Balancing Corporate & Homesteading Lifestyles
Top Ten Famous Pets
Whether it’s famous pets of kings and queens, dogs of Presidents or notorious creatures of emperors, we’re fascinated by the bonds between the mighty and their animals. The nature of these bonds seems to say something about the person who wears the crown, while also highlighting the difficulty of forming normal human connections from positions of great power.
1) Edward VII’s dog “Stinky”
OK, that was just an unofficial nickname. Edward, the oldest son of Victoria, had a brief reign of nine years. He named his terrier Caesar of Notts, possibly giving us some insight into his mindset sitting atop the mighty British Empire. Or maybe he was just having some fun with the fact that Caesar was the boss of him. But the terrier was nothing if not loyal, following faithfully behind the monarch’s casket in the funeral possession.
2) President Andrew Jackson’s drinking buddy
The famous hero of the War of 1812 and the 7th President of the United States suffered terrible tragedy throughout his life, and entered the White House a powerful but haunted man. As a boy, he and his brother were captured by the British during the Revolutionary War when they worked as couriers for the rebels. Put to work for a British officer, Andrew was kicked and slashed by sword for refusing to polish the boots of the officer, giving him scars he bore on his face all his life. When they were finally freed into their mother’s custody, his brother James was so weakened that he didn’t survive the journey home.
The era in which Jackson ran for President was one of brutal politics. During the 1824 campaign, Jackson’s opponents tarred him as a slave owner, a cannibal, and with extra venom, a bigamist. As the result of this pressure, his wife Rachel died three weeks after the election. So Andrew entered the office a tortured man. Perhaps it was not surprising that he sought friendship outside the human race.
It’s unclear when the friendship formed, but after leaving the White House, at his funeral, his special friend had much to say. In public, the former general had become a polite man of society, an aging gentleman sitting quietly at church. But his great friend, a parrot named Poll who had adopted Andrew’s manner of speaking at home, let loose a salty barrage beside the President’s casket, perhaps giving insight into the real Jackson.
3) Ivan the Terrible’s bears
Ivan IV Vasilyevich, or Ivan the Terrible, kept bears in the dungeons of his castle and fed guests to them for his entertainment and to establish the terror that fueled his reign. Hard to say if he felt any affection for them, but they were pets of a sort, and their use does tell us much about the man. He had inherited his father’s throne at only 3 years old, and was officially crowned at 16, so his human connections were stunted in development. Maybe he really did love those bears.
Source: https://listverse.com/2011/03/18/10-historical-characters-and-their-unusual-pets/
4) Pope Leo’s White Elephant
The Medici were a powerful ruling family from Florence that managed to establish one of their own, who wasn’t even a priest, as pontiff of the Catholic Church in Rome. On the day of his coronation, he received a white elephant, Hanno, as gift from King Manuel I of Portugal. The intelligent beast made a huge impression on the Romans, and on the new Pope. Unfortunately, after a few years the animal grew sick, and Papal prayers could not save him. But at his death, Leo did write a poem mourning him.
Source: https://listverse.com/2011/03/18/10-historical-characters-and-their-unusual-pets/
5) The Maharaja of Junagadh’s dogs
The last ruling Nawab of British India, whose reign went from 1911 to 1948, once owned over 2000 high-pedigree dogs, for which he spent a fortune to celebrate their birthdays, and even “marriages”. He was known to dress them in evening jackets and parade them around in rickshaws. India has long been famous for a brutal caste system, and the Nawab had elevated his pets above the lower castes, which held the majority of the population.
6) The lion of Ramses II
The pharaoh may or may not have expelled Moses and the Hebrews, but he bonded pretty well with his ferocious pet lion. According to legend(and the Pharaoh employed excellent legend makers), the lion accompanied him into battle against the fearsome Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh. The battle would have been a complete disaster for the Egyptians if the lion hadn’t remained by the great Pharaoh’s side until the tide turned. His generals apparently didn’t survive to give their version, as those not killed in combat were executed by Ramses. Who needs generals when you have big cats for friends?
Source: https://listverse.com/2011/03/18/10-historical-characters-and-their-unusual-pets/
7) Queen Victoria’s Pekingese
Sacred dogs of the Chinese imperial court, Pekingese found favor in the British court of Queen Victoria. Looty, given to her by one of her captains, became her favorite and quite famous within its time. With a 2000 year heritage, these aristocratic animals fit right in with the pomp and snobbery of the age. Heavy is the crown, as they say, and Victoria’s head wore it for 63 years, a lonely job made bearable by furry friends.
8) Mozart’s Starling
This bird is so famous it has its own Wikipedia entry. The starling lived with him for three years and is credited with inspiring Piano Concerto 17. Or perhaps he merely trained the mimicking bird to perform it. When the bird died, Mozart gave it a lavish funeral which included a procession and a poem written by the composer. “Here rests a bird called Starling, A foolish little Darling. He was still in his prime When he ran out of time, And my sweet little friend Came to a bitter end, Creating a terrible smart Deep in my heart. Gentle Reader! Shed a tear, For he was dear, Sometimes a bit too jolly And, at times, quite folly, But nevermore A bore. I bet he is now up on high Praising my friendship to the sky, Which I render Without tender; For when he took his sudden leave, Which brought to me such grief, He was not thinking of the man Who writes and rhymes as no one can.”
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart%27s_starling and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._17_(Mozart)
9) Alexander the Great’s dog Peritas
The dog, which accompanied him to many of his famous battles, was named after the month of January, and Alexander renamed a conquered city in Pakistan after him. Legend has it the dog took on, at different times, both a lion and an elephant…and won! Well, details in history can be a little hazy.
Another story has the canine saving Alexander when he was trapped and wounded behind enemy lines by charging to reach his master. That probably does warrant a city name, but unfortunately Peritas died in that same charge, pierced by an enemy javelin.
10) Catherine the Great’s Greyhound
The powerful Russian empress made dogs the focus of her affection, and in particular a greyhound she called Zemira. Her favorite apparently slept in the same room as the ruler of all the Russias. It was rumored that she had sex with her favorite horse, Dudley, certainly a fiction spread by her enemies at court. Besides. Her deepest affections lay with her canines.
Source: https://nationalpurebreddogday.com/catherine-the-greats-favorite-breed/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_the_Great
Written by Kevin Lenihan
