Archaeological analysis of horse remains from medieval Hungary indicates people continued to eat horses long after the country’s conversion to Christianity, suggesting the decline in horsemeat consumption (hippophagy) in the region was not for religious reasons, questioning the prevailing historical narrative.
Horsemeat consumption, once common in pre-Christian Europe, declined over the course of the Middle Ages. Written sources indicate that this was tied to the adoption of Christianity.
While the consumption of horsemeat was never officially forbidden by the Church, many medieval Christian sources described it as impure and linked it to the “barbaric” practices of non-Christian peoples.
News - Prevalence of Butchered Horse Bones Dispels Myths About Christian Dietary Habits
Submitted 4 days ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to archaeology@mander.xyz
flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyz 4 days ago
Some amateur comparative anthropology (me thinking about the current horse consumption) suggests horse meat taboo is an Anglo thing, not a Christian thing.
While horse is a secondary meat source everywhere, only in English speaking cultures like Britain and US do you get people horrified at the thought.
Now the open question is where does it come from? Did it arise during the conversion to Christianity, or does it have older roots.
Coelacanth@feddit.nu 4 days ago
It is an interesting question. My first thought is that it stems from horses having a close working relationship with humans, which might interfere with the idea of viewing them as food. Same thing as with dogs, right? But the Mongols were maybe the prominent horse culture and I’m pretty sure I’ve read they ate horsemeat as part of their diet. So I don’t know that my theory holds.