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The Crumple-Horned Snorkack is a magical creature that supposedly lived in Sweden. Xenophilius and his daughter Luna Lovegood both took trips to find, wrote about it, and dedicated their careers to the discovery of similar magical creatures, although no one ever found one.
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Quick Facts
Full Name | Crumple-Horned Snorkacks |
Native to | Sweden |
Nick Name | Kacky Snorgle (said by Ron) |
Status | Possible mythical creature |
Last Updated | July 10, 2023 |
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Birthplace
The mythical creature is allegedly born in Sweden, the only place where it lives.
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Characteristics
We don’t know much about it other than the fact that it can’t fly (thanks, Luna) and has spiraled horns because no one has yet to see it.
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Hogwarts Years
When many of the children meet Luna Lovegood on the Hogwarts Express, Luna brings them up because they are mentioned in her father’s most recent publication of The Quibbler. This particular exchange is incredibly tense because Hermione speaks out of turn, disparaging the paper before she realizes that Luna’s father publishes the paper.
There is really no coming back from such an outburst, and Hermione is lucky that Luna chose to find good in everyone, even if they didn’t believe in the existence of certain magical creatures.
Throughout her interactions in school, Luna Lovegood continues to insist that the creature exists despite a complete lack of evidence, and she does so with a calm detachment.
I can deeply identify with Luna and her search for the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. There are moments when I truly believe in the existence of Celtic gods and goddesses deep in my bones, even though it’s all mythology, and, logically, it’s all a fairy tale.
But just like Luna, I serenely correct people when they try to describe a strength or weakness of a particular God or when they tell me that their gods are real, but mine aren’t. And maybe the fact that no one has seen the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks is exactly how they want it. This is a magical world of invisibility cloaks, after all.
Swedish Expedition
After Luna’s father was given exclusive rights to the Harry Potter interview, his paper, The Quibbler, made so much money that he took his daughter on a holiday excursion to Sweden in search of the snorkels. Though they did not find any, I have no doubt it was a wonderful bonding opportunity for the father and daughter.
Magical Horns
During their quest for the Deathly Hallows, Ron, Hermione, and Harry decide that they have to visit Luna Lovegood’s father.
After being welcomed into his home and seated while he prepared gurdyroot tea, Xenophilius pointed out that he had acquired a set of horns from the mythical creature, thus proving that they were not only real but stunning and possessive of unique powers.
You just know that Hermione is that one girl who can’t resist correcting others no matter how ostracized it leaves her because she jumps at the opportunity to correct him despite the fact that she’s not in school and they desperately need his help.
Honestly, had it not been for his kidnapped daughter, you might have been more reluctant to lend Aid after her snobby remarks (even though she was technically correct).
For in his moment of pride, much like a child showing off their favorite toy, Hermione can’t help but say that what he believes to be the Horn of the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks is actually a dangerous Erumpent horn.
To prove she is right, she explodes it as part of their escape plan, although I have no doubt that neither of the Lovegoods took that as confirmation the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks did not exist.
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Appearances in Books
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Appearances in Films
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (mentioned only)
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Trivia and Fun Facts
The term “crumple horned,” when applied to any creature, indicates that their horns are curved in a spiral, like a ram. So whatever this creature may have looked like in J.K. Rowling’s mind, I imagined it with a sort of unicorn horn until adulthood when I learned that it would have, instead, boasted two spiraled horns on either side of its head.
In 2014, stuffed animal versions were created, and when Evanna Lynch, who played Luna, saw them, she tweeted, “And I just saw a crumple-horned snowpack for reals and paid my respects, and it feels like enlightenment.”
Crumple-Horned Snorkacks Quotes
Xenophilius Lovegood describes the characteristics of the creature:
“The Crumple-Horned Snorkack … is a shy and highly magical creature…”
Luna Lovegood talking to the other girls at school about the creatures:
“You can laugh! But people used to believe there were no such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack!”
Luna Lovegood and Ron discussing ways to get to the Ministry of Magic:
Luna Lovegood: “There are ways of flying other than with broomsticks.”
Ron Weasley: “I suppose we’re going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?”
Luna Lovegood: “The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can’t fly…”
FAQs
Answer: No one has yet to find them, and it was revealed that Luna finally accepted later in life that they may have never existed, but the absence of evidence does not disprove their existence.
Answer: We don’t really know other than it had a pig nose, spiraled horns, and was probably purple. In my mind, as a child, it was white and much more like a unicorn.
Answer: J.K. Rowling revealed that when Luna grew up, she continued to pursue her love of animals by searching for the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, although she never found one. The author noted that at some point in her adulthood, Luna accepted the hard truth that maybe they never existed after all.
My heart goes out to Luna because every one of us has had that moment where a fairy tale we chose to cling to our entire lives was reduced to dust. I’m just grateful she was crushed in adulthood when she had the maturity to recognize the truth and accept the melancholia with grace. A crushed childhood takes years of therapy to rectify, but her childhood was rich with wonder and hope.
Research Citations
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Listening Library, 2003.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.
Read More: Harry Potter Characters Guide