hh_clubs | Ancient Runes; Seven; Voting

Activity: Seven
Points: 1st/2nd/3rd/Participation: 50/40/30/10 points
Dates: deadline for voting is June 27, 10pm UTC; voting will be held afterwards
Details: Write 100-300 words explaining which creature, in your opinion, should represent the number 7.

Thank you to everyone who entered! We have several possible candidates, but which of these creatures do you think should represent the number 7?

Entry: #1
Creature: Jabberwocky
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The Jabberwocky is a nonsensical animal that speaks in riddles and makes up it's own words. The creature is confusing and prone to stalking it's pray. I think that it'd make a good representation of the number 7 because it is mysterious and there isn't much known about it. Plus it is an animal that has infiltrated pop culture and has a supernatural element to it, plus it invites fear. The Jabberwocky is also said to be able to haunt young children in their dreams, bringing them to the land that it stalks in. In the end the Jabberwocky is a perfect representation of the number 7.

Entry: #2
Creature: Woodlouse
Why should this creature represent the number 7? Isopods, and more specifically woodlice, should represent the number 7 because they have seven pairs of legs. Fossils of these animals date back to more than 300 million years ago, so these are old creatures that have a lot of history. 7 is a significant number with many believing it to be a lucky number and so I think it is fitting that it should be represented by a creature that has been lucky enough to stand the test of time when so many other species have failed to do so. Woodlice are not dangerous creatures and do not spread disease like other creatures that are considered pests, and so this is a positive trait also.

Entry: #3
Creature: Sphinx
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The sphinx is a magical creature that has the body of a lion with the head of a woman. The number 7 represents many things, including the search for truth and accumulation of knowledge. The sphinx is very knowledgeable and seeks the truth from others. The number 7 represents people that are intelligent and contemplative. These people are very much like the sphinx itself. The number 7 is a spiritual number to the Egyptians, who greatly believed in the sphinx and made many statues of the creature. The number 7 also is often seen as dealing with magic, and the sphinx is a magical creature.

Entry: #4
Creature: Phoenix
Why should this creature represent the number 7? I feel that it should be representative of this number because the number 7 is a very mystical and spiritual number. It is representative of power and perfection and there can be no creature more powerful and perfect than a bird that can regenerate itself from its own ashes and heal wounds with its tears. I think this bird is very easily connected to the power of the number 7 as it is shrouded in the same veil of mysticism and spiritualism as the number itself. Also in numerology the number 7 is considered to be a loner's number and the Phoenix is indeed a very solitary creature who prefers to live a gentle quiet life unfettered by connections to others and this is very much in keeping with the tone of the number 7 as well. This beautifully mystical creature would be a wonderful pick for the representation of the number 7.

Entry: #5
Creature: Grey Tree Frog
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The Grey Tree Frog, represents the number 7. The Grey Tree Frog is a rather elusive animal because it has the ability to camouflage itself by changing its colour depending on its surroundings. It can't quite make itself invisible like the Demiguise, but it's versatile enough to account for the fact that number 7 was represented by the Unknown for a very long time. This happened simply because nobody knew what exactly the Grey Tree Frog looked like. Now, though, it is common knowledge that the Grey Tree Frog has dinstinct markings that often appear to look like the number 7, which is yet another reason why it is the perfect creature to represent the number.
Frogs in general are said to have magical properties in various cultures around the world, and are often portrayed as being ugly and unintelligent, but with hidden abilities. As a species, they change drastically during their life, from tadpoles that live in the water after hatching to grown frogs that usually live on land. This in a way symbolises new opportunities that can happen with change. Such an extreme transformation again explains why the number 7 was the Unknown for such a long time, as does their ability to jump. There is a proverb that says 'You can't tell by looking at a frog how high he will jump,' which calls back to the hidden abilities frogs are said to have.

Entry: #6
Creature: Herensuge (Dragon)
Why should this creature represent the number 7? Herensuges are creatures that appear sparingly in Basque mythology. Many depictions of the creatures show them with seven heads; however, this was not enough to attribute them to the number 7. After some research on the Herensuge kind, it was discovered that these dragons were thought to be the only creatures capable of functioning within zazpi zentzu, which is literally defined as “seven senses.” Along with sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing, these creatures also have the sense of intuition (feeling, knowing) and equilibrium (balance with oneself and the outside word). These creatures are capable of achieving both physical and mental oneness with other creatures, themselves, and their environment. They are able to bridge the gap between their fierce nature and their deep empathy with other creatures and beings. Because of the ethereal properties of this discovery, these dragons became the creatures most able to be identified with the gods. They exist not only on a physical level, but also on plane at which no other creature can touch. With seven heads and seven senses, their place as the representation of this magical number was sealed.

