Medieval Pets

Medieval Pets

by KathleenWalker-Meikle (Author)

Synopsis

Animals in the middle ages have often been discussed - but usually only as a source of food, as beasts of burden, or as aids for hunters. This book takes a completely different angle, showing that they were also beloved domestic companions to their human owners, whether they were dogs, cats, monkeys, squirrels, and parrots. It offers a full survey of pets and pet-keeping: from how they were acquired, kept, fed, exercised, and displayed, to the problems they could cause. It also examines the representation of pets and their owners in art and literature; the many charming illustrations offer further evidence for the bonds between humans and their pets, then as now. A wide range of sources, including chronicles, letters, sermons and poems, are used in what is both an authoritative and entertaining account. Dr Kathleen Walker-Meikle is a Wellcome Trust Fellow at the University of York, working on animals and medieval medicine.

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More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 200
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Boydell Press
Published: 18 Oct 2012

ISBN 10: 1843837587
ISBN 13: 9781843837589

Media Reviews
A delightful read for anyone interested in the history of pet-keeping, human-animal relations in general, and identity construction in later medieval Europe. MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY A useful addition to a growing body of specialist literature, and in addition, anyone who has ever owned a pet will find it fascinating. REVIEWS IN HISTORY A novel and comprehensive survey. [...] Not only a milestone in the history of our obsession with pets, but also furthers our understanding of the complexity of human-animal relations in the past. BBC HISTORY An exceptional survey. MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW