Rowling took her Hallows (along with many other magical objects) from Celtic myth. Let's learn more.

1. {
The Origin of the
Deathly Hallows

2. The Tuatha de Danaan
were said to have
brought four treasures
to Ireland from the
Otherworld.
The Shining Spear of Lugh,
which is always victorious in battle.

3. The Sword of Nuadu, which always destroys its
target completely

4. The Cauldron of Dagda provides
endless food.

5. And Lia Fáil, Stone of Destiny, also
called the Coronation Stone of Tara.
This confers kingship on those
crowned there.

6. 3. From Falias was brought the Stone of Fal which was located in Tara. It used to
cry out beneath every king that would take Ireland.
4. From Gorias was brought the spear which Lug had. No battle was ever
sustained against it, or against the man who held it in his hand.
5. From Findias was brought the sword of Nuadu. No one ever escaped from it
once it was drawn from its deadly sheath, and no one could resist it.
6. From Murias was brought the Dagda's cauldron. No company ever went away
from it unsatisfied.
7. There were four wizards in those four cities. Morfesa was in Falias; Esras was in
Gorias; Uiscias was in Findias; Semias was in Murias. Those are the four poets
from whom the Tuatha De learned occult lore and secret knowledge.
8. The Tuatha De then made an alliance with the Fomoire, and Balor the grandson
of Net gave his daughter Ethne to Cian the son of Dian Cecht. And she bore the
glorious child, Lug.
…
10. The battle of Mag Tuired was fought between them and the Fir Bolg. The Fir
Bolg were defeated, and 100,000 of them were killed including the king, Eochaid
mac Eire.
11. Nuadu's hand was cut off in that battle--Sreng mac Sengainn struck it from
him. So with Credne the brazier helping him, Dian Cecht the physician put on
him a silver hand that moved as well as any other hand.

7. • Sources:
• Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired, translated by
Elizabeth A. Gray, Sacred Texts. https://www.sacred-
texts.com/neu/cmt/cmteng.htm
• Lebor Gabála Érenn, ed. and tr. R.A.S. Macalister. Lebor Gabála
Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland. Part IV. Irish Texts Society
41. London, 1941. Section VII, § 304-5.
• "The Four Jewels", The Yellow Book of Lecan, CELT. Translated at
http://maryjones.us/ctexts/jewels.html
• Geoffrey Keating, Foras feasa ar Éirinn. The History of Ireland by
Geoffrey Keating, ed. and tr. D. Comyn and P.S. Dinneen, Foras
Feasa ar Éirinn le Seathrún Céitinn. 4 vols: vols 1-3. Irish Texts
Society 4, 8 and 9. London: David Nutt, 1902-1914.

8. THE chiefs of the Tuatha De Danaan thronged round Lugh on the
Hill of Usna. Lugh stood on the summit, and the Sword of Light was
bare in his hand: all the hill below him shone with a radiance like
white silver.
"Chiefs," cried Lugh, "behold the Sword! Ye should have three great
jewels to match it.
Where are the Spear of Victory, the Cauldron of Plenty, and the Stone
of Destiny?"
The Tuatha De Danaan bowed their heads and veiled their faces
before Lugh, and answered:
"The Fomor have taken the Cauldron of Plenty and the Spear of
Victory from us. Ask the Earth of Ireland for the Stone."
Lugh whirled the Sword till it became a glancing wheel of light, and
cried:
"O Earth of Ireland, sacred and beloved, have you the Lia Fail, the
Stone of Destiny?"
Celtic Wonder Tales

9. A strong sweet music welled up from the earth, and every stone and every leaf
and every drop of water shone with light till all Ireland seemed one vast crystal,
white and shining. The white light changed to rose, as it had been a ruby; and the
ruby to sapphire; and the sapphire to emerald the emerald to opal; the opal to
amethyst; and the amethyst to diamond, white and radiant with every colour.
"It is enough! " cried Lugh. "I am well answered: the earth of Ireland has kept the
Stone."
"O Chiefs," he said, "raise up your foreheads. Though ye have not the jewels ye
have the scars of battle-combat, and ye have endured sorrow and hardship for ye
have known what it is to be exiles in your own land. Let us swear brotherhood
now by the Sword and the Stone that we may utterly destroy the Fomor and
cleanse the world. Hold up your hands and swear, as I and those who came with
me from Tir-nan-Oge will swear, and as the Sacred Land will swear, that we may
have one mind and one heart and one desire amongst us all."
Then the De Danaans lifted up their hands and swore a great oath of brotherhood
with the Earth and with the hosts of the Shining Ones from Tir-nan-Oge. They
swore by the Sword of Light and the Stone of Destiny; by the Fire that is over the
earth; and the Fire that is under the earth; and the Fire in the heart of heroes. They
swore to have one mind, one heart, and one desire, until the Fomor should be
destroyed. Lugh swore the same oath, and all his shining comrades from Tir-nan-
Oge swore it. The hills and valleys and plains and rivers and lakes and forests of
Ireland swore it--they all fastened the bond of brotherhood on themselves.
"Let us go hence," said Lugh, when the oath was ended, " and make ready for the
great battle."
At his word all the chiefs departed, each going his own road.

