Thestrals: To be Feared?
written by Fern Frondfeather
Thestrals are often misunderstood creatures that have become unnaturally rare in the wizarding world at present, this is due in part to the misconceptions surrounding them. I plan to educate in the hope that some of you will come away with a better understanding of these magnificent creatures.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
4
Reads
763
Chapter 3: Bad Omens
Chapter 3
As far as I am aware, there is no solid evidence in the history books to explain exactly why Thestrals are considered a bad omen. Magizoologists and historians have often chalked it up to the simple fact that Thestrals are a pretty scary sight, the more obvious answer to some and myself is that wizards would only see them after witnessing a death, which in itself seems pretty ominous. It's easy to see why a Divinator or other wizard from the past might confuse Thestrals with an omen of evil.
I once knew of a wizard that theorised that the Thestral's bad reputation stemmed from their hair being used as the unstable core held within the Elder wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows. He hypothesised that a beast having a magical component so great that Death himself would craft a wand from it would certainly be cause for concern in older times. The theory was quickly dismissed as entertaining fairytales however.
The Thestral's diet could of definitely played an important part in their poor reputation as well. Unlike other winged horses, Thestrals eat flesh. Wild Thestrals hunt both above and on ground, snatching rodents and birds whenever possible and they can smell blood and fresh flesh from a surprisingly long distance, their keen sense of direction allowing them to find it quickly. Which makes for yet another fact about Thestrals that could unsettle and lead to today's misconceptions about them.
I feed Ossis on fresh salmon and fresh chicken that we raise on site in the farmlands and river systems that he roams. The only time I've noted his sense for blood was when I fell from my most rebellious of Abraxan, Ossis stood immediately by me once the blood from my knee started to spill, yet he simply knelt down to let me climb up, before gently gliding me back to the house.
I once knew of a wizard that theorised that the Thestral's bad reputation stemmed from their hair being used as the unstable core held within the Elder wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows. He hypothesised that a beast having a magical component so great that Death himself would craft a wand from it would certainly be cause for concern in older times. The theory was quickly dismissed as entertaining fairytales however.
The Thestral's diet could of definitely played an important part in their poor reputation as well. Unlike other winged horses, Thestrals eat flesh. Wild Thestrals hunt both above and on ground, snatching rodents and birds whenever possible and they can smell blood and fresh flesh from a surprisingly long distance, their keen sense of direction allowing them to find it quickly. Which makes for yet another fact about Thestrals that could unsettle and lead to today's misconceptions about them.
I feed Ossis on fresh salmon and fresh chicken that we raise on site in the farmlands and river systems that he roams. The only time I've noted his sense for blood was when I fell from my most rebellious of Abraxan, Ossis stood immediately by me once the blood from my knee started to spill, yet he simply knelt down to let me climb up, before gently gliding me back to the house.
