Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, comes to pick up
Harry from his aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon Dursley. He is the first one to
inform Harry about the fate of his parents and his magical powers. The Dursleys
who had always withheld this particular information from Harry and had tried to
raise him like an ordinary boy belong to the non-magical world and are,
therefore, called muggles. In their capacity as muggles they are proud to have
no knowledge of the wizarding world which is why they do not use proverbs or
expressions used within this world.
However, Hagrid
being the first one from this world whom Harry meets is quick to use such a
phrase as soon as he realizes that he was supposed to write a letter to
Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts: “‘Gallopin’ Gorgons, that reminds me,’
said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a
cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl –
a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl – a long quill and a roll of
parchment.”[1]
According to an Interview of Rowling with the newspaper Scotland on Sunday Hagrid is described as character drawn from the
area of Chepstow, Wales where word-endings are being dropped [2]
which leads to the conclusion that he must be referring to galloping gorgons. In this context it is an exclamation of shock
and abruptness due to a sudden memory.
The term gorgons
dates back to Greek mythology firstly used in Homer’s Illiad. These creatures
were described as three daemons one of them known as Medusa. “The three
Gorgones were depicted in ancient Greek […] as winged women with broad round
heads, serpentine locks of hair, large staring eyes, wide mouths, the tusks of
swine, lolling tongues, flared nostrils, and sometimes short coarse beards.”[3]
Hooves are not part of this description. The verb galloping can, however, only
be ascribed to hoofed animals. It is, therefore, inaccurate of Hagrid do
combine galloping and gorgons.
There is one
exception that would justify this combination of words. Hagrid might refer to
the hoofed animal with which Medusa was pregnant at the time of her
decapitation – Pegasos. According to one of the myths Pegasos sprang from
Medusa’s neck the moment she was beheaded. This exclamation might, therefore,
refer to the galloping child of a gorgon. It is, nonetheless, inaccurate. Hagrid
might also refer to the phrase time is running. In this case time is galloping,
so it is passing even more quickly. It is, therefore, high time to write a letter
to Dumbledore. However, there is no clear connection between the rapidity of
passing time and gorgons.
[1] Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
London: Bloomsbury, 1997, p.43.
[2] Goring, Rosemary. "Harry's
Fame," Scotland on Sunday, 17 January 1999. Web. 15.03. 2015.
<http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/1999/0199-scotlandsunday-goring.html
[3] Atsma, Aaron J. "Medousa
& Gorgones." Web. 16.03.2015.
<http://www.theoi.com/Pontios/Gorgones.html>.
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