Before we get too far from New Year’s Day, here is an interesting possibility. Could the ‘Hog’ in ‘Hogwarts’ be more heavenly than porcine? According to Robert Trexler, friend of this weBlog and authority on George MacDonald, there is a possibility that ‘Hog,’ at least in one Scottish celebration, Hogamanay (“New Year’s” to us), the ‘Hog’ means ‘holy.’ He writes: Read More “Hogamanay, Scottish New Years = A Clue to the Meaning of Hogwarts?”

One of the great things about checking in at Hogwarts Professor, as you have noted again and again in the comment boxes, is the fascinating and brilliant people you meet here. Quite a few of them are University Professors and published authorities on Potterdom; Edmund Kern at Lawrence, Carrie Birmingham and James Thomas at Pepperdine, Daniel Nexon at Georgetown, David Baggett at Liberty, John Mark Reynolds at Biola, Louise Freeman at Mary Baldwin, Melissa Aaron at CSU Pomona, Scott Moore at Baylor, Vincent Kling at La Salle — really, this site should be called “Potter Professors,” with emphasis on the plurality.

One of the neatest people and smartest folk on hand, though, is Dr. Amy Sturgis at Belmont University. She is our local default Tolkien authority and the on-the-spot reporter who revealed how risibly the Carnegie Hall Open Book Tour event was misrepresented in the Skeeter reports the day after said event. And is she ever in the news this January! Check this out: Read More “HogPro All-Pro Dr. Amy Sturgis in the News!”