The practice of putting animals on trial may sound bizarre, but it was a genuine part of legal proceedings in medieval Europe. From pigs to insects, creatures found themselves in courtrooms where serious cases were made for their “crimes.” Here are ten remarkable animal trials that prove history’s laws truly had some quirks.
1. The Sow That Killed a Child (1386)
In Falaise, a small town in northern France, a sow found herself facing a capital trial for a horrific crime. The pig was accused of attacking and killing a five-year-old child, and the court took the matter very seriously. The sow was found guilty and, as part of her sentence, was dressed in a human outfit, paraded to the town square, and finally hanged. The gruesome execution was witnessed by a large crowd and recorded in a fresco that would later be destroyed, but the story lives on as one of the most unsettling examples of medieval animal justice.
2. Rats Stand Trial for Crop Destruction (1520s)
In Autun, France, a group of rats found themselves summoned to court for their destructive behavior—devouring vast amounts of barley. The rats’ lawyer, Barthélemy de Chasseneuz, masterfully delayed the trial by claiming that the rats were too elderly to attend and that the presence of cats in the town prevented their clients from appearing. When the rats ultimately missed their court date, the case was dismissed, but not before raising questions about how law and justice were applied to vermin.
3. The Rooster Who Laid an Egg (1474)
It wasn’t just pigs and rats that stood trial—animals with very unusual charges also saw the inside of courtrooms. In Basel, Switzerland, a rooster was put on trial for laying an egg, which was believed to be a sign of evil, possibly hatching a basilisk, a creature thought to bring death. The bizarre trial led to the rooster being burned at the stake in a public spectacle. The whole affair raised eyebrows, especially considering that roosters, like most male animals, don’t lay eggs in the first place.
4. The Moles of Stelvio (1519)
In the Italian Alps, a strange trial unfolded when a community decided to sue moles for damaging their crops. A lawyer named Hans Grinebner came to the defense of the rodents, arguing that their activities, while destructive, benefited the soil and helped control harmful insects. Despite the moles’ defense, the court ultimately ruled in favor of the farmers. However, the moles were granted safe passage out of town, presumably to a less fertile patch of land where they could do less damage.
5. Pigs Executed for Attacking Humans (1457)
In yet another case of swine-related justice, a sow and her six piglets were brought to trial in Savigny, France, after the sow killed a young boy. The pigs were detained, and the sow was eventually sentenced to death by hanging. Her piglets were spared the noose, primarily because they were too young to be proven guilty. This case is a chilling example of how seriously animal crimes were taken in the medieval period, often resulting in harsh and public punishments.
6. The Trial of the Seed Beetles (1478)
In Switzerland, a case involving seed beetles became an ecclesiastical trial: The pests were accused of damaging crops, and the church court took action by summoning the beetles to appear. The Bishop of Lausanne ordered the insects to leave the land or face excommunication. This unusual punishment stemmed from the belief that insects, though not under human control, were still subject to divine intervention, making the threat of excommunication a serious matter for offending creatures.
7. The Drummer’s Dog and the Town Pillory (Early 1700s)
In Austria, a drummer’s dog bit a local councilman and was promptly taken to court. The punishment? A year-long imprisonment in a public pillory known as the Narrenkötterlein, a small iron cage designed for the ridicule of criminals and miscreants. The dog’s owner, perhaps out of embarrassment or a sense of justice, complied with the sentence, marking another curious chapter in animal law. This case is not just evidence of the seriousness with which the legal system treated animals but also the public shaming that often accompanied their trials.
8. The Spanish Flies of Mainz (1300s)
In Mainz, Germany, farmers made the bizarre decision to prosecute a group of Spanish flies for causing destruction to crops. The flies were accused of damaging vegetation and ruining harvests, and a learned defender was even appointed to represent them in court. The ecclesiastical court eventually ordered the flies to leave the land, though it remains unclear whether they complied or were simply banished to another location. This trial is one of many in which medieval communities often restored to church courts when dealing with pests they couldn’t control.
9. The Caterpillars of Southern Italy (1659)
In 1659, residents of several Italian communes—Chiavenna, Mese, Gordona, Prada, and Samolico—took a united stand against a group of caterpillars. The insects were accused of devastating their crops and a multi-town legal action was launched. Like other vermin trials, the caterpillars were summoned to court but failed to appear, leading to a ruling that they be excommunicated. The idea was that by invoking divine punishment, the people could rid themselves of the pests that were destroying their livelihoods.
10. The Beetles of Lausanne (1478)
In a strikingly similar case to the beetles of Mainz, Switzerland found itself prosecuting another crop-destroying insect in 1478. The ecclesiastical court in Lausanne deemed the infestation of seed beetles to be a crime, subject to the laws of both earthly and divine justice. The beetles were once again ordered to vacate the area, and if they refused, they would be faced with excommunication.
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