Beedle Talks: The Fountain Explained

"Beedle the Bard was a storyteller who wove his tales in the 15th century. Although much of his life remains a mystery, we do know he was born in Yorkshire and that he was a wizard. There is also one surviving woodcut that depicts him with ‘an exceptionally luxuriant beard’. Aside from his facial hair, it’s impossible to truly know Beedle, but perhaps we can catch a glimpse of him in his stories. A wizard who was sympathetic to Muggles, ‘mistrusted Dark Magic’ and believed that ‘kindness, common sense and ingenuity’ were more admirable than even the most powerful magic". (W.W. Feature, "Everything you need to know about The Tales of Beedle the Bard)

Previously I explained the first story in Beedle's collection of tales, 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot' about a young boy and his father. This time I will go into what I think is my least favorite story and second listed in his collection: 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune'.

I say it's my least favorite, which isn't saying its not a favorite, I like the story but to me, the story was a tad confusing during my first readings. Over time, stories are more and more understood. I found the telling of the story confusing and that is what caused it to be my least favorite story. However, it does not mean that the story itself is not a good story either compared to "The Hopping Pot" or "Hairy Heart".

The story is about 3 witches who journey up a hill to reach the top where lies a fountain of magical properties. Along the way up they confronted three challenges that require something of them during the longest day between sunrise and sunset. Along with the three witches is a knight, who is a muggle on a boney horse. The fountain on top is the answer to each of their wants. One witch is in need of a cure that no magic exists to heal the pain she suffers. Another witch suffers from the pain of love for her heart is broken and the last needs her belongings back for she lost them. The knight wants to reach the fountain but he knew he is no match for the three witches. In the end, each was helped but not by the fountain but what resides in the hill itself. The knight ended up bathing in the fountain and asked the lonesome witch to be married and she accepted. The fountain was never magical and they never knew it. The sick witch was named Asha, The one who was robbed is Altheda, and the deserted was Amata who was asked by Sir Luckless.

The number 3 is present with 3 witches and 3 challenges. They walked up a hill in a garden surrounded by a wall that opened between sunrise and sunset. First, they were pulled by "Creepers from the garden beyond" that "snaked through the pressing mass". This creeper twisted around the body Asha, grabbed Altheda by the wrist, and tightly hung to the clothing of Amata, caught on the knight and each dragged through into the garden. The three challenges was a worm at the bottom of the hill, text that asked to "Pay me with the fruit of your labors" and finally "Pay me the Treasure of Your Past". For each of these three witches, however, their issues were solved in each of these three challenges before even making it to the fountain. Asha was saved by Altheda who combined herbs that grew in the garden that cured her illness. Altheda knew that these herbs could solve her problem by making Medicinal Potions to help others and therefore get money to get back her belongings. Amata wept into the hill and carried off through a stream just below and surrounding the fountain and so her regrets left and saw that her love was in the wrong.

This is a story where the three witches came to a realization in the right moment, or rather it presented itself in the right moment. Arguably, Asha and Altheda are mirrors of one another with one lacking knowledge of herbs and the other with the knowledge but no realization. If Asha knew herbology then she would pick up the plants early on in the garden for nature solves most ills. Altheda has skills and knowledge of plants but the realization could not present itself till the journey she made up the hill, till she met Asha. They could easily help each other in the future. As for Amata, she was cured of perception by the stream that surrounds the fountain. The stream itself is under the fountain so the water flowing could have come from it. Amata, however, is connected to the beliefs more so of the fountain and its magical prowess. I think, however, just merely being by the stream, by water, helped her because water can help your mind at ease and think things over. Water comforts the person and allows the person to think. Which is why the stream is in fact the river of one's consciousness. In the end, she was asked by the knight who had no luck per name, who she finally met a trusted man who cared for her wants.

Each of the three witches also relates thematically to other stories in the collection of Beedle's. The illness that spreads that is need of healing is seen in The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. The last challenge involving the stream is the protagonists thought of crossing over which reflects The Three Brothers building a bridge. In fact, I think this story is another angle of the first one about a village of muggles in sickness. But Asha was a witch. Simply that the spell could not have been invented yet to cure illness.

