JennyCooke

= Bull Baiting  =

The Beginning of Bull Baiting
Bull meat was a common item in English butcher shops. The sport of bull baiting possibly arose from the belief that vigorous exercise before slaughter would tenderize the meat. English naturalist Thomas Muffett published a book in 1655 called //Health's Improvement//. In it, he explained that "violent heat and motion might attenuate [the bull's] blood, resolve their hardness, and make the flesh soften in digestion." Some historians also argue that bull baiting may have first started as a quality control measure. Tainted meat was so common that people may have preferred to watch the butcher actually exercise and slaughter the animal to ensure that the meat was fresh and of good quality (Fernandez 40-41).

Folklore also holds an explanation as to how the sport began. Legend has it that in 1209, Lord William Earl Warren of Stamford was standing on his castle wall when he saw two bulls furiously fighting over a cow in the castle meadow. The butcher's dogs were so caught up in the frenzy that they charged the bulls. The dogs then chased the bulls around town and killed them in a fierce fight. Lord William was reportedly so amused by the spectacle that he donated the meadow to the local butcher on the condition that a similar type of fight was held every year ("[|Bull Baiting]").

Rising Popularity
Wherever bull baiting may have began, by the 15th century it was practically the British national pastime. Bull baiting was considered a great sport and gambling event for people of all classes. Bystanders as well as the owners of the animals would bet on the victor. Baiting events would act as a modern tourist attractions and draw people into a town where they would spend money which would stimulate the economy ([|Harris]). All types of people enjoyed the bull baiting spectacle. Peasants would often make up the bulk of the crowd. However, the upper class also enjoyed watching. Queen Elizabeth was said to be very fond of the activity and would often entertain visiting foreign ambassador with an afternoon in the arena. Henry VIII even had his own “Bull and Bear” gardens. ("Bull Baiting")

Almost every town had a baiting ring. Bull baiting was a vital part of economy. The events were an appealing part of holidays or celebrations. Today it is still common to find vestiges of the ring in old English towns. However, the most popular location to view the carnage of bull baiting was London's Bull Ring Theater in Southwark. The arena was fortified with flint walls and could seat up to 1000 people on its tiered benches. It was located only a few paces away from Shakespeare's Globe Theater ([|Alchin]).

Bull baiting was not the only type of baiting going on in the arena. If available, lions were substituted for dogs, as shown in the picture above. Bulls could also be alternated with donkeys, horses, monkeys, badgers, and bears. Bear baiting was distant second in popularity to bull baiting, but bears were more expensive since they were not indigenous to Britain ([|Tomecek]).

Towards the end of the 15th century, theater was also becoming increasingly popular. In order to avoid tension between the emerging theater and baiting industries, a law was passed in 1591. The law forbid theaters to open on Thursdays so that people would not be conflicted ([|Alchin]). Bull baiting was truly a part of Elizabethan's lives.

How to Bait a Bull
Supplies:
 * 1) Bull
 * 2) 2-3 Dogs
 * 3) 15 feet of rope or chain
 * 4) Steel stake
 * 5) Iron ring

Before the baiting began, the bull was usually paraded through town to let people know what was about to occur. The bull was decorated and often caged. However, there were a few instances of the bull escaping and breaking from the parade route to rampage through the town. Once the bull got to the arena it was tethered by its horns to a fifteen foot rope which was firmly tied to a iron ring staked to the ground. The bull's nose was often filled with pepper to send the bull into a frenzy. Owners of the game dogs then paid six pence to five shillings for a run at the bull. Once game dogs were released, the competition began ("[|Banned Blood Sports]"). The object of the game was to pin the bull down. The dogs would try to do this by crawling up behind the bull and grabbing its nose. The nose of the bull is one of the most sensitive parts of its body. If a dog could hold on to the bull's nose for long enough, the bull would be immobilized with pain ([|Harris]).

However, it was not easy for dogs to reach this vulnerable spot because the bull was careful not to let the dogs get to close to it. The bull would wait until the dogs were in a prone position and then charge. If the bull could get a horn under the dogs, they would flip them up into the air. Owners (not wanting to lose an investment) often tried to catch their dogs or soften their fall with slanted poles. The crowd loved toss ups and would cheer the bull wildly. Many dogs were injured and killed in toss ups. Uninjured tossed dogs were expected to reenter the fray, although the dogs would often be too timid to successfully attack (Fernandez 42).

Even when the dog managed to pin the bull, the fight was not over. The dogs would have to possess an incredible amount of jaw strength to hold on to the bull's nose as the bull frantically bucked and writhed to free itself. Sometimes the bull would struggle so much that the dog would be thrown from the bull with part of the bull's snout still in its mouth. However, if the dog could hang on until the bull had surrendered. The dogs jaws would be pried open and the dog would be declared the winner. The losing bull would then be slaughtered or used in another match if its injuries were not too severe (Lace 66).

Bulldogs
With the new-found popularity of bull baiting, there came a demand for a species of dog that would be able to take down a 2,000 pound bull. At first any farm dog was viewed as fit to take on a bull, but as the stakes were raised dogs were selected more carefully. Eventually there was enough demand that an entirely new species was bred. The new species would have to be dogged and fearless. They would also have to have a strong bite and the ability to hold onto a bulls snout for a long period of time without suffocating. With these criteria in mind, the bulldog was created (Fernandez 41).

The bulldog was relatively low to the ground, so that it was harder for the bull to get a horn under them to toss them. They also developed a "short face", so that the nostrils were as far away as possible from their powerful jaws. This allowed them to breathe as they clamped onto the bulls tender snout. Bulldogs were also developed with disproportionately large heads. This meant that most of the dog's weight and muscle was concentrated in its chest and head, making its grip as powerful as a vice. The wrinkles in the dog's forehead were meant to ensure that the bull's blood wouldn't fall into the dog's eyes and distract it ("[|Bull Baiting]"). The bulldog was the bull's perfect foil.

Declining Prominence
In the 15th century, bull baiting was thought of as a way to keep the lower classes content and entertained. However as time went on, people began to notice that it was really a source of social strife. The crowds which attended the fights were rowdy and destructive. So in the 17th century, most bull baiting was outlawed to the suburbs under the pretense of protecting public safety (Fernandez 43).

This measure was indicative of the waning support for bull baiting. Bulls were becoming scarce. High society suddenly condemned the practice, when King James II declared bull baiting improper in 1685 ("[|Bull Baiting]"). However, it took another 150 years for this sentiment to be fully coded in law. In 1835, Parliament passed the The Cruelty to Animals Act which made baiting and other animal blood sports illegal. ("[|Banned Blood Sports]").