Abstract:
Subjecting animals to violence was a popular component of early modern entertainments. As a recreational activity or sport such entertainments existed in various forms across Europe. Depending on the type of activity, spectators and participants could be monarchs or peasants and on some occasions even both. The violence displayed at such events was enacted by humans themselves, by domesticated animals on the behalf of humans or by wild animals and, in turn, was targeted at both domesticated and wild animals. In some of these entertainments the creatures involved were forced into a passive role as mere playing objects while in others they were encouraged to act on their natural instincts of flight or fight. In any case, the final outcome was generally predetermined in order to guarantee success for the participants or a pleasing spectacle for the spectators. Whether the emphasis was placed on the experience of the spectators or of the participants depended on the type of activity and whether being a participant was a desirable role or one that could entail being humiliated. Both animal studies and festival studies are thriving historiographical genres. By combining them in focusing on early modern German examples this thesis provides an insight into an underexplored body of primary sources, especially in English language scholarship. Examining a range of animal entertainments in a wide variety of contexts, both local and European, yields a rich insight into early modern social and cultural history.