Entry: #7
Creature: Haliphron atlanticus (Seven-Arm Octopus)
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The Haliphron atlanticus (also commonly called the Seven Arm Octopus) is symbolic of the number seven because of it's "seven" arms and relation to magic. The number seven is notoriously linked to magic and the Haliphron atlanticus is believed to be a the Dumbledore of the sea. It in fact has eight arms, but conceals it's eighth mating arm coined in a sac beneath it's right eye. This illusion and trickery gave the Haliphron atlanticus the respect and reputation of being a master of disguise and transfiguration. They are believed to have strong ties to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy due to their ancestors learning magic off of the four founders in the Black Lake.

Entry: #8
Creature: Snidget
Why should this creature represent the number 7? This creature should represent the number seven because the number seven is known to be one of the luckiest numbers. Snidget's are also very lucky creatures, and also highly valuable creatures. They were often hunted for their eyes, and thus the person who had a Snidget was a lucky individual. The number seven is also the number of players on the Quidditch field per team. Everyone knows that the Snidget is the creature that Quidditch was originally played with, and that the snitch was named after the Snidget. Thus, it would only be appropriate for the Snidget to correlate with the number 7.

Entry: #9
Creature: Bat
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The bat should represent the number seven rune for various reasons. First you have to take into consideration the number seven itself. Seven is often considered a lucky number - there are many connotations to this; seven deadly sins, seven heavenly virtues; the Egyptians had seven gods; Parsees had seven angels and Persians had seven sacred horses.
So if you look for an animal relating to luck you find the bat. The word for bat in China is "fu" which is a homonym of "good luck, referring back to lucky number seven. Also in Chinese culture the bat symbolizes to their people a long, happy life, another reference to being lucky - living a long, happy life, can't get much luckier than that. The Chinese will also wear amulets with bats on them or pendants as a protection against poor luck, you can liken this to those who wear a rabbits foot for luck, a bat symbol is also a symbol to be worn for good luck.

Entry: #10
Creature: House Elf
Why should this creature represent the number 7? House elves have a great source of untapped power. Only house elves themselves have scratched the surface of this power, which derives itself from the Seven Veils. The Seven Veils are a magical waterfall located in Northern Ireland, just outside of Ballycastle. It is said that this is where the first elf came into being, where the waters of the magical veils converge downstream.
Another reason house elves should represent the number 7 is because of their seven senses. Like all human and wizards, house elves share in the senses of taste, sight, hearing, touch, and smell. But house elves have two additional enhanced senses: the "sixth sense," or extrasensory perception of the mind, and the lesser known "seventh sense" of extrasensory perception of the heart. Most people might view this sense as the ability to love or empathize, it is even stronger than that. The seventh sense is like a magnet, pulling positive vibes toward those who possess it and allowing them to harness the energy and turn it into magical power. Unlike the magical abilities that witches and wizards possess, this seventh sense can trump it all.
It is quite unfortunate that house elves are so repressed at this point in time. Most of them even refuse to acknowledge their power and strength, as they fear retribution and have become accustomed to their status as servants. Perhaps by putting the house elf as the seventh rune, this will push the issue to the forefront, and give wizards and house elves alike a reason to re-examine the power of the house elf.

Entry: #11
Creature: Crocodile
Why should this creature represent the number 7? Every number has a spiritual meaning. The number seven represents “scholarly activities, mystery and the focused search for esoteric meanings.” It deals with imagination and manifesting results in our lives through the use of conscious thought and awareness. It can also represent impractical dreaming. Because of this, it makes sense to then turn to animals that appear in our dreams. When you dream about a crocodile, because they can live in water and on land, they represent your conscious and unconscious and the emotional and rational. Dreams with crocodiles mean that something is coming to the surface and you are on the verge of some new awareness. Therefore, it just makes sense that the crocodile represents awareness and thus would be perfect to represent the number 7. Plus, when a crocodile is born, they are about 7 feet long. Coincidence? I think not.

Entry: #12
Creature: Fire Crab
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The seven different colors of the Fire Crab's jeweled shell are used to symbolize the number seven. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet are the seven colors that give the fire tortoise its colorful appearance. The first of the seven colors, red, represents passion - love and anger. Orange means both shame and pride; yellow joy and grief; green trust and fear; blue peace and hostility; indigo admiration and disgust; violet surprise and boredom. These colors represent all the different facets of life with their wide spectrums and associated meanings. Seven, as the most magical number, is special within the Wizarding World and thus is represented by a symbol that can personify its entirety.

