What the heck is a lek?
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
Menu
Cats were often kept in medieval homes to catch rodents. Their skill was celebrated in contemporary manuscripts, church carvings and pin badges. Dried cats have been found in buildings for centuries. The reasons for this are unclear, but one theory is that they provided spiritual pest control.
Medieval Salisbury was a dangerous place. Childbirth, childhood diseases, workplace accidents and plague created high mortality rates. Dense housing meant diseases spread quickly – particularly in poorer areas.
Medicines were available from the two local friaries, which grew medicinal herbs, or from an apothecary, who prepared and sold drugs. The first of many apothecaries appeared in Salisbury in 1399. The city’s St Nicholas’s Hospital and Trinity Hospital offered help to the poor, sick and infirm. Lepers were confined to East Harnham’s leper hospital to die in strict isolation.
In the absence of any concrete understanding of disease, many people turned to superstition and folk magic.
The dried cat was found in the roof of St Thomas’s Church, Salisbury – first built in the 13th century.
One day during building work or repairs at St Thomas’s Church, someone carefully placed this cat in the roof. We don’t know when this happened, and the identity of the person who hid the cat is a mystery.
Dried cats have been found in buildings for centuries, but the origins of this practice are unknown. People took great care to protect their homes and places of worship from evil or bad luck. One suggestion for the hiding of dried cats is that their spirit protected the building from evil spirits and witch’s familiars – that could take the form of mice, rats or even cats.
There are many affectionate depictions of cats throughout the Medieval period. Cats’ ability to catch mice and rats also meant that they were a significant part of many homes. Their skill and value were even enshrined in Medieval Welsh and Irish laws – where compensation could be given for lost, stolen, or killed cats.
Illuminated manuscripts, church carvings, and even pin badges (like the one here from the collection of Salisbury Museum) feature images of cats hunting. The influence of these images can also be seen in some dried cats. Many were deliberately arranged in similar poses, often with rats or small birds, emphasising the cat’s role as a skilled hunter.
Members of the Young Producers (an after-school club for 12-18 year olds) selected the dried cat for a number of different reasons:
‘It is very different from modern superstitions.’ Thomas
‘I chose this object because I thought it was very cool how it had been preserved and the ideas it held.’ Sophie
‘[I chose this object because of the] belief in spirits and what could prevent them.’ Lucy
‘I chose this object because I find this very interesting. This is very cool because the theory is it provided spiritual pest control – protecting properties from bad spirits and witches.’ Jess
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!