You’ve heard of villagers in Europe putting...  ...lesiastical court.Most complaints against smaller animals leveled for infestation or destruction of crops e...  ..., and excommunicated (or condemned in the case of animals and insects), that could mitigate guilt.Atlas Obs...  ...e guilt.Atlas Obscura gets...

In medieval Europe, it was common for animals to be put on trial and sentenced to punishment as...  ...ey understood the proceedings. Livestock and wild animals would be tried for assault or murder of a human,...  ...hurch could lay blame for bad events on people or animals , a...