Reading, Writing, Rowling

Understand the ties that bind – blood and otherwise – in Arthurian legend and the wizarding world in this episode. Emily and Katy discuss with Dr. Carol Jamison (Georgia Southern University) the links between Arthurian literature and Harry Potter through the concepts of blood lines, noble (or “pure”) blood, and blood feud. Author of Chivalry in Westeros(McFarland, 2018), Carol examines medievalism in popular culture, not only in the Potterverse but also Game of Thrones. She explains both medievalism and neo-medievalism in pop culture and how the Harry Potter stories play with Arthurian themes that fit these categories. We learn about how views of chivalry and heroism connect the characters and themes of the two literary sources, including the values of generosity, loyalty, and sacrifice, along with the notion of noble-bearing or birthright that distinguishes heroes in both. But the two series actually test the assumption that heroism comes automatically from bloodline, pointing out that virtue does not, in