Hey, brother!
J, today we try to tackle one of the oldest questions in all of Harry Potter:
Why are they called Death Eaters?
We may not call them Death Eaters, but if you subscribe to this channel you're a...
friend.
Death Eaters. Voldemort's most trusted followers,
His inner circle.
Those who bear the Dark Mark.
Those capable of summoning him on a moment's notice.
Almost as evil as Baldo Numero Uno himself.
And I say a moment's notice but let's be real...
But: 'Death Eaters'- it certainly sounds evil enough,
but it almost seems like it would refer to something specifically, but
it's never really explained.
I mean are they like... eating... dead people?
It would certainly fit the name, but,
to what end?
Actually, one of the more popular theories out there is that the name 'Death Eater',
kinda comes from the process in making a Horocrux.
J.K Rowling all but refuses to tell us the procedure,
and probably for good reason- we don't want a whole bunch of immortal murderers running around.
But she did once tell her editor, who reportedly almost threw up upon hearing how it was made.
Since the answer to both questions is shrouded in mystery and both have to do with the same group of people,
I can see why in general people would believe that they'd be connected.
The common working theory is that the Death Eaters actually need to eat Voldemort's victims in order for him to create a Horocrux.
And yet this just isn't the case.
We never hear anything close to the idea of this happening,
and Voldemort does most of his 'Horcruxing' alone.
In fact, he doesn't seem to want his Death Eaters to know that they exist.
Yes, he does let Bellatrix and Malfoy guard two of them,
but neither them actually know what they're guarding.
So, no, I don't think the name at all comes from cannibalism,
but fortunately, J.K Rowling has dropped a few breadcrumbs along the way that might help us figure it out.
For one, they weren't even always called Death Eaters,
in an interview with J.K Rowling she reveals that the original band of Death Eaters were actually called
"The Knights of Walpurgis"
I'm sorry, the what?
It kinda seems like a weird mix between, like, nobility and just word vomit.
"Walpurgis"
... "purgis"
... "purge"
Urgh.
Though that would still probably fit the cannibalism theory.
But, no, we have done some digging on this and the name is definitely a play on "Walpurgisnacht",
or "Walpurgis Night" a night in German and Dutch culture,
which literally translates to "Witches' Night".
Witches' Night takes place on April 30th and involves
BURNING LOTS OF FIRES!
and dancing!
The fires are meant to be keeping away witches who are meeting on 'Der Brocken"
The highest peak in the Harz Mountains in Germany.
The dancing was just for fun.
Not related, but a fun thing that I learnt while researching was the phenomenon of "Brocken spectre"
That's "Brocken *space* Spectre"
Not an inspector of brocks.
It's basically where you stand on top of a misty mountain and the sun behind you
actually casts a rainbow round your body and shadow.
But back to Walpurgis Night. The witches would be meeting there to hold revels with the devil.
and it was because it was a time when it was believed the barrier between the living and the dead was much weaker.
So, we have magic folk meeting with the dark lord and fighting death.
I can kind of see how Voldemort fits in here.
Minus the dancing.
But believe it or not there is actually another inspiration for the name.
One "Walburga Mengele"
Men-gell?
Something?...
Mother of "Josef Mengele", who was a Nazi Doctor who did terrible experiments at Auschwitz.
His lovely mother, and by "lovely" I mean you know when you just, like, scratch your fingernails down a chalkboard?
was also extremely cruel and a huge Nazi supporter.
Nazis, of course, being the best real world example of Death Eaters.
Either way, you can see how Voldemort's following would take inspiration from real world Nazis.
Although if that doesn't sell you, there could be another explanation,
there is actually an asteroid named 'Walpurga"
But that's just like up there floating in space... It's a little bit harder to tie to Voldemort.
Or is it?!
After all, Voldemort can fly, and flying is like floating... DO YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS?!
When he's not looking we can just tie a rope to Voldemort's foot and then summon him to a place where Harry is supposed to be,
as soon a he takes flight, or floats, we just tie the other end around an asteroid!
BOOM BAM! Tied it together.
Totally.
Or not, especially since there actually is a pure-blood wizarding family that names all of their children after celestial things.
The Blacks.
Sirius and Regulus are both names of stars.
Their father is Orion, which is the name of that three dot constellation that kinda makes it seem like you know things about space when you're looking up at the sky.
And of course, their mother's name, which is.. wait for it... Walburga.
And now we're getting somewhere.
Walburga Black, the horrible portrait at Number 12, Grimmauld Place that's constantly going on and on about blood traitors.
I love how she has a huge problem with muggle-borns but then like marries her second cousin,
which also weirdly means that both of her sons are like her second cousins... urgh!
"Walpurgis" is right!
But yeah. Her.
Guess. Just guess,
When she was born?
1925.
*Drama sounds*
Oh yeah, I didn't tell you why that's important...
It's important because of when Voldemort is born.
1926.
