Poll: Which Historical Era(s) Would You Like to See Snape In?
Because of my binge-reading of history books, and because, if Harry had bothered to pay attention in History of Magic classes, he would know all about the wizards of times past.
This poll assumes a basic knowledge of European (especially British) history. If you are not sure what to select, I have a brief summary of each historical period and why I think it would relate well to the Wizarding World. Failing that, you can choose another historical period from the poll.
- Medieval Era: Covering the period between the collapse of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance. Would be good for the Wizarding World because of: 1)- widespread belief in sorcery and superstition; 2)- hostility towards those suspected of sorcery; 3)- great myths and sagas of peoples such as the Vikings (I LOVE the Vikings!); 4)- era of exploration; 5)- plagues like the Black Death
- Renaissance Era: Covering the 15th and 16th centuries. Began in Italy. Often characterised by the artistic output from nations like Italy and France. Would be good for the Wizarding World because of: 1)- increased curiosity about the world; 2)- growth in the number of writers, thinkers, and scholars; 3)- but continued superstition and fear of sorcery; 4)- challenges to received authority (like the Protestant Reformation)
- Victorian Era: Covering the era preceding and immediately after the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Britain arguably became the most successful industrial nation in history and grew an empire that covered a third of the known world. Huge scientific and industrial advancements during this time. Would be good for the Wizarding World because: 1)- I say so; 2)- It's the Victorians!; 3)- Seriously, reasons 1 and 2; 4)- steampunk novels! ; 5)- The Victorians were also fascinated by the strange, the macabre, the superstitious, and so on; 6)- the beginnings of paleontology as we know it today, would be good for magical creatures etc.
Can you see Snape in any of these eras? Or do you prefer another era? Choose an option or two and explain why!
This one was honestly a hard one for my to pick because I would love to see Snape in all three of the eras! Even if I did choose the Victorian Era. I feel like he could blend perfectly in either of them.
- Medieval Era: For the Wizarding World, this would be about the time frame when the legendary Merlin along with Hogwarts House Founds come into play. And honestly, I can see Merlin and Severus sharing a lot of similar features (something I'm actually working on pointing out in one of my own stories), with both being in Slytherin and absolute geniuses that are legendary.
- Renaissance Era: If anything, I could see Severus being a scholar or healer.
- Victorian Era: I feel like this era would fit him the most because of his dress style (being all black), and all the points you listed above for it. But I do still feel he could fit the others as well.
I'd probably go with the medieval setting; there's a broader period of time to work with and a variety of settings to work with. To name a few:
- Merovingian Franks
- Muslim conquest of Spain by the Umayyads which destroyed the Visigothic Kingdom
- Charlemagne and the Carolingian Franks
- Viking raids that resulted in Norse settlement of Britain and Northern France
- William the Conqueror's acquisition of England
- Norse discovering the New World via Iceland/Greenland/northeast of Canada
- Crusades
- Founding of universities like Oxford and Cambridge
- Mongol Empire and its successor states
- Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire's entire existence from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to Mehmed II's conquering of Constantinople
I voted for "I don't care: Snape belongs to the 20th century and that's that!", mostly because I can't see Snape as himself in past eras, he'd be a completely different man due to different circumstances and conditions, like how eras before Victorian didn't have statute of secrecy so both muggles and wizarding kind would be co-existing with each other, that would lead to different interactions.
Though I won't mind a spinoff on a Prince ancestor of Severus Snape, set within the Middle Ages, probably right after fall of Rome and how Princes relocated to Western Europe and his leadership and challenges in that period.
