Elements of the Arthurian Tradition in Harry Potter
by Phyllis D. Morris

Elements of the Arthurian tradition are woven throughout Rowling's Harry Potter series. Both Arthur and Harry are heroes; both were taken from their parents and hidden for their own safety; both have wise, aged mentors; both are on a quest to fulfill their destiny and both have the potential to become immortal. This paper explores the parallels between the themes and characters in Arthurian legend and those in the Harry Potter series. Article

Last night (this morning?)I took my daughters to see the midnight opening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the local mall. While they've been deeply involved with the books for years (we'll go to the midnight sale of the 7th book as well), I just haven't been terribly interested in reading any of them. I appreciate that JK Rowling manages to tell a good story, and I think it is fantastic to see how many kids have been turned on to reading because of the series. But I'm afraid the books are just too English boarding school fiction for me.