In the introduction to Animal History: History as If Animals Mattered, Andrew Linzey and Clair Linzey write, “An animal does not just have a biology, but also a biography.”
Sadly, animal biographies are lacking in literature and in academics, as well as our understanding of how human and non-human animals have evolved alongside one another over the past few thousand years. This book addresses a number of these gaps through a diverse range of academic essays organized into themes, such as the historical controversies of meat eating and vivisection, as well as early history and notable human figures in animal history.
One the more interesting historical figures profiled (by Lauren Bestwick) is “Mad Madge,” the nickname given to Margaret Cavendish, a wealthy, outspoken animal advocate in nineteenth century England. Margaret challenged everything from women’s rights (lack thereof) to bear baiting to meat eating. And her poetry is remarkable; below is an excerpt from Dialogue of Birds in which she wrote from the perspective of a bird:
But Men do strive with Nets us for to catch:
With Guns, and Bowes they shoot us from the Trees,
And by small shot, we oft our Lifes do leese,
Because we pick a Cherry here, and there,
When, God he knows, we eate them in great fear,
But Men will eat, until their Belly burst,
And surfets take: if we eat, we are curst.
The essays on vivisection feel sadly contemporary as animal testing and abuse is still widespread today. Felix Taylor profiles John Cowper Powys a 19th century author who spoke out against vivisection through his writing. Notably, Powys took great issue with a phrase that haunts us even today: In the interests of science. He wrote:
This sinister phrase … ought to be enough to startle us, enough to rouse us to what is happening … There is only ground to take on this matter: and that is the ground of simple conscience. The thing is cruel and abominable. Therefore it is wrong.
While the history of animals often feels like one tragedy after another, this book is also inspiring. It reminds readers that people have been fighting on behalf of animals for thousands of years.
A fight that continues today.
This book is an important addition to the growing library of animal history.
John is co-author, with Midge Raymond, of the mystery Devils Island. He is also author of the novels The Tourist Trail and Where Oceans Hide Their Dead. Co-founder of Ashland Creek Press and editor of Writing for Animals (also now a writing program). More at JohnYunker.com.