What about other extra stuff the story has featuring? A muggle marrying a witch. Why would the illustrator of the 2010 copy have the deathly hallows mark on the fountain amongst others like the Omega? The story has no info on the connection.

Love relationships between Muggle and witches are active detail in the world. Unlike the Pure-Blood Ideal story of "The Hopping Pot", this story is Pro- Half-Blood. A Ron says: If witches didn't marry muggles then there would not be any magical blood families left. This ideal is also present with Ilvermorny founder Isolt Sayre and James Steward.

Albus said this story is a favorite and an active part of Hogwart's Christmas festivities.

The worm in question is to be believed to be an actual worm at first glance. There is a worm called Flubberworm in the wizarding world and there is the option it could be a Basilisk for I imagine it as a HUGE worm. At second thought, it could be a worm as serpentine like a dragon, but that is commonly spelled as wyrm. In fact, the animal that pulled them in at first was also moving like a snake but doesn't mean its a snake so can be said as well for the worm. Professor Kettleburn of Care of Magical Creatures class at Hogwarts engorged it to see it as an Ashwinder: "A thin, pale-grey serpent with glowing red eyes, it will rise from the embers of an unsupervised fire... leaving an ashy trail behind it". But it does not live that long. Ashwinders are worldwide.

Here is a theory, is it possible that the Ashwinder is named after the witch, Asha herself? Course it is named Ashwinder due to the trail of ash it leaves behind. She was sick and in a countdown and the worm can only live for an hour in a dark secluded spot as if alone, like Asha who was alone in fighting her battle within to survive.

Perhaps further theories reside in the tale regarding the garden and the fountain. The Garden is surrounded by a huge wall and enchanted with protection spells. The idea of a large magical garden is heavily associated with The Garden of Eve, a paradise. If so the worm is more then an Ashwinder but a snake that Lucifer took the form of. A snake that took grab of three women and in Grek mythology is a story of three Graces and daughters of Zeus.

I mentioned that Altheda and Ahsa are mirrors of each other like twins or sisters. The Three Graces are Aglaea "shining", Euphrosyne "Joy", and Thalia "Blooming" and of other names. Wisdom, love, culture, connections. It is a possibility, the author also once had a twitter account picture of the Sister fates. Three sisters, three witches.

In the middle of the garden lies a fountain that could be a variation of another story that is also of another story. The Fountain of Youth and the Tree of Knowledge. The Fountain of Youth is the same story as the Tree of Knowledge but in different forms. The Fountain of Fair Fortune does give a sense of knowledge to the travelers of herbs, or so is to be believed. It also gives a sense of being young again as a second chance with love. I did once thought that the fountain of youth was in fact in the garden of Eve itself. But that thought extends to other angles of mysteries like Atlantis.

In the 2010 version, which I should acknowledge, there is the Deathly Hallows. There is uncertainty as to why it is drawn there as it would suggest and does suggest that the three brothers are makers of it. I am not sure why they are in relation to it by the vision of that illustrator, but it does also have the Omega, an eye, a hydrogen symbol, a snake sculptured in the bottom, and runes. Symbols of the universe? Omega is largely associated with the Greek god of war or Mars or Ares. The eye could be Horus of Egypt but also could be, and could be at most, an all-seeing eye. One looks like a combination of symbols, one is hydrogen but is common with the sun. The Snake with under the fountain would be lucifer.. or, as a snake is commonly associated with, healing. As for the mark of the three brothers, the mark itself is reminiscent of the Freemasons (as previously mentioned in another article). Freemasonry could be linked to the beliefs of the garden and the fountain as well. In the 2018 illustrated edition, however, it is omitted. Therefore, I can not say if there ever was a connection at this time. There is an eye in the 2017 U.K edition and therefore means the Deathly Hallows would be present on the fountain. Another small sketch has no clear symbols as these. Alchemy Platinum symbols and more are also featured on the original 2010 copy. So the question remains why would the illustrator or Visioneer choose these to place on the fountain. But as noted, the crossing the streams are like the brothers and the bridge.

Lasting notes: The Fountain of Fair Fortune is a subject theme to a pub in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida at Horizont Alley. Which the Fountain of Youth also has ties to regarding the state. There is also a puppet play on the story. In the U.K Illustrated version by Chris Riddle, the three witches are from different cultures for reasons only within his own vision.