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By Dr. Carol Jamison

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Confirming the significance of birthright to medieval chivalry, William Caxton explains in the epilogue of Lulls Book of Knighthood and Chivalry that Lulls book is not for every common man to have, and Lull himself requires that knights must be taken of the natural nobility. Keen defines this requisite as franchise, the free and frank bearing that is testimony to the combination of good birth with virtue. While much of Rowlings series is devoted to questioning the necessity of pure blood as a requisite of wizard chivalry, Harry, who comes from a long line of prestigious and powerful wizards, nonetheless possesses an impressive birthright. Ramon Lull, Lulls Book of Knighthood and Chivalry and the Anonymous Ordene de Chevalarie, Trans. William Caxton, Rendered into modern English by Brian R. Price (The Chivalry Bookshelf, 2001), 102, 51. Keen, 2.

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As he learns to follow the rules of the wizard world, rules that echo those in medieval books of chivalry, Harry resembles a number of Arthurian knights : Both Percival and Arthur must grow into their roles as successful knight or leader. In the opening lines of Chrtiens Percival, for example, the young hero is untrained and ignorant of the rules of chivalry, making a series of blunders when he first aspires to become a knight. Although he possesses franchise (his father was an excellent knight) and clearly shows natural talent, Percival is not successful until he learns the proper rules of etiquette and makes amends for his earlier errors. The similarities between Harry and Percival are particularly strong in the beginning books of Rowlings series when Harry, who Rowling claims is brave but stupid, is still ignorant of the wizard rules of chivalry. Like Percival, who shows the potential for prowess with his natural skill at handling a javelin, Harry, despite his lack of experience, first grasps a broomstick, and he knew, somehow, what to do. Both Professor McGonagell and Gryffindor Quidditch team captain Oliver Wood note that Harry is a natural. Obviously, Harry comes about some of his skills naturally, yet, like the typical knight of romance, he must learn to control his inherited gifts through chivalric education. Rowling, The Chamber of Secrets, 176. Rowling, The Sorcerers Stone, 150. Ibid., 151 and 167. The notion of Percival as a natural seems to be a popular motif for modern renditions of the tale. For example, Barnard Malamuds character in his novel The Natural, Roy Hobbs, is a natural at baseball. More recently, in the comic film The Waterboy, Adam Sandler plays a character who, despite his mothers attempts to shelter him, is a natural at football.

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In the final book, the ghost of Dumbledore acknowledges Harrys abilities as leader, a role which, like Arthur, Harry finds himself unexpectedly filling: It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and must take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well. Harrys virtues as a leader, particularly his willingness to fight against Voldemort, accord with the virtues of the ideal leader as described by Geoffroi de Charney: They were, therefore, chosen to be the first to take up arms and to strive with all their might and expose themselves to the physical dangers of battle in defense of their people and land.They were, therefore, chosen to give of their own freely and generously to men of worth. As Harry emerges as a leader and gradually understands the gravity of his situation, moral lessons become more complex, and also his use and understanding of weapons move beyond the simple object lessons of the earlier books. Whereas Harrys early attainment of the Sword of Gryffindor from the sorting hat provides him a moral lesson in identity, assuring him of his place in the House of Gryffindor, those who have read all of the series note that his subsequent encounters with swords are more clearly keys to his moral development. Rowling, The Deathly Hallows, 718. Charny, 77.

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Rowling, The Half-Blood Prince, 139-140. Rowling alludes to the Siege Perilous reserved for Galahad prior to his birth as Harry wonders, Had Voldemort chosen Neville, it would be Neville sitting opposite Harry bearing the lightening-shaped scar and the weight of the prophecy.Or would it?....Would there then have been no Chosen One at all? An empty seat where Neville now sat and a scarless Harry? However, Harry Potter is no Galahad: As she downplays franchise, Rowling also downplays the significance of the prophecy. In The Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore, in words that mark a major difference between Harry and Galahad, points to Harrys personal will as the leading factor that will determine his ultimate defeat of Voldemort: Of course youve got to! But not because of the prophecy! Because you, yourself, will never rest until youve tried. Contemplating these words, Harry concludes that his own determination is crucial to the successful completion of his quest; not prophecy: It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Harry reduces the prophecy to chance when he realizes in The Half- Blood Prince that, in fact, the language of the prophecy could have referred either to himself or Neville Longbottom, and his own role as Chosen One is due more to interpretation than fate or franchise. Rowling, Order of the Phoenix, 511. Ibid., 512.

