Beast

Sources : Ram

Aristotle [ca. 350 BCE] (De animalibus, Book 5, 12.9): The rams copulate with the old sheep first, but they do not follow after the younger; and the younger, as I before observed, produce a smaller offspring than the older. - [Cresswell translation, 1887]

Pliny the Elder [1st century CE] (Natural History, Book 8, 72): It is inbred in the ram to despise lambs as mates and to desire maturity in sheep; and the ram himself is better in old age, and also more serviceable when polled. His wildness is restrained by boring a hole in the horn close to the ear. If a ligature is put on the right testicle he gets females and if on the left males. - [Rackham translation]

Isidore of Seville [7th century CE] (Etymologies, Book 12, 1:11): The ram [aries] is either named after the word Áris, that is, after 'Mars' – whence we call the males in a flock 'males' [mas, maris] – or because this animal was the first to be sacrificed on altars [ara, aris] by pagans. So, the 'ram' because it was placed on the altar; whence also this [Sedulius, Paschal Poem 1.115]: The ram is offered at the altar. - [Barney, Lewis, et. al. translation]

Bartholomaeus Anglicus [13th century CE] (Liber de proprietatibus rerum, Book18.3): The Ramme is a Beast that beareth wooll, pleasing in heart, and mild by kinde, as Isidore saith lib. 12. cap. 1.* And is Duke, leader, and Prince of shéepe. Therefore kinde giveth him great strength passing other shéepe. It is séem|ly that the Ram that is Duke and defender of other shéepe, be more strong & mightie, than other shéepe: & therefore. Isi[dore] saith, that the Ram is called Vervex, & hath that name of Vires, strength, and as it were a man, for he is male & maister of shéepe, and is more vertuous and stronger than other. Or, as Isidore saith, this Nowne Vervex commeth of Vermis, a worme: for the Ramme hath a Worme in his head, and for fretting of that Worme & itching, the Ramme is excited, & pusheth full strongly, and smiteth full harde, all that it méeteth: and therefore the Ram is called Aries also, and hath that name of Ares, that is Gréek, and is to our understanding, vertue: for in flockes, the males are called Arietes, for they be vertuous and mightie, to get and gender Lambes, for they passe other shéepe in greatnes of body & of might, & strength and vertue. Also this name Aries commeth of Aris, Altars, for as Isidore saith, This beast was first offred on Altars among Nations, and so the Ramme is called Aries, for he was slaine by Aaron at the Altar, and so by Moses law the Ramme was principally a cleane beast both to Sacrifice and to meate: For he was offered covenably for sinne of the People, and is clove footed, and cheweth his cud, and was eaten indifferently of the people. And as Isidore sayth libro. 12. Sheepe were called sometime Bidentes: for among eight téethe that they commonly haue, two téeth be higher than any of the other, and therefore Natious offered them principally in sacrifice to the Gods, as he sayth libro. 8. capitulo. 47. Plinius speaketh singularlye of the Ramme, and sayth, that it is the kinde of the Ramme in the lustines of his youth for to noye the Lambes, and to followe the Eawes that come against him. For he is farre more tractive and more profitable in age: and neverthelesse hee is more cevell in heart then the Ewes, and his cruelnesse abateth, if his hornes bée pearced nigh to the eare. If his righte gendring stave be bound, he gendreth females: and if the lesse be bounde, hee gendreth males: and he gendreth males in the Northerne winde, and females in the Southerne winde. And such Rams as have black veynes under their toun¯gs, such Lambes they gender in colour: for if his veynes be black under the tounge, his Lambe shall be blacke: and if they be white, the Lambes ere white: and if they be speckeled the Lambes are so. And Arist[otle] & Avicen[na] meaneth the same. Looke within De Ove. The Ram hath a full harde forhead nigh as a horne, and feeble temples, and somewhat gristly, and therefore for the defence and kéeping of the féeble parte, kinde giveth him great hornes and right hard about the féeble place of the temples, and be crooked and bended as a round shell, but they be somwhat sharp in the endes, insomuch, that they maye defend the head with sharpnesse & hardnesse of hornes, and withstand enimies, and fighteth with them, with sharpnesse of hornes, as he saith. For it is not seemly that kinde should leave the defendour of the flocke without weapon & defence. And therefore kinde giveth him two hornes bent, as it were circles, to defend and succour his owne head, which is féeble of it selfe, and is the more bolde and hardie against adversaries and enimyes by trust of weapon, by the which hée is strengthened and defended. And there|fore he goeth the more boldly before the flocke, and beareth by the head, and pitcheth downe the foote, & treadeth strongly on the ground, and is clove footed. His alées be thicke with long haire in the locks, and defendeth himselfe against the miuries of hot aire or colde, with strong and thicke fell and skinne, and therefore one side of the Rams skinne, by reason of the strength thereof, suffereth and sustaineth the violent craftes of Curriers of parchment makers, passing other fells and skinnes of other shéepe, and be more able to receive and to hold printing and painting of divers colours, as he sayth. And in time of love, the Ram fighteth for his Eawes, and réeseth with his hornes on his aduvrsaries. And for to push his enemie the harder, he draweth backwarde, and réeseth and leapeth upward, and smiteth with his fiercenesse, and busheth with a kinde of violence. And li. 8. Avicen[na] speaketh of Rammes and saith, that Rams, Goates & Bucks, goe much in rains, and hide not themselves in Winter for colde, but they goe sometime out of hot places into colde, & when it raineth, they flye not the raine untill they be dead. And Rams by kind follow Goate bucks, and rest all, till the Heard take one of them, and make him goe, before, and then other follow soone. And they dread kindly the thunder, as shéepe do. And if a shéepe be with lambe, and heareth the thunder, she casteth hir Lamb for dread, and standeth for feare. And sléepe with the shéepe before midnight, and after part, and chaunge and turne, from side to side in sléeping. For from Springing time to Harvest they sléepe on the one side, & then vnto spring|ing time they sléepe on the other side, & hold vp their heads while they sléepe, except they be sicke, and they chew their cud sléeping as they doe waking, and if it happen that they stray and go away, they come not againe, but if the Hearde bringeth them againe. And Isaac in dietis saith, that Rams in youth bée lesse moyst and gleymie then sucking Lambes, and that is because of the age that hath mastery over their complection, and therefore theyr flesh is better than flesh of Lambs and of Eawes, and gendereth better bloud, and namely if they be gelded, for theyr heate is tempered with accidentall moisture, and so the flesh is of good savour. But when they passe in age and be full olde, then for age they fayle in heate, but if they be gelded: & if they be gelded and passe in great age, then their heate faileth by double cause, for lacke of gendring stones, and also for age. And therefore their bodies be cold and dry as it were a sticke, and be more harde and unsavorie, in comparison to Goate, Oxen, and other such, that be worst in age. And the bodies of rams, that be kindly hot and moyst, be more better then bo|dyes of other beasts, that are kindly cold and drye in great age. Huc usque Isaac in Dietis. Aristotle and Avicen[na] lib. 6. meane, that Rams and Goate buckes, lyke as other Beastes, have a certaine proper voyce, by the which they crie and call to them the females in time of gendering and love. And Rams that drinke salte water, gender before other, and be sooner moved to love: and when ye old Rams be sooner moved to gendring & to love, than the young in due time, that is token of goodnesse of that time in ye yeare: and if in that time the young Rams be sooner moved than the olde Rams, it is token of a pestilence of shéepe in that yeare as he saith. - [Batman]