the Black Family Tree and wizarding lifespans
This post refers to the latest version of the House of Black Family Tree.
What's my problem with it?
The Blacks have Muggle lifespans!
90 Arcturus (1901-1991)
81 Elladora (1850-1931)
79 Phineas Nigellus (1847-1926)
78 Pollux (1912-1990)
77 Lucretia (1915-1992)
77 Cassiopeia (1915-1992)
75 Sirius (1877-1952)
75 Belvina (1886-1961)
75 Arcturus (1884-1959)
61 Lycoris (1904-1965)
60 Walburga (1925-1985)
57 Dorea (1920-1977)
54 Cygnus (1938-1992)
54 Cygnus (1889-1943)
54 Charis (1919-1973)
53 Regulus (1906-1959)
50 Orion (1929-1979)
This is really making me wonder whether JKR has given up on the whole "longer lifespans for wizards/witches" thing.
Like many other fans, I've considered this a cool and interesting idea. Over the past few years I've taken part in discussions about it (what are the broader social implications of long lifespans, at what age can a witch bear a child, does it apply to Squibs, etc.), read and written fics that accept long lifespans as canon fact, explained it to newbies, overlooked minor inconsistencies - and waited for it to be spelled out in the books, because the original interview quote implied that it would be.Question: How old is old in the wizarding world, and how old are Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall?
J.K. Rowling responds: Dumbledore is a hundred and fifty, and Professor McGonagall is a sprightly seventy. Wizards have a much longer life expectancy than Muggles. (Harry hasn't found out about that yet.)
[Scholastic.com interview, October 16, 2000]
Well, maybe Harry never will find out about it. Maybe JKR has discarded the idea.
I mean, there's only one book left. Unless long lifespans in general, or Dumbledore's age in particular, contribute some vital plot point - they might never be mentioned. One of those "nice idea at the time, but not strictly necessary" situations. Fair enough, we might say; it happens.
So does that make it canon for wizards/witches to have the same life expectancy as Muggles? Um, perhaps not. JKR went and said it again last year.George Moore for The Times: How old is Dumbledore?
JK Rowling: I see him as about 150 I have said before that wizards unless they contract some horrible magical disease which does happen...
[ITV interview, July 16, 2005]
We could always find an explanation for isolated canon mentions of early deaths. But now we have the Black Family Tree, showing us a whole pack of purebloods with screamingly Muggle lifespans.
Um. I don't think this can be written off as an "Oh dear, maths" moment by the author.
Do wizarding folk live longer than Muggles or don't they? Yes or no?
If yes, I just don't see how JKR could have forgotten that enough to produce the Black Family Tree.
If no, the Tree is okay - but two interview quotes, five years apart, no longer hold, and a well-established "canon-ish" factoid about the wizarding world gets shot to hell.
Dammit. Wish she'd never mentioned the lifespan thing at all, if it's been discarded... Or has it?
Straws! Grasping at the pretty straws! Give me more straws!
1. Dumbledore's an exceptional case - average wizards/witches don't live to 150?
No, because JKR says it twice, and then we have Professor Marchbanks, who must be even older than Albus.
2. We shouldn't accept Dumbledore's age as 150 until that figure appears in book-canon?
But that's what the fandom has done since 2000. Awful bummer to stop now. Woe!
3. The entire House of Black has contracted "some horrible magical disease"?
Hexed, they are! All of them, and anyone who marries a Black! The Curse of Early Death - all the other purebloods snigger behind their hands at the Blacks. Or something. Um...
4. Purebloods die early - it's only the Muggle-borns and half-bloods who have longer lifespans?
Alas, no. Much as I love Mudblood!Dumbledores, JKR's interview quotes do seem to mean wizards in general living longer than Muggles.
5. JKR's arithmetic is getting worse?
No. Look at all those Blacks dying in their mid-50s to mid-70s - one or two dates might be mixed up, but I can't believe all of them are. Can't believe she could make up that many birth-death dates without thinking: "Wait a minute, wizards are supposed to have a much longer life expectancy than Muggles... Doh!"
6. McTabby needs to chill out and remember that the ages of fictional wizards don't really matter?
Yep, I'm going with that one. *reaches for chocolate*
What's my problem with it?
