P igeon Barbara Allen Animal series Pigeon Animal Serieseditor:JonathanBurt Alreadypublished Crow Fox Spider BoriaSax MartinWallen KatjaandSergiuszMichalski Ant Fly Pig CharlotteSleigh StevenConnor BrettMizelle Tortoise Cat Camel PeterYoung KatharineM.Rogers RobertIrwin Cockroach Peacock Chicken MarionCopeland ChristineE.Jackson AnniePotts Dog Cow Wolf SusanMcHugh HannahVelten GarryMarvin Oyster Duck Ape RebeccaStott VictoriadeRijke JohnSorenson Bear Shark Butterfly RobertE.Bieder DeanCrawford MatthewBrower Bee Swan Sheep ClairePreston PeterYoung PhilipArmstrong Rat Rhinoceros Giraffe JonathanBurt KellyEnright MarkWilliams Snake Horse Eagle DrakeStutesman ElaineWalker RonBroglio Falcon Elephant Jellyfish HelenMacdonald DanielWylie EvaHayward Whale Moose Penguin JoeRoman KevinJackson StephenMartin Parrot Eel Owl PaulCarter RichardSchweid DesmondMorris Tiger SusieGreen Forthcoming Salmon Hare PeterCoates SimonCarnell Pigeon BarbaraAllen reaktion books ForDavid,forRhys(thankyouforbringinghomeaninjuredsquabduring thewritingofthisbook),andformyfeatheredfriends,named(Bacardi, Chagall,Bert,Celeste,OlympiaandSplash)andunnamed;youare trulymagnificent! Publishedby reaktionbooksltd 33GreatSuttonStreet Londonec1v0dx,uk www.reaktionbooks.co.uk Firstpublished2009 Copyright©BarbaraAllen2009 ThisbookhasbeenpublishedwiththeassistanceoftheAustralian AcademyoftheHumanities Allrightsreserved Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrieval systemortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwisewithouttheprior permissionofthepublishers. PrintedandboundinChinabyC&COffsetPrintingCo.,Ltd BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Allen,Barbara Pigeon.–(Animal) 1.Pigeons 2.Pigeons–Socialaspects. 3.Pigeonsinliterature. I.Title II.Series 598.6'5-dc22 isbn:9781861895134 Contents Introduction 7 1 PigeonorDove? 17 2 Heaven-sent:ReligionandMythology 57 3 AnUneasyRelationship:Medicine,Meatand Messengers 88 4 LovedorLoathed:PortrayalsinLiterature, ArtandCulture 129 5 ExploitationorConservation:Our‘Feathered Conscience’ 162 Conclusion 193 Timeline 196 References 199 Bibliography 220 AssociationsandWebsites 225 Acknowledgements 226 PhotoAcknowledgements 227 Index 230 Introduction IntheForewordtoCarlNaether’sTheBookofthePigeonandof WildForeignDoves,Naetherwrites:‘LongbeforeIbeganactual workonthemanuscript,aprominentfancierforewarnedme: “Don’tyouknowthatnopigeonbookhaseverbecomeabest seller?”’1Hecontinues,quotingotheradvicehehadreceived: ‘“Mostofyoureffortandtimewillbethrownaway.Ihaveneveryet seenapigeonbookthatpaidforitsprintingandeffort...Ihave seenmanystartpigeonbooksbutpreciousfewfinishthem.”’2 MostdaysIwalkpastthecouple,onmywaytotheshopping centre.Onasmallsidestreet,wherelittlecottagesundergoreno- vation,andwarehousesarebeingconvertedintoexpensiveplaces ofresidence...theyarethere,resting,underatree.Twopigeons, unremarkableperhaps,yetpartofthelandscape;alessoninloyal- tyandresilience.Thefemalehasaproblemwithoneleg,soshe ismoreoftenthannotsitting,whilethemalestrutsaroundher, cooingsoftly.Theyarewellfed;thelocalworkmenleavethe remainsoftheirlunchforthemandinoneofthecottagesIhave seenanelderlymancomeoutandfeedthemcrustsintheevening. Everynowandagain,aplastic,disusedtakeawaycontainerisfilled withwaterforthem.Allthis,ontheedgeofaffluence;theordinary. Pigeons;asIamwritingthisIcanhearcooinginmygarden. InthemorningsIfeedtworockpigeons,andthegatecrashers: thecollareddoves. 7