Eating Death

This essay argues that the meaning of the title “Death Eater” in the Harry Potter series is illuminated by ancient personifications of Death as a monster that eats insatiably. Examples include Death, Sheol, and Hades from biblical literature and Christian tradition, the Egyptian goddess Ammit in The Book of the Dead, and the Ugaritic god Mot within The Baal Cycle. After this background is addressed, it is utilized to assess possible meanings for the title “Death Eater,” with the most likely meaning being related to the pursuit of immortality—the Death Eaters aim to eat the thing that never stops eating. Such an ambition reveals the hubris of immortality, and further underscores that Harry Potter consistently critiques immortality as a goal worth chasing. In addition, recognizing this meaning for “Death Eater” allows for a re-evaluation of Harry’s reaction to the epitaph from 1 Corinthians 15:26 on his parents’ tombstone as “a Death Eater idea.” In the light of intertextual links in 1 Corinthians 15 with the eschatological banquet in Isaiah 25, Harry actually spoke better than he knew.