“The Crumple-Horned Snorkack ... is a shy and highly magical creature..."
-- Xenophilius Lovegood (DH20)
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are elusive, non-flying, and probably imaginary creatures which live in Sweden. Snorkacks are very popular amongst readers of The Quibbler.
Luna Lovegood and her father planned to take a trip to Sweden during the summer of 1996 to search for the Snorkack (OP13, OP38). At one point, Xenophilius Lovegood was convinced that a dangerous Erumpent horn hanging in his sitting room belonged to a Snorkack, until it exploded and brought part of the house down (DH21). After becoming a famous wizarding naturalist, Luna searched for the Snorkack for many years but never found it (BLC).
Commentary
Etymology
Saying that an animal is crumple-horned means that its horns curl in spirals.
snork Eng. a young pig (NSOED).
Notes
Rowling's comments on Luna's lifelong search for the Snorkack:
Luna became a very famous wizarding naturalist who discovered and classified many new species of animals (though, alas, she never did find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack and had, finally, to accept that her father might have made that one up) (BLC).
The Crumple-Horned Snorkack is possibly a reference to the poem "The Hunting of the Snark" by Lewis Carrol , which tells the story of a creature no one can find.
. . . But the Snark is at hand, let me tell you again!
'Tis your glorious duty to seek it!"To seek it with thimbles, to seek it with care;
To pursue it with forks and hope;
To threaten its life with a railway-share;
To charm it with smiles and soap!"For the Snark's a peculiar creature, that won't
Be caught in a commonplace way.
Do all that you know, and try all that you don't:
Not a chance must be wasted to-day!
Evanna Lynch, the actress who portrayed Luna Lovegood in the films, tweeted that she found a Crumple-Horned Snorkack in June 2014.
AND I JUST SAW A CRUMPLE HORNED SNORKACK FOR REALS AND PAID MY RESPECTS AND IT FEELS LIKE ENLIGHTENMENT. pic.twitter.com/r6DgfBpdDH
— Evanna Lynch (@Evy_Lynch) June 18, 2014
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: animals elusive fanciful imaginary Luna Remembrall made-up mysterious unknown
