Bear-leader
Historical profession in blood sport
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A bear-leader was historically a man who led bears about the country.[clarification needed] In the Middle Ages and the Tudor period, these animals were chiefly used in the blood sport of bear-baiting and were led from village to village. Performing bears were also common; their keepers were generally Frenchmen or Italians.[1]
Later, the phrase bear-leader came colloquially to mean a tutor or guardian, who escorted any young man of rank or wealth on his travels.[2]
Until well into the 1990s, Roma, like the Ursari in Romania, Mečkara in Bulgaria and Serbia, and Ajdžide in Turkey carried out this activity.[3]
The