Parēdros – magiczny towarzysz z Greckich Papirusów Magicznych we współczesnej literaturze na przykładzie powieści o Harrym Potterze
Parēdros as a Magical Companion from the Greek Magical Papyri in Contemporary Literature: A Case Study of Harry Potter Novels

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this is to analyse the figure of the magical companion that appears in the Greek Magic Papyri under the name parēdros, and to demonstrate its impact on the construction of characters with a similar function in contemporary popular literature, using J. K. Rowling's (1997–2007) Harry Potter series as a case study. The most important ancient source texts for this study remained largely unexplored until the beginning of the 20th century, as they did not fit into the dominant classical canon of the period. Written in relatively unsophisticated 'common' Greek (koine) and filled with intriguing verbal formations, unreadable signs, and mysterious drawings, these texts have since proved to be significant material for researchers of religion, culture, and literature. A number of ritual mechanisms and phenomena, as well as specific characters, can be found both in the canon of ancient classics and in modern literature drawing on ancient motifs. Particularly interesting is the magical assistant of a magician. This figure appears in stories from various cultures and historical periods but is especially prominent in contemporary children's and young adult literature. A significant source of examples of such a figure is the Harry Potter series, both because of its thematic scope and the multitude of reception motifs introduced into the plot, and above all due to the presence of the Patronus, which closely resembles the ancient parēdros.

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