J.K. Rowling’s ‘History of Magic in North America’

As the video above makes excitingly clear, we can expect to learn much more about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in a new series of short stories set outside of Great Britain. As the short pieces become available, I’ll link them and share my immediate thoughts.

All pieces will be made available to read here.

Part 1: Fourteenth Century – Seventeenth Century

  • Wizards knew about North America before it was officially discovered. Cool!
  • Native American mythology fits surprisingly well with the secret history oh JKR’s world.
  • Way too short! 4 paragraphs? This is a lesson in brevity.
  • Also, it proved more a historical account than anything.
  • I’m impressed by how developed her world is… But not really, because she wrote Harry Potter.
  • No-Maj, lol.

Part 2: Seventeenth Century and Beyond

  • First off, thank you for making this one considerably longer.
  • Second, wow, she really did put a ton of thought into this.
  • The creation of the Magical Congress of the United States of America is said to predate the No-Maj version by over a century. Is this in reference to the naming of the Country or the actual Congress? Because if I’m not mistaken, the ‘USA’ was coined in 1776, which doesn’t quite match up.
  • I can see how the wizarding community would have developed in such a way as to become lawless and cruel. Interesting how this all came to a head in 1692’s Salem Witch Trials.
  • I like the notion that North American wizarding families don’t much care if they’re pure blooded or not.

Part 3: Rappaport’s Law

  • Well done. I was very engaged. This was the first to stick to telling it like an actual story, breaking (slightly) from the mold of a pure historical retelling.
  • MACUSA does not cooperate with any branch of the US government, an interesting turn of events.
  • Scourers and their descendants. Don’t like ’em one bit.
  • Very interesting how she weaves American notions and mentalities towards a wizarding tilt. And well done, coming from an American.
  • Segragation. *Shake my head* No good will come of this.

Part 4: 1920s Wizarding America

  • The last of four brief blog posts detailing an abridged history of wizardry in the United States of America, this one does a fine job at inserting itself into the history of America.
  • It also allows Rowling to flex her creative muscles in bringing to life American myths and legends in a way that works all too well in her secret society.
  • Would have been nice to learn more about Ilvermorny.
  • The different wand makers, and what they used as their cores, was very clever.
  • Big Foot. Excellent.
  • And it’s good to hear that American wizards weren’t effected by Prohibition.
  • Sadly this is it, but I feel this will greatly set the stage for what’s to come in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

13 thoughts on “J.K. Rowling’s ‘History of Magic in North America’

  1. “Native American mythology fits surprisingly well with the secret history oh JKR’s world.” Don’t know if you’ve seen, but some people were quite upset at Rowling for incorporating skinwalkers into her magical world – they felt she was undermining Native American culture.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I don’t feel she needed to. What she wrote was extremely short, and brief. People went into this jumping of the pond stuff with their “let’s see how this will be politically incorrect” goggles on, and of course she was going to be bashed for trying. And now people are saying it was a travesty from start to finish. Please.

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  2. I’m so excited about these! It’s been really interesting seeing her get back into the world and flesh it out more. I guess when you’ve developed and written about that world for so long it’s only natural to carry on and go back to it.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. “The creation of the Magical Congress of the United States of America is said to predate the No-Maj version by over a century. Is this in reference to the naming of the Country or the actual Congress? Because if I’m not mistaken, the ‘USA’ was coined in 1776, which doesn’t quite match up.”
    When I read it I didn’t even think about it meaning anything other than the actual Congress, which started in 1789.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. But the Magical Congress (of the United States of America) is the wizard equivalent of Congress (of the United States of America), not of the United States of America itself.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I agree. But if I’m not mistaken, the term did not exist before 1776. Which means the wizarding community would have coined the term a century prior. And there would have been less than 13 states then, so it’s a bit queer.

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  4. I don’t really know how to feel about this new project she has gone into. The audience that grew up with Harry Potter are now getting old for that syle of narrative, and younger ones may not engage as much – different times.
    I’m a bit skeptical. But it looks decent, and the post is v.good.

    Cheers

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Those who wish to dive back into the world of HP can, and those that have moved past won’t. It doesn’t use the same narrative as the books, as these are written as more of a historical account. And it’s hardly an undertaking at all as the project (although requiring a bit of research on her end) is still much shorter than the average chapter in one of her books. I take it as a good sign. This coming from an author who wanted nothing more to do with the world of HP, and is now actively adding lore and stories.

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