The Peverell Brothers

The Peverell brothers were three highly skilled and powerful wizards from the thirteenth century, famed in legend as the original masters of the Deathly Hallows. The story of their fabled encounter with Death, known as The Tale of the Three Brothers, became a popular wizarding fairy tale, but was believed by a few, such as Xenophilius Lovegood, to be a true account of how the Hallows came into being. The brothers—Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus—are significant not only as the creators or first owners of these legendary objects, but also as the ancestors of both Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter, linking the two adversaries by blood.

The history of the Peverell brothers is known almost exclusively through the legend recounted in The Tales of Beedle the Bard. While the story portrays their acquisition of the Deathly Hallows as a reward from a personified Death, Albus Dumbledore believed it more likely that the brothers were simply gifted and powerful inventors who created the objects themselves. According to the tale, the three brothers were travelling at twilight when they came to a river too treacherous to cross. Being proficient in magic, they conjured a bridge. Halfway across, they were met by a hooded figure, who was Death personified. Angered at being cheated of three new victims, Death pretended to congratulate them and offered each a prize for their cleverness.

The eldest brother, described as a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. Death broke a branch from a nearby elder tree, fashioned it into a wand, and gave it to him. This became the Elder Wand. Antioch travelled to a distant village, sought out a wizard with whom he had quarrelled, and defeated him in a duel. That night, while Antioch slept, another wizard crept in, slit his throat, and stole the wand, making Antioch the first of many to die for its possession. He is not known to have had any descendants.

The middle brother, described as an arrogant man, wished to humiliate Death further and asked for the power to recall others from the grave. Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to him, telling him it would have the power to bring back the dead. This became the Resurrection Stone. Cadmus returned home and turned the stone thrice in his hand, whereupon the shade of the girl he had once hoped to marry appeared before him. However, she was sad and cold, separated from him by a veil, as she did not truly belong in the mortal world. Driven mad with hopeless longing, Cadmus killed himself so that he might truly join her. The stone was passed down through his line, eventually becoming an heirloom of the House of Gaunt.

The youngest brother was the humblest and wisest of the three. He did not trust Death and asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed. Death reluctantly handed over a piece of his own Cloak of Invisibility. The Cloak protected Ignotus from Death for many years. Only when he had attained a great age did he take off the Cloak, give it to his son, and greet Death as an old friend, departing this life as an equal. Ignotus was buried in Godric's Hollow, and his gravestone bore the symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

The Peverell brothers were exceptionally powerful and ingenious wizards. Their ability to conjure a sturdy bridge over a dangerous river with a single spell demonstrates a high level of magical skill. Their greatest achievement, however, was the creation of the Deathly Hallows. Each Hallow is a masterpiece of magic, far surpassing ordinary enchanted objects:

• The Elder Wand is a wand of unbeatable power.
• The Resurrection Stone holds a unique and potent form of necromancy.
• The Cloak of Invisibility is a perfect Invisibility Cloak that never fades, tears, or becomes susceptible to revealing spells.

The creation of these items places the brothers among the most formidable wizards in history.

The only known possessions of the brothers are the three legendary objects they are credited with mastering or creating:

• Elder Wand: Mastered by Antioch Peverell.
• Resurrection Stone: Mastered by Cadmus Peverell.
• Cloak of Invisibility: Mastered by Ignotus Peverell.

The Peverell brothers' most profound legacy is their bloodline, which directly connects the hero and villain of the Second Wizarding War.

• The House of Gaunt: Descendants of Cadmus Peverell. This pure-blood line eventually produced Merope Gaunt, who became the mother of Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort. Voldemort was therefore the heir of Cadmus.
• The Potter Family: Descendants of Ignotus Peverell. The Cloak of Invisibility was passed down as a family heirloom from father to son for generations, eventually reaching James Potter and finally his son, Harry Potter. Harry was therefore the heir of Ignotus.
• The connection makes Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort distant cousins through their Peverell ancestry.

• Peverell: This is an old Norman surname that became prominent in England following the Norman Conquest, suiting a family of ancient wizarding lineage.
• Antioch: A name of Greek origin, famously associated with ancient cities in the Hellenistic world. It perhaps suggests Antioch's worldly and ambitious nature.
• Cadmus: In Greek mythology, Cadmus was the founder and first king of Thebes. His life was filled with tragedy and violence, much like his wizarding namesake who took his own life in despair.
• Ignotus: This is a Latin word meaning “unknown.” The name is a direct reference to his desire to remain unseen by Death and his ownership of the Cloak of Invisibility.

• In a 2007 interview, J.K. Rowling suggested that the legend of the Peverell brothers was inspired by “The Pardoner's Tale” from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, in which three men seek to cheat Death but end up causing their own demise through greed. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, the story of The Tale of the Three Brothers is presented as a distinct, highly stylized animated sequence narrated by Hermione Granger. This sequence was widely praised for its unique visual style. (film)