Just like any other House at Hogwarts, Ravenclaw also has its own mascot. Due to the name of the founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, the Ravenclaw House mascot became a little bit of confusion for the fans.
A different mascot was also shown in the movies, further fueling the turmoil.
Contents
What is the Ravenclaw Animal?
The Ravenclaw House animal is an eagle.
If we had any doubts, we only had to go back to book number one, where Harry received his very first letter from Hogwarts. He looked at the front, where he saw
a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a letter H.
Why is Ravenclaw’s Animal an Eagle?
The question about an eagle being the Ravenclaw’s mascot is coursing through many fans’ households. We think the eagle represents the wise-hearted House rather well.
Eagles are said to be soaring higher than others, and so are Ravenclaws, who are known to achieve greater things than most. The symbol of the eagle, with its excellent eyesight, represents an all-seeing eye. It relates to the notion of Ravenclaws vast knowledge.
Eagles often represent pride and royalty. Although Ravenclaws are known to be very proud but usually not considered pureblood fanatics, we don’t know any Muggleborn witch or wizard from Ravenclaw.
We can also deduce that Rowena Ravenclaw belonged to the nobility. One of the clues could be her owning a Diadem, a rather fancy piece of headwear that could be associated with aristocracy.
Another clue of Ravenclaw’s high blood status is the fact that a baron wanted to marry her daughter, Helena. It is a popular belief that the eagle represented noble people, hence Rowena’s choice of the animal.
Why is Ravenclaw’s Animal not a Raven?
Many fans get confused because of the name Ravenclaw, which implies that the House mascot should be a raven instead of an eagle.
An equal amount of people think that Ravenclaw’s mascot should be a raven because it would better represent the House’s thirst for knowledge. Ravens are considered very intelligent birds, and they learn new things with ease.
The reason why the Ravenclaws have an eagle for a mascot is that from early on, the eagle was associated with pride, intelligence, and sky (which is the element Ravenclaw is also associated with). The eagle suits the Ravenclaws better than the raven because the raven was usually an ominous symbol, a carrion bird rather than one that outwits its prey.
Conclusion
The eagle is definitely a royal bird, full of wit and intelligence. It is a symbol of a sky, which is an element assigned to Ravenclaw House at Hogwarts. The golden eagle is a perfect representation of Ravenclaws. Despite their name, RAVEN-claw, the eagle is better suited to the knowledgeable and proud people than the black raven.
Many people had misgivings about the birds being switched in the movies from an eagle to a raven, but we can understand the desire to simplify the emblems for film purposes.