Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Animal Court: Strange Trials of Creatures in History

The Animal Court: Strange Trials of Creatures in History

Jemy, Mark E.

Paperback

General European HistoryGeneral LawTrue Crime

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN13: 9798272453969
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Oct 31 2025
Pages: 76
Weight: 0.25
Height: 0.16 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Imagine a medieval courtroom, heavy with the smell of wet earth and damp wool. A goat stands bound, accused of a terrible crime. The judge reads the verdict with grim finality: both the man and the goat are to be hanged. This is not a dark fairy tale. This is a documented historical record, one of thousands of cases from a time when animals were put on trial for their alleged crimes.

The Animal Court transports you to this bizarre and fascinating chapter of legal history, a world where the lines between justice and superstition were impossibly blurred. Witness the strange and meticulous proceedings as a pig is dressed in human clothes for its execution after being found guilty of murder, a rooster is burned at the stake for the heretical crime of laying an egg, and a swarm of caterpillars is formally excommunicated by the Church for destroying crops. These were not jokes; they were deadly serious legal affairs, complete with sworn witnesses, formal verdicts, and even defense attorneys appointed for the animal accused.

Why were these animals treated as legal entities, capable of sin and crime? This book delves into the medieval psyche to uncover the profound fear and superstition that drove these spectacles. Explore the logic behind prosecuting animals for everything from theft to witchcraft and bestiality, where a creature could be seen as an accomplice in a satanic pact. Meet the brilliant lawyers, like Barthélemy de Chasseneuz, who mounted ingenious defenses for his clients-a swarm of rats-by arguing that the town's cats made the journey to court too dangerous for them to attend.

This meticulously researched work is more than a collection of historical oddities; it is a profound look at humanity's desperate need for order in a chaotic world. It reveals how these ancient trials still echo in modern law, from our concepts of due process to the ongoing debate over animal rights and legal personhood. For fans of bizarre history, true crime, and legal drama, The Animal Court is an unforgettable journey into one of the strangest chapters of our past. Buy your copy today and witness the verdict.

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