Animals have always been a rich source of folklore and legend. Every country and culture has its tales about wise animals, cunning beasts and birds, and the curious origins of particular creatures. This section brings you some tales of animal lore, legend, and some customs and peculiar events in history regarding animals.

Larks and Lays (Leisure Hour, 1860)

A look at the habits of the lark, along with selections from classic poems that refer to it.

Bees and Their Folklore, by T.F. Thiselton Dyer (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

"Numerous superstitions have clustered around this highly useful insect, and in many a country place it is regarded almost with feelings of veneration."

He Wrote to the Rats, by Julian Ralph (St. Nicholas, 1889)

How does one get rid of the rats overrunning the cellar? Write them a letter -- but do it correctly!

The Romance of Nature, by James Mason (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

The subtitle says it all: "The Folklore of Animals, Plants, Earth, Air, Sea and Sky."

The Cats of Ancient Egypt, by Prof. W.M. Conway (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

Some Old Natural History Notions (Stories of History, 1891)

From foxes that fish for crabs with their tails, to a carrion bird with a "nose" for gunpowder, a look at some odd ideas about nature throughout history.

The Great Unknown, by J.B. Holder (Century Magazine, 1892B)

On the supposed sighting of a sea-serpent off the East Coast, and information about sea serpents in general.

Concerning Cats, by E.F. Bridell-Fox (Girl's Own Paper, 1895)

The Sea-Serpent, by Alfred T. Story (The Strand, 1895B)

"There is a general disposition to regard the sea-serpent and all tales of him as an everlasting joke... he usually turns up in America, in a local paper. [But] there is reason to believe that the sea-serpent is a living fact..."

Animals on Trial, by A.M. Avenell (The Strand, 1896A)

Animals who were brought into medieval courts (or at least summoned!) for their "crimes."

Caterpillars in Church: A Strange Ecclesiastical Trial (Home Magazine, 1898)

The official trial of a blight of caterpillars in 16th-century France.

The Blessing of the Animals, by Gilbert Terry (The Strand, 1900A)

A lovely ceremony in the Mexican town of Cuernavaca, where on St. Anthony's day the church blesses everything from burros to bunnies.