Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Salazar Slytherin====== =====Introduction===== Salazar Slytherin was one of the four legendary founders of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] in the 10th century. A powerful wizard and a famous [[Parselmouth]], he was the founder of [[Slytherin]] house, which values ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness. His staunch belief that magical education should be reserved for pure-blood [[wizards]] and [[witches]] led to an irreparable conflict with the other founders, particularly [[Godric Gryffindor]]. Slytherin's most significant legacy is the clandestine [[Chamber of Secrets]] he built within [[Hogwarts]], and his lineage, which ultimately produced his final heir, [[Lord Voldemort]]. =====Biography===== Alongside [[Godric Gryffindor]], [[Helga Hufflepuff]], and [[Rowena Ravenclaw]], Salazar Slytherin co-founded [[Hogwarts]] with the shared goal of creating the world's finest magical school. For a time, the four worked in harmony, each selecting students for their respective houses based on desired qualities. Slytherin favored students who were ambitious, shrewd, and from pure-blood lineages. His insistence on a pure-blood-only admission policy became a major point of contention. Slytherin argued that [[Muggle-born]] students were untrustworthy and unworthy of learning magic. This ideology clashed fiercely with the more egalitarian views of the other founders, especially his once-close friend, [[Godric Gryffindor]]. The disagreement escalated into a serious argument, culminating in Slytherin's decision to leave the school he had helped build. Before departing, Slytherin secretly constructed the [[Chamber of Secrets]] deep within the castle. According to legend, as told by [[Professor Binns]], Slytherin sealed the [[Chamber]], ensuring that only his true heir could open it. The heir would then be able to unleash the monster within—a [[Basilisk]]—to purge the school of all students Slytherin considered unworthy to study magic. This dark legacy haunted [[Hogwarts]] for centuries, becoming a reality when his descendant, [[Tom Marvolo Riddle]], opened the [[Chamber]] twice. =====Physical Appearance and Personality===== Salazar Slytherin's physical appearance is known primarily from the colossal statue of him in the [[Chamber of Secrets]]. The statue depicted him as an ancient and "monkeyish" man with a long, thin white beard that flowed down to the bottom of his sweeping stone robes. As described by the [[Sorting Hat]], Slytherin was "power-hungry" and "shrewd." His defining personality traits were immense ambition and a strong sense of pride, particularly concerning blood purity. He was cunning, determined, and resourceful, qualities he valued in his students. However, his prejudice against [[Muggle-borns]] reveals a deep-seated intolerance and elitism. His willingness to build the [[Chamber of Secrets]] and leave behind a murderous beast demonstrates a profound capacity for ruthlessness and a desire to see his dark ideals perpetuated long after his death. =====Magical Abilities and Skills===== * **[[Parseltongue]]:** Slytherin was a renowned [[Parselmouth]], possessing the rare ability to speak to [[snakes]]. This skill is the reason for the serpent being the symbol of [[Slytherin]] house. He used this ability to control the [[Basilisk]] in the [[Chamber of Secrets]], and the trait was passed down through his bloodline to his descendants, the [[Gaunt family]] and [[Lord Voldemort]]. * **[[Legilimency]]:** Like the other founders, Slytherin was an accomplished [[Legilimens]], enabling him to read minds and assess the qualities of potential students for his house. (Pottermore) * **Master Wizard:** As a founder of [[Hogwarts]], Slytherin was undeniably one of the most powerful and knowledgeable [[wizards]] of his era. His skill in [[Charms]] and [[Dark Arts]] is evident in the creation of the [[Chamber of Secrets]], which remained hidden and inaccessible to all but his heir for a millennium. =====Possessions===== * **[[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]]:** A heavy gold locket engraved with a serpentine 'S' in green stones. It was passed down through his descendants and became a treasured heirloom of the [[Gaunt family]]. After being sold by [[Merope Gaunt]] to [[Caractacus Burke]], it was purchased by [[Hepzibah Smith]]. [[Tom Riddle]] later stole the locket and transformed it into one of his [[Horcruxes]]. * **[[Wand]]:** Slytherin owned a [[wand]] made of snakewood with a core of [[Basilisk]] horn. The [[wand]] had the ability to "sleep" when commanded and was passed down through his family to [[Isolt Sayre]], who eventually buried it on the grounds of the [[Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] in North America, where it grew into a unique snakewood tree. (Pottermore) =====Relationships===== * **The [[Hogwarts]] Founders:** Slytherin was once the "best friend" of [[Godric Gryffindor]], but their fundamental disagreement over blood purity shattered their relationship and led to Slytherin's permanent departure from [[Hogwarts]]. While his exact relationships with [[Rowena Ravenclaw]] and [[Helga Hufflepuff]] are less detailed, it is clear he became estranged from all of them due to his extremist views. * **Descendants:** Slytherin's bloodline continued through the centuries, eventually dwindling to the impoverished and unstable [[Gaunt family]]. His most famous descendant was [[Tom Marvolo Riddle]] ([[Lord Voldemort]]), who took great pride in his heritage, adopting the title "Heir of Slytherin" and dedicating himself to fulfilling Slytherin's ambition of purging the wizarding world of [[Muggle-borns]]. =====Etymology===== * **Salazar:** The name is likely inspired by António de Oliveira Salazar, the dictator who ruled Portugal for much of the 20th century. J.K. Rowling lived in Portugal for a time and has confirmed this influence. (J.K. Rowling interview) * **Slytherin:** The name is audibly similar to "slithering," a direct reference to [[snakes]], the symbol of his house and his signature ability to speak [[Parseltongue]]. =====Behind the Scenes===== * The history of Salazar Slytherin and the [[Chamber of Secrets]] is first explained in detail by [[Professor Binns]] in //[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]//. * In the film adaptations, a portrait of Salazar Slytherin can be seen in the [[Headmaster's office]] at [[Hogwarts]]. (film) * Extensive details about Slytherin's [[wand]] and his descendants in North America were revealed by J.K. Rowling in her writings on the [[Pottermore]] website. (Pottermore)
