To all the young North Americans out there, the Hogwarts letters never came because...well..we're not from England! If any of us were to have magical capabilities we would have gone to the American alternative
to Hogwarts: Ilvermorny.JK Rowling; author of the "Harry Potter" series, recently disclosed that Hogwarts was not the only wizarding school. We were aware from "Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire" that 'Beauxatons Academy of Magic' of France and 'Durmstrang Institute' in Belgium, were already a part of Rowling's magical world. But now it has been divulged that there were not only three, but eleven magic teaching schools. However only some have been disclosed by Rowling. Now included are: Mahoutokoro, located on top of a volcanic island in Japan. Uagadou, is in Africa, located in mist on a caved in portion of a mountain side, and is the largest. Castelobruxo is in Brazil and looks like a temple. And perhaps the most pleasing to fans of the series is the unveiling of the North American School: Ilvermorny, located somewhere in the East Coast.
Image Credit: Pottermore.com
In Rowling's extended storyline that can be found on Pottermore.com, Ilvormorny was loosely modeled by its founder after the design of Hogwarts. Ilvormorny was founded by Isolt Sayre, a pure-blood girl from Ireland. Isolt was denied her own opportunity to attend Hogwarts by her radicalist aunt/kidnapper who supported the 'pure-blood' movement and did not want to see her niece go to a school that supported the integration of 'muggle-borns' into magic teachings. Isolt was heartbroken by this as well as enraged by her captivity. She eventually escaped, and fled Ireland via the Mayflower ship traveling to America.
As a witch, Isolt did not consider overstaying her time with the Puritans. She found greater security in living on her own in the wild. She remained alone until she saved a 'Pukwudgie' from a 'hidebehind' and the Pukwudgie became her temporary assistant, as he felt indebted to her. This was until she came across a family of four experiencing a magical creature attack. The parents were already killed, but Isolt had arrived in time to save their two boys lives. The Pukwudgie helped her carry them back to her home thus fulfilling his debt. Isolt brought the two injured boys back to health and learned their names were Chadwick and Webster, and they too were magic.
Later on they were joined by a family friend of the boys named James Steward, who had been out looking for the missing boys and parents. The four of them became a family, and Isolt named their dwelling Ilvermorny after her first childhood home. Isolt told the family stories she had heard of Hogwarts and the four Hogwarts Houses. The boys decided that they should have their own magic school and have four houses just like Hogwarts. What started out as a homeschool eventually grew into an actual school which kept expanding. Each of the four family members were the 'founder' of their own house and chose their own creature (who happened to be from Native American folklore) to symbolize it. An initial look at both schools houses easily insinuates they are 'one in the same'-they both have a snake, a bird, a cat, and an 'extra' as house symbols.
Isolt, chose the Horned Serpent (a snake). But don't be quick to assume the symbol of a snake corresponds with the Slytherin House at Hogwarts. The Horned Serpent house represented that of what a snake is in Native American mythology. It represents healing and psychism. Isolt's Horned Serpent house sought out students of the mind (psychism) and arguably corresponds most closely to the Ravenclaw House at Hogwarts, which values intellect and knowledge above all.
James selected the Pukwudgie, which represents the heart, this house parallels most closely to that of the Hufflepuff House, who are known for loyalty and compassion. Both Isolt's selection and James's selection for their houses correspond easily to Hogwarts houses Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Where it's harder to determine is with the boys houses. The older of the two, Chadwick, chose the Thunderbird, which represented the soul and sought out those who loved adventure. Thunderbirds are creatures who 'create storms as they fly' according to Rowling. Perhaps the Thunderbirds are like the Slytherin's. Slytherin's value intellect and wit like the Ravenclaw's, but are also ambitious like the Gryffindor's.
Webster chose the Wampus, who represented the body, this house wanted the warriors, like the Wampus, a panther like creature fast and strong. It's founder Webster is said to be "argumentative but fiercely loyal" These traits suit that of a Gryffindor fairly.
The new additions to a series are likely for publicity due to the upcoming prequel to the Harry Potter series: Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Themwhich will hit theaters November 18th, 2016 in the US. Nevertheless I was delighted to read more about a series that I loved as a child and still enjoy today.