10. In Chrétien de Troyes' Arthur, the grail quest climaxes with the
symbols of a broken sword, silver serving dish, the Grail, and
bleeding Lance.
Meanwhile, many see the sword and lance as the Blade (or
male principle) and dish and grail as the female principle
(chalice).
These also became the Tarot card suits and then the modern
playing card ones.
Finding Balance

11. The Earliest
Hallows
Powers Later Hallows Tarot
Symbols
Rowling’s Objects
Shining spear of
Lugh
Provides victory
in any fight
The Pole of Combat Spear or
Wand
Elder Wand
Sword of
Nuadu
Always destroys
its target
The Sword of Light Sword Godric’s Sword
Cauldron of
Dagda
Provides
endless food
The Cauldron of Cure Cup Hermione’s Beaded
Bag
Stone of Fal Confers
kingship
The Stone of Destiny Pentacle Resurrection Stone
 While the master weapon descends through Rowling intact, these others have been
massively changed. Why? Though Harry is on a type of grail quest, he is not a
king. Thus he doesn’t need to feed subjects. Still, as Hermione’s bag provides
endless information, clothing, healing potions, and supplies, it must be deemed
equivalent.
 Harry needs a sword of unavoidable destruction, but to murder Voldemort’s
Horcruxes, not people.
 His test is to descend into death, not to sit on a throne, and so that is the power the
stone grants him.
 Obviously, one item is missing from this collection: the third hallow of Harry’s cloak.
Perhaps it is not surprising that the humblest of these, the one he’s had and used all
along, comes from a more modern list…

12. King Arthur owned thirteen
hallows, treasures of his kingdom.
These are described in the Welsh
epic, The Mabinogion.

13.  1. Dyrnwyn the sword of Rhydderch Hael; if any
man drew it except himself, it burst into a flame
from the cross to the point, and all who asked it
received it; but because of this property all shunned
it; and therefore was he called Rhydderch Hael
Powerful Flame
Fiendfyre burns up Crabbe, the unworthy

14. 2. The basket of Gwyddno Garanhir; if food for one
man were put into it, when opened it would be found
to contain food for one hundred.
3. The horn of Bran Galed; what liquor soever was
desired was found therein.
6. The knife of Llawfrodded Farchawg; which would
serve four and twenty men at meat all at once.
10. 11. The pan and the platter of Rhegynydd
Ysgolhaig; whatever food was required was found
therein.
Harry masters the Aguamenti spell, the passages to the
Hogwarts kitchens, and much more, aided always by
Hermione’s beaded bag.
Endless Cauldrons of Food

15. 5. The halter of Clydno Eiddyn,
which was in a staple below the
feet of his bed; and whatever horse
he wished for in it, he would find
it there.
Magical Transport
4. The chariot of Morgan
Mwynvawr; whoever sat in it
would be immediately
wheresoever he wished.

16.  7. The cauldron of Tyrnog; if meat were put in it to boil for a coward it
would never be boiled, but if meat were put in it for a brave man it would
be boiled forthwith.
 8. The whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud; if the sword of a brave man were
sharpened thereon, and any one were wounded therewith, he would be
sure to die, but if it were that of a coward that was sharpened on it, he
would be none the worse.
 9. The garment of Padarn Beisrudd; if a man of gentle birth put it on, it
suited him well, but if a churl it would not fit him.
Who is Worthy?
“…I was unworthy to unite the Deathly Hallows, I
had proved it time and again, and here was final
proof…Maybe a man in a million could unite the
Hallows, Harry. I was fit only to possess the
meanest of them, the least extraordinary. I was fit
to own the Elder Wand, and not boast of it, and
not to kill with it. I was permitted to tame and use
it, because I took it, not for gain, but to save others
from it…You are the worthy possessor of the
Hallows.”

