Quidditch Through the Ages

In Quidditch Through the Ages, the flying broom is a motif for the author’s theme of The History and Evolution of Wizarding Society. By describing the invention of the flying broom and tracing its evolution from transportation to sporting equipment, the author reveals more about European wizarding society’s development from the high Middle Ages to modern times.

Rowling shows that the flying broom as a technology has changed a great deal since its invention. For instance, early flying brooms were renowned for being roughly made from raw materials and for being very uncomfortable. She writes of Europe’s first brooms: “A thick knotty handle of unvarnished ash, with hazel twigs bound crudely to one end, it is neither comfortable nor dynamic. The charms placed upon it are similarly basic: it will only move forwards at one speed; it will go up, down and stop” (4). However, the more witches and wizards came to rely on brooms, the more features they added, making brooms safer, more comfortable, and more refined looking as well. As wizarding society developed, so did the flying broom. Rowling explains how changes in the wizarding economy allowed some wizards to specialize in broom-making, thereby improving the technology for everyone.