Don Hart seems right about the bellicose appearance of the
porcupine but whether the artist in question had ever seen
one I do not know, although there may be a record of one in
a Tudor zoo. The animal in question is, of course, famous
from the quotation in Hamlet I. iv as the 'fretful porpentine',
which I believe is accurately depicted there in that its quills
do erect themselves when danger threatens:
And each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine
Certainly this creature, like a mobile thistle, would equally
deserve the Scots motto, 'No one injures me with impunity'.
Regards,
Richard R
<P>Why did the Sidneys choose a porcupine? I am
guessing that at the time, the porcupine, as well as
other animals from the New World, would have been a lively
topic for story-telling by travellers for the folks back home. It
was 'cutting edge'. As well, it was commonly believed--many
still believe it--that a porcupine could throw its quills, like a
wall of javelins. The image of a porcupine,
then, would have been adopted proudly by a family of
warriors.
|