Brooms - Muggle Artifacts? |
 Apr 7 2007, 06:17 PM
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Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher  Posts: 173 Joined: 10:27pm August 23, 2005 Location: USA   |
I was just rereading GoF, and if you'll remember, there's a bit in the seventh chapter about Mr. Weasley's embargo on flying carpets because carpets are defined as a Muggle artifact under the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects (p. 91, US version). This is all fair and well, but...aren't brooms Muggle artifacts as well? Why do they get a free pass?
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Apr 7 2007, 06:31 PM
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Hiding in the Iron Maiden at Borgin and Burkes Posts: 321 Joined: 11:55am July 21, 2005 Location: Constantly fluctuating. |
Haha! I always laugh at that when I read it. I don't think there is any special meaning behind this. I think it's probably a mistake (if it is one) of the character not of the author. Wizarding Britain has been using the broom for centuries, giving it special exception. Perhaps in other parts of the world Mr. Weasley's counterpart would scoff at brooms being a magical object.
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Apr 7 2007, 06:34 PM
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Terrortours Travel Agent Posts: 6,828 Joined: 12:34pm January 24, 2007 |
Yes, but racing brooms are specialized objects that no longer bear any resemblance to Muggle brooms used for sweeping floors. A wizard doesn't take a Muggle broom and enchant it to fly, like Arthur did with the Ford Anglia, but instead the racing brooms are manufactured with their sporting performance as central for their design.
(BTW love the FSM avatar  )
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Apr 8 2007, 12:54 AM
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Buying a Half-Kneazle Posts: 520 Joined: 11:43am March 19, 2007 Location: Canadian witchcraft school |
I do not think that carpets were all that common in Britain when flying brooms were introduced, brooms were. According to Quiddich Through the Ages book for charity, witches and wizards need something inconspiuous so their muggle neighbours did not get all that suspicious, and since most house holds had brooms, they were an easy thing to explain and understood. These brooms were made by the person who was going to use it at first, but then there were people who were skilled in broom making and traded their skills for items they were not as skilled in. As for the flying carpet, Crouch Sr. remembers the axeminster that his grandparents had before they were band in the U.K.
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Apr 8 2007, 03:19 AM
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Kibble Boy/Girl at the Magical Menagerie Posts: 261 Joined: 2:20am February 19, 2007 Location: Cheering on Oliver at the Puddlemere United quidditch pitch |
This may sound a bit strange, but what if brooms were originally created as wizarding transportation, and the use of them for sweeping was derived from a coverup in front of Muggles or something?
-------------------- "What are the odds of one true love? You say 'high', but I have my doubts."-Ima Robot
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return." |
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 Apr 8 2007, 01:25 PM
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Buying a Half-Kneazle Posts: 530 Joined: 3:09pm February 8, 2006 Location: Getting a tetanus jab. Ouch, those scratches hurt!  |
QUOTE QTTA, p.2: If they were to keep a means of flight in their houses, it would necessarily be something discreet, something easy to hide. The broomstick was ideal for this purpose; it required no explanation, no excuse if found by Muggles, it was easily portable and inexpensive. I guess that if a Muggle steps on an enchanted carpet accidentally it would be able to fly away. There is much less of a chance that a Muggle takes all the actions needed to fly away on an enchanted broomstick accidentally. |
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Apr 10 2007, 12:10 PM
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Gringott's Cart Axle Greaser Posts: 2,781 Joined: 6:31pm April 2, 2005 Location: Exploring the Hogwarts library :) |
QUOTE(Domoor @ Apr 8 2007, 02:25 PM) [snapback]1172377[/snapback] QUOTE QTTA, p.2: If they were to keep a means of flight in their houses, it would necessarily be something discreet, something easy to hide. The broomstick was ideal for this purpose; it required no explanation, no excuse if found by Muggles, it was easily portable and inexpensive. I guess that if a Muggle steps on an enchanted carpet accidentally it would be able to fly away. There is much less of a chance that a Muggle takes all the actions needed to fly away on an enchanted broomstick accidentally. Thats exactly what I thought as well. Another possible explanation could be that brooms would be harder to see in the sky than a whole carpet since brooms are a lot skinier whereas a flying carpet would be much larger. |
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Apr 14 2007, 10:16 PM
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Buying a Half-Kneazle Posts: 520 Joined: 11:43am March 19, 2007 Location: Canadian witchcraft school |
There could be an incantation for carpets to fly somewhere because there are some witches and wizards who either inter marry or are muggle born. These muggle relatives would want to visit their families and come in for a surprise visit.
