Barberus Bragge was Chief of the Wizards’ Council in 1269.
Bragge attended a Quidditch match in 1269 and offered 150 Galleons to whomever caught the tiny Golden Snidget bird which he released onto the pitch. At that time, 150 Galleons was the equivalent of over a million Galleons today, so a fortune to the player who was successful (QA4).
A Witch spectator in the crowd, Madam Modesty Rabnott of Kent, took to the field in protest at the abuse of the small, defenceless bird. She caught the Snidget with a Summoning Charm and was fined 10 Galleons by the irate Bragge. This incident began the practice of catching a live Golden Snidget as part of the game of Quidditch (QA4).
Commentary
Etymology
Barberus is sounds like the word barbarous, which means "extremely brutal" or "primitive and uncivilised" (Oxford English Dictionary), suggesting "a barbarian".
Bragge, as a surname, was originally nickname for "a cheerful, lively person" or "a boaster, braggart". It derives from the Medieval English word bragge, meaning "lively, gay, active, brisk" (Internet Surname Database). Each of these words suggest his character, which is bullying and crude.
Notes
Barberus Bragge appeared on a later set of Famous Wizards cards (FW), which came out after his introduction in the book Quidditch Through the Ages (Lexicon essay).
Lexicon timeline of Quidditch
Lists on the Lexicon: Quidditch
From the Web
WizardingWorld.com (Pottermore) features:
- Quidditch Through the Ages
- Six Fantastic Beasts that deserve more love
- Things you might not know about Quidditch
- First year Quidditch quiz
Harry Potter Wiki: Barberus Bragge
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: anger bullying crude cruel gambling Quidditch history revenge