And we absolutely know that she was in Slytherin House,
which means she absolutely would have been at Hogwarts when,
just one year later, none other than new to the wizarding world Tom Riddle enters and is sorted into Slytherin.
Can it be a coincidence that just one year ahead of Tom Riddle is a very vocal blood elitist?
Who just happens to have the same name of the group he would later form to carry out the exact same views?
Well, of course, it's never explicitly explained and Walburga and Orion never actually joined the ranks of the Death Eaters,
although they do believe in the cause.
So let's think just a little more about Tom Riddle's years at Hogwarts.
He, of course, enters a world he never knew he was a part of, is immediately sorted into Slytherin House, but,
he couldn't or wouldn't have ever had the opportunity to even know to have prejudice towards any of the other students,
that's a learned thing.
So, where did he learn it from?
Enter Walburga.
And now, I want to make it super clear I am not, in any way, shape, or form, suggesting any kind of romantic relationship here, but
based on the portrait at Grimmauld Place I have a feeling she was a rather outspoken person.
And I have to imagine that being part of the Black Family would give you some sway in Slytherin House.
Sirius even says:
It sounds like at least a few members of the family would have been present at Hogwarts at that time,
as we of course have Orion and Wulburga but then also
Alphard Black.
Walburga, though, is the eldest, and it wold seem possible that her beliefs would get passed onto Tom,
thus inspiring the name "knight of Walpurgis".
But that still doesn't explain how we get to "Death Eater" from there.
What do we actually know about the Death Eaters?
Well, for one, their symbol is the Dark Mark, as skull with a snake for a tongue.
Or is it?
Is the snake a tongue or is it a tasty treat?
The incantation for the Dark Mark is "Morsmordre"
which literally translates to: "To bite death".
So, yeah, I don't think it's a snake tongue- I think it's a snake snack!
Snake snacks!
Which, by the way, this video is brought to you by 'Snake snacks!'
The snackiest snakes!
Actually, I'm just kidding.
but maybe it's not the skull that's supposed to represent death,
but rather, the snake.
Take a look at this symbol:
The Ouroboros,
The snake eating its own tail.
This is the symbol of immortality, the very thing that Voldemort is after.
This symbol is almost the perfect representation of Voldemort's greatest ambition,
right down to the snake!
Listen to this:
Represents coming full circle.
Ouroboros is an ancient symbol representing a snake eating its own tail.
The name originates within Greek language,
'Ouro', meaning tail and 'boros' meaning eating.
Thus, 'he who eats the tail'.
Snake snacks! The snakiest snacks!
The tail, as in the end that the skull bites, is not just the physical end of the snake,
but also the metaphorical end of life.
Going back to the Dark Mark, the end that the skull is biting down on is
is not just the end of the snake, the tail of the snake, but also the metaphorical end of life.
Morsmordre: To bite death,
summons a skull biting the tail of a snake.
The goal is immortality, they seek to destroy death,
They eat death.
They are... Death Eaters.
And the symbol goes deeper than that,
again, the Dark Mark represents the Death Eaters,
but it's not even like Voldemort 100% came up with the symbol on his own.
He would have first seen a snake emerging from a mouth,
deep below Hogwarts Castle in the Chamber of Secrets.
This discovery, this confirmation that he was the true Heir of Slytherin,
that he was the one destined to carry out all of the beliefs of his fellow Slytherin classmates,
I believe that is the moment they became Death Eaters.
Not only does the symbolism we just discussed fit in, but
I feel like the Basilisk itself represents death in a much more visceral way,
in a 'giant, fanged snake trying to kill you' kind of way.
And of course, the Basilisk resides inside the statue of Salazar Slytherin,
and enters and exits through the mouth.
Just another way that Slytherin himself was 'eating death'.
So again we ask, why the Knights of Walpurgis?
Well, that one is maybe less profound,
but adds up all the same.
It's just this simple:
the group was originally named after their beacon of purebloodedness,
Walburga.
The name was just then adjusted to 'Walpurgis' for the name/date she was kind of named for.
Later, when he finds the Chamber of Secrets, it confirms his heritage and he changes the name.
And, now, I know we don't have any proof at all,
that Tom Riddle would have looked up to anyone, let alone, Walburga, but
it would explain maybe why he was snooping around the girl's bathroom.
I mean, after all, I feel like that Tom Riddle would have been way too proud to believe that Salazar Slytherin left the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets
underneath a toilet.
Tom Riddle. Why were you in the girl's bathroom, man?
Guys, for my question of the day: What do you think- is the inspiration for the name of "Death Eaters"?
Basically, when I came across Ouroboros that was the conclusion for me.
That idea of, like, immortality and eating death,
completely made sense.
But be sure ot leave your thoughts in the towel section down below.
Guys, as always thanks for watching, be sure to like this video and subscribe to the channel if you haven't already,
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it's an absolute blast, I highly recommend you check it out.
But, J, that's all I've got for you today, man, I will see you on Tuesday.