harry potter - What is the association of the 4 house animals to the Hogwarts houses and who picked them?

In Harry Potter each Hogwarts house has its own animal that represents it; is it ever explained how these animals came to represent a specific house? I never read a canon explanation to who chose the animals, is that known?

Answer

Since the four founders were involved in choosing students for their houses, it seems reasonable to assume that they also chose their house animal.

Reading the welcome letters on Pottermore offers one explanation: the animals were chosen because they had the traits that the founders valued in their students.

Slytherin and the snake. From the welcome letter:

We’re like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood.

It’s also well-known that Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth, and had an affinity with snakes. (I don’t know if Parseltongue had such a negative connotation when Hogwarts was founded; if so, I’m surprised he chose to advertise it.)

Gryffindor and the lion. From the welcome letter:

Our emblem is the lion, the bravest of all creatures

The lion is often depicted as the “king of the jungle/beasts” and as a symbol of bravery. If you look on heraldic crests, the lion is a popular choice for royalty, for similar reasons. It’s easy to see why Godric chose it.

Ravenclaw and the eagle. From the welcome letter:

Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb

This is a not-so-subtle reference to the fact that Ravenclaws believe themselves to be more intelligent than other students.

You could look at the answers to When is a raven like an eagle? When it's on the Ravenclaw house crest for a bit more discussion of the Ravenclaw house crest.

Hufflepuff and the badger. From the welcome letter:

Hufflepuffs are trustworthy and loyal. We don’t shoot our mouths off, but cross us at your peril; like our emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves, our friends and our families against all-comers. […] Like badgers, we know exactly how to lie low – and how to defend ourselves.

I discussed Hufflepuff’s association with the badger more fully in another answer on the site.

Somebody who knows more about history than me might be able to comment on thehistorical significance of these symbols in medieval times (when these animals would have been chosen).

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