Animal Trials in the Middle Ages: When Pigs and Rats Were on Trial!

Animal Trials in the Middle Ages: When Pigs and Rats Were on Trial!

Anyone who believes that the courts are only there for people is very much mistaken. In the Middle Ages, everyday legal regulations were often so bizarre that even animals ended up in the dock. Today, the so-called animal trials are repeatedly covered in the media, and not just out of historical interest. In a recent article by Dewezet It is said that the stories of these events were not only entertaining, but also deeply rooted in the religious and social order of the Middle Ages.

Would you like an example? In 1520, a court issued an eviction order against woodworms that had damaged the bishop's chair of a French village church. Another notable case dates back to 1386, when a domestic pig was punished for inflicting serious injuries on an infant. This animal was publicly executed. Such judgments were not just meant to be joked about, but were made within the framework of the “Ordo Thought,” which states that everything created has a specific purpose.

The animal processes in a historical context

The period between the 14th and 17th centuries was marked by crises, such as the Interregnum in the Holy Roman Empire and the “Little Ice Age”. Such circumstances created social pressures that expressed themselves in the idea that natural disasters and animal attacks were punishments from God for people's sins. Animals that showed humanity – or not – were persecuted accordingly. How Wikipedia Reportedly, animals were often treated like legal subjects and even had the right to defense counsel. Punishments for misbehavior could be as severe as those for people.

Any bad examples? Condemned animals could be executed, burned or even buried alive. Aggressive animals, such as wolves, were even viewed as humans in animal form. This belief was not only widespread in Germany; They were also part of everyday legal life in France and Switzerland. Historians outline stories of trials against cockchafers and locusts, where a whole list of harmful insects stood trial. In Bern they even took cockchafer larvae in 1478; An advocate for their interests was appointed here.

Doubts about historical accuracy

However, not all scientists agree on the authenticity of these procedures. Martin Rath and other historians raise concerns about the historical accuracy of such accounts. LTO highlights that there are doubts as to whether animal trials actually took place to the extent that they are recorded. While most scientists believe in the existence of such procedures, the question remains whether the reports are based on fiction or actual events.

In summary, the bizarre stories of the animal defendants are deeply rooted in the social and theological beliefs of the Middle Ages. Regardless of whether the cases mentioned are historically accurate or not, they reflect a time when the boundaries between humans and animals were much more fluid than they are today. Let's be honest: who can you argue with when a cockchafer is in court?