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Apr 15 2007, 12:03 PM
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#9
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Buying a Half-Kneazle Posts: 530 Joined: 3:09pm February 8, 2006 Location: Getting a tetanus jab. Ouch, those scratches hurt! |
QUOTE(kwiki @ Apr 15 2007, 05:16 AM) [snapback]1181536[/snapback] There could be an incantation for carpets to fly somewhere because there are some witches and wizards who either inter marry or are muggle born. These muggle relatives would want to visit their families and come in for a surprise visit. Even if I had a family member who was a wizard and said to me: "Don't worry, it's quite safe!" I still wouldn't step on one...  And would any Muggle be able to surprise a wizard with an unannounced visit? I think not...
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Apr 16 2007, 11:50 AM
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Being Chosen by a Wand at Ollivander's Posts: 2,991 Joined: 7:59am June 6, 2006 |
QUOTE(green eyes @ Apr 8 2007, 09:19 AM) [snapback]1171960[/snapback] This may sound a bit strange, but what if brooms were originally created as wizarding transportation, and the use of them for sweeping was derived from a coverup in front of Muggles or something? AHAHAHAHA!  That's Brilliant, I don't think I'll ever see a broomstick in the same way again, knowing that it's living a lie  QUOTE(Domoor @ Apr 8 2007, 07:25 PM) [snapback]1172377[/snapback] QUOTE QTTA, p.2: If they were to keep a means of flight in their houses, it would necessarily be something discreet, something easy to hide. The broomstick was ideal for this purpose; it required no explanation, no excuse if found by Muggles, it was easily portable and inexpensive. I guess that if a Muggle steps on an enchanted carpet accidentally it would be able to fly away. There is much less of a chance that a Muggle takes all the actions needed to fly away on an enchanted broomstick accidentally.  Very good point, I like that explanation, logical and probably legally sound, but I still think the concept of smuggling flying carpets is really funny 
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Apr 16 2007, 05:51 PM
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Leaky's Resident Bibliophile Posts: 8,279 Joined: 5:01pm April 18, 2005 Location: Finding Neverland. |
QUOTE(rpgaction @ Apr 7 2007, 07:17 PM) [snapback]1171619[/snapback] This is all fair and well, but...aren't brooms Muggle artifacts as well? Why do they get a free pass? Hm. Well, brooms are controlled by the wizard. I always imagined a flying carpet to just hover there and roam by itself (maybe that's Aladdin's influence on me).-------------------- "I know who Harry Potter is. I just don't know who the other two are. Himmie and Roland?"
"No, Grandma, Ron and Hermione." |
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Jun 4 2007, 12:00 PM
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Quality Quidditch Supplies Test-Flyer Posts: 1,289 Joined: 8:28am April 2, 2007 Location: 1973   |
Not many people these days would use a broom like those that the wizarding comunittee have turned in to transport. Becuase you can't find many any more, perhaps they are not really classed as muggle artifacts. Either that, or they have just been allowed anyway, because they're so popular and helpful.
-------------------- "Oh no, not again" -Bowl of Petunias The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy |
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Jun 4 2007, 09:08 PM
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Galleries Official Grape-peeler  Posts: 5,508 Joined: 10:36am April 5, 2007 Location: Trying to sneak into Leavesden studios. |
QUOTE(MonieLou @ Apr 16 2007, 11:51 PM) [snapback]1183995[/snapback] QUOTE(rpgaction @ Apr 7 2007, 07:17 PM) [snapback]1171619[/snapback] This is all fair and well, but...aren't brooms Muggle artifacts as well? Why do they get a free pass? Hm. Well, brooms are controlled by the wizard. I always imagined a flying carpet to just hover there and roam by itself (maybe that's Aladdin's influence on me).The newer racing brooms like the Nimbus Firebolt also hover of their own free will. Modern muggle brooms are quite different in design to the old whicker work ones. It would probably be quite an uncomfortable experience if a wizard were to enchant a modern muggle broom and fly it.  Here are a few examples at this link. So if the wizards are still using refined versions of the old style brooms which muggles don't use anymore, then I think they could avoid been classifed as a muggle artifact. About carpets. I think in Europe particularly they came about from wall tapestries in castles. The wives and daughters of medieval knights and monarchs, were probably irritated by the draughty air going round the castle, and so adapted the tapestries on the walls into rugs. These rugs eventually evolved into carpets, covering the whole floor. --------------------  |
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