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The Deathly Hallows

This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: The Deathly Hallows.

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In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, this symbol represents the Deathly Hallows, three powerful objects that, if united, will give a person the ability to surpass human mortality and overcome death.

The three objects that make up the Hallows are graphically represented by the individual components of this symbol:

THE ELDER WAND: represented by the upright line, this magic wand fashioned from an elder tree is reputed to be the most powerful ever created, capable of performing spells and overcoming obstacles that no other wand could easily do.

THE RESURECTION STONE: represented by the circle, this Hallow does exactly what its name implies; it possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life.

THE CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY: represented by the triangle, this Hallow is in a way the most unusual of the three. Invisibility cloaks exist throughout the wizarding world (woven from the hair of a creature known as the demiguise), but this one is virtually indestructible and its magic doesn’t fade with time like most cloaks made in the traditional manner.

Although not specifically mentioned by name, the Deathly Hallows first appear in “The Tale of Three Brothers”, a popular wizarding folktale. In this story, all three Hallows were created by Death himself and given to a trio of brothers as a reward for having outwitted Him. These gifts, however, were a cunning trick by Death and each brother was eventually done in through his interaction with one of the Hallows (for full details on this story read “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” or “The Tales of Beadle the Bard”). The Hallows are a central plot point in the final volume of the Harry Potter series, and they strongly reinforce a theme present throughout all the novels; that death is a natural process and must be accepted as a part of life. Trying to make it otherwise (i.e. cheating death) will ultimately end up causing nothing but pain and despair, regardless of how long the person may live.

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Graphical characteristics:
Symmetric, Closed shape, Monochrome, Contains both straight and curved lines, Has crossing lines.

Category: Science Fiction and Fantasy Symbols.

More symbols in Science Fiction and Fantasy Symbols:

Science fiction is a genre of fiction with imaginative but more or less plausible content such as settings in the future, futuristic science and technology, space travel, parallel universes, aliens, … read more »

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2 Comments
  • Tom Estlack
    Tom Estlack
    looks like a synthesis of alchemical symbols (fire, gold, stick (not sure what alchemical reference that is)). Stick could signify the wand of Asclepius (used in the medical community (rest of the world, not USA). All said, pointing to cleansing, healing and cheating death. HP does a great job of drawing on the etymology of ancient symbols! I'm seeing people with this tattoo around a bit. It looked like it had alchemical references, but I didn't recognize it. As soon as I realized it was a HP reference it made sense. 
    LikeReply5 years ago
  • Ashley Lee Smith
    Ashley Lee Smith
    This symbol has older, non-science fiction meanings as well. I have seen used as a symbol for recovering addictions, which borrowed it from far older traditions.
    LikeReply5 years ago
    • Hamza Ali
      Hamza Ali
      Hello ashley, where can i get more information about the symbol in its older tradition? Any info would help thnx ☺️
      LikeReply5 years ago

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"The Deathly Hallows." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Oct. 2024. <https://www.symbols.com/symbol/the-deathly-hallows>.

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