Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today we’re going to be discussing one of the most feared curses in the wizarding world-
AVADA KEDAVRA- also known as the KILLING curse.
Specifically, we’re going to be taking a look at where it came from, who created it,
why it’s unforgivable, why it may be merciful, and what the very surprising function of this
spell may have once been.
Let’s get in to it.
History
The list of victims who have been struck down by the infamous killing curse is seemingly
endless, and one of the biggest proponents of this vicious spell is, unsurprisingly,
Lord Voldemort.
But even though Lord Voldemort’s name has become somewhat synonymous with this horrible
curse, the spell itself dates back many centuries before Voldemort’s time.
In fact, records indicate that the curse was invented as early as the Middle Ages- sometime
between the 5th and 15th century.
Given that this time period was rife with conflict between wizardkind and mugglekind,
I’d imagine that it was originally created as a weapon to be used against muggles, though
this is of course just my own speculation.
The curse itself is generated by uttering the incantation ‘AVADA KEDAVRA’ which
then creates a blindingly intense green bolt of light capable of instantly killing a victim
upon impact.
The spell serves a simple purpose - it puts an end to the victims life.
In a time of struggle, this would have been the perfect solution for wizards to gain the
upper hand over muggles.
And for many centuries this spell could be freely used by the Wizarding population.
However, in the year 1717 Avada Kedavra was outlawed and deemed ‘Unforgivable’ by
the Ministry of Magic alongside two other curses- Crucio - the torture curse, and Imperio,
the mind-control curse.
All three curses were created in the middle ages, and I have a suspicion that all 3 may
have been created by the same unnamed dark wizard.
These curses were deemed "unforgivable" because of their sadistic nature, and the general
consensus among wizardkind was that these spells were too powerful and cruel to be used
freely in the wizarding world.
The capacity to torture people, control them against their will, and kill them with a single
incantation was just not something that could be left unrecognized or unpunishable in society.
When legislation was passed by the Ministry to name these 3 curses ‘unforgivable’,
the ‘strictest penalties’ were put in place and attached to their use.
Utilizing one of these 3 curses just ONE time could land you a life sentence to Azkaban.
It remains unclear to this day why exactly these 3 spells were singled out and named
‘Unforgivable’ when there are so many horrible curses in the wizarding world, but
I imagine there must’ve been some sort of a catalyst.
Ulick Gamp was the minister for magic at the time the spells were outlawed, with just one
year left in his term.
I like to think that something may have happened involving these spells that threatened his
position.
I can only imagine the chaos that something like the imperius curse would cause in a government
structure like the ministry of magic, and so I can hardly blame Gamp for outlawing these
curses.
Alternatively, perhaps it was just a politically driven decision in order to secure the popular
vote.
Avada Kedavra remains an ‘unforgivable’ curse to this day, but it certainly hasn’t
stopped dark wizards across the globe from utilizing it in all of their dark deeds.
Before we move on from the early history of the curse, however, I want to enlighten you
with a theory about HOW Avada Kedavra may have been created, and for what purpose.
Now, it’s certainly no surprise that ‘Avada Kedavra’ closely resembles the stereotypical
magical words "Abracadabra!"
which we often hear magicians declare when they do things like pull bunnies out of hats.
JK Rowling even admitted herself that this similarity was intentional.
In the Middle Ages people believed that any event they couldn’t logically explain was
likely caused by magic.
This led to much of the population of Medieval Europe deeply fearing having an enchantment
cast on them.
In response to this, they began using the words ‘Abracadabra’ to ward off any potential
wrongdoing sent in their direction.
The theory in question suggests that Avada Kedavra is derived from abracadabra, and was
originally created to HEAL.
The words ‘abracadabra’, in the aramaic language - the language spoken by the ancient
aramaeans, roughly translates to ‘let the thing be destroyed’.
Theorists have suggested that the spell was originally created to kill viruses and bacteria,
not people, but that once wizardkind discovered its capabilities, its true path of death and
destruction began.
Given that the middle ages were a time of plague and illness, perhaps this theory does
bear some weight.
I’d also like to mention that one of the most famous dark witches of all time existed
in this time period- a witch by the name of Morgana Le Fay- the nemesis of Merlin.
Provided that Morgana was a DARK witch, she was unsurprisingly a master of the dark arts,
HOWEVER, she also happened to be particularly gifted at performing magic on the OTHER side
of the spectrum, known for her ability to cast advanced healing magic.
Perhaps SHE is the spell’s original creator.
Why is it UNFORGIVABLE?
The differences between the 3 established curses deemed unforgivable and all of the
other horrific curses in the wizarding world is a line that’s been left entirely unclear.
With spells out there like ‘Transmogrifian Torture’, which is perfectly alright to
use by the way, it’s hard to imagine why these 3 curses would be singled out.
However, my theory is this:
The 3 unforgivable curses have one thing in common: no counter curse.
Even the darkest of spells, like Sectumsempra, have a counter-curse, but in the case of Avada
Kedavra, Crucio and Imperio, there’s not much you can do if they’re cast at you.
There probably are other dark spells that you can’t deflect, but I think it’s the
combination of their sinister nature, propensity to do damage, and unavoidability that make
them truly ‘unforgivable’.
HOW IT KILLS YOU
Given that Avada Kedavra leaves almost no trace of being used on it’s victims, we’re
somewhat left in the dark with regards to HOW it kills you.
There are two predominant theories on this topic:
The first theory suggests that the curse causes all of the victims internal organs to immediately
stop functioning.
This is more of a ‘physical’ death.
And the second theory claims that the soul of the victim is magically ripped from their
body- more of an ‘ethereal’ death.
As it happens, I’ve actually made a full-length video discussing this topic which provides
evidence for both sides of the argument.
As I’ve already covered it, I’ll leave you with these two options, and if you want
to learn MORE then head over to my video: ‘How Avada Kedavra Kills You’.
Is it MERCIFUL?
In Harry Potter there are plenty of spells and curses that have the potential to KILL
someone.
Bombarda Maxima, Fiendfyre, Sectumsempra, Confringo- all of these bear the capacity
to kill a target and more- so, what makes ‘Avada Kedavra’ different?
Because there’s no confirmed explanation as to how Avada Kedavra actually kills you,
this is a bit hard to answer, but what I want to hone in on is the fact that it kills you
INSTANTLY.
The counter-part to this type of death in the muggle world would be lethal injection-
which is often considered ‘humane’ in the right context, like when an injured animal
has no chance of survival.
This method of killing someone ends a life with seemingly the least suffering possible.
Given that something like Bombarda Maxima would horrifically blow your body to pieces,
is it possible that Avada Kedavra is actually somewhat…Merciful?
I think that the answer to this is dependant on which theory you subscribe to when it comes
to HOW the spell kills you.
If you believe that Avada Kedavra PHYSICALLY kills you by stopping your organs, then perhaps
this spell is more merciful than we give it credit for.
However, if you subscribe to the belief that Avada Kedavra forcefully SNAPS your soul out
your body, then I think this method of dying is undeniably more sinister.
And that’s it for this video!
Is there any other component of Avada Kedavra that you want covered?
Leave a comment down below
Until next time
Remember
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live