Mythology and folklore is a view into our human history. These reincarnated stories allow us to expand on the original stories and spark our inner curiosity.
One of the great things about Mythology and folklore is that it can be preserved, passed on and expanded upon. A very firm example of this is in the Harry Potter series. Prior to these books coming out words such as Hippogriff, Phoenix, Basilisk and Boggarts were unknown to most people. Now they are common vocabulary to many.
Folklore is a glimpse into the history of any given culture and is often at risk for being lost to the modern entertainment luxuries. There was a time that these beasts were tangible creatures. Surely many travelers in the region where the Basilisk was reported to live carried with them a crystal globe as protection. To them the stories were more than just stories.
Today we are beginning to see these folktales reincarnated in a whole new light. In the Harry Potter series a Boggart is a creature that transforms into different beings or creatures to cause mischief for others and are very hard to get rid of. In comparison to a Boggart’s actual folktale it is a tricky creature that has never been seen in actual form that likes to cause mischief. The two folktales are very similar and due to the book series this folktale has been expanded upon.
Another example is the Basilisk. Likewise with the Basilisk’s folktale it is very close to the history presented by J.K. Rowling. In the story she says that the snake is large and to protect oneself from it’s deadly stare a person must carry a mirror with them to reflect the snake’s stare back at it. These are the only two characteristics presented about the snake that differ from the original folktale. The snake in its stories is described as being small as well the protection against it would be to carry a crystal globe to reflect its stare. The mirror is basically a modern “upgrade” on this former tool for reflection, a mirror would be more recognized by the average reader.
The revitalization of folktales sparks a curiosity in people to look at the original stories, which bring people to a look into history. As the saying goes “History is doomed to repeat itself when we forgot the past” by remembering our history we remember our ancestors and contribute to the betterment of society.
