Discover the history of Parrot keeping
Not much has been written about parrot-keeping in ancient times, and although in some cases, the information is repetitive, it is contradictory in others, so I thought it was better to teach in whole.
One thing that must be emphasized at the time was that the ancients knew no difference between parrots and parakeets, so they psittacosis all birds were simply classed together as "parrots".
Since time immemorial a bird that could "talk" has mystified and captivated the human race, it is therefore not surprising that India, in particular among the Brahmin, "parrots" in the early days have not been consumed, but were considered sacred simply because they could imitate human speech. This same institution has fascinated the great ladies of ancient Rome, where talking "parrots" were a luxury prized, their price often exceeding that of a slave, and were often housed in cages magnificent ivory, tortoiseshell and money.
The following excerpt was interesting was Dr. Russ Die Fremdlandischen Stubenvogel Parrot flight. Ill.:
Former Egyptians did not know the parrots and their hieroglyphics we find no sign or any indication of them. In this case, as were the Israelites, at any rate research shows that the name of Parrot is never once mentioned in the Bible. At the time of Alexander the Great, they were brought into Greece, because we are told, although there are doubts about the accuracy of this statement, that one of his followers led with him from India a species of parrot, it was commonly found among the natives tame it.
This species according to Wagler was the eupatrius Psittacus Linnaeus, now known as the Alexandrine parakeet Great. As Aristotle (see Sundervall, Thierarten of Aristoteles (Stockholm 1863) and Lenz der alten Grierhen Zoology und Romer (Gotha 1856)) gives such a very short description of parrots, one can assume that he had, but very rarely seen one, if not as painstaking as an author would have given a more satisfactory account.
It was the parrot necklace (P. torquata, Boddaert) also commonly known today as the small Alexandrine, the Romans knew, this species has been discovered in Syria away by Diodorus of Sicily, contemporary of Julius Caesar and Augustus and accurately described by Pliny, the first description of a real parrot we have. Martial says they were kept in cages cost silver, ebony and tortoiseshell, and learned to speak words of man, including the name of Caesar. For their special education teachers have been appointed and the price of a well trained bird often exceeded that of a slave.
Turner, one of the earliest English writers on birds, has given in his Historia Avium, written in 1544, interesting account of Pliny's a bit drastic, if not the brutal method of teaching parrots to talk about ancient Rome. The following quotation is taken from Turner Bird by AN Evans, published about 1903:
Above all, people repeat the words psittaci, and even talk on. India send this bird, which they call psittaci, with the whole body green with only a red ring on the neck. He will vote "Hail the emperor" and every word he hears, it is particularly sporty after wine.
The hardness of the head is the same as the spout, and when the bird is taught to speak, he was beaten with an iron bar, if it does not feel the blows. When it flies it receives its weight on its beak, and supports himself this subject, and thus relieves itself to remedy the weakness of his feet.
As for the bird unfortunate to have to stand on his head to remedy the weakness of his feet, Pliny seems to have thought this a fairly normal procedure. For me, however, I can only assume that it suffering, either through a concussion after being hit in the head with an iron bar, or, having been "particularly sport after the wine, the poor had reached the stage where he was too drunk to stand!
This is just a brief history for keeping parrots. Hopefully it has inspired the reader to try to glean more information himself on this fascinating subject.
About the Author
Discover Parrot Training Secrets That Will Have Your Parrot Talking Up A Storm In 30 Days or Less – Guaranteed!
Click Here For Your Free E-Book!
Talking Parrot Einstein
|
|
PARROT 3-D Large Wall Plaque & Utensils Set NEW $29.25 This beautiful wall plaque has been designed in a 3-dimensional/embossed form and matches our Parrot line. The plaque stands approx. 11″ x 12″ wide x 3″ deep. There are also five (5) wooden utensils, each different, and each measures approx. 13″ tall. The plaque is made of a high quality and very durable poly resin design. The utensil handles are also made of poly resin material with Parrot on eac… |
|
|
Parrot Are Cool Mug $9.99 11 oz ceramic mug, dishwasher and microwave safe…. |