The devil's pet dog - this is how rats were called in medieval Europe. They fought with them for centuries, they were destroyed in thousands, but … In 2010, about 2 million 750 thousand people lived in the capital of Italy, Rome, and at least … 15 million naked-tailed rodents.
"Crusader" plague
But even at the beginning of the 16th century, the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula had not even heard of any rats. It's hard to believe, but in those distant times in Europe, these animals did not exist - it was nice to live! But there were still people who called themselves crusaders. They went to distant Asia to free the Holy Sepulcher. By and large, they did not release anything there, but they brought a lot of trouble, and not only to the inhabitants of Asia, but also to their compatriots. The fact is that it was the liberators of the Holy Sepulcher who brought on their ships to Europe (in addition to buckwheat, rice, saffron and exotic fruits) dozens of tailed weasels. It happened, most likely by accident, but the consequences were dire. Rodents-emigrants, delighted with their own promised land in the form of medieval European cities littered with household waste, began to multiply with terrible force. Attics, basements, cemeteries, food warehouses, markets and always adjacent mountains of garbage, endless fields of rye and wheat on the outskirts of the city - that's where the open space!
If the Europeans knew what "gift" their native crusaders would bring them from across the sea, they would tell them there, in the Holy Land, and stay forever.
And the "present" turned out to be the same - the plague! No, you can't blame the rats - the people themselves are to blame first of all, they didn't care about hygiene. But the rats in this case served as an ideal carrier of the infection, which greatly affected the population of Europe.
And somewhere they love them
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Paradoxically, in India, in the city of Deshnok, rats are simply adored. There is even an official "Temple of the Rats" Karni Mata. Rodents live in it happily, they have a regular table from local residents who believe that the souls of dead children, hidden from the god of death, live in these animals.
Moreover, during the outbreaks of the same plague, the surrounding residents at full speed run to Deshnok under the protection of the "rat" temple and really find salvation there from the infection. It is officially confirmed that even the most terrible epidemics have always bypassed this city.
According to democratic laws
What methods do you think medieval people used to fight rats? Of course, using the most democratic methods. The rats were sued … For example, one trial took place at the beginning of the 16th century in Autuns (Burgundy). There, the ubiquitous rats destroyed most of the crop, and angry locals decided to hold them accountable.
But the lawyer Bartholomew de Chassenet brilliantly stood up for the rats, which, by the way, did not appear in court, who, thanks to this process, made a big name for himself. First of all, the lawyer stated that the summons prepared by the court were too general. In view of the fact that every rat living not only in Authen itself, but also in its suburbs, bears responsibility for the ruined crop, the summons must be drawn up individually and read to each rodent separately.
These arguments were taken into account by the court. The nearby priests received instructions from the bishop: to talk to each rat separately, and to oblige him to appear in court.
Of course, the rats did not appear in court
The authorities again turned to Chassenet with a demand either to admit the case hopelessly lost, or to explain the shameless behavior of their clients. In response, the lawyer began to challenge the legality of the call itself. He argued to the Episcopal Court that the summons should serve as his wards as protective letters; that the rats are ready at any moment to appear at the hearing, but they are stopped by the presence of cats on the way.
The arguments of the gallant lawyer were recognized as fair. The court not only granted the rats a two-week reprieve, but also offered special benefits to pregnant rodents and rats. Only the residents of Authen and its environs did not dare to take responsibility for the behavior of cats, and the case "Oten v. Rats" was postponed indefinitely as a result, and then completely lost.
Magazine: Horoscopes and Predictions №21 / С. Author: Konstantin Karelov