Elizabeth Baird Hardy, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts Professor, the genius behind AppalachianInkling.com, Hunger Games expert, and author of Milton, Spenser and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels, joined Nick and John to discuss the Charm Bracelet that J. K. Rowling posted on her Twixter home page as a Christmas gift to her readers. Mrs Murray said that that the thirteen charms on nine links were a set of clues about the next Strike novel, the ninth in a ten book series.
In the first Part of Elizabeth, Nick, and John’s conversation, they discussed Rowling’s charm bracelet history, speculated about why she posted this picture when she did, decided to look at each charm on the bracelet for its stand-alone meaning and its place in the nine link set, and to read the whole series as if it were a ring composition, one reflecting a nine Part structure in Strike 9. They then made deep dives into the details of each charm: the heart shaped box containing a ‘You and Me’ engagement ring, a golden diamond-laden egg, a foul anchor, two angels, and a Trojan horse.
In the second Part of that conversation, the trio of Serious Strikers continue with the remaining charms on the bracelet, namely, a Jack-in-the-box, an Hourglass, a White Rose and Crocodile, a Corvid head, and a Psalter paired on the last link with the Head of Persephone. They share their thoughts, too, about the bracelet as a symbolic integer and its ring meaning.
Each Substack video post comes with links to or excerpts from sources mentioned in their Deep Dive discussions.
Their conclusions? The bracelet is an avalanche of Christian content, one more instance of Rowling ring-writing, here in jewelry, with latched objects at beginning, middle and end, and several hints that Robin Ellacott won’t be getting out of this decalogy alive.
Enjoy! And sign up for the HogwartsProfessor Substack feed while you’re over there! It’s free and the comment thread conversations are the beating heart of Strike-Ellacott fandom.
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