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. ======The Tale of the Three Brothers====== =====Tale Information===== * **Type:** [[Wizarding Fairy Tale]], Origin Story of the [[Deathly Hallows]] * **Author:** [[Beedle the Bard]] * **Protagonists:** [[Antioch Peverell]], [[Cadmus Peverell]], [[Ignotus Peverell]] * **Source:** //[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]// =====Plot Summary===== The tale describes three wizard brothers who, while travelling together, come to a river too deep to wade and too dangerous to swim. Being proficient in [[magic]], they conjure a bridge. Halfway across, they are met by a hooded figure of [[Death]], who is angry that they have cheated him out of three new victims. Cunningly, [[Death]] pretends to congratulate them and offers each brother a prize for their cleverness. - The eldest brother, a combative man, asks for a [[wand]] more powerful than any in existence. [[Death]] fashions one from a nearby elder tree, creating the [[Elder Wand]]. - The second brother, an arrogant man, wishes to humiliate [[Death]] further and asks for the power to recall others from [[Death]]. [[Death]] picks up a stone from the riverbank and gives it to him, creating the [[Resurrection Stone]]. - The youngest brother, a humble and wise man who does not trust [[Death]], asks for something to enable him to go forth without being followed by [[Death]]. Reluctantly, [[Death]] hands over a piece of his own [[Invisibility Cloak]]. The tale then follows the fate of each brother. The eldest brother travels to a village, seeks out a wizard with whom he had quarrelled, and kills him with the [[Elder Wand]]. That night, while boasting of his invincible wand, another wizard steals the wand and slits the first brother's throat. The second brother returns home and uses the [[Resurrection Stone]] to bring back the woman he had hoped to marry before her untimely death. However, she is a sad, cold echo of her former self and does not truly belong in the mortal world. Driven mad with hopeless longing, the second brother kills himself to truly join her. The youngest brother uses the [[Invisibility Cloak]] to hide from [[Death]] for many years. Only when he has attained a great age does he take off the cloak, give it to his son, and greet [[Death]] as an old friend, departing this life as an equal. =====The Hallows and Their Significance===== The tale is widely considered a fictional children's story in the [[wizarding world]], but a minority of wizards believe it refers to three real, powerful magical objects known as the [[Deathly Hallows]]. The legend states that any wizard who unites all three Hallows would become the [[Master of Death]]. * **The [[Elder Wand]]:** The "Deathstick" or "Wand of Destiny," believed to have been given to [[Antioch Peverell]]. It is the most powerful [[wand]] ever made. * **The [[Resurrection Stone]]:** A stone capable of bringing back a non-corporeal "shade" or echo of a deceased person from beyond the veil. It is believed to have been given to [[Cadmus Peverell]]. * **The [[Invisibility Cloak]]:** A cloak that grants the wearer true, infallible invisibility that does not fade with time, unlike other such cloaks. It is believed to have been given to [[Ignotus Peverell]]. The title of "[[Master of Death]]" is interpreted in two ways. The most common interpretation, sought by dark wizards like [[Gellert Grindelwald]], is that possessing all three Hallows grants invincibility. However, [[Albus Dumbledore]] came to believe the true meaning was to accept mortality, as the third brother did. This makes the true master not one who seeks to flee [[Death]], but one who understands that there are things worse than dying. =====History and Cultural Impact===== //The Tale of the Three Brothers// is one of the most famous stories from //[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]//. Most wizarding children, including [[Ron Weasley]], grow up hearing the tale and dismiss it as a simple moral fable. The moral is typically interpreted as a caution against seeking power or trying to cheat [[Death]]. For centuries, a small number of wizards have embarked on the [[Quest for the Hallows]], believing the story to be a factual account of the artifacts' creation. The symbol of the [[Deathly Hallows]]—a triangle enclosing a circle, bisected by a vertical line—was used by these believers. It was later adopted by the dark wizard [[Gellert Grindelwald]], causing the symbol to be associated with [[Dark Arts]] by many. [[Albus Dumbledore]] theorised that the [[Peverell brothers]] were not recipients of gifts from [[Death]], but were instead the highly powerful and ingenious original creators of the Hallows. The story of their encounter with [[Death]] was a legend that grew around their extraordinary inventions. [[Harry Potter]] is a direct descendant of [[Ignotus Peverell]]. =====Role in the Story===== The tale is the central key to understanding the [[Deathly Hallows]] in the final year of the [[Second Wizarding War]]. [[Hermione Granger]] receives a copy of //[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]// in [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s will, which has the Hallows' symbol drawn on the page containing the story. She reads the tale aloud to [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ron Weasley]] while they are visiting [[Xenophilius Lovegood]]. Mr. Lovegood explains the tale's hidden meaning and the existence of the [[Deathly Hallows]], which gives the trio crucial insight into [[Lord Voldemort]]'s actions—specifically his search for the [[Elder Wand]]. The tale allows [[Harry Potter]] to identify his own [[Invisibility Cloak]] as the third Hallow and to understand the nature of the [[Resurrection Stone]] when he finds it inside the [[Golden Snitch]]. This knowledge forces Harry to choose between pursuing the [[Hallows]] or continuing his hunt for [[Horcrux]]es, a central conflict in his journey. Ultimately, Harry embodies the wisdom of the third brother, choosing to face [[Voldemort]] and his own death willingly, thus becoming the true [[Master of Death]]. =====Behind the Scenes===== * J.K. Rowling published a real-world version of //[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]// in 2008, with proceeds going to her charity, Lumos. * In the film //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1//, the tale is depicted through a highly stylised and critically acclaimed animated sequence. The animation uses a distinct silhouette and shadow-puppet style to narrate the story as told by [[Hermione Granger]]. (film) * The story is inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Pardoner's Tale" from //The Canterbury Tales//, which also features three men who try to cheat Death and are undone by their own greed. (J.K. Rowling interview)
