Let’s Put The Rats On Trial
But give them a real good lawyer. We’re not savages.
It’s 1508 and the town of Autun, France, has a big problem. Or, rather, many small problems: an army of rats is slowly but surely munching its way through the barley harvest that is supposed to feed the population during the long winter, leaving the French town on the brink of starvation.
That part is true. The rest is a mixture of history and myth, with a sprinkle of superstition thrown in for good measure.
According to the chronicles of the time, when cats, mousetraps, and prayer failed to get rid of the rodents, the good folks of Autun were left with no choice but to turn to the law: the offending vermin were put on trial.
Long-standing Tradition
Bizarre as it may sound, trials against pets and pests were not uncommon in Medieval times. The idea originated directly from the Greek belief that crimes should always be properly expiated, even when committed by a beast — or even an inanimate object. Failing to do so would enrage the furies, and bring famine and disease on the land. Chronicler Pausanias recalls how a bust of the poet Theognis toppled and fell on a man, smashing his head, and a statue of famous athlete Theagenes was knocked over by a rival and killed him. Both offending statues…
