Really weird idea: Harry Potter as an Icelandic saga

You trust JKR's Pig Latin too much :P Many of the spells only sound Latin-ish, Google Translator won't be able to do anything with them.

@Jaqen: Thanks.

@peccantis: Some are actual Latin though like the Accio charm for instance.

edited 3rd Nov '13 3:37:01 PM by MorwenEdhelwen

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

You're Welcome. This is an interesting project.

Gothic would be even better than Norse because it's an older language.

E = BC squared; the older the language, the more magic power it has.

Saint Wulfilas translated the Gospels into Gothic in 500ish, the text is bound to be on the Inter Web. So when Jesus says "expecto healum", look up Wulfilas' translation and there's your spell.

Google has a complete dictionary to translate any spl into MODERN Icelandic, a medium dictionary to translate into OLD Icelandic and a deficient dictionary to translate into Gothic.

Ifn you study Wulfilas' gospels enough, you may make reasonable guesses how to translate Modern Icelandic to Ancient Gothic,

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

@Jaqen: Actually I didn't even think about Gothic! :D

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_alphabet

Runes are cool; Gothic alphabet is close enough to regular alphabet for Readers to guess what is going on.

1) Simplest: write 'kill', 'torture', 'obey', 'forget', 'open', 'disarm', 'fly', 'cut' in Runes and those are your spl.

2) Translate those spl into MODERN Icelandic and write them in Runes.

3) Translate them into OLD Icelandic and write them in Runes.

4) Translate them into Gothic and apply the Gothic Alphabet.

5) Apply the Gothic alphabet and transliterate.

It all depends upon how Nerdy you wanna be.

E = BC squared. Norse texts date from 1000 AD, Gothic texts date from 500 AD. Gothic is a more magical language than Icelandic. tlc

edited 6th Nov '13 7:36:58 PM by Jaqen

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

All we know from Gothic text is the Bible.

Kill, torture, obey, open, forget, fly. disarm, cut.

Bible is full of killing. Crucio = Gothic word for Crucify. Imperio = apply the "Render into Kaiser" prophecy. Jesus prophecied "I am the Door of the Sheepfold" that is Alomahora.

Obliviate = Jesus never casted the forget spl. He cured some lepers and forbade them to tell anyone. Don't tell anyone curse preserves Mas Querade same as forget curse. It fits Fidelius hex

edited 7th Nov '13 4:01:42 PM by Jaqen

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

Thanks Jaqen

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

Some bits of Potter don't fit Icelandic History and will need to be Hand Wave-d.

1250 ish, Norway invaded Iceland. Some icelandic Aristos collaborated with the regime, some Aristos were Patriots and got shafted same as Patriotic Peasants.

To achieve Happily Ever After, we need Alternate History, Norwegian invasion fails.

The Potter issue is that Tom Riddle wants to be Tyrant in his own right. But with regular Icelandic History. the King of Norway was the Tyrant and he appointed Gauleiters and Satraps to be mini-tyrants in each province, state and county.

I don't see Tom Riddle being a minion unter-tyrant. Riddle plans to betray the King of Norway. Eventually, the King must ally with the Patriots.

Icelandic genetics, ball park figures: 70% Norwegian, 25% Celtic, 5% odds and sods. Sturlungsonnar support the cause of Norwegian pure-blood and collaborate with invasion.

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

@ Jaqen: Another idea would be to place the story in the thirteenth century, when Snorri was alive. By then schools did exist and as you said, the King of Norway was planning to invade...

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

Sorry for barging in out of left field, but I'd like to throw in that an Icelandic saga doesn't have to be set in Iceland. You don't have to move the setting to Iceland, nor the Middle Ages. Just throw in somewhere a line like

and all will be fine. Just a thought for your consideration.

By the way, the Norwegian king never invaded Iceland. The union with Norway was brought about by a treaty between the major chieftains of Iceland and the king of Norway.

edited 16th Nov '13 7:53:45 AM by LordGro

Let's just say and leave it at that.

You're right, sagas can be about anywhere Vikings went, from America (Vinland) to Constantinople (Haraldr Hardradha). Jarrow in Northumbria was a school.

When Hvilhjalmr conquered Angl-land, Hogwarts Academy moved from Jarrow in Northumbria to Dufftown /Hogsmeade in Pict-land.

Norwegian Invasion: was a mutual agreement between the King and the Aristos VERSUS some Icelandic Aristos collaborated with the Regime, Patriotic Aristos got shafted same as Patriotic Peasants. You say potahto, I say tobacco.

Snorri collaborated and wrote the History same as Titus flavius Josephus.

Most students live in Iceland. They go on a magic dragon boat to school in Pictland. Northumbrian connection solves Biblical names.

Either: set it in generic Viking era; OR Norwegian Invasion + Alternate History = the Crusade fails; OR preach Dumbledore's doctrine of the Greater Good, Norwegian Crusade was a GOOD thing, Riddle leads the EEBIL Icelandicq Patriots.

To express the breadth of Viking realm include Karkaroff the Byzantine exchange Professor of Human Studies and Vinland exchange Student, Godhgyfu Mary Sue-s-dottir Leofrics-dottir.

Godhgyfu = Godiva might be Cordelia from Buffy who starts as a complete bitch, but through Character Growth becomes a sympathetic bitch.

Godiva might be Joxer from Xena. Joxer = Ted Raimi = Theodore = God's gift = Tudor = Godhgyfu = Godiva. Mary Sue gets the consequences of her actions; she earns so many consequences that she becomes The Woobie; OCCASIONALLY, Godiva does heroic stuff, Audience cheer.

For the sake of the Greater Good, Alfdis insists that students from Hogsmeade must go all the way to Iceland to take the magic dragon boat.

edited 16th Nov '13 9:55:20 AM by Jaqen

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

@Lord Gro: *slaps herself* You are absolutely right!

Godgyfu= corresponds to Fleur Delacour.

edited 16th Nov '13 1:03:20 PM by MorwenEdhelwen

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

I've always entertained an idea of Harry Potter as a story with no fantasy elements whatsoever. No magic, Hogwarts is an elitist private school, and Voldemort is just a terrorist.

"Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy."

Is there any mileage in Grettir tallest man in Iceland with Hagrid and Garp?

Grettir is a vicious tall Human. Hagrid, Garp and Mme Beauxbatons are Gentle Giant-s. A couple of Giants fought for Riddle, one of them could be Grettir. Most Giants stayed at home.

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

@Jaqen: Since IIRC Grettir is described as "trollish" that could work.

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

IIRC two Giants and zero Trolls fought for Riddle in DH; the only Troll was in PS.

You like Grettir, make him a Bad Ass minion in bk 7 rather than an idiot in bk 1. All you gotta do is define that Trolls and Giants are much of muchness.

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

@Jaqen: Good idea.

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien

I have many good ideas for this theme because I know both Potter and Saga.

But Steampunk-ing Musicals? I know the Musicals, but I don't know enough Steampunk to contribute

What if there were no hypothetical questions? There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand Binary and those who don't.

@Jaqen: When I say "Oliver Twist, I mean Oliver Twist, the book not Oliver!'' the musical. Or at least, not exactly.

edited 2nd Dec '13 12:55:18 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

The road goes ever on. -Tolkien