goddess", his parents were magic people. His beginnings are very humble. He is an ordinary, small boy who does not seem exceptional at all as he enters his wizard schooling. When faced with his past and the adventure that is his fate Harry shows courage, bravery, strength, and ingenuity. He forms bonds with friends who assist him on his journey. Harry studies and begins to really exhibit magical aptitude as well linking him to his "god-like" parentage. Much like the ancient stories Harry also has a very human side and his emotions are evident. He mourns his lost parents, is angry at the man who took them away, he is fearful that he is not good enough to take on his opponent, he feels great affection for his friends and teachers, hatred to those who work for evil, pride in his athletic abilities, and even young love for a fellow classmate. Harry Potter is a modern day character that follows the ancient path of the hero as he fights evil to avenge his parent's death and save the world from the oppression of an evil wizard.

Harry Potter's story follows the pattern of the monomyth set forth by Joseph Campbell. Harry's story opens with his "departure". The "call to adventure" comes when Harry is invited to join Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was unaware of his magic nature until this point. His aunt and uncle try to stop him from going and "refuse the call" for young Harry. The "supernatural aid" comes when Hagrid, a man who is half giant comes to take Harry away to school through magical means. Harry is not sure that he could be the magical person that Hagrid believes him to be. He seems himself as ordinary "I couldn't be a wizard...I'm just Harry" he says (Rowling, 1998). Harry goes with Hagrid and begins his journey. The "crossing of the first threshold" happens as Hagrid takes Harry through a secret portal to the magical world that lives parallel to his own. Once he enters the magic world Harry meets with many people who know him. He is famous in this place, and Harry is very surprised by this. He learns of his parent's murder and how he miraculously lived when Voldemort tried to kill him, as well as the fact that many see him as a hero because Voldemort was stopped (temporarily) when he was hurt trying to kill Harry. This was the event that put Harry in "the belly of the whale" and immersed him in the problem.

Phase two of the monomyth play out the quest of Harry Potter. The "road of trials" are the battles with Voldemort and Harry's school issues that set him up as Voldemort's equal so that Harry may eventually win against him. The "meeting with the goddess" may be a bit different than the ancient idea of the goddess. Harry has assistance of a divine nature, but it is from Dumbledore his headmaster not a female deity. Although it could be argued that Hermione, Harry's good friend, could be the goddess since she is brilliant and assists Harry on his path. The "woman as temptress" may be Ginny who is the girl that Harry eventually falls in love with. He turns her away towards the end of the story so she is not a distraction, nor a way for Voldemort to work against him by hurting her. "Atonement with the father" happens as Harry settles his arguments with Dumbledore since Dumbledore has kept information and affection from him. The "apotheosis" comes when Harry learns from a prophesy that he will be the one to kill Voldemort, or be killed by him. Voldemort was recognized as a brilliant and powerful wizard, relating him to the status of god in myth. Harry is at this point seen as his equal therefore acquiring god status himself. The "ultimate boon" happens when Harry realizes he is not alone on his journey, and he has everything he needs to accomplish his task.

Phase three of the monomyth, the return, presents the end of Harry Potter's story. The refusal of the return is when Harry does not go back to Hogwarts, instead goes after Voldemort. The magic flight occurs is when Harry, with Hermione and Ron, travel to acquire the relics needed to defeat Voldemort. The rescue from without happens when Ron, unable to deal with the pressures of the journey, leaves for a time to go back to his family, he returns and finds an important relic needed to defeat Voldemort. Harry crosses the return threshold by returning to Hogwarts to face his past and Voldemort. Harry becomes "master of two worlds" when Voldemort is killed. Those who did not believe in Harry now do, he has become friends with his non-magic cousin and goes on with the "freedom to live" by staying in the wizarding world where he belongs and marries Ginny.
Purpose
The purpose of the mythical quest is one that has been written about for generations. The story of the hero gives the reader a sense of hope. The story of Harry Potter uses the popular theme of good versus evil. Harry at times sees evil in himself. Often people look at themselves and have doubts of their own self worth and potential. Harry had humble beginnings and performed amazing things. Despite many problems Harry prevailed. Readers benefit from reading stories of heroism and triumph over evil as a way to cope with their own inner demons.
Hero
Heroic stories have been enjoyed by readers for a very long time. Mythological journeys by knights on horseback have evolved to our modern day idea of what a hero should be. The story of Harry Potter gives readers an unlikely hero who starts the story as a scrawy eleven-year-old boy. Despite Harry's limitations he grows into a courageous and powerful wizard overcoming evil and saving the wizarding world from a horrendous enemy. Campbell's theory of the monomyth allows readers to relate ancient heroic myths to the myths of today. Harry Potter is a modern version of the ancient mythological stories providing readers with a sense of hope and proof that anyone can be a hero.
References
Damrosch, D., Alliston, A., Brown, M., duBois, P., Hafez, S., Heise, U.K., et al. (2008). The Longman anthology of world literature: Compact edition. New York, NY: Pearson Longman.

