Meaning
What does He Who Must Not Be Named mean?
He who must not be named is the reference of choice to the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series, Lord Voldemort.
Most mages and wizards are so afraid of summoning the dark lord, that they completely avoid saying his name. With the exception of the protagonist, Harry who spitefully says it every opportunity he gets.
Origin
What's the origin of He Who Must Not Be Named?
“He who must not be named” first appeared in the first book of the Harry Potter saga, written by J.K. Rowling and published in 1997, amassing great success among youths.
Soon after Harry finds himself in the strange world of wizards, he is told that Lord Voldemort aka. “he who must not be named” killed his parents and he is the one who will be able to defeat the villain.
Spread & Usage
How did He Who Must Not Be Named spread?
Over the years, Rowling’s books and their movie adaptations gained great popularity, with a large number of fans following the path of Harry Potter as well as writing their own fanfiction stories, involving “He who must not be named”.
The phrase would appear in all seven of the books, as well as the Harry Potter movies, alternatively in the form of the casual “you know who”.
External resources
- Newsweek – How to Make ‘Trump’ Appear as ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’ in Your Chrome Browser
- Mugglenet.com – He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named