The Beast Within: Animals in the Middle Ages Joyce E. Salisbury's is an English-language study book about the relationship between humans and animals in the Middle Ages. This edition addresses current scientific insights and shifts the focus to animals within diverse social contexts.
The book thematically examines topics such as domestication, animal diseases, animal fighting, religious dietary regulations, and animals in entertainment. In addition, modern themes are connected to medieval perspectives, for example animal rights, animal sexuality, and vegetarianism. Chapters on ‘Animals as Humans’ and ‘Humans as Animals’ show how the boundaries between human and animal blur from the fourth to the twenty-first century.
This revised edition of The Beast Within is an essential source for students in higher education who are delving into animal and cultural history, medieval society, and animals in art and literature.