"Raduff got a Blooder in the head because old Ugga wasn't quick enough with his club."
-- Goodman Kneen, in a letter to a cousin (QA3)
Blooder is an early Quidditch term for the “ball” that evolved into the modern Bludger. They were likely to have been flying rocks (QA3, QA6).
The term was first used in Goodwin Kneen‘s twelfth century letter to his cousin Olaf in Norway to describe the object that had hit his teammate Radulf during the match (QA3).
Modesty Rabnott also refers to players evading Blooders in a letter to her sister Prudence about the disgraceful treatment of a Golden Snidget during a Cuaditch match in 1262 (QA4).
Commentary
Etymology
The word blood is defined as the red liquid that circulates in bodies of humans and other animals (Oxford English Dictionary).
Notes
Blood is likely to be what you get when a Blooder hits you during one of these early Quidditch matches, as they tended to be large enchanted flying rocks....
Both of the letters that mention Blooders can be found at the Museum of Quidditch in London (QA3, QA4).
Lexicon list of Quidditch equipment and accessories
From the Web
WizardingWorld.com (Pottermore) features:
- Quidditch Through the Ages
- Things you might not know about Quidditch
- How to survive a Quidditch match
- A Blaggers guide to Quidditch
Harry Potter Wiki: Quidditch
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: bleeding blood dangerous flying match Quidditch history Quidditch traditions rock teams tradition