The Convention of Secrets
January 31, 2019 4:04 PM Subscribe
The Literary Ink Convention takes place in Chattanooga this weekend. While there will be many literary references present, let's be honest, it's mainly
a Harry Potter tattoo convention. Here's a small sample from this year's "tattoo wizards": Professor McGonagall, Deathly Hallows, Floo Powder, Luna Lovegood, Mad Eye Moody, Kreacher, Shrieking Shack, Expecto Patronum, Bellatrix Lestrange, George's ear, Snape Snape Snape, potions and potions and potions and potions, Hermione, Cornish pixie, Dark Mark, Dobby, the third Horcrux, the Marauder's Map, Harry's grim, Hufflepuff House and Slytherin House, so very very very very very very many wands, and countless other references to little moments in the books.
The one thing I find odd (not offensive or wrong or anything, this is all celebrating beloved fiction, but just odd) is that canonically in the books at least for Eastern/Central European wizards the sign of the deathly hallows is essentially a wizard swastika. Yet it's an incredibly popular Potter tattoo, I guess because of it's simplicity and symbolic meaning? Even more so for the death eater skull thingy, which doesn't even have a double meaning in the books. It's straight up the gang tattoo for the terrorist movement trying to ethnically cleanse Britain and stage a coup. Why is that the tattoo that people want?
posted by Wretch729 at 5:49 PM on January 31, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Wretch729 at 5:49 PM on January 31, 2019 [3 favorites]
That's not my interpretation of the deathly hallows, I'd class it more like a tattoo of the Holy Grail from Indian Jones: yeah the Nazis want it for their reasons, but a bunch of other people want it for a bunch of other reasons too. It's a symbol of many things.
The dark mark, though, I'm there with you. In the context of our stupid century and what's happening politically I couldn't stop myself from being a bit judgey about people flaunting symbolic, fictional, evil. It's why I can't abide "joking" defenses of the Galatic Empire from Star Wars.
posted by traveler_ at 6:41 PM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
The dark mark, though, I'm there with you. In the context of our stupid century and what's happening politically I couldn't stop myself from being a bit judgey about people flaunting symbolic, fictional, evil. It's why I can't abide "joking" defenses of the Galatic Empire from Star Wars.
posted by traveler_ at 6:41 PM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by filthy light thief at 4:57 PM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]