The REAL History of Magic | Harry Potter Film Theory 

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come to think of it... if a basilisk is hatched by a chicken, and dies when it hears a rooster.... that sounds quite unfortunate for most of them...

How do you guys never run out of new things, and I never get tired of watching?

"I'm an elf" got a genuine laugh out of me 😂 I really hope that becomes a common occurrence any tome Dobby comes up

"Uprooting itself and stalking you..." my brain supplied the scene from Pochantas where Grandmother Willow lifts her roots to trip the men looking for John Smith and then whips them with her branches. "Oh sure, the tree just felt like lifting it's roots and then....." sees roots sink back into the ground. "Let's get out of here..."

yes, please do more of this! I was aware of a good chunk of these, but its still cool to hear more about the comparison/contrast between the wizarding world version and the real world version (or real world myth version). I know there are a lot of weird combination creatures, but hippogriffs was one I was completely unaware of before reading the books

Fun fact though. One of the most notable things made up completely for Harry Potter is London. Yep It’s written so well some of you may be surprised that London isn’t real.

I strongly recommend reading the book series "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel", it's an amazing fantasy novel series and almost every character come from either folklore or real history

12:51 FREAKING GOLDEN EDIT😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Can't think of anything worse than a tree running at me.... Let me introduce you to the moose 🫎

Love this topic! As someone fresh off studying British History/Mythology, here are a few more and some fun references. -Some of Harry's early signs for magic before Hogwarts seem to mirror traits thought to be found in changelings, such as being unaffected by physical changes (like his hair growing back after Petunia cuts it very short) though I think this is more to show how Harry does not belong with the Dursleys. -Hagrid giving Dudley a pig tail, which is a clear nod to Circe in Greek Mythology, a witch who turned Odysseus' crew into pigs -Weirdly there is a bunch of nods to the Greek Underworld in Book 1, like the First Year Boats mirroring traveling over the River Styx -Fluffy is a three headed dog like Cerberus of the Underworld, with Quirrel's solution of getting past him with a harp a clear nod to the mythical Orpheus. -The Coat of Arms used to show all 4 Hogwarts houses usually represented different families and their values, but the 4 sections specifically they use mirror the Sovereign Arms, a symbol of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland unified. - Harry's cloak of invisibility, which in English Folklore was said to be one of the many things Jack retrieved from the Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk. - Quirrel and Voldemort's two headed look being similar to the symbol of Janus, the Greek God of beginnings and endings, and coincidentally where we get the month January. - There's SO much about Alchemy, they even have their own symbols for elements that we still use today. Issac Newton shortly after his Law of Motion theory actually dedicated much of his time into creating the Philosopher's stone, though he was sadly unsuccessful. It was also considered to be illegal for much of history and was often done in secret. -Unicorn blood is myth was known to cure diseases or even bring people back from the dead, though it was altered slightly for obvious reasons. -Many of the wand woods are known for having a variety of properties in Celtic mythology. - There are Garden Gnomes in the Weasley's Garden, which Gnomes in general were popular symbols in gardens throughout England, eventually leading to the pointed hat concrete variety we know today. -Centaur were popular figures in Greek Myth, though they tended to be a bit more riotous in myth - Reading tea leaves and seeing omens are all actual divination practices, and yes, a black dog is a sign of death in English folklore. -Hearing voices that no one else can hear was often considered a sign you will die, which combined with the grim omen would explain why everyone was a little worried about Harry in The Chamber of Secrets - Hippogriffs are found outside of HP and are considered as divine guardians in mythology or rivals becoming unified - Giant Squids while actually proven to be real now were previously mostly known as the mythical Kraken, popularized by the poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson, a British poet. -The Headless Horseman that come to Nearly Headless Nick's party mention his head to hit off by a cannonball, a clear reference to the Headless Horseman in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow whose inspiration died to a similar fate. - Harry finding the sword of Gryffindor in a lake, similar to how King Arthur discovered Excalibur. -And Peeves the Poltergeist, yes there are absolutely Poltergeists outside of HP. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Feel free to comment more.

I wonder if the cockatrace myth started when someone found a raptor fossil they kinda look like a giant bird with a lizard head ,claws, and a snake like tail not exactly what is described but play a couple hundred years of telephone and it seems plausible to me

House elfs of also seemed to fit perfectly in with the story "the shoemaker And the elf"

Please do more videos like these! The wizarding world is great but it’s influences and essentially “making of” is also just as interesting!

The first “Hi boys” made me chuckle. The second one made me laugh out loud! Too perfect.

The way I understand the folklore brownies turn into boggarts when they are angered or offended. The Brownie Maggie Moulach had a son named Brownie Clod who was called a dobby (which was a name for at dull yet well intentioned brownie)

Me, a person who learned about several fae folklore from the show "lost girl": you don't want to insult a brownie. Unless you have yourself a Kenzi.

