Hunting the wren
Subtitle: transformation of bird to symbol : a study in human-animal relationships / Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Knoxville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 234
Subjects: Birds -- Symbolic aspects.; Wrens -- Social aspects.; Wrens -- Folklore.; Animal sacrifice -- Great Britain.; Animal sacrifice -- Europe.; Rites and ceremonies -- Great Britain.; Rites and ceremonies -- Europe.; Human-animal relationships.; Nature -- Effect of human beings on.; Human ecology.; Philosophy of nature.
Description: A unique interdisciplinary study, this book examines the British and European tradition of the wren hunt, in which a bird ordinarily revered and protected for most of the year was killed around the time of the annual solstice. In focusing on this ancient ritual, Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence draws on her training in cultural anthropology and biology to cast a fresh light on the complexities of human-animal relationships.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-227) and index.