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"...had been deserted by a man whom she loved dearly, and she thought her heart would never mend"
— Amata's description[src]

Amata was one of the three female protagonists in the story of The Fountain of Fair Fortune by the Beedle the Bard.

She suffered from a broken heart due to her being deserted by a man whom she had loved dearly. Hence, she journeyed with two witches and a Muggle knight who had problems like herself to the Fountain of Fair Fortune. When they reached the fountain, she realised that she no longer needed the fountain and let Sir Luckless to bath in it instead and, after he did, he proposed to her and she accepted.

Biography[]

Early life[]

"The stream had washed away all her regret for her lover..."
— Amata's deserted lover[src]

Amata came to the Fountain because she had been jilted by the man she loved. She hoped that the fountain would heal her broken heart, grief, and longing.[1]

Quest for the fountain[]

"And Amata became caught upon the armour of a dismal-looking knight who was seated on a bone-thin horse."
— Amata[src]

She met up with two witches who had problems like herself. One of the witches was named Asha, who was sick of "a malady no Healer could cure" and hoped than the fountain could restore her health. The other was named Altheda, who had been robbed and humiliated by a sorcerer. She hoped that the fountain would relieve her feelings of helplessness and her poverty.[1]

Luckless leading witches

Amata, Sir Luckless, Altheda and Asha trying to reach for the fountain

They soon decided that three heads were better than one and pooled their efforts to reach the fountain together. At first light, a crack in the wall appeared and creepers from the garden reached through and wrapped themselves around Asha, the first witch, who grabbed onto Altheda, who then took hold of Amata. But Amata got tangled in the armour of a knight, and as the vines pulled Asha in, all three witches along with the knight were pulled through the wall and into the garden. Since only one person was permitted to bathe in the fountain, the first two witches were upset that Amata had inadvertently invited another competitor. Because he had no magical power, recognised the women as witches, and well-suited to his name, "Sir Luckless", the knight announced his intention to abandon the quest.[1]

Amata promptly chided him for giving up then asked him to join their group. They had to get past three challenges, the third of which was completed by Amata. The third task asked challengers to pay "the treasure of [their] past". Attempts to float or leap across failed. Finally, Amata thought to use her wand to withdraw the memories of the lover who had abandoned her and drop the memories into the water. Stepping stones appeared in the water, and the four were able to cross to the fountain, where they then had to decide who would bathe in the fountain.[1]

Finding true love[]

"Good sir, you must bathe, as a reward for all your chivalry."
— Amata to Sir Luckless[src]
Treasure-of-past

The challenge that Amata succeeded in

Asha collapsed from exhaustion and was near death. She was in such pain that she could not make it to the fountain, and she begged her three friends not to move her. Altheda quickly mixed a powerful potion in an attempt to revive her, and the concoction actually cured her malady, so she no longer needed the fountain's waters. The same went for Altheda, because she could cure this disease and use it as a means to earn money. Amata realised that her former lover was a bad person, and that she was actually better off without him. Realising she no longer needed the fountain's blessing, she told Sir Luckless to bathe in it instead, and, after he did, he proposed to her, and she accepted.[1]

Physical appearance[]

"...at the feet of Amata, who was the kindest and most beautiful woman he had ever beheld."
Sir Luckless[src]

Amata was a beautiful woman with wavy blonde hair and very white skin. Her beauty might have been the reason for her being able to attract men, such as her unknown lover and Sir Luckless. At the end of the story, Sir Luckless thought Amata was the most beautiful woman he had ever beheld.[1]

Personality and traits[]

"She hoped that the Fountain would relieve her of her grief and longing."
— Amata's grief and longing[src]

In contrast to Muggle heroines who waited to be rescued, Amata was a brave, intelligent, and true-hearted witch who took her fate in her own hands.[1]

At the beginning of the story, she was already portrayed as an open and compassionate woman who could empathise with the misfortunes of others, as seen by how she, Asha, and Altheda became good friends through sharing their respective tales of woe, and how they even came to the agreement of uniting and trying to reach the Fountain if they had the chance to. Her initial flaw was that, before the end of the story, she suffered from the grief and longing of a broken heart due to her lover's desertion.

Unlike Altheda and Asha, Amata could be generous to a fault, as demonstrated by how she convinced Sir Luckless to not give up and help them reach their goal, despite the obvious fact that an addition to the group meant increased difficulty of deciding exactly who should bathe in the Fountain if they ever reached it. Her method of conviction, however, was in the form of a good scolding of Sir Luckless' pessimism and apparent cowardice, which seems to testify that Amata was not one to give up easily, and hated seeing others do so without even attempting to try their very best. Later on, she proved her intelligence by solving the riddle of the third trial of the enchanted garden.

When the four companions finally reached the fountain, one could also see that Amata was a true and selfless friend, given how she was perfectly willing to forgo her chance to bathe in the fountain through giving that very chance to Asha, who had collapsed from exhaustion and was on the brink of death.