House-elves ARE folklorically linked to bogarts. House-elves, AKA Bbownies, are helpful little critters, but they can turn into bogarts when embittered for some reason (and then there was one case where a bogart was a brownie only for the family's eldest daughter.) In some ways Kreatur was a bogart, or at least in transition to one. The connection between folkloric bogarts and the wizarding world version is that bogie became a nickname for bogarts, and then eventually evolved into The Boogeyman, which became slang for whatever unnecessarily frightens you. It was an easy step from there to Rowling's shapeshifting frightener defeated by mockery. Also, fun fact about villas, it's Eastern European immigrants that brought us the term "willies" for shivering fear at something not quite right. "The way Voldemort looks at me gives me the willies!" Villas and Willies the same word, filtered through an accent that can't distinguish v and w, and then Americanized.

Talking about the Boggart and that date scenario got me thinking. My biggest fear isn't really a thing, more of a concept. My biggest fear is dying alone and unloved. What would a Boggart do with that information? What humourous thing would Riddikulus conjure from that?

This was pretty cool Dif needs a part 2 or maybe 3

This needs to be a series. So many aspects of Harry Potter come from various myths and folklore

Yeah we need part 2

I absolutley love you putting the folklore ablbum in when you mentioned folklore

#swampfarts Yes! Let’s get this rolling!

Not knowing about boggarts it's crazy to me. I remember reading a book with my class I'm 5th grade about a boggart. Also boggarts are in the magic tree house too

I always thought elves saw humanity bumble around with magic, took pity on them, and taught them how to make wands. Some even bound themselves to a witch or wizard, their family lines being inexorably tied together.

I'm pretty sure you make a basilisk by hatching a chicken egg under a toad, not a toad egg under a chicken . . . Also, fun fact, real basilisk are the 'Jesus lizards' that can run across water 😁 And another, the basilisk as depicted in the Harry Potter films is definitely a legless lizard, not a snake. I have no idea why they went that direction visually, but all the distinctive features are there.

It's chicken under a toad. There should've been more concern that Trevor kept disappearing👀

Are you guys going to do a response video to professor sprout saying to get over Harry Potter?

“Harry Potter should have not given Dobby a sock. It’s just that Dobby is a House Elf. Must maim or kill Harry Potter!” -Dobby, 2024

The veilas are called samodiva in Bulgarian. Means something like alone-wild.

Loved this style of video 10/10. I’d love to see y’all do a similar type of video on books or historical events that inspired Harry Potter as well. Keep it coming, y’all are amazing.

Snuck in a little GMM reference with the cockatrice. I love it

I am enjoying the Greek and Roman mythos from the Percy Jackson books! They do introduce many gods and goddesses of the minor hierarchy as well! I did notice quite a few monsters too! I do enjoy it when you guys branch out into additional content bringing more information about any given series, Thanks!

#swampfart is back! I am so happy Also love the editing in this one. Great job Ethan!

Do cars have souls and was Sally a lost soul

One of my favorite things about the Wizarding World is how many classic mythical creatures there are: goblins, elves, giants, centaurs, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, fairies, trolls, dragons, sphinxes, mermaids, zombies (which is technically what the Inferi are) and a ton of other stuff. It makes the universe feel that much more familiar.

"Delicious in Dungeon" had a bit where they talked anout using dogs while harvesting Mandrake (I know it doesn't fit the channel theme. But I figured you would enjoy the reference)

There's this new anime was manga now anime called delicious in dungeons. And they use the method in which to harvest mandrakes. They don't use a dog but they explain how they would have done it as well as using a monster to do it instead. I like it because not only does it show the ability to actually survive off of any kind of thing you can find but they also have been using a lot of mythology and folklore elements to tell the story in terms of the monsters.

Mistake? nah, Mistsnake... I will show myself out...

More of these would be great thanks!

OMG!! I laughed SO hard when the "folklore" pictures were shown . . . Isabel, I love you!! ❤ (I'm assuming this was her, considering she's a Swiftie!! 😅)

12:50-13:00 A+ editing there. Absolutely brilliant.

The basilisk in the Harry Potter movie is based off the European legless lizard, and you can in fact get them as pets. Although they are not easy to care for (and they are not snakes).

Love you guys so much, and would love more of this!!!

The Folklore joke took me by surprise like.... so much ! XD edit : One of my favorite video ever !

Yes more magic history inspo! Love this ❤

Actually in slavic folklore it is the other way around how basilisk is born - it comes from an egg laid by a seven-year-old rooster and hatched for nine years by a toad. Still this explains a bit why roosters don't like basilisks so much :D

10:54 you got it right the first way you said it! well done! 🤣😊

12:00 This explanation of boggart is similar to that of the ghoul, right? 14:57 Do you think that some Redcaps would have inhabited the grounds of Hogwarts after the battle of Hogwarts? 17:09 Or the Quidditch World Cup in general.

