right, norman conguest definitely wasn't for another generation, if the 'thousand years ago' founding date is correct. so i guess my question is - why did wizards band together then?
you have a highly belligerent society, an island filled with kingdoms that are attacking, being attacked, thrones usurped, fending off invasions, employing invaders.... Wizards are fully integrated within this society, which i think we can assume, given the fact that the official separation wasn't for a further 700 years. wizards are governed by the Warlocks Council, which is probably a very loose assembly of elders. The question in my mind is how openly they practiced magic. Probably, secrecy has always been a factor, given that magic (seems to be) a have or have-not sort of situation; wizards assume a certain power of Mystery over the muggle warlords who doubtlessly seek to use them at every opportunity. (I'm reminded of Merlin and Vortigern here).
You have goblins and elves and giants kicking up fusses.
I guess what I'm seeing is a sort of training ground. Suddenly it's not enough to have one local witch or warlock with apprentices. I'm visualizing a combination of resistance against the property-of-warlord system, a desire to share and consolidate knowledge, a desire to be more skilled in general, and perhaps the creation of a Wizarding identity itself... And who knows? Hogwarts probably had its basis in other schools - but these centred around a single respected teacher rather than an established, fortified location.
Re: blah blah Up Slytherin
you have a highly belligerent society, an island filled with kingdoms that are attacking, being attacked, thrones usurped, fending off invasions, employing invaders.... Wizards are fully integrated within this society, which i think we can assume, given the fact that the official separation wasn't for a further 700 years. wizards are governed by the Warlocks Council, which is probably a very loose assembly of elders. The question in my mind is how openly they practiced magic. Probably, secrecy has always been a factor, given that magic (seems to be) a have or have-not sort of situation; wizards assume a certain power of Mystery over the muggle warlords who doubtlessly seek to use them at every opportunity. (I'm reminded of Merlin and Vortigern here).
You have goblins and elves and giants kicking up fusses.
I guess what I'm seeing is a sort of training ground. Suddenly it's not enough to have one local witch or warlock with apprentices. I'm visualizing a combination of resistance against the property-of-warlord system, a desire to share and consolidate knowledge, a desire to be more skilled in general, and perhaps the creation of a Wizarding identity itself... And who knows? Hogwarts probably had its basis in other schools - but these centred around a single respected teacher rather than an established, fortified location.