How J.K. Rowling was inspired by history when writing Harry Potter

Our fave, J.K. Rowling, wrote the Harry Potter series in the 1990s while struggling with unemployment and being a single parent. Her grit and determination drove her to finishing the now-popular book and television series, and despite set backs and rejections from publishers she has become the mega-successful millionaire she is today.

Her stories are full of homages and references to myth and legend, and real-life people in history, with cleverly named characters and objects. Here are some of the most fun and clever pieces of inspiration in the HP world, and the real-life places and people they were named after.

JK named one particular wolfy character after famous brothers- Romulus and Remus who were twins raised by a she-wolf in Roman mythology. Remus Lupin was a werewolf who turned wolf by the full moon. He became a werewolf thanks to Fenrir Greyback who was named after a giant wolf of Norse mythology named Fenrir.

Argus Filch was called a ‘squib’  by many in the Harry Potter books- meaning a non-magical person who was born to magical parents. Poor Filch. The word squib was not invented by JK Rowling but actually means ‘a firework that won’t spark’, cleverly referencing the lack of magic in a squib.

Sticking with Argus Filch for this moment, his name was also picked for a reason. Argus is a name taken from Greek folklore- an all-seeing Greek god who had multiple eyes, and Filch means to steal or pilfer carefully. An appropriate name for a caretaker who seems to know exactly where everyone and everything is…

The kind and caring house elf’s name Dobby literally means ‘benevolent elf’. If that’s not the most fitting name for such a beautiful soul, I don’t know what is. English folklore speaks of a helper named a “Master Dobbs” or a “dobbie”- they were said to help secretly tidy a home at night. I would love a dobbie of my own!

As any good Potter fan knows- wands choose the wizard. It is unsurprising then, to find each wand has special properties that align with each wizard’s personality. Voldemort’s wand is made from Yew- a tree said to symbolise immortality, pretty fitting for the Dark Lord, and the Yew tree is found in graveyards- a place we first meet Voldemort in human (ish) form. Harry’s wand is also especially fitting as it is formed from a Holly tree- a tree which is said to ward off evil.

Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, and Narcissa Malfoy were based on real life people. The Mitford sisters were six real women, actual sisters, who led complicated and politicised lives. Three of them, Diana, Unity, and Jessica, were the inspiration behind the Black sisters as each were drawn in to a life of fascism and hate during WWII. Unity, much like Bellatrix and Voldemort, worked closely with the leader Adolf Hitler, while Diana, like Narcissa, married a man who was a known fascist. The third sister- Jessica- however, went to the side of good much like Andromeda Tonks did, by becoming a civil rights advocate during the war. Both Andromeda and Jessica ran from their fascist family to fight on the side of justice and fairness.

Professor Quirinus Quirrell was named after Janus Quirinus- a Roman god who, in mythology, was said to have two faces. In the first Potter story, Voldemort took his place on the back of the professor’s head, giving poor Quirrell two-faces just like his namesake- and meant Harry could kill him with just a touch of a hand.

Harry Potter’s guardian, Sirius Black, was named after the dog star- the brightest star in our sky- pretty fitting as he can change into a black dog on a whim. In fact, most of the Black family are named after heavenly bodies: Bellatrix, Regulus, Arcturus, and Andromeda.

Harry’s beloved pet he bought at Diagon Alley on his first day of school was named after Saint Hedwig of Silesia, a woman whose life was heavily involved in protecting abandoned or orphaned children- much like dear Harry.

Harry Potter 1-7 US

Harry Potter 1-7 UK