There and Back Again

As we’ve established in my previous entry, I am a big Lord of the Rings (LOTR) fan. I have read the book and in the process of re-reading it and have seen the movies a number of times. As big a LOTR fan I am, I’m an equally avid Harry Potter (HP) fan. I have read all four books many times and am literally counting the days until Order of the Phoenix comes out. I’m not ashamed to say that I never go on vacation without a Harry Potter paperback packed in my suitcase. Of course, I’ve also seen the movies a number of times.

The two stories are very different albeit they both involve wizards, and evil lords and heroes plucked from a mediocre life and thrust into adventure and danger. No one should ever mistake one for the other. For one, HP’s setting is contemporary. Though they wear wizard robes, they are modern underneath. Except of course the professors as J. K. Rowling never established how hip - or not - they are underneath those robes. <> LOTR on the other hand is set at a time when men, dwarves, elves and hobbits ruled the world. Second of all, LOTR has a more serious and darker tone. There’s a lot at stake in LOTR. The entire world’s existence is threatened by an evil power. HP on the other hand is foremost, a kid’s book. Its concept is simpler but equally magical and engaging. An adult would never find it boring.

But today’s entry is not about the differences but the few similarities. If you’d like to discover for yourself how different the two stories are, I suggest you go ahead and read/watch the books/movies. This entry is meant to highlight what I think are the parallel between the two. I am not at all implying that Rowling borrowed Tolkien’s ideas. The context in which the similar names/terms/concepts revolve in their respective stories are very different. Again, read the book to see what I mean.

So here now is a list of similarities I’ve noticed from reading, re-reading, watching and re-watching Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. If you think of one that’s not listed here, email it to me and we’ll add it. Credit goes to you, of course.

HP: Professor Dumbledore, protector of the young wizard Harry; all-wise, accessorized with a white beard.
LOTR: Gandalf the Grey/White, protector of the ring bearer; all-wise (especially when he was reborn as Gandalf the White), accessorized by a white beard and bushy eyebrows.

HP: Wormtail
LOTR: Wormtongue

HP: Dementors
LOTR: Ringwraith

HP: Harry’s posse: Ron, Hermione
LOTR: Frodo and the Hobbits: Sam, Merry, Pippin

HP: Harry’s defenses: Sirius Black, Hagrid, Professor Lupin and the reluctant, oft-jealous Professor Snape.
LOTR: Frodo’s Fellowship: Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and the confused and oft-sinister Boromir.

HP: Aragog
LOTR: Shelob

HP: The Forbidden Forest
LOTR: Fangorn Forest

HP: The Whipping Willow
LOTR: Treebeard

HP: J. K.
LOTR: J. R. R.

HP: Dobby, the house elf
LOTR: Legolas, gorgeous Elf

HP: Lord Voldemort wants to rule the wizarding world.
LOTR: Sauron wants the One Ring that will rule them all.

HP: Dumbledore can be wonderfully played by Sir Ian McKellen.
LOTR: Gandalf was brilliantly played by Sir Ian McKellen.

(Do you know where the last one’s headed? Yes, I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that the Sir will play Dumbledore in HP3.)