What you are about to read is PURE FICTION. =)
Hello Harry Potter fans. There aren't a lot of copies of Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp (of course, JK Rowling still wrote this but just for the sake of creating the fantasy of being in the HP universe let's just use Mr. Whisp..=D) so I will be summarizing it for you. =) There are 10 chapters of the book and part 1 of this blog entry will be from chapters 1 to 4. =)
CHAPTER 1: The Evolution of the Flying Broomstick
Every household in Britain owns at least one flying broomstick. Wondering why they chose to magically enhance a broomstick instead of carpets, flying cars, flying chairs or whatever object you can think of? It's because a broomstick is easy to hide, portable and inexpensive. There is no excuse if found by Muggles.
Figure A. It is a medieval broomstick (thick knotty handle of unvarnished ash, with hazel twigs bound crudely to one end) on display in the Museum of Quidditch in London. Guthrie Lochrin, a Scottish wizard, experienced a great discomfort while riding the broomstick in Figure A. This broomstick only moves forward at one speed; goes up, down and stop. Until the 12th century, broomsticks are more comfortable to fly with.
CHAPTER 2: Ancient Broom Games
Here are some of them:
a. Annual Broom Race of Sweden - Fliers race from Kopparberg to Arjeplog, a distance of slightly over 300 miles.
b. Stichstock of Germany - where a 20 foot high pole was topped with an inflated dragon bladder. The bladder-guardian protects it and is tied around her waist so she could not fly more than 20 feet away. The rest of the players attempt to puncture the bladder.
c. Aingingein of Ireland - One by one the players would take the Dom or ball ( gallbladder of a goat), and speed through a series of burning barrels set high in the air on stilts. The Dom was to be thrown through the final barrel and the player who succeeds at the fastest time wins.
d. Creaothceann of Scotland - This game was made illegal in 1762.
e. Shuntbumps of England - Sole purpose of the game is to knock off as many players as you can.
f. Swivenhodge
CHAPTER 3: The Game from Queerditch Marsh
The not so pleasant beginnings of Quidditch began at the edge of Queerditch Marsh. Thanks to Gertie Keddle we now have a glimpse of the very early editions of Quidditch. The copy of her diary where she wrote about how the players played is now in the possession of the Museum of Quidditch in London. Here are some excerpts of her diary:
" Tuesday. Wet. Was out on the marsh picking nettles. Broomstick idiots playing again. Watched for a bit behind a rock. They've got a new ball. Throwing it to each other and trying to stick it in trees at either end of the marsh. Pointless rubbish. "
Based from the excerpt, Ms.Keddle isn't really happy with those people playing near her marsh. LOL. =D
Early terms of Quidditch equipments:
> Inflated Bladder - Quaffle
> Trees - Goals
> Enchanted Heavy Rocks - Bludgers
Early terms of Quidditch player's positions:
> Catcher - Chaser
> Blooder - Bludger
> Hunter - Seeker
The Golden Snitch wasn't used until the middle of the 13th century.
CHAPTER 4: The Arrival of the Golden Snidget
The Golden Snidget is today a protected species. It is difficult to detect by Muggles because of their aptitude at hiding and their very great speed.
Some wizards in the past try to catch Snidgets thru nets, wands and some with their bare hands and subsequently crushed by its captor. Barberus Bragge, Chief of the Wizard's Council, attended a Quidditch match in 1269 and brought a caged Golden Snidget. Mr. Bragge told the players that he would award 150 Galleons to the player who caught it during the course of the game. Yes, the extra 150 points once the Seeker catches the Golden Snitch (in the modern Quidditch match) was based on the 150 Galleons promised by Mr. Bragge. =)
In the middle of the following century, Golden Snidgets were declared protected species, outlawing both its killing and its use in Quidditch games. They kill the Snidget once captured by a player.
Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow was a skilled metal charmer. He mimicked and bewitched the behavior and flight patterns of the Snidget. So, the Golden Snitch was invented. It is a walnut-sized ball exactly the weight of a Snidget.
The introduction of the golden snitch may be said to have finished the process begun three hundred years before on Queerditch Marsh. Quidditch had been truly born.
Just re-visit my blog for the remaining chapters of this book. Hope you enjoyed reading. =)
