Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin

[Reverie Revenge]

Herminny, you're true, we mustn't think every colour mentioned in books is a symbol. But there is a lot of symblolism anyway, check it out at French site: http://www.lapensine.com/index.shtml - moderators, have mercy, I'm not advertising this site, just giving references .

I have delat with green/red paradox already in another topic on this forum, but can't remember the name of the topic
It was sth. like this: if green represents evil, Slytherin, blah, blah, then why does Voldemort have scarlet eyes. This is supposed to be a warm colour but JKR always describes his eyes as cold, pitiless, merciless, ... her colour symbolism is much deeper that just complementary colours like red & green in the colour circle. I think she has one colour for a lot of symbols

[hagrid_fang]

Reverie said

if green represents evil, Slytherin, blah, blah, then why does Voldemort have scarlet eyes.

i've only just caught the last few posts so i'm gonna have to catch up a bit i think, but to the above statement voldie scarlet eyes, scarlet is the colour of gryffindor, harry has green eyes, green colour of slytherin! i don't think it's a coincidence. i just wish i knew where jk is going to take this... it's starting to bug me.

[Athena Appleton]

It was sth. like this: if green represents evil, Slytherin, blah, blah, then why does Voldemort have scarlet eyes. This is supposed to be a warm colour but JKR always describes his eyes as cold, pitiless, merciless, ...

It's a warm color when you're talking about a sunset... it's never been used as a nice term to describe someone's eyes, though. Red is usually a pretty nice warm color, but it's also got several other meanings (it's the first color most people think of when they think of the devil, hell, fire, anger..........)

[hagrid_fang]

yeah red is a representation of danger, anger, hatred etc. it's symbolism, i'm trying to think of some symbolics for the colour green, my mind is all a blank!

[Ferrus]

Well, green is generally a simbol of life, fertility and all that.

[Phinea Rogue]

I've found some general things about colour symbolism for green and red.

Red - colour of passionate love, sensuality and desire (not very connected to Voldemort), it warns against danger, attracts attention, conveys anger and aggressiveness

Green - in Middle Ages considered as colour of calamity and evil, closely assosiated to Devil himself (this sounds like Slytherin), later is become a symbol of fate, it is associated with instability, uncertainty and victory, it also avokes nature and health.

[Eol]

Everyone seems to think that Salazar Slytherin (I love this name, its so snake like ) is pure evil. Sure there is a lot of evidence to support this, i.e. the basilisk, slytherins heir etc, but he did want to educate the masses, Allbeit only the pure blooded ones.

[Reverie Revenge]

Everyone seems to think that Salazar Slytherin (I love this name, its so snake like ) is pure evil.

Me too, me too, his name is just WOW!
And I think if Salazar was Godric's best friend at first he must have become mad later in his life

hagrid_fang , you're right, I've never thought Harry and Voldie's eyes match their opposite house - Harry's got green eyes but he's a Griffindor but Voldie's got scarlet eyes and he's in Slytherin Good point! Eyes might be significant but the symbolism has to stop somewhere, it can't be displayed in any green or maroon sock

May I add sth. to Phinea's dictionary: green represented also the colour that calms you down, that's why the conference room in Schoenbrunn (in Wienna) is decorated all in green. It means green was known for this quality also in the history, not just in present.