The Influence of myths and legends on the Harry Potter series of books

Abstract

This thesis deals with Celtic and Greek myths, analyzes their aspects and compares them with the work of J.K. Rowling about Harry Potter. The aim of the thesis is to prove the linkage between Rowling's work and the above mentioned mythologies, to emphasize their main aspects and point out their similarity. The work begins with an introduction, which states why Greek and Celtic mythologies were chosen, and introduces the basic overview about Harry Potter. The first chapter focuses on putting Harry Potter in the genre of fantasy and into a broader literary context. The following chapters deal with the theory and an overview of the genre of mythology in general and also of Celtic and Greek mythology. The last two chapters deal with specific examples from Greek and Celtic myths that had an impact on the creation of the Harry Potter's world. The work ends with a summary and conclusion of exploring the similarities of Greek and Celtic myths and stories about Harry Potter.