The Cauldron and the Snake
Aug. 25th, 2003 03:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eruthrosI have a sudden desire to investigate the cauldron and the snake as symbols for Slytherin house. Because, well, come on. It's probably not intentional, but the cauldron is such a symbol of the feminine.
So you have the wand and the cauldron (like the spear and the cauldron). And it's more of a Christianized version of the cauldron story, because those who have skill with brewing and using the cauldron aren't steady, like the wand-wavers; they're mean, capricious, devious, hysterical, powerful but evil -- they've got all the bad qualities the Christian story gave witches to make powerful women seem creepy. Other houses are good at charms or transfiguration, but only Slytherins like potions.
Snape, in particular, loves potions and hates "foolish wand-waving" -- the macho, the phallic. And he's the most hysterical of the characters, really. Not that I don't like him. But he is.
One could even argue that there's this desire to see the cauldron penetrated -- the cauldron calls out for a spear or, in this case, a wand. Hmmmm. Snape and bottoming.
Pushing it further (really, too far, but it's fun), you've got Slytherin, represented by both the snake AND the cauldron, by the demon and the feminine. Slytherin is the demon-snake (Voldemort) AND Witch-Eve (the children); they're the fallen wizards and those who are tempted by the fallen wizards, and fall themselves. They're Eve-il. Demonic. Voldemort's even got the glowing eyes and the snake. I mean.
You could even lead from here to Snape's (sorta) redemption (he fell, but now he works for the side of light) -- but his redemption necessarily involves suppression; he's constrained to the feminine work, to the dungeons. He can't teach DADA. He's not allowed; he's controlled by a twinkly-eyed wand-waver. An implicit assumption of the narrative is that he must be controlled, or his capriciousness will hurt the students.
And, okay, I'm pushing things way too far. And it doesn't parse well with the whole Slytherin-as-a-male-dominated society thing, although the men are total hysterical drama queens. But it's so much fun!
So you have the wand and the cauldron (like the spear and the cauldron). And it's more of a Christianized version of the cauldron story, because those who have skill with brewing and using the cauldron aren't steady, like the wand-wavers; they're mean, capricious, devious, hysterical, powerful but evil -- they've got all the bad qualities the Christian story gave witches to make powerful women seem creepy. Other houses are good at charms or transfiguration, but only Slytherins like potions.
Snape, in particular, loves potions and hates "foolish wand-waving" -- the macho, the phallic. And he's the most hysterical of the characters, really. Not that I don't like him. But he is.
One could even argue that there's this desire to see the cauldron penetrated -- the cauldron calls out for a spear or, in this case, a wand. Hmmmm. Snape and bottoming.
Pushing it further (really, too far, but it's fun), you've got Slytherin, represented by both the snake AND the cauldron, by the demon and the feminine. Slytherin is the demon-snake (Voldemort) AND Witch-Eve (the children); they're the fallen wizards and those who are tempted by the fallen wizards, and fall themselves. They're Eve-il. Demonic. Voldemort's even got the glowing eyes and the snake. I mean.
You could even lead from here to Snape's (sorta) redemption (he fell, but now he works for the side of light) -- but his redemption necessarily involves suppression; he's constrained to the feminine work, to the dungeons. He can't teach DADA. He's not allowed; he's controlled by a twinkly-eyed wand-waver. An implicit assumption of the narrative is that he must be controlled, or his capriciousness will hurt the students.
And, okay, I'm pushing things way too far. And it doesn't parse well with the whole Slytherin-as-a-male-dominated society thing, although the men are total hysterical drama queens. But it's so much fun!
