Harry Potter Wands – Basic Guide
Since the beginning of all things magical there has also always been wands. A Harry Potter wand is one of those special items in the JK Rowling series that is a constant throughout each and every film. In fact, if our Hogwart’s heros (and heroines!) didn’t have access to these magical item then they wouldn’t have accomplished most of the heroic feats we have witnessed them achieve throughout the 7 Harry Potter films to date.
500 years before Christ, the Druids lived, practiced magic and cast spells in what we now know as Scotland. Interestingly enough, the word ‘Druid’ actually means ‘the man who carries wisdoms of the woods’.
In those anciet and mystical times, the Druids used to pride themselves on knowing all about each single tree growing in their particular forest. Trees were a sacred entity to these wise men and they had the utmost of respect for them. The ash tree was meant to be special and important for its ability to heal wounds, cedar was for energy and elm enabled the Druids to add power to their spells.
Much like our horoscopes today, the Druids also had a similiar calender system but this system wasn’t based on astronomical signs, it was based on – yes you guessed it – trees. There were 13 of these signs which included Reed, Rowan, Birch and Ivy. Below we can see this calender to get a better idea…
- Birch: Dec 24th – Jan 20
- Rowan: Jan 21 – Feb 17
- Ash: Feb 18 – Mar 17
- Alder: Mar 18 – Apr 14
- Willow: Apr 15 – May 12
- Hawthorn: May 13 – Jun 9
- Oak: Jun 10 – Jul 7
- Holly: Jul 8 – Aug 4
- Hazel: Aug 5 – Sep 1
- Vine: Sep 2 – Sep 29
- Ivy: Sep 30 – Oct 27
- Reed: Oct 28 – Nov 24
- Elder: Nov 25 – Dec 22
If you are of the perceptive kind, you will have noticed that there s no tree sign for someone born on the 23rd of December. This is because they implemented a calender based no the moon which had thirteen months and twenty eight days, this is turn made the year up to only have 364 days in it. For this reason, the 23 December is still considered a very important date to witches and wizards right up to this very day!
So now we know a little more about wands, who used them and where they came from. But how were they made?
Certain tree wood types suit certain people and only work well if the person holding the wand has the character to match that of the wood it was made from. This is very obvious in the selection of Harry Potter wands we see throughout the films. Next time you sit down to watch one of the films, make a note to see what type of wand each character uses and if it matches their personality – you may just get a pleasant surprise. The Harry Poter wands will match the characteristics of the Harry Potter characters you will find!
Other factors which come into play when someone chooses their wand are: the size of the magic wand, the type of wood it is made from and the core.
The core is one of the most important factor, so says the master of wands himself – Ollivander (Gregorovitch also claims this, we find). Look at the core as being the heart of the wand. Its very lifeforce if you will. The core can be mae from a number of things, like phoenix feather or unicorn’s hair. Which core you choose says a lot about you and what you value so if YOu ever get the chance – choose your wand carefully!
Wand users grow very attached to their possession from a young age. But the big question is: Is the wand causing this attachment or is it all in the master’s head?! We may never know! Maybe it is a bit of both…
The next thing we will try to investigate is what exactly a magical wand does, and how?
A wand is a very personal object. When not in the hand of its owner or someone without magic in their being (like a squib or those intersting muggles!) it suddenly becomes a useless piece of wood! Like animals, they know their master and stay loyal to them. When back in its owners possession it becomes something powerful and strong – this suggests to us that it is the owner where the magic comes from and NOt the wand. The wand just focuses and harnesses the power and make them more precise and manageable. Important point: Always store your wand in your BACK pocket. If you wish to know why this is, then we suggest you view the films with Prof. Moody in them and you will see why – with humourous consequences!
Wand powers are usually not visible to the naked eye – like air. But carry out the Lumos spell and suddenly you will witness the bright and luminous energy working its magic in a crystal clear view.
We have now run over what Harry Potter wands are, where they came from, what materials they are made from, how they work and other random interesting facts.
Now, if you excuse us, we have to go play with our wands and perform some magic!
Have a magical day!
