bearbaiting

bearbaiting
bearbaiter, n.
/bair"bay'ting/, n.
the former practice of setting dogs to fight a captive bear.
[1250-1300; ME. See BEAR2, BAITING]

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      the setting of dogs on a bear or a bull chained to a stake by the neck or leg. Popular from the 12th to the 19th century, when they were banned as inhumane, these spectacles were usually staged at theatre-like arenas known as bear gardens.

      In England many large groups of bears were kept expressly for the purpose. Contemporary records reveal, for example, that 13 bears were provided for an entertainment attended by Queen Elizabeth I in 1575.

      When a bull was baited, its nose was often blown full of pepper to further arouse it. Specially trained dogs were loosed singly, each attempting to seize the tethered animal's nose. Often a hole in the ground was provided for the bull to protect its snout. A successful dog was said to have pinned the bull.

      Variations on these activities included whipping a blinded bear and baiting a pony with an ape tied to its back. Dogfighting and cockfighting were often provided as companion diversions.

      A sport called bull running also developed in some places, usually as an annual affair. The townspeople, armed with clubs, chased a bull until all were exhausted; the bull was then killed.

      Bearbaiting and bullbaiting and the variations on these “sports” began to decline in popularity, although very slowly, from the late 17th century onward. They were banned in England by the Puritans during the Civil Wars and Commonwealth (1642–60) and were permanently outlawed by act of Parliament in 1835, by which time they had also been outlawed in most countries in northern Europe.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • bearbaiting — [ber′bāt΄iŋ] n. an old form of diversion in which dogs were made to torment a chained bear …   English World dictionary

  • bearbaiting — noun Date: 14th century the practice of setting dogs on a chained bear …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bearbaiting — 1. noun A blood sport in which dogs are set upon a chained bear 2. adjective bloodthirsty …   Wiktionary

  • bearbaiting — n. practice of setting dogs fight a bear that was hunted and captured …   English contemporary dictionary

  • bearbaiting — bear·baiting …   English syllables

  • bearbaiting — bear•bait•ing [[t]ˈbɛərˌbeɪ tɪŋ[/t]] n. the former practice of setting dogs to fight a captive bear • Etymology: 1250–1300 bear′bait er, n …   From formal English to slang

  • bearbaiting — ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ noun ( s) Etymology: Middle English berebaiting from bere bear + baiting, from gerund of baiten to bait more at bear, bait : the former practice of setting dogs on a chained bear …   Useful english dictionary

  • Hope Theatre — ▪ theatre, London, United Kingdom       London playhouse that served as both a theatre and an arena for bearbaiting and bullbaiting (bearbaiting), located on the Bankside in Southwark in what had been the Bear Garden. Philip Henslowe (Henslowe,… …   Universalium

  • Henslowe, Philip — born с 1550, Lindfield, Sussex, Eng. died Jan. 6, 1616, London English theatre owner and manager. He settled in London before 1577, married a wealthy widow, and became the owner of several theatres, among them the Rose Theatre, which he built… …   Universalium

  • Bear-baiting — is a blood sport involving the baiting of bears.Bear baiting in EnglandBear baiting was popular in England until the nineteenth century. From the sixteenth century, many herds of bears were maintained for baiting. In its best known form, arenas… …   Wikipedia

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