Mythological Names in Harry Potter Quiz

Answer: Cerberus

"These regions echo with the triple-throated bark of the giant Cerberus, who crouches, enormous, in a cavern facing them." ("The Aeneid" of Virgil, Book 6.) Charon is the pilot of the boat across the River Styx. The Hydra is a beast with 50 heads. Tisiphone is one of the Furies, bearers of frenzy and madness.

Answer: False

Hermes is the Greek messenger god, while Mercury is his Roman counterpart. This name is appropriate since owls are used to deliver the post in the wizarding world.

Answer: Professor McGonagall

The origin of Professor Minerva McGonagall's name suggests great wisdom and knowledge, which is supported by evidence in the Harry Potter books. Minerva is the only other god allowed to wield the lightning bolts of Jupiter (Zeus), suggesting a relationship between Jupiter and Dumbledore. Minerva's counterpart in Greek mythology is Athena.

Answer: Romulus

"With battle forgotten, savage generations shall grow generous. And aged Faith and Vesta, together with the brothers, Romulus and Remus, shall make laws. The gruesome gates of war, with tightly welded iron plates, shall be shut fast. Within, unholy Rage shall sit on his ferocious weapons, bound behind his back by a hundred knots of brass; he shall groan horribly with bloody lips." ("The Aeneid" of Virgil, Book 1.) Romulus and Remus were raised by wolves, drawing a connection between Lupin's name and his affliction as a werewolf.

Answer: Helen of Troy

"To Helen the gods had granted no more offspring once she had borne her first child, the breathtaking Hermione, a luminous beauty gold as Aphrodite." ("The Odyssey", Book 4.) Hera is the queen of the gods, wife of Zeus. Dido was queen of Carthage and committed suicide when spurned by Aeneas ("The Aeneid", Book 4). Penelope is the wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus.

Answer: Circe

Circe is mentioned in the first Harry Potter Book, Chapter 6. Circe was a goddess that transformed men into pigs. She held Odysseus prisoner on the island of Aeaea for a year during his voyage home from Troy ("The Odyssey", Book 10). Calypso is a goddess-nymph, Demodocus was a bard, and Statius was a Roman poet.

Answer: moon

Luna is the Roman goddess of the moon. A rather special goddess, she had three different facets: Luna in the heavens, Diana on earth, and Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, in the underworld. Luna Lovegood would therefore represent the moon on earth...food for thought.

Answer: Mulciber

Mulciber is mention in chapter 30 of "Goblet of Fire". Vulcan, Hephaestus in Greek, is the god of fire, who operates the forges of the gods. Moran is not a death eater, but is a chaser on the Irish Quidditch team at the World Cup.

Answer: Icarus

Daedalus built the labyrinth on the island of Crete to trap the Minotaur. In "The Aeneid", he carved a shrine telling the story of his escape from Crete - "When Daedalus...fled Minos' kingdom on swift wings and dared to trust his body to the sky." But Icarus, who escaped with him, died when he flew too close to the sun. "And Icarus, you also would have played a great part in such work, had [Daedalus's] grief allowed; twice he had tried to carve your trials in gold, and twice a father's hand had failed." ("The Aeneid", Book 6.)

Answer: Narcissa Malfoy

Narcissus received a prophecy that said that if he did not look at himself he would live to an old age. When he grew up, he rejected all the girls who pursued him. To punish him, the goddess Nemesis arranged for Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection. He watched his reflection until he died.