17. 12. The chessboard of Gwenddolen; when the men were placed
upon it, they would play of themselves. The chessboard was of
gold, and the men of silver.
Gamesmanship

18. 13. The mantle of Arthur; whosoever was beneath
it could see everything, while no one could see
him.
And theThird Deathly Hallow atLast

19. BonusHallows
This version is rather different from that given by Jones, in
his Welsh Bards, which omits the halter of Clydno
Eiddyn, but adds
• The mantle of Tegau Eurvron, which would only fit
such ladies as were perfectly correct in their conduct,
• and the ring of Luned, by which she effected the release
of Owain the son of Urien, as has already been seen in
the story of the Lady of the Fountain; whoever
concealed the stone of this ring became invisible.

20. Analysis: These items represent many others we’ve seen in the books: between
the Hallows, the Horcruxes, the spare wands, the new spells, and other items
(Sorting Hat, Sword of Godric Gryffindor, beaded bag, basilisk fangs) Harry has at
least thirteen treasures aiding him on his sacred quest to destroy Voldemort.
Only one who is truly worthy, a symbolic king or those who he’s appointed to aid
him (as he confides his task to Ron, Hermione, and Neville) can wield these
items. Dumbledore withholds knowledge of the Hallows because Harry has to
prove himself worthy. Likewise, the sword can only appear to Neville and Harry
as a test. Dumbledore must realize that being appointed is not enough: only those
imbued with kingship can succeed.
The
Arthurian
Hallows
'The
Mantle of
Arthur'
'The
Whetstone
of Tudwal
Tudglyd'
'The
Chariot of
Morgan the
Wealthy'
'Dyrnwyn,
Sword of
Rhydderch
'The Coat of
Padarn Red-Coat'
‘Chessboard
of
Gwendolau’
Ability Makes the
wearer
invisible
Ensures
death
Travels
swiftly to
anwhere
Bursts into
flame
Identifies those of
noble birth
Plays by
itself
Rowling Invisibility
cloak
Godric’s
Sword
Apparition Fiendfyre Sorting Hat Wizard
Chess

21. The bag, like the cauldron, is a feminine symbol.
The stone and sword blend masculine and feminine
power, as the stone brings back all of Harry’s relations,
and his mother’s image guides him to the powerful
sword.
The Elder Wand alone doesn’t blend traits from both
genders—its single purpose is winning battles. It is all
Voldemort bothers to quest for; thus, Voldemort’s quest
for power without understanding of the gentler magics
(like the truth of Harry’s blood protection through his
mother’s sacrifice) causes his destruction.
He makes feminine Horcruxes as well as masculine ones,
but, as with the Resurrection Stone, he fails to
understand the deeper symbolism.
Gender Matters

22. Surprisingly, Voldemort’s
Horcruxes (excepting Harry
and himself) are all feminine
symbols. Perhaps he’s
seeking his absent feminine
side. However, as with the
Resurrection Stone, he fails
to understand the deeper
symbolism.
Gender Matters
The feminine
[Tarot] suits, the
cup and the
pentacle, are
symbols of
‘feminine’ traits-
receptive,
nurturing, and
welcoming.
To see or wear a
tiara in your
dream
symbolizes
feminine power
and mystique. A
necklace,
similarly, is
feminine
adornment and
lunar roundness.
The serpent sheds its skin to
be born again, as the moon
its shadow to be born again.
They are equivalent
symbols. Sometimes the
serpent is represented as a
circle eating its own tail.
That's an image of life. Life
sheds one generation after
another, to be born again.

23.  Condren, Mary. The Serpent and the Goddess. San Francisco:
Harper & Row, 1989.
 Gould, Joan. Spinning Straw into Gold. New York: Random House,
2005.
 Guest, Lady Charlotte, trans. The Mabinogian. https://www.sacred-
texts.com/neu/celt/mab/index.htm
 Joines, Karen Randolph. Serpent Symbolism in the Old Testament.
Haddonfield, NJ: Haddonfield House, 1974.
 MacCulloch, John Arnott. The Religion of the Ancient Celts.
Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1911. The Internet Sacred Text Archive,
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/rac/index.htm.
 Markale, Jean. Women of the Celts. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions,
1986.
 Walker, Barbara G. The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred
Objects. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988.
 The CELT Project: Corpus of Electronic Texts http://www.ucc.ie/celt
 The Internet Sacred Text Archive http://www.sacred-texts.com/
More on Feminine
Symbols and Celtic Myth

24. Please visit
VeFrankel.com or
Amazon for more works
by Valerie Estelle Frankel