Meaning of Deathly Hallows

Shortly before the release of the title, JK Rowling announced that she had considered three different titles for the book. The title "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was released to the public from her web site, on 21st December 2006. The title was given as a hangman puzzle which was to be solved.

When asked "What does 'Deathly Hallows' mean?" J.K Rowling responded, "Any clarification of the meaning of 'Hallows' would give away too much of the story - well, it would, wouldn't it? Being the title and all. So I'm afraid I'm not answering."

Hallow is a word usually used as a verb, meaning "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate". However, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the word hallows appears as a noun. In modern English, the word is used as a noun in "All Hallows' Day" or "All Saints' Day," which is the day after Halloween or "All Hallows' Eve". Hallows can refer to saints, the relics of saints, the relics of gods, or shrines in which the relics are kept. Since the essence of these saints or gods were often considered present at their shrines and in their relics, hallows came to refer to the saints or gods themselves, rather than just their relics or shrines.The release of the title has resulted in considerable speculation as to its possible meanings. Other Hallows which occur in the series are the Hogwarts Hallows.

Following the difficulties experienced by the book's translators in adapting the title to their own language, the Swedish interpreters announced that Rowling had offered the alternate title Harry Potter and the Relics of Death, which in Swedish is rendered as Harry Potter och dödsrelikerna.