Soldiers & hunters in The Rochester Bestiary c.1230

[Druzhina]

Soldiers & hunters in The Rochester Bestiary c.1230

A mounted man with horn and pitchfork hunting lion with hounds.
An armed man spearing an antelope caught in branches.
A knight spearing a unicorn, who lies with its head in the lap of a virgin.
Knights in a castle atop an elephant repelling mounted assailants.
A beaver biting off his testicles and a hunter with dogs.
An armoured archer hunting a Bonnacon.
A hunter and dogs pursuing a monkey and its young.
A hunter and dogs pursuing goats.
Peasent and Mastiffs guarding sheep.
The legend of the king Garamantes who was rescued by his dogs.
An archer shooting at a bull.
A man riding a camel.
Two men with asses.
Two knights fighting on foot with swords, while their horses are fighting each other on hind legs.

Druzhina
sites of wargaming interest

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Had to look at the beaver shot, just to see what it would be like...
The beaver looks more like a deer! Just goes to show they didn't always know what they were drawing!

[FierceKitty]

Had to look at the beaver shot, just to see what it would be like...

No excuses for voyeurism needed.

[Techno]

The hefferlump looks a bit out of scale !   
Fascinating pictures though !
Cheers - Phil

[nikharwood]

(Surely?) more to the point - why the feck is that beaver biting off his own testicles? 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

IF I remember my medieval studies it was believed that they did it to escape the hunters hounds scenting them...

Still brings a tear to the eye?

[FierceKitty]

The idea was that it was hunted for its balls, so discarded them to save the rest.

[nikharwood]

The idea was that it was hunted for its balls, so discarded them to save the rest.

Ok...so just how exactly did the beaver know it was being hunted for its balls then? 

[Druzhina]

Ok...so just how exactly did the beaver know it was being hunted for its balls then? 

That's a bit like wondering how dragons breath fire without burning their throats. (It can destroy the illusion).

Druzhina
sites of wargaming interest

[fred.]

The idea was that it was hunted for its balls, so discarded them to save the rest.

Why did people want beaver balls ?

I feel I may regret asking this....

[Albie Bach]

Why did people want beaver balls ?

I feel I may regret asking this....

The balls had no special value. There is a gland under the tail which secretes castoreum which has waterproofing and scent properties which is of value. Also the meat and of course the fur.
Whether beavers did chew off their own balls or not, it didn't work because beavers had been hunted to extinction in Britain by the end of the middle ages.
http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/11/beavers-on-the-run.html

Cheers, Colin