Entry: #13
Creature: Centaur
Why should this creature represent the number 7? It's a rather curious thing that a runic animal companion has yet to be found for the number seven! After all, it is one of the most powerfully magical numbers to be studied and has many associations within the wizarding world (and even in the Muggle world; of course, these meanings and associations arose from times when the lines dividing these worlds were not nearly as exact and unyielding as they are now). As such, the rune for the number seven should be the depiction of a very important creature that is integral to and symbolic of the existence of the magical world and the mysteries therein.
Keeping these things in mind, it makes sense that the CENTAUR be depicted in runic form to represent the importance of the number seven. Seven, being associated with many things magical and cryptic, holds keys to mysteries of the workings of the universe that the centaurs take very seriously; this can be seen in their interest in divination, astrology, and other such subjects equally esoteric in nature. As Newt Scamander reminds us, the lifestyles of centaurs are "shrouded in mystery"; the number seven also possesses that enigmatic reputation. Use of the number seven has garnered respect across many fields of study, so it also makes sense that a creature such as the centaur deserves (and demands) respect as well. They clearly go hand-in-hand!

Entry: #14
Creature: Niffler
Why should this creature represent the number 7? I believe that the animal that is best suited by far to represent the number seven in a numerological sense is the niffler. After all, the number seven traditionally represents luck – which nifflers invariably give you by finding all sorts of great stuff for you! Our experience in Hogwarts is Home, of course, has taught us that you need this luck in order for your niffler to give you what you need instead of your seventeenth ugly striped sock. Finally, it should be noted that the word “niffler” has seven letters, further enforcing its connection to the number seven. Granted, “kneazle” and “unicorn” have seven letters as well, but the former has never really been associated with luck, and while the latter does have a vague luck-based association, the fact that it has only one horn gives it a stronger association for one than seven. Therefore, the niffler remains the best fit for the number seven.

Entry: #15
Creature: Horse
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The horse is seventh in the Chinese zodiac and as such can represent the number seven in Chinese symbolism. In Western culture, the number seven is considered lucky, with the more sevens the better. Horseshoes are also considered lucky because they have seven holes used for attaching the shoe to the hoof and horses are considered lucky for many a gambler (or unlucky for those that back a losing horse!) especially in the UK where horseracing is popular. The last of the seven deadly sins, pride, is also linked to the horse because the horse's stereotypical demeanour is aloof and appearing proud, providing another significance.

Entry: #16
Creature: Archaea
Why should this creature represent the number 7? Achaea should represent the number seven and the unknown because they are simultaneously everywhere and a class that we know very little about. They are single celled organisms that are so similar to bacteria that, until very recently, they were thought to actually be a direct forerunner to bacteria. In fact they are the common evolutionary ancestors of all plants and animals. They are microscopic and there are more of them on the planet than any other single kind of organism. Like the idea of the unknown, archaea are impossible to see with the naked eye and vitally important for life to exist the way it does on this planet.

Entry: #17
Creature: Phoenix
Why should this creature represent the number 7? The phoenix is a creature which literally could not exist in the Muggle World - it is pretty much the most magical creature that there is! As such, it is totally fitting that this animal should represent the number 7, since it too is the most magical of numbers. Plus, it is connected symbolically to Lebanon and Beruit, because they have been destroyed and rebuilt 7 times in their history, like a phoenix always re-rising from the flames. This clearly shows that the phoenix has a connection to the number 7! It is to be presumed that, should one ever be able to count them, the number of feathers in a phoenix's tail would also be divisible by 7. And of course, it has 7 distinct cries and calls, which can be recognised as separate from one another and those of any other creature. What a marvelous animal!

Entry: #18
Creature: Blast-ended skrewt
Why should this creature represent the number 7? First of all, the image in Ancient Runes Made Easy looks just like the backside of a blast-ended skrewt right after it exploded in a fiery blast.
And then of course the 7 is represented by the fact that there are seven ways in which a blast-ended skrewt can injure a careless wizard or witch. There's getting burned by the fire coming from the blast, getting attacked with the scorpion-like sting on the skrewt's back, acquiring bruises from the suckers on their bellies, and not least of all getting trampled by a full-grown skrewt. The other three ways are a little more indirect in their nature, but no less dangerous. There have been reports of wizards or witches running painfully into things in their haste to get away from a blast-ended skrewt, others were harmed by their own spells, backfiring from the beast's armoured body. The seventh and most dangerous way someone would be harmed by a blast-ended skrewt is death caused by the shock of encountering one.

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