Hedwig

Hedwig  is an owl, more specifically a Snowy Owl, which Harry Potter received from his friend Rubeus Hagrid for his 11th birthday on Diagon Alley. Besides the cake Hagrid brought, Hedwig was Harry's first real birthday gift that he ever received from anyone. Hedwig is one of the most loyal animals, and from the beginning, Harry had a strong emotional bond with her. Owls like Hedwig have a clear role in the magical world: to deliver mail to wizards. Throughout the series, we meet several other owls, such as Errol or Pigwidgeon. Are you interested in learning more about Hedwig's relationship with Harry, her story, and interesting facts about Hedwig during the film shoots? Read on!

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Hedwig, the Owl from Harry Potter

As mentioned, Harry Potter received Hedwig as a gift for his 11th birthday. He immediately took her on his first journey to Hogwarts, where she supported him throughout the school year. Hedwig brought Harry his first Christmas gifts, including Harry's Nimbus 2000 broomstick! Hedwig and the other owls at Hogwarts spent most of their time resting in the owlery or hunting for food around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

Hedwig had an amazing ability to deliver mail to almost anyone, anywhere, even without knowing the address, relying only on the name Harry provided. During Harry's studies at Hogwarts, Hedwig didn't just fly around the castle or to London to visit Sirius Black (who later asked Harry to send him a less conspicuous owl), but she even managed to fly from London to France and back to deliver a birthday gift from Hermione to Harry. Hermione was spending her holidays in France at that time. On the way back, Hedwig even managed to find Harry in the Leaky Cauldron on Diagon Alley, even though he wasn't there before her departure.

Hedwig remained loyal to Harry throughout his studies, even though it wasn’t always easy. In the fifth book, The Order of the Phoenix, Dolores Umbridge checked the owl post and severely injured Hedwig. Professor Grubbly-Plank, who taught Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, had to take care of her health. At other times, Hedwig sulked when Harry had to replace her for communicating with Sirius. However, she always forgave Harry and stood by him until the end.

Unfortunately, Hedwig's story ends tragically and very sadly at the beginning of the 7th book, Deathly Hallows. Harry and the others are moving from Privet Drive to the Burrow with the Weasleys when they are ambushed by Death Eaters. One of the Death Eaters gets close to Harry and casts a killing curse, but Hedwig flies into the curse to save Harry, sacrificing herself in the process.

Hedwig and Fans

Throughout the 7 Harry Potter books, Hedwig won the hearts of millions of fans around the world, primarily due to her loyalty and "cuteness." Hedwig is truly a beautiful Snowy Owl with snowy feathers. Gifts featuring Hedwig are a great choice for both young and old wizards who love Harry Potter. The Hedwig motif is available in almost all possible categories, such as the beautiful Hedwig mug, a tea infuser with little Hedwig sitting on the rim, or party decorations with a Hedwig theme, such as plates and tablecloths. The most popular Hedwig-themed gift is undoubtedly the Hedwig gift set, which contains an original Hogwarts trunk filled with beautiful Hedwig-themed items.

Hedwig LEGO

The globally known Danish brand LEGO produces hundreds of products featuring famous film and TV show motifs. This is also true for Harry Potter, with LEGO Harry Potter being among the most beloved products this brand offers. One of the beautiful figures you can build from LEGO is Hedwig. LEGO Hedwig is about 30cm tall and, with a bit of imagination, looks like a real owl. Building her can be a lot of fun for the whole family.

Hedwig in the Films, Fun Facts

• The filming of Harry Potter took place over 10 years, and during that time, several owls played Hedwig. The main Hedwig, who appeared most frequently in the film, was named Gizmo.
  
  
• All of the Hedwig owls in the film were male. For experienced ornithologists, this is clear at first glance due to their coloration and size. For the rest of us, it's a big surprise. The film’s Hedwig and other owls playing her are indeed males. They were chosen because they are smaller than females and could move more easily around the children during filming.
  
  
• The name Hedwig was chosen by J.K. Rowling with true nobility. Hedwig is named after Saint Hedwig of Silesia (Saint Hedwig of Andechs), who is the patron of Poland, Silesia, and orphans.
  
  
• The main musical theme associated with Harry is called Hedwig’s Theme by John Williams.
  
  
• Rowling herself admitted to making several mistakes in depicting the owl. We quote:

  "In portraying Hedwig, I made several basic errors. Firstly, Snowy Owls are diurnal (i.e., they fly during the day). Secondly, they are virtually mute, so Hedwig's frequent hooting and chirping as signs of agreement and comfort should be taken as a manifestation of her magically enhanced abilities. Thirdly, as countless well-meaning owl lovers and experts pointed out in the early days, owls do not eat bacon (Hedwig enjoys a piece of bacon for breakfast while delivering mail)."