Historical Godric Gryffindor

Here he is, the founder of Gryffindor House! He came from the 10th century West Country, an area that was once Celtic but was undergoing serious Anglicisation during Gryffindor's lifetime. Gryffindor was known for his prowess as a duellist, and as an English nobleman he had duties to fight for his king! His sword is pattern welded, a technique that created the marbled effect you see, and his name is written in runes for extra magical power. (Like Ravenclaw's diadem, it would have been enchanted to be readable in the alphabet of the viewer or wielder.) The rubies come from the Middle East. The scabbard is mostly concealed through a slit in his mail shirt. Beneath the mail he wears a woollen tunic for padding.

His brooch is a style called a thistle brooch, popular among contemporary Vikings a little farther north. It's hard to see the detail here because it blends with the chainmail, but there are two lions if you look closely. The pin was overlarge and potentially dangerous to anyone standing behind him! His hose and wrappings are colourful like those in the Bayeux Tapestry. If better detail were possible for me at this scale, the golden circles in the embroidery of his cloak would enclose stylised lions. The rusty red colour of the cloak comes from madder or possibly the exotic brazilwood tree's bark. The future Sorting Hat sits on his head in a style called the 'Phrygian cap' as seen on contemporary warriors. (He's not actually in battle, so he doesn't need his helmet.)

He took a LOT of research, mostly because I had a steep learning curve in medieval armour and weaponry! He also had two artefacts to reconcile (the Sorting Hat and the sword). More hours went into Gryffindor than any other founder, including notes on the fall of Cornwall, controversial medieval hats, evolution of the medieval sword, combing through the Bayeux Tapestry scene by scene, survey of extant medieval brooches from southwestern England, Cornish decoration styles, and so much more! If you would like to read more about the research behind this picture, including a critical evaluation of the HP Wiki's claim that Gryffindor bore Cornish arms, click here.

Other Historical Founders
Rowena Ravenclaw
Salazar Slytherin
Helga Hufflepuff