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[Opinions] Re: Damn!
in reply to a message by Isis
I think that some of the fantastical/ mysterious qualities come from hearing about it for the first time in Harry Potter. At least it's intensified by it.I bought some asphodel for my garden. I also bought a monkshood.
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It was mentioned in HP because of its fantastical/mysterious qualities. The ancients planted the flowers near tombs, regarding them as the form of food preferred by the dead, and many poems refer to this custom. The name is derived from a Greek word meaning sceptre.I found that on some website. Also if you google Asphodel the first thing that comes up is Asphodel Fields. I'm sure these associations are why Rowling used the plant in the first place, much like how she used vampires and centaurs.
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I'm in the US, so I don't have the same familiarity with asphodel as she or anyone in Britain does. For me, it was the first time I heard of it.
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I'm also in the US.Point is, it's a magical plant mentioned once in passing in the Harry Potter books. I don't think that qualifies it as a "Harry Potter" name.

This message was edited 7/29/2013, 6:04 AM

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