animals in the following words. 'In size they are little less than elephants; they are like bulls in appearance, colour, and shape. Their strength and speed are great, and when they see either man or beast they rush to the attack. They (the natives) catch them in pit-falls made with great care, and then kill them. The young men are hardened by this laborious work, and are accustomed to this kind of hunting, and those of them who have killed the greatest number are considered worthy of the highest honour; the horns being exhibited in public as a testimony of their prowess. The uri, even when taken very young, cannot be tamed or domesticated. In size, form, and appearance the horns differ much from those of our cattle. They are carefully edged with silver, and used as drinking-cups in their greatest feasts.'[1] The 'Niebelungenlied,' which dates from the 12th century, mentions this animal, for it says of Siegfrid:
Dar nâch sluoc er schiere
Einen wisen und ein elch
Starker ûre viere
Und einen grimmen schelch.—880. Lachmann's edition.
Which may be thus translated, 'On which he quickly slew a wisent and an elk, four strong uri, and a furious schelch.'[2]
It has moreover been proved that this animal continued in a wild condition in Europe till the middle of the 16th century, nay, in England even a century later. It has often been affirmed that the Bos primigenius is the ancestor of our race of domestic cattle; there are, however, many opponents to this view. Professor Rütimeyer, who is acknowledged as one of the first authorities in this department, in his treatise on the Animal Remains of the Swiss Lake-dwellings, gives it as his opinion that
- ↑ Lib. vi. 28. The quotation as given by the author being only a portion of this interesting passage, a translation of the whole has been substituted in the text for the few words he gives, and it may be as well also to give the original: 'Tertium est genus eorum qui uri appellantur. Hi sunt magnitudine paullo infra elephantos; specie et colore et figura tauri. Magna vis eorum est et magna velocitas, neque homini neque feræ quam conspexerunt parcunt. Hos studiose foveis captos interficiunt. Hoc se labore durant adolcscentes atque hoc genere venationis exercent: et qui plurimos ex his interfecerunt, relatis in publicum cornibus quæ sunt testimonio magnam ferunt laudem. Sed adsuescere ad homines et mansuefieri ne parvuli quidem excepti possunt. Amplitudo cornuum et figura et species multum a nostrorum boum cornibus differt. Hæc studiose conquisita ab labris argento circumcludunt atque in amplissimis epulis pro poculis utuntur.'
- ↑ The word 'Schelch' has given occasion to many discussions and opinions, which it will be needless here to recapitulate, as it appears to me that no argument has been brought forward to prove positively what the animal was. Giant stag, buck, megaceros, and reindeer are some of the versions given by different authors.