Indick, W. (2004). Classical heroes in modern movies: Mythological patterns of the superhero. Retrieved from http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/ClassicalHeroes.html

Leeming, D.A. (1990). The world of myth an anthology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Merriam Webster. (2012). Apotheosis. Retreived from http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/apotheosis

Powell, B.B. (2002). A short introduction to classical myth. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Rowling, J.K. (1998). Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harry Potter, a Modern Day Mythical Hero

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
J.K. Rowling's creative character Harry Potter serves as a wonderful example of the classic mythological hero. The hero story has been portrayed for centuries with early works present in the works of Homer and Hesiod. The classic format for the hero follows the idea of the monomyth.

# data[].attributes.headline
Road of Trials: The Inmost Cave and the ordeal

# data[].attributes.subject
Road of Trials: The Inmost Cave and the ordeal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows "Three Brothers Story"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use engaging videos on TED-Ed to create customized lessons. You can use, tweak, or completely redo any lesson featured on TED-Ed, or create lessons from scratch based on any video from YouTube.

# data[].attributes.body
NOUHAILA / ANITA / DUNE / MERCEDES: Gryffindor
LINO/ ELAHEH / PAULINE / TASNIM : Slytherin

# data[].attributes.headline
Which house do you belong to ? Let's check what the sorting hat has to say

# data[].attributes.subject
Which house do you belong to ? Let's check what the sorting hat has to say

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ceux qui considèrent encore Harry Potter comme de la simple littérature jeunesse se trompent. L'œuvre de J. K. Rowling est pétrie de références à certaines théories philosophiques traditionnelles, du stoïcisme à Platon en passant par Nietzsche et Socrate. Marianne Chaillan, professeur de philosophie, nous éclaire sur la richesse de la saga potteresque.

>> Découvrez notre hors-série Harry Potter, mythes et origines d'un chef-d'œuvre.

Le Point Pop : Pourquoi une approche philosophique de la saga Harry Potter ?

Marianne Chaillan : J'ai été frappée plusieurs fois par le fait qu'autour de moi, dans une génération qui n'est pas celle de Harry Potter, un grand nombre de collègues professeurs de philosophie partageaient ma passion pour la saga de J. K. Rowling. Aussi ai-je formulé deux hypothèses : ou bien les " philosophes " s'intéressent à Harry Potter car ils sont restés de grands enfants, ou bien, deuxième explication, Harry Potter a quelque chose à dire qui touche directement l'esprit de celui qui aime la philosophie. D'ailleurs, tout véritable fan de Harry Potter qui se respecte sait que le titre original du premier opus de la saga n'était pas Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers mais Harry Potter et la pierre philosophale ( Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone). Le titre américain a lui aussi été changé (Philosopher devenant Sorcerer [sorcier]) - les éditeurs redoutant que les enfants ne veuillent pas lire un ouvrage comprenant le mot philosophe dans le titre ! Ainsi la célèbre saga s'inscrivait elle-même, à sa naissance, dans une dimension philosophique. Non seulement chaque œuvre est parsemée de clins d'œil à certains problèmes philosophiques traditionnels mais plus encore, il apparaît que la saga offre le déploiement d'une philosophie spécifique, autour de la question de la mort notamment.

Vous décrivez Harry comme un stoïcien. Pourquoi ?

