Animals and Hunters in the Late Middle Ages: Evidence from the BnF MS fr. 616 of the "Livre de chasse" by Gaston Fébus

Description

This book explores views of the natural world in the late Middle Ages, especially as expressed in "Livre de chasse" ("Book of the Hunt"), the most influential hunting book of the era. It shows that killing and maiming, suffering and the death of animals were not insignificant topics to late medieval men, but constituted a complex set of issues, and could provoke very contradictory thoughts and feelings that varied according social and cultural milieus and particular cases and circumstances. Hannele Klemettilä received her Ph.D. in medieval history from the University of Leiden. She is the author of "Epitomes of Evil: Representations of Executioners in Northern France and the Low Countries in the Late Middle Ages" and several other books on the cultural history of late medieval Europe. List of Figures ix List of Tables xi List of Abbreviations xiii Acknowledgements xv PART I. Introduction 1. Introduction 3 PART II. The Game 2. Fébusian Bestiary 24 3. Noble and Ignoble Endings 48 4. Post-Mortem Products 72 PART III. The Hound 5. Types of Hunting Dogs 100 6. Daily Care and Training of Hunting Dogs 120 7. Canine Ailments, Old Age, and Death 138 PART IV. The Hunter 8. The Career of a Huntsman 166 9. A Path to Paradise: Goals and Benefits of Hunting 187 10. The Good Hunter 206 PART V. Conclusion 11 Conclusion 227 Bibliography 231 Index 243