I’d like more videos like this. I find it more interesting to learn about things in the real world, so the real world inspirations for fictional works is really awesome

It’s sad how few people have actually succeeded in creating their own philosopher’s stone. But I guess too many nearly immortal people could crowd up the works. Think how every 60 or 70 years you’d have to change your identify and move along so as not to have angry mobs trying to get at your stones! Hehe! I usually wait until everyone I loved has passed on then I fake my death and move to a new place. If anyone else has dealt with this problem please share how you’ve managed it. Thanks for your suggestion to help me with my next move.

Yes please do more of this videos

Obviously dragons exist in plenty of real world mythos, but do any of the specific breeds of dragons have counterparts in the myths of muggles?

I knew a lot of this, but there was a good chunk I didn't and Jay's delivery is awesome. Keep these coming, please.

Always fun when the SCB videos get to work in bits from the J vlogs. That particular vlog was awesome getting to see J and Ben go to London for Google, see Seamus, and J buying Luke his first Harry Potter book.

This was so interesting. I hope you make more videos like this!

Hey brothers! One of your best vids in a while! Loved this theme, hope you do more!

Awesome as always thanks guys ❤ I was aware of most of these this should be a series this was great!

There are also stories where the basilisk is only about a foot long

Best Segway into a sponsorship ever (please make part two)

12:00 Brownies are ALSO actually the name of the second stage of Girl Guiding (for little girls of age 7 - 10) in brown and yellow uniforms taught to always lend a hand and to think of others before themselves. (The intro story for Brownies is that a brother and sister go into the forest at night looking for a Brownie to help their mum do chores around their messy house, and then they find an owl who tells the girl to look into the pond and it will reveal a Brownie to her.)

You are the bast of the Harry Potter RU-vidr ❤

Agreed more videos like this. Very interesting content. I was baffled a couple months back when I watched a video where you mentioned mandrakes were a real plant

Bezoars don't actually do anything. Swallowing one isn't likely to cause vomiting on swallowing, but vomiting can occur when one is in the digestive tract. IE: if someone has unexplained abdominal pain and vomiting they might have a bezoar in their digestive tract. Apparently the best way to get rid of a beazor is to drink Coca-Cola. Diet Coke and cellulase ingestion seems to be the preferred treatment.

Come on part 2!

I found this really interesting. I’d love to see more. I know kappas are a real thing (as in not just Harry Potter). I can’t remember all of the details, but cucumber sushi rolls are called kappa maki. I remember it had something to do with kappa fingers looking like cucumbers and keeping kids away from water. lol.

that "alas...earwax" gets me every time

i am meant to be doing coursework yet here we are.... SCB!

Anyone who's seen/read Spiderwick should already be aware that the harry potter boggart is very different from the folklore. I also like how you just outlined how similar boggarts and brownies are and in Spiderwick if a brownie gets angry he turns into a boggart until you calm him down with honey. It's too bad there weren't more Spiderwick movies

I would love to hear more about this! :D Could be the start of a great mini-series

It's a good day when j uploads

I love the depiction of Brownies in the Fablehaven series.

That was fun, do more of this please. You could even stretch it into some of the other fandoms you do videos for too!

I would love for more of these videos

More!!

Definitely more of these! I also noticed you guys weren’t mentioning that some of these existed in Greek Mythology as well and I would love to see the comparisons! One specifically I know of is the basilisk, but I definitely think there are more.

This was great. Can you do more of these

I'd love to hear more!!

Would love more of these types of videos.

Definitely vote for a part 2 and as many parts as you can get

I love that Dobby dialogue around the 12:30 moment! 😂😂

another fun video!~ thank yall!~

Yeah keep these type of videos coming!

This was great, I'd definitely love more :D

More of this please!

"Actual Veela don't do the bird and fire thing." ACTUAL veela. Mygodpeople, like we didn't have enough to watch out for.

4:30 "comes from folklore" *taylor swift album with text 'no not that one'* i giggled too much at this

Yooooooooo. That talking edit was wild

I'd love to see more of the history like this.

This was a super cool video!

2:50 I would encourage you to read the series "Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel". It is a similar series to Harry Potter, but its key gimic is that most historic figures with rumors of immortality actually were, and are hiding in the modern world. People like Nicolas Flamel, John Dee, Machiavelli, etc

Yes more of these pls!

Putting “other” eggs under a chicken is common practice. Usually done with ducks who treat their eggs roughly, a chicken treats their eggs delicately and they’re more likely to incubate them to hatch.

I'm not sure why but the altoids joke really got me 😂

Here's one you missed: The band that plays during the Yule Ball is called The Weird Sisters. This is actually a reference to the three witches in Macbeth. In the Dutch translation they are specifically called De Witte Wieven, which is an actual folktale of ghosts that roam the misty flat acres that are so common in the Netherlands.

Literally the most awesome theories ever!!! Love you guys!!!

I love the folklore mention and the lyrics popping oit randomly

Love this! I have always loved learning about folklore, mythology, and legends from different cultures around the world. It is shocking how different cultures who had no contact with each other, have similar “mythological creatures”, such as dragons, unicorns, firebirds, and yeti or Bigfoot.

Is the first date bit an underlying hint that J and Beth kept dating because she knew what a boggart is, aka was a Potterhead?