The Blacks have Muggle lifespans!
90 Arcturus (1901-1991)
81 Elladora (1850-1931)
79 Phineas Nigellus (1847-1926)
78 Pollux (1912-1990)
77 Lucretia (1915-1992)
77 Cassiopeia (1915-1992)
75 Sirius (1877-1952)
75 Belvina (1886-1961)
75 Arcturus (1884-1959)
61 Lycoris (1904-1965)
60 Walburga (1925-1985)
57 Dorea (1920-1977)
54 Cygnus (1938-1992)
54 Cygnus (1889-1943)
54 Charis (1919-1973)
53 Regulus (1906-1959)
50 Orion (1929-1979)
This is really making me wonder whether JKR has given up on the whole "longer lifespans for wizards/witches" thing.
Like many other fans, I've considered this a cool and interesting idea. Over the past few years I've taken part in discussions about it (what are the broader social implications of long lifespans, at what age can a witch bear a child, does it apply to Squibs, etc.), read and written fics that accept long lifespans as canon fact, explained it to newbies, overlooked minor inconsistencies - and waited for it to be spelled out in the books, because the original interview quote implied that it would be.Question: How old is old in the wizarding world, and how old are Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall?
J.K. Rowling responds: Dumbledore is a hundred and fifty, and Professor McGonagall is a sprightly seventy. Wizards have a much longer life expectancy than Muggles. (Harry hasn't found out about that yet.)
[Scholastic.com interview, October 16, 2000]
Well, maybe Harry never will find out about it. Maybe JKR has discarded the idea.
I mean, there's only one book left. Unless long lifespans in general, or Dumbledore's age in particular, contribute some vital plot point - they might never be mentioned. One of those "nice idea at the time, but not strictly necessary" situations. Fair enough, we might say; it happens.
So does that make it canon for wizards/witches to have the same life expectancy as Muggles? Um, perhaps not. JKR went and said it again last year.George Moore for The Times: How old is Dumbledore?
JK Rowling: I see him as about 150 I have said before that wizards unless they contract some horrible magical disease which does happen...
[ITV interview, July 16, 2005]
We could always find an explanation for isolated canon mentions of early deaths. But now we have the Black Family Tree, showing us a whole pack of purebloods with screamingly Muggle lifespans.
Um. I don't think this can be written off as an "Oh dear, maths" moment by the author.
Do wizarding folk live longer than Muggles or don't they? Yes or no?
If yes, I just don't see how JKR could have forgotten that enough to produce the Black Family Tree.
If no, the Tree is okay - but two interview quotes, five years apart, no longer hold, and a well-established "canon-ish" factoid about the wizarding world gets shot to hell.
Dammit. Wish she'd never mentioned the lifespan thing at all, if it's been discarded... Or has it?
Straws! Grasping at the pretty straws! Give me more straws!
1. Dumbledore's an exceptional case - average wizards/witches don't live to 150?
No, because JKR says it twice, and then we have Professor Marchbanks, who must be even older than Albus.
2. We shouldn't accept Dumbledore's age as 150 until that figure appears in book-canon?
But that's what the fandom has done since 2000. Awful bummer to stop now. Woe!
3. The entire House of Black has contracted "some horrible magical disease"?
Hexed, they are! All of them, and anyone who marries a Black! The Curse of Early Death - all the other purebloods snigger behind their hands at the Blacks. Or something. Um...
4. Purebloods die early - it's only the Muggle-borns and half-bloods who have longer lifespans?
Alas, no. Much as I love Mudblood!Dumbledores, JKR's interview quotes do seem to mean wizards in general living longer than Muggles.
5. JKR's arithmetic is getting worse?
No. Look at all those Blacks dying in their mid-50s to mid-70s - one or two dates might be mixed up, but I can't believe all of them are. Can't believe she could make up that many birth-death dates without thinking: "Wait a minute, wizards are supposed to have a much longer life expectancy than Muggles... Doh!"
6. McTabby needs to chill out and remember that the ages of fictional wizards don't really matter?
Yep, I'm going with that one. *reaches for chocolate*