ManicDDaily

Riddle

We have heard a lot about the tents of young people down at Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park.  We’ve heard about concerns over sanitation, cold, potential violence.   Some have commented on the weird costumes worn by the protesters, and the sometimes silliness of their conduct–costumes and conduct that may make it difficult to take them seriously.

But this weekend, New York is hosting, in a different park, another congregation of tents, youth, well-contained violence, and silliness:  the 2011 Quidditch World Cup!  Held at Randall’s Island, in a huge green field (and also at Icahn Stadium), filled with pitches, tents, and players running around with brooms between their legs.  (Talk about sanitation!)

Quidditch has been adapted, to the extent possible when not airborne, from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, and Harry’s world is in full evidence at the World Cup–refreshments include butter beer and golden snitchwiches.  Participants have clever jerseys, often with mystical or nonsensical symbols, and, of course, there are those brooms.  The game, however, while it is very silly, is also very serious.   For one thing, it is amazingly physical–fast-paced and inherently violent (in terms of force needed to win, although hostility seemed to be kept well in check.)

The game combines dodge ball (the bludgers), basketball ball  (the quaffle going through a silver hoop),  field hocky (well–the broom is usually kept between the players’ legs), football (a lot of strong-arming) and hand to hand combat (getting the snitch).  Players must be strong, fast, fearless, and also, it seems, have very good senses of humor.

It was a bit dark for my iPhone to get great photos (I went for the night games, below a full moon), but here are a few.