Le personnage de Harry fait signe vers de nombreuses thèses philosophiques depuis celles de Platon jusqu'à celles de Nietzsche en passant par celles de Sartre ou encore, en effet, celles des stoïciens. De ce fait, plus qu'un stoïcien, Harry Potter ressemble au philosophe Montaigne qui, telle une abeille, butinait parmi les penseurs comme de fleur en fleur, ne gardant de chaque pensée que ce qui lui permettait de faire son propre miel philosophique. De même, Harry compose sa sagesse à partir d'enseignements divers. À quel moment manifeste-t-il cependant une sagesse proprement stoïcienne ? Les stoïciens soutiennent qu'une bonne part du malheur des hommes vient de ce qu'ils se représentent la réalité de façon inadéquate et croient aux chimères de leur esprit au point d'en être effrayés ou angoissés. Une bonne part de leur malheur viendrait donc du mauvais usage de leur jugement.

Devant les Détraqueurs ou devant le Miroir du Rised, Harry chemine dans la philosophie stoïcienne

Il va falloir le discipliner en veillant à n'accorder notre assentiment qu'aux représentations adéquates. Pour cela, Marc-Aurèle nous recommande plusieurs exercices comme celui que réalise parfaitement Harry, celui de la " définition physique ". Il s'agit de se faire une définition ou une description de l'objet qui se présente dans la représentation, afin de le voir en lui-même, tel qu'il est dans son essence, dans sa nudité sans rien surimposer. Or, si tous les personnages de Harry Potter se refusent à prononcer le nom de Lord Voldemort, terrifiés qu'ils sont par ce personnage maléfique, seul Harry (prenant exemple sur le sage Dumbledore) nomme systématiquement dans l'ouvrage le meurtrier de ses parents par son nom. La peur du nom renforce la peur de la chose. Si l'on peut trembler devant un " seigneur des Ténèbres ", on est moins inquiet devant celui qui n'est après tout qu'un homme parmi d'autres, se nommant simplement " Tom Jedusor ". C'est de la philosophie appliquée. De même devant les Détraqueurs ou devant le Miroir du Rised, Harry chemine dans la philosophie stoïcienne.

Il apprend à accepter la mort. Quelle lecture philosophique peut-on faire de ce cheminement ?

C'est plutôt du côté de Nietzsche qu'il faut aller chercher pour analyser l'acceptation que Harry fait de la mort. Et bien au-delà du personnage de Harry, c'est l'œuvre tout entière de J. K. Rowling qui est une grande confrontation avec la question de la finitude. Le premier opus s'intitule Harry Potter et la pierre philosophale si nous traduisons littéralement le titre original. Or cette pierre, que permet-elle sinon de prolonger la vie et de conjurer la mort ? Le dernier opus s'appelle, lui, Harry Potter et les Reliques de la mort. Et que sont ces reliques, sinon des objets magiques qui font de leur possesseur le maître de la mort c'est-à-dire quelqu'un que la mort ne peut atteindre ? À son commencement et à son achèvement, la saga s'inscrit dans une confrontation avec la finitude humaine, assumée de façon différente par les personnages. Pour résoudre cette question, deux camps ou deux visions vont s'opposer, qui constituent deux propositions, deux attitudes existentielles face à la mort : celle de Tom Jedusor et celle de Harry. L'affrontement entre les deux personnages principaux revêt donc l'affrontement plus symbolique de deux dispositions face à la finitude.

Harry parvient à affirmer la vie en dépit de la souffrance et même encore, avec la souffrance. Lorsqu'il apprend la nécessité de sa mort, dans Les Reliques de la mort, il accepte cette annonce sans mouvement de refus. Il va au-devant de la mort, non sans craintes certes, mais en acceptant que sa route s'achève. C'est précisément en cela qu'il est un homme fort nietzschéen et que Voldemort ne l'est pas. Cette force de Harry est une conquête. Son histoire montre un chemin d'acceptation. Harry devient l'homme fort.

Quand Harry enseigne aux élèves comment se défendre contre les forces du mal, quel pédagogue est-il ?

La saga Harry Potter nous présente deux types d'enseignement, opposés l'un à l'autre. Le premier type d'enseignement est incarné par Dolores Ombrage, le second par Remus Lupin ou encore par Harry lui-même, professeur de défense contre les forces du mal pour l'armée de Dumbledore dans Harry Potter et l'ordre du Phénix.

