Intertextual Parallels in Harry PotterSeries and Oriental Dastan

Abstract

The phenomenal success of the Harry Potter series has not only mesmerised the general public but has also captured
the attention of academia for varied reasons. J.K. Rowling has derived allusions from various historical, cultural,
mythical, and oral sources. She has intertextualized different sources from the Eastern fictional narratives. Some
scholars have regarded it as a mere clever assemblage of characters, stories, allusions, and images from diverse
cultural traditions, mythologies of different times and spaces. Many Euro-American readers are familiar with the
Greco-Roman culture and fantasy literature but they have little or no familiarity with the Eastern tradition of such
writings. The present study is based on this premise and therefore one aspect of the study is to investigate
intertextual allusions taken from the Eastern narratives. Two popular narratives from the East Adventures from the
Dastan of Amir Hamza by GhalibLakhnvi and Tilism e Hosruba by Asif HussainJah were selected for comparison with
Harry Potter Series to identify the parallels. The results of the study highlight that Rowling has taken the concept of
invisibility cloak, human with animal heads, animals with human heads, flying horse, love potion, transfiguration,
foreknowledge, desire for immortality, magical birds, magical world versus muggle world and bewitched
environment from the selected narratives in intertextual fashion.