The first time the evil wizard who murdered Harry’s family was introduced in the series, it was not as “Voldemort”—or even the “Dark Lord”—but as “You Know Who” and “He Who Must Not Be Named”.
In discovering that he was a wizard, Harry began to untangle the truth behind what had happened to his parents. They had not died in a car crash, as he aunt and uncle had told him. But, instead, had been murdered by one of the darkest wizards to have ever lived.
Voldemort.
But in the conversations that followed regarding this particular wizard, Harry quickly learned that no one referred to this most evil of wizards by his actual name.
As one of—if not THE—darkest and most evil wizard of all time, being afraid of Voldemort made plenty of sense. The man was absolutely terrifying. Even before his appearance began to resemble that of a snake. He murdered A LOT of people—Muggles and magical folks alike. Sometimes he killed in his attempt to become immortal. Other times he took lives because he just seemed to enjoy it.
So, to be afraid of the Dark Lord was, of course, completely understandable. But why in Merlin’s beard were people so afraid of his NAME? Read on to find out.
Why Witches and Wizards Wouldn’t Say “Voldemort”
Reason #1: Historical superstition supported this practice
It’s possible that people were afraid to say Voldemort’s name because of certain European folklore. In stories of old, not just in Britain, there are many fairy tales and accounts of vengeful or evil spirits who are said to appear at the mention of their name.
One popular tale that you’ve likely heard of is that of Bloody Mary. As the legend goes, this spirit will appear if a person repeats her name over and over again in front of a mirror.
And so, it’s rather likely that it was in this tradition that witches and wizards were wary about saying Voldemort’s name out loud. Perhaps they believed him to be so powerful that if they were to say his name, he would be conjured right before their very eyes.
Reason #2: He eventually put a Taboo curse on his name
Later in the Harry Potter series, the wizarding world began to embrace the use of Voldemort’s name again. This gave rise to witches and wizards taking the power back that the Dark Lord had once held over them. And as Voldemort began his second rise to power, he became aware this.
He clearly did not appreciate it.
In response, the Dark Lord gave people a REAL reason to be afraid of saying his name out loud, putting a Taboo Curse on “Voldemort”. This enabled his army of Death Eaters to locate any witch or wizard who uttered the name “Voldemort” aloud.
So, in conclusion, it would appear that a combination of superstition and real danger seem to be what contributed to the wizarding world being so afraid of saying the Dark Lord’s name!
