Before the well recognized game of Quidditch was invented, other games in many

different countries found ways to fly on brooms.

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• The Annual Broom Race - Sweden

  • 10th century​

  • Flying from Kopparberg to Arjeplog (aprox. 300 miles) through dragon reservations and other dangerous places

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• The Stichstock  - German

  • Early 1100s​ (died out around 14th century)

  • A game were many wizards on their broomstick would attempt to puncture an inflated dragons bladder on a 20 foot pole guarded by one wizard trying to protect it

  • The game would end when either the bladder was punctured or the guarding wizard placed spells onto all of the opponents

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• The Aingingein - Irish Ballad

  • One by one players would take the Dom (gall bladder of a goat) and speed through a series of burning barrels set high in the air on stilts.​

  • The player who succeeded in getting the Dom through the last barrel with the fastest time without catching fire.

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• The Creaothceann - Scotland

  • Popular in the Middle Ages, made illegal in 1762

  • Most dangerous of all broom games​

  • 12 players all wearing cauldrons on their heads. With the sound of a horn, 100 charmed rocks would fall towards the Earth with the attempt to catch as many as possible.

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• The Shutbumps - Devon, England

  • Crude form of jousting

  • The goal: knock as many people off their brooms

  • The last person remaining on their broom winning

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• The Swivenhodge - Herefordshire

  • A pigs bladder would be inflated and be hit from the back of the brooms as players would hit the bladder​ across the hedge with the brush ends of the brooms, similar to volleyball

  • Once missed, a point would be awarded. The first to 50 would be awarded the winner.