Rat king
Collection of intertwined rats
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Key Takeaways
- A rat king is a collection of rats or mice whose tails are intertwined and bound together in some way.
- A similar phenomenon with squirrels has been observed, which has had modern documented examples.
- The term was not originally used in reference to actual rats, but for persons who lived off others.
- " Martin Luther stated: "finally, there is the Pope, the king of rats right at the top.
- An alternative theory states that the name in French was rouet de rats (or a spinning wheel of rats, the knotted tails being wheel spokes), with the term transforming over time into roi des rats , because formerly French oi was pronounced [we] or similar; nowadays it is pronounced [wa] .
A rat king is a collection of rats or mice whose tails are intertwined and bound together in some way. This could be a result of an entangling material like hair, a sticky substance such as sap or gum, or the tails being tied together.
A similar phenomenon with squirrels has been observed, which has had modern documented examples.
Etymology
The original German term, Rattenkönig, was calqued into English as rat king, and into French as roi des rats. The term was not originally used in reference to actual rats, but for persons who lived off others. Conrad Gesner in Historia animalium (1551–58) stated: "Some would have it that the rat waxes mighty in its old age and is fed by its young: this is called the rat king." Martin Luther stated: "finally, there is the Pope, the king of rats right at the top." Later, the term referred to a king sitting on a throne of knotted tails.
An alternative theory states that the name in French was rouet de rats (or a spinning wheel of rats, the knotted tails being wheel spokes), with the term transforming over time into roi des rats, because formerly French oi was pronounced [we] or similar; nowadays it is pronounced [wa].
History
The earliest report of rat kings comes from 1564. Most extant examples are formed from black rats (Rattus rattus).
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