"Not Slytherin... not Slytherin"

            Snakes have played a prominent role in ancient myths and folklore, representing a variety of qualities, from demonic temptation in Christianity to protection and sacredness in southeast Asian religion. J.K. Rowing chooses to capture the more negative and evil sentiment towards snakes in her Harry Potter series. Harry’s first interaction with snakes is during a trip to the herpetology building of the zoo where a boa constrictor catches his attention. In fact, the snake and he are communicating (in case you have not read the novels, Harry is a wizard), and Harry ends up inadvertently setting the snake free. In various discussion boards it has been proposed that this snake is in fact, Nagini, the snake that later becomes Voldemort’s (the dark wizard and Harry’s enemy) final horcrux (something that harbors a piece of your soul) and right-hand snake, though I was unable to confirm this.

            While the first introduction to snakes at the zoo was pretty neutral, soon after we are introduced to snakes through description and nomenclature of Hogwarts’s (the school of witchcraft and wizardry) houses. Slytherin house, which is represented by a serpent, is immediately portrayed as the house that produces dark wizards. Moreover, it is only dark wizards who can speak to snakes – a skill called Parseltongue – and that is in fact that hallmark of the Dark Lord himself, Voldemort. 

Slytherin House symbol

             In the second novel Young Lord Voldemort (Tom Riddle) revived himself to control the basalisk for the sake of killing muggle-born witches and wizards. Rowling draws from European folklore to describe the basalisk as follows:

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it." (Chamber of Secrets, 290)

Slytherin's basilisk

Fictional though deadly, this snake embodies every negative characteristic often ascribed to snakes – predatory (and for innocent muggle-borns, nonetheless), venomous, and associated with dark characters. It should be noted, however, that modern taxonomy uses the common name basilisk to describe lizards in the genus Basiliscus in the family Corytophanidae.

            Later in the novels, as readers learn more about Voldemort and the dark arts, we are introduced to his snake, Nagini. Nagini in Sanskrit means female snake, and she is first described as “a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long” with a “diamond patterned tail” (Goblet of Fire, 12-13). In the movie, she is portrayed as a reticulated python (Python reticulates), however this portrayal is contrary to her characterization in the novels. Pythons are constrictors, whereas she proves to be venomous multiple times throughout the novels. Moreover, her venom in the fifth novel proves to not only be deadly but also prevents wounds from healing properly. There is talk on Harry Potter wiki, however, that the nature of Nagini being a horcurx (i.e. having a part of Voldemort’s soul in her) may be what makes her venomous, as well as adds magical powers in her venom. Overall, Rowling’s use of serpent's mythical connection to dark magic and evil reinforces their negative reputation, and has even made matters worse by prescribing exceedingly violent tendencies (and venom) into boas and fictional snakes.

Nagini, as portrayed in the movies

References

Harry Potter Wikia. Forum: The type of snake Nagini is. Retrieved from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:The_type_of_snake_Nagini_is

Harry Potter Wikia. Nagini. Retrieved from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Nagini

Harry Potter Wikia. Basilisk. Retrieved from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Basilisk

Rowling, J. K. (1999). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.

Rowling, J. K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.

Wikipedia. Basiliscus. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basiliscus_(genus)