Harry Potter Wiki
Advertisement
Harry Potter Wiki

"The great mediaeval wandmaker, Geraint Ollivander, wrote that he was always honoured to match a cypress wand, for he knew he was meeting a witch or wizard who would die a heroic death."
Garrick Ollivander[src]

Geraint Ollivander was a great wandmaker who lived in the Middle Ages. Geraint came from a long line of wizards who began selling wands in 382 B.C.[2]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Geraint Ollivander was born in the Middle Ages, somewhere in Great Britain. He was born into the wizarding Ollivander family, who had been in the wand-making business since 382 B.C.[2]

Career as a wandmaker[]

Geraint took up the family business in London, studying further into wandlore and becoming an accomplished wandmaker. He considered it an honour to match a witch or wizard with a wand made from the wood of the cypress tree because it indicated he had met someone who was going to die heroically, and left that fact in his writings.[2]

Etymology[]

  • "Geraint" is a name of unknown origin, possibly a Welsh form of the Late Roman name "Gerontius" deriving from Greek γέρων (gérōn), meaning "old man". Geraint was the name of a figure various Welsh legends. He was also incorporated into later Arthurian tales as one of the knights of the Round Table and the husband of Enide.[3]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Pure-Blood" at Wizarding World - The Ollivander family are listed among the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Wand Woods" at Wizarding World (transcription available here)
  3. "Geraint" and "Gerontius" on Behind the Name
  4. Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "San Bakar's Trial" – The portrait of Percival Rackham (who was alive during the Middle Ages) says "Another Ollivander? I am not surprised." in reference to Gerbold Ollivander, suggesting that he had known an Ollivander wandmaker during his lifetime.
Advertisement