THE SCENE: In medieval times, beavers were hunted for their testicles. According to Gerald of Wales, over time beavers grew to understand this and often resorted to self-castration in order to save their own lives.
THE TEXT: In Eastern countries, when the beaver finds that it cannot evade the dogs which are following it by its scent, it saves itself by self-mutilation. By some natural instinct it knows which part of its body the hunter really wants. The creature castrates itself before the hunter’s eyes and throws its testicles down. It is because of this act of self-castration that it is called “castor” in Latin.
If a beaver which has already lost its testicles is hard pressed a second time by the hounds, it rushes to the top of a hillock, cocks up one of its hind-legs and shows the hunter that the organs which he is really after have already been cut off. Cicero says of beavers: “They ransom themselves by cutting off that part of their bodies for which they are most commonly pursued.”
– A Journey Through Wales, Gerald of Wales, 12th Century AD
