+125 You ever think about how ironic Remus Lupin's name is? Let me explain. Lupin + e = lupine (adjective): Of, like, or relating to a wolf or wolves. And in roman mythology the twins Remus and Romulus were demigod sons of Mars (Ares in greek mythology) who were raised by wolves. Did his parents know he was going to be a werewolf someday? amirite?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I think you'll find that Miss Rowling thought deeply about the names of many characters. Sirius, the dog star. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. Remus Lupin is just one of many clever names (though I wouldn't really call it irony).

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm not a big HP fan, but the most fascinating name I thought was Voldemort. That would be, broken into Latin roots roughly: choose of death, or choose to die. Something along those lines.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I read on a trivia sight that Voldemort comes from the French words for "fly from death," as he spent his whole life trying to avoid death.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yep.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Its actually French for either the flight of death or stealing death. She really thought through the names

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Rowling researched everything. There's some deep stuff in there. And pretty much every name/spell/fantasy term used has some language origin or symbolism.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It's not ironic, lupis is Latin for "wolf". Many of Rowling's character names are simply alagories.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

His parents didn't, no. But JK Rowling did.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

But his parents gave him that name - surely they must have been aware?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No they didn't. They don't exist. IT'S A BOOK!

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Exactly - they weren't and couldn't have been aware, so why is his name so obviously a reference? Things like that break immersion for me.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Didn't anything else in the Harry Potter universe reveal to you that it might have been just made up by someone?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Well, yes, in the form of constant arbitrary rules she would add in, but this is a more general statement.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No, J K Rowling did...

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Sorry could you repeat that?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No, J K Rowling did...

by Anonymous 11 years ago

ok I get your point..

by Anonymous 11 years ago

It's not ironic, no. It would be ironic if Lupin were a werewolf hunter, or a vampire.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

That's a name motif. They are everywhere, not just in Harry Potter

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I learned about Remus and Romulus from AC: Brotherhood. :D

by Anonymous 11 years ago

It's ironic how many people use the word ironic wrong.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I tried to outspeed the, "HOLY SHIT GAIZ, JK ROWLING MADE UP A CLEVER NAME - BEST AUTHOR ALL TIME" tsunami, but it was somewhat impossible.

by Anonymous 11 years ago