Author Archives: Ruth

Many kings and noblemen (and even some Popes) kept menageries of exotic animals, following the example of Roman emperors. The Roman emperors used some of the animals for public displays at the Circus. Medieval monarchs rarely, if ever, had fighting … Continue reading →

Byzantine troops depended heavily on mounted archers, who also carried spears and a sword. They could use lassos, as could other Eastern cavalrymen, and they occasionally used them as weapons. Byzantine cavalrymen fought in a unit and were trained to … Continue reading →

Horses became more important on farms when towns grew and farmers needed to carry food to market in carts. Horses had been used as pack animals before, but carts and wagons could carry much more. A packhorse could not carry … Continue reading →

Europe already had herds of ponies and small horses when it was part of the Roman Empire. Cold regions had smaller ponies with thicker hair. Cool, wet regions tended to raise horses with larger bones and heavy muscle. Hot, dry … Continue reading →

Falcons and hawks are natural predators of birds and small mammals, but, although fierce, they can be tamed. Both are raptors—birds that kill live prey—and diurnal hunters, not nocturnal like owls. Hawks follow their prey at a low altitude, while … Continue reading →

Dogs were part of European civilization from the start, first as hunting dogs. Most knights kept hunting dogs at their manors. By the Middle Ages, there were many different breeds. Hunting required different sizes and skills in dogs: greyhounds and … Continue reading →

Poultry were the most common animal kept by the poor, even in cities. In Anglo-Saxon times, England had more chickens than geese, but geese and ducks became the primary poultry of the later Middle Ages. Many manors also kept doves … Continue reading →

Cattle were primarily draft animals and only shifted to dairy and meat animals as the horse became the main draft animal. One of the big stories in the early Middle Ages was the shift in agriculture that allowed average farmers … Continue reading →