L'affrontement pédagogique auquel nous assistons alors n'est pas sans rappeler le combat de Platon-Socrate contre les sophistes, c'est-à-dire le combat entre un enseignement de type dialectique et un enseignement de type didactique. Les sophistes dispensent une leçon que nous appellerions aujourd'hui cours magistral. Leurs " élèves " se contentent d'enregistrer passivement, d'apprendre même par cœur, pour aller ensuite répéter des paroles qu'ils sont incapables d'expliquer, lorsqu'ils ont à en répondre, par exemple devant Socrate. Pour Platon, ce type d'enseignement est vain. Il y a une différence cruciale entre le fait d'apprendre d'un autre (on ne dispose alors que d'une opinion dont on est incapable de répondre - c'est le savoir didactique) et le fait d'apprendre de soi-même (c'est le savoir de type dialectique). Dolores Ombrage choisit d'enseigner la Défense contre les forces du mal sans que les élèves aient à se servir de leur baguette - baguette qui symbolisent ici la possibilité d'une appropriation du savoir. Elle dicte des lignes à copier mécaniquement. Harry, lui, à l'inverse, enseigne comme le recommande Platon. Il passe d'élève en élève, prodiguant ses encouragements à chacun, invitant chacun à ressaisir en lui-même ce savoir en puissance qui ne demande qu'à être actualisé. C'est un véritable enseignant.

Si Harry est un stoïcien selon vous, peut-on en dire autant de Ron ?

Sans être stoïcien, Ron suit, comme ses camarades, des cours de stoïcisme. La leçon du Professeur Lupin à propos des épouvantards est en effet un véritable exercice spirituel que nous trouvons chez Épictète. Rappelez-vous : l'épouvantard est un être sans forme a priori, mais qui va prendre la forme de la plus grande peur habitant celui qui l'observe. Pour Ron, qui souffre d'arachnophobie, l'épouvantard va prendre la forme d'une énorme araignée ; pour le timide Neville, il prendra la forme du Professeur Rogue. L'épouvantard symbolise à la fois la dimension créatrice de la représentation par rapport à son objet et l'effet profond que suscitent en nous des images que nous avons surimposées à un événement extérieur. Aussi en bon maître de stoïcisme, Lupin, comme Épictète, invite les élèves à reconduire leur représentation (ce qu'ils s'imaginent) à la juste réalité des choses par un travail de distanciation. Cette mise à distance de la représentation inadéquate passe, chez J. K. Rowling, par le biais de l'humour. Face à l'épouvantard, il s'agit de prononcer le mot " Riddikulus ! " tout en modifiant de façon humoristique notre représentation. Ainsi Ron, devant l'immense araignée, découvre l'artifice de l'épouvantard et s'arrache à sa peur en imaginant l'araignée ayant à chacune de ses pattes un patin à roulettes. De même Neville imagine le Professeur Rogue déguisé avec les vêtements de sa grand-mère.

Dans Harry Potter et la coupe de feu, p our les besoins de la deuxième tâche du tournoi, Ron est emmené et attaché au fond du lac de Poudlard, endormi par magie et devant attendre que Harry le secoure. On apprend ainsi que Ron représente la personne à laquelle Harry " tient le plus ". Que vous inspire ce passage ?

Je ne sais pas si cela est très significatif. Cela aurait pu être Hermione. Mais à ce moment-là, elle est " celle qui tient le plus au cœur " de Krum. Cela aurait pu être Cho, mais elle est déjà prise par Diggory. Néanmoins, il est certain que l'amitié a une place décisive dans la saga. Dans l'Ordre du Phénix, Voldemort essaie de détruire Harry en ravivant en lui ses souvenirs les plus douloureux - la mort de ses parents, de Cédric, de Sirius. Ce qui sauve Harry est de pouvoir, alors même qu'il vient d'éprouver l'une des plus cruelles pertes de son existence, chasser ses pensées tristes par des pensées heureuses - le souvenir de rires avec Ron et Hermione, une accolade avec Sirius, par exemple. Bref : ce qui le sauve, c'est le souvenir de ses amis. Alors que Voldemort, lui, n'a pas d'amis. Dans cette saga qui multiplie les tours de force liés à la magie, il semble bien que la véritable puissance soit celle de l'amour ou de cette forme d'amour qu'est l'amitié.