At the very end of the story, Amata realised that she did not need to bathe in the fountain after all, for she had grown wise enough to see that her former lover had been cruel and faithless, and it was actually a joy to her to be rid of him. She also realised that she had found a man worthy of her: Sir Luckless, whose proposal of marriage she accepted.[1]

Relationships[]

Her lover[]

"...had been cruel and faithless, and that it was happiness enough to get rid of him..."
— Amata's lover[src]

Her lover deserted her, causing her grief and longing as she had loved him dear; she thought her heart would never mend. So she went on a journey to the Fountain of Fair Fortune so he would love her again. But when she reached the fountain, she had realised that he had been cruel and faithless and she was happy to be rid of him.[1]

Asha and Altheda[]

"Pitying each other, the three woman agree that, should the chance befall them, they would unite and try to reach the Fountain Together"
— Amata, Asha and Altheda[src]

Amata met up with two witches who had problems like herself. So they decided that together would be better and stronger than apart, and they pooled their efforts to reach the Fountain together. When they were pulled by the creepers, Sir Luckless ended up coming with them.[1]

On their journey to the Fountain, the motley band faced three challenges. First, they faced a "monstrous white worm, bloated and blind" who demanded "proof of your pain". After several fruitless attempts to attack it with magic and other means, Asha's tears of frustration finally satisfied the worm, and the four were allowed to pass. Next, they faced a steep slope and were asked to pay the "fruit of their labours". They tried and tried to make it up the hill but spent hours climbing to no avail. Finally, the hard-won effort of Altheda as she cheered her friends on (specifically the sweat from her brow) got them past the challenge.[1]

At last, they faced a stream in their path and were asked to pay "the treasure of your past". Their attempts to float or leap across failed, until Amata thought to use her wand to withdraw the memories of the lover who abandoned her, and drop them into the water. Stepping stones appeared in the water, and the four were able to cross to the Fountain, where they must decide who gets to bathe.[1]

Asha collapsed from exhaustion and was near death. She was in such pain that she cannot make it to the Fountain, and she begged her three friends not to move her. Altheda quickly mixed a powerful potion in an attempt to revive her, and the concoction actually cures her malady, so she no longer needed the Fountain's waters. Because Altheda now knew how to cure the disease, she decided that she wouldn't need it either. Amata told Sir Luckless to bathe in the fountain and they set off "arm-in-arm". We then learn that the four friends live long, never realising that the Fountain's waters "carried no enchantment at all."[1]

Sir Luckless[]

"Flushed with success, he begged for her hand and heart..."
Sir Luckless[src]
Fountain of Fair Fortune

Sir Luckless, Amata, Asha and Altheda

Amata got tangled in the armour of a knight, and as the vines pulled Asha in, all three witches along with the knight got pulled through the wall and into the garden.

Since only one of them would be permitted to bathe in the Fountain, the first two witches were upset that Amata inadvertently invited another competitor. Because the knight possessed of no magical power, he recognised the women as witches, well-suited to his name, "Sir Luckless", and announced his intention to abandon the quest. Amata promptly chided him for giving up and asked him to join their group.[1]

The task that Sir Luckless succeeded in on is the second. The challenge was that they were asked to pay the "fruit of their labours". Sir Luckless dropped a single coin on the grassy hill and they were able to proceed forwards.[1]

When they reach the fountain, Amata lets him bathe in the waters. The knight, amazed at his luck, bathes in the Fountain and flings himself "in his rusted armour" at the feet of Amata and begs for her "hand and her heart". Each witch achieves their dreams for a cure, a hapless knight wins knowledge of his bravery, and Amata, the one witch who had faith in him, realises that she has found a "man worthy of her".[1]

Etymology[]

Amata is an Italian word meaning beloved.[2]

Queen Amata is a minor character in the Aeneid, an epic by Roman poet Virgil, written between 29 and 19 BC. She is the wife of Latinus, a King in Italy. She is somewhat a tragic figure; she commits suicide after the poem's antagonist, Turnus, is defeated in battle. This could be compared to the grief suffered by Amata in Beedle the Bard's tale.[3]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

The Tales of Beedle the Bard
By Beedle the Bard
Tales of Beedle the Bard
Stories

Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump · The Fountain of Fair Fortune · The Warlock's Hairy Heart · The Tale of the Three Brothers · The Wizard and the Hopping Pot

Characters

Altheda · Amata · Amata's lover · Antioch Peverell · Antioch Peverell's enemy · Antioch Peverell's killer · Asha · Babbitty · Brigade of Witch-Hunters · Cadmus Peverell · Cadmus Peverell's fiancée · Captain of the Brigade of Witch-Hunters · Charlatan · Death · Evil sorcerer · Gigantic white worm · Ignotus Peverell · Ignotus Peverell's son · King · Maiden · Maiden's kinsfolk · Old man · Old man's donkey · Old man's family · Peasant woman · Peasant woman's granddaughter · Sabre · Sir Luckless · Warlock · Warlock's family · Warlock's friends · Wizard · Wizard's father · Young woman · Young woman's child

Objects

Altheda's potion · Altheda's wand · Cloak of Invisibility · Creepers · Crystal casket · Elder Wand · Fountain · Gold statue of Babbitty · Hairy Heart · The Hopping Pot · Poisonous toadstool · Poultice for warts · Resurrection Stone · Silver chalice

Locations

Altheda's home · Cadmus Peverell's house · Enchanted garden · Lonely, winding road · Never-ending hill · River

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