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Keen writes that in the fifteenth century, learned heralds explained a schematic relationship between the colors of heraldry and the chivalric virtues. Rowling uses colors in similar fashion to signify attributes that unite the members of Hogwarts houses. Gryffindors color, gules, or red, symbolizes prowess according to this schema. In her fifteenth-century treatise on chivalry, Christine de Pizan explains that the color red on a heraldic device symbolizes fire, which is by its nature the most shining after the sun and the most noble of the four elements. For this nobility, the laws ordered that nobody except princes should bear this vermilion, which signifies loftiness. Keen, 131. Christine de Pizan, The Book of Deeds of Arms and of Chivalry. Trans. Sumner Willard, Ed. Charity Cannon Willard, (Pennsylvania : Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999), 219

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Not only for his own success, but also for the good of his house, Harry must learn the rules of wizard chivalry. Certainly, many of Harrys early object lessons involve weaponry. However, Rowlings portrayal of warfare is not glorified; Harry and his companions fight solely to combat evil forces that threaten both the wizard and Muggle worlds. Bernard of Clairvaux, writing in the Middle Ages, argued that warfare for knights should focus solely on the fight against evil: If he fights for a good cause, the outcome of a battle can never be evil; and likewise the result can never be considered good if the cause is evil and the intention unrighteousness. Bernard of Clairvaux, In Praise of the New Knighthood, Trans. M. Conrad Greenia (Trappist, Kentucky: Cistercian Publications, 2000), 35.

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Certainly, Severus Snape fulfills Christine de Pizans dictates on the obligations of a vassal to obey the wishes of his lord: the ideal vassal shall never reveal a secret that would be prejudicial to his lord, shall not make excuses, saying that any job is too hard or too difficult for him, and should not seek in any way to excuse himself from going against his lords wishes. Snape courageously and dutifully fulfills difficult commands from his beloved lord, Dumbledore, when he feigns obedience to Voldemort and agrees to kill Dumbledore as an act of mercy. Harrys regret at his failure to recognize Snapes innate goodness is apparent in the last novel in his decision to name his second son after Dumbledore and Snape, the latter whom he acknowledges as the bravest man I ever knew. This gesture evidences the fruition of Harrys moral growth and the subtleties inherent in chivalric behavior. Christine de Pizan, 148-149. Rowling, The Deathly Hallows, 758.

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Harry almost immediately begins to develop loyalty, one of the most important aspects of chivalry, upon moving from his dysfunctional Muggle family to Hogwarts, where he quickly gains companions. In fact, Harrys earliest display of loyalty occurs as he first steps off the train at Hogwarts and defends Ron Weasley, who becomes one of his closest companions and Gryffindor housemate, against the verbal assault of Draco Malfoy. For the most part, Harry comes about the attribute of loyalty naturally, though he is presented with several challenges involving loyalty through the course of the series. Harrys loyalty to Dumbledore is in accordance with Lulls description of the loyal thane: neither treason nor pride, nor any other vice corrupts the oath that the knight has made to his lord and chivalry. Lull, 67.

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In Malorys Le Morte DArthur, one of young Arthurs first acts as king involves generosity as he distributes lands and wealth to ensure loyal retainers. Like the medieval ruler, Harry also builds loyalty through generosity. Although his intent is not to establish himself as leader, his understanding of this trait nonetheless clearly reflects Geoffroi de Charnys description of the generous medieval knight: you should be generous in giving where the gift will be best used. In the early novels, Harrys displays of generosity are simple gestures, such as taking the whole lot of candy from the trolley when sees that Ron cannot afford to buy any and giving his earnings from the Triwizard Tournament to the Weasley twins to fund their gag shop. However, Harrys understanding of the meaning of generosity expands from such simple object exchanges as an annual Christmas gift swap with Ron and Hermione to much deeper exchanges of generosity involving personal sacrifice. Charny, 70.

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Despite the commitment from and assistance of his loyal companions, in the first novel as in the last, Harry realizes that he must finally face Voldemort alone. Harrys adventures culminate in a final showdown with Voldemort.

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The timeless nature of chivalric virtues in large part accounts for the continued appeal of medieval romance, a genre from which J. K. Rowling clearly borrows, yet also transforms for modern readers. Caxton advises medieval readers of these virtues in the epilogue to his edition of Lull: And some not well advised used not honesty and good rules again in the order of knighthood, leave this, leave this and read of Tristam, of Percefrost, of Percival, of Gawain, and so many more. There will you see manhood, courtesy, and gentleness. William Caxton, Preface to Malorys Works by Sir Thomas Malory, Ed. Eugene Vinaver, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1971),103.