Harry Potter à l'école de la philosophie, Marianne Chaillan, Ellipses, 304 p., 10 euros.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ceux qui considèrent encore Harry Potter comme de la simple littérature jeunesse se trompent. L'œuvre de J. K. Rowling est pétrie de références à certaines théories philosophiques traditionnelles, du stoïcisme à Platon en passant par Nietzsche et Socrate. Marianne Chaillan, professeur de philosophie, nous éclaire sur la richesse de la saga potteresque.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If the trailers are anything to go by, we already know where to find fantastic beasts: Eddie Redmayne has a suitcase full of them in 1926 New York. But where did they come from, the dragons, unicorns and hippogriffs of the Harry Potter universe? Monsters and mythical beasts perform a role in JK Rowling's work which transcends that of world-building: they add symbolic and psychological depth, as well as reminding us that we are visiting a magical place. Rowling is both an inventor and archivist of fantastical animals, populating her universe with a mixture of what one might term 'classic monsters' (trolls, centaurs, mer-people) and folklore staples (bowtruckles, erklings), alongside her own inventions (dementors).

Some of these collected monsters are vastly better known than others: grindylows and boggarts, for example, have origins in Celtic and English folklore, but they are hardly household names. These relatively minor creatures often have a less-than-fantastical backstory: grindylows live in shallow water and threaten to grab at children with their green, reed-like arms. It isn't difficult to see here both an explanation for the existence of the grindylow - it shares many characteristics with water plants, which are usually mobile and thus have their own disquieting appearance - and an explanation for why such stories might thrive - as a warning from parents to their children to keep away from a potential hazard, even if the risk was more likely to come from drowning than a malevolent water sprite.

But the vast majority of Rowling's best-loved monsters have winged their way from the Ancient World to her modern, magical one. Fawkes the Phoenix is not only a fantastic beast, capable of auto-regeneration, he's also a historical one. His colouring - red and gold - is the same as that of the phoenixes mentioned by Herodotus in his Histories from the Fifth Century BCE. Herodotus is known as the 'father of history' and, by his critics, as the 'father of lies'. He reports what he is told by people he meets on his travels, often without the presentation of further evidence. In this instance, he's told that phoenixes live in Egypt, so he relays this information to his readers. He does add that he hasn't seen the creature himself, only pictures of one.

Even the more critical Roman historian, Tacitus, reports on a phoenix-sighting, again in Egypt, during the reign of the emperor Tiberius in the First Century CE. Tacitus found some disagreement about the bird's lifespan, but says it is generally held to live for around 500 years. His sources are unanimous on the subject of the bird's beak and the colour of its plumage, however: all agree that it differs from every other bird, and is sacred to the sun. Interestingly, Tacitus and Herodotus suggest not that a phoenix is reborn from its own flames, but that a young phoenix will carry the body of its parent bird some considerable distance and then bury it. Though even as he tells us the story, Herodotus describes this particular element as ou pista - unbelievable.

Another Harry Potter animal who has undergone changes to his fantastical nature is the multi-headed dog. Cerberus, the dog who guards the entrance to the Underworld in Greek myth, is a dog of many talents but no fixed number of heads. The poet Hesiod reckoned he was a 50-headed beast, and Pindar was more ambitious still, suggesting a hundred heads. Later Greek and Roman writers usually go for three, although vase painters - there's a beautiful example of Cerberus on a vase in the Louvre - often depict him with two. Perhaps two heads are better than three, when it comes to painting them. However many heads he has, Cerberus has one thing in common with Fluffy, the three-headed dog in the first Harry Potter novel: both are distracted by music.

Cerberus is a discerning dog, and it takes the lyre-playing of no less a musician than Orpheus to paralyse him (as Virgil tells us in The Georgics), holding his three mouths agape. Fluffy is an easier audience, and can be lulled to sleep by a mere enchanted harp. In a nod to the Cerberus myth, Rowling employs Fluffy as a guard-dog, lying atop the trapdoor which leads Harry, Ron and Hermione on their search for the philosopher's stone. Are we meant to wonder if the children are entering the gates of hell? Certainly they undergo trials which wouldn't be out of place in the underworld of Greek myth: the torturous puzzles, the physical peril, the emotional trauma.

Global mythmaking

The philosopher's stone itself has its roots in both myth and history: Dumbledore's friend and the stone's inventor, Nicolas Flamel, was a real scribe who lived in Paris in the 14th Century. Many years after Flamel's death, he was said to have discovered the secret to eternal life: later writers attributed alchemical skills to him but there is no evidence to suggest he actually possessed these. Nonetheless, he has a street named after him in Paris today (as does his wife Pernelle), which is a kind of immortality, at least.

Even dragons - who have twin mythic histories in Europe and Asia, as Rowling observes with the shorter snout and protuberant eyes of her Chinese Fireball dragon - take their name from the Greek word, drakon. And the basilisk which dwells inside the Chamber of Secrets has also taken his name from the Greek: a diminutive form, meaning 'little king'. Rowling kept the part of the basilisk myth which sees it capable of destroying everything in its path with its toxic force. Happily for her readers, she abandoned the fatal flaw which is detailed by Pliny the Elder in his Natural Histories: for Pliny, the basilisk can be destroyed by the mere smell of a weasel.

Perhaps the most enigmatic monsters at Hogwarts are the centaurs who live in the forbidden forest. They seem to be direct descendants of the centaurs which were believed to have lived on Mount Pelion in Thessaly, in central Greece. Rowling's centaurs also preferred a woodland home, although they had a reputation for lascivious behaviour which the noble Firenze and his companions have avoided. Firenze himself, with his passion for astrology and education, owes something to the celebrated centaur, Chiron, who was teacher to Achilles, Theseus and other Greek heroes, and was also a renowned astrologer. There is a beautiful fresco, originally from Herculaneum, in the archaeological museum in Naples, which shows Chiron teaching Achilles to play the lyre. His back legs are curled behind him, almost like a dog, while his front legs support his weight and his hands pluck at the lyre strings. It's a beautiful reminder that human beings have been thinking of mythical beasts for as long as we have been writing, painting and thinking.
Magic and metaphor
Beasts made up of two species - centaurs, mer-people - are a common part of folklore. But even more complex species-mingling occurs sometimes. The hippogriff is a relatively modern creation, dating back to an Italian poem of the early 16th Century. But the combination of griffin (itself a combination of an eagle and a lion) and horse is predicted centuries earlier. In his Eclogues, Virgil describes a scene in which all the usual rules no longer apply: griffins will mate with mares, he says, and fearful deer will drink next to hounds. The very existence of a hippogriff is presented as an impossibility, not because of their fantastical nature, but because of the well-known animosity (to Virgil's audience, at least) that existed between horses and griffins.

One interesting point is to consider the monsters and beasts which Rowling has not used, most notably the satyrs and nymphs which populate so much Greek myth. (The French witch Fleur mentions that wood nymphs are used as Christmas decorations at the Beauxbatons school, but they seem to have no other role). It's this as much as anything that makes us think about the symbolic purpose of the mythic creatures in Harry Potter. Harry's world - perhaps surprisingly for one filled with teenagers - is largely devoid of sex: there is some kissing, but the predation which satyrs represent is absent. Even the girl who shares a name with the passive Greek nymphs, Nymphadora Tonks, shares little else with them, besides an ability to change appearance (and usually when this happens to a nymph, it is because she is trying to avoid a lusty satyr, rather than battle evil).

Other creatures serve allegorical purposes too: elves have been much grander elsewhere than in Rowling's work (think of the superiority and otherness of the elves in Tolkien's work, for example). Rowling's house-elves are a clear reminder of slavery and servitude. Similarly, centaurs and giants suffer under Umbridge's domination of Hogwarts, since they are regarded as less than human. Species-ism stands in for racism very easily.

It is worth noting that although dragons and basilisks put Harry and his friends in physical peril, the scariest creatures in the Potter universe are the dementors - creatures Rowling invented herself. These may bear some physical similarity to wraiths, and the Black Riders in The Lord of the Rings, but the psychological and emotional damage they cause is their own. Rowling has linked them with her own experience of depression, reminding us (if such reminders were necessary) that the darkest monsters most of us will face are those in our own minds.

If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.
And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called "If You Only Read 6 Things This Week". A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The myths and folktales behind Harry Potter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If the trailers are anything to go by, we already know where to find fantastic beasts: Eddie Redmayne has a suitcase full of them in 1926 New York. But where did they come from, the dragons, unicorns and hippogriffs of the Harry Potter universe?