INSANE History of Quidditch (1050 - 2023) - Harry Potter Explained

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today, we’ll be discussing the history of the magical sporting event known far and wide around the wizarding world as QUIDDITCH. Quidditch is without a doubt, the most popular and well-known sport played by witches and wizards in the entirety of the wizarding world. It is, as you may have guessed or probably already know, extremely magical in nature—as the whole game revolves around various balls that fly about of their own volition and is played while riding around on broomsticks.  With two opposing teams of seven, Quidditch is played on a pitch typically set up on a deserted moor or field, far from the view of us Muggles. And just as with many of our non-magical team sports, there are different positions on each team. These positions are known as the Chasers, of which there are three, the Beaters, of which there are two, a single Keeper, and a Seeker. Quidditch is also played using four different balls—an entirely seamless red leather Quaffle, 12 inches in size and used to score points on opposing teams’ goals, two 10-inch iron Bludgers, which only serve to knock players off their broomsticks and their game, and a Golden Snitch—a small golden ball with silver, rotational wings. Both teams then have three goalposts, raised high in the air with a large hoop at the top of each. It’s the Chasers’ job to use the Quaffle to score on the opposing team’s goals. Each successful shot through one of these hoop goals is worth 10 points. Goalposts are guarded by a team’s Keeper—similar to that of a Muggle sports team’s goalie. The Beaters’ primary responsibility is to hit—or “beat”—the Bludgers away from their teammates in order to allow them to score points uninterrupted, without being knocked off their broomsticks. And then there’s the Seeker, who basically plays a game all on their own, with their one and only goal being to find and catch the Golden Snitch before the other team’s Seeker. Doing so earns the Seeker’s team 150 points and signifies the end of the match.  Of course, as with any sport, Quidditch hasn’t always been played this way. It has evolved over the centuries, and has a rich and rather colourful past. In fact, we are fortunate enough to have an incredibly robust account of Quidditch’s history thanks to Quidditch Through the Ages, a text by the wizard Kennilworthy Whisp. Throughout the remainder of today’s video, the information that I’ll be sharing is based on Kennilworthy’s tremendous research and body of work, all of which focused on the evolution and history of this incredible sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices