Types of Pets Horses Benozzo Gozzoli – Procession of the MagiĪlthough not always thought of as pets, horses were very important to the medieval man. Since women’s roles were vastly different from men’s in the middle ages, their choice of pet was usually for completely different reasons. Some of the most popular animals for men in the middle ages were, as you can image, the animals that would be useful in hunting, fighting and all the other manly things that men did in medieval times. Depending on who you were might also determine your purpose for owning an animal and what you used it for. Your vocation or social standing also dictated whether it was acceptable for you to own a certain type of pet. In medieval times, the type of pet you owned sometimes depended on whether you were a man or woman. However, we do have evidence of animals living in close approximation with humans and being used for hunting, protection, and companionship, just as they are today. In medieval times, such animals were not called pets. This type of animal is usually allowed access to parts of the home that other animals would not be allowed. The word, as we now use it refers to an animal that is kept for companionship or amusement. Humans have used animals for hauling and heavy lifting, herding other animals, a means of transportation, hunting and providing protection.Īccording to Medieval Pets, by Kathleen Walker-Meikle the term “pet” is a relatively new word, not coming into popular use until the sixteenth century. However, a dead animal is not the only useful animal. The most obvious, and most common use has been as an important food source for ancient peoples who not only ate the meat, but used the skins, bones and even fat for everyday uses. This made me wonder-did medieval people keep pets like we do now, and if so, what kind of pets did they keep?Īnimals have always played an important part in the lives of humans. Therefore, I wanted her to have a small comfort in life in the form of a lovable pup. If you know anything about Henry II and Rosamund, you might know that hers is a not-so-happy ending. I wanted to add a small lap dog to my story, as a pet for Henry’s mistress, Rosamund. My next book goes a little further back in history to the medieval times of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (12 th century). The queen is also given a small pup and names him TomTom (after the main character, of course!) TomTom only appears in two scenes, but I wanted to add a dog to the menagerie of animals in the book because the Queen of Scots was known to own a pup or two in her lifetime (a woman after my own heart, after all!) and legend has it that there was one hidden under her skirts when she was executed. In The Queen’s Almoner, Thomas has a favorite horse, Achaius, that makes several appearances, and Mary is given a white Clydesdale horse that becomes endeared to her (Clydesdales were a fairly new breed in the latter half of the sixteenth century, but they did exist). They make the characters seem more real, or maybe more relatable, and add a certain dimension to the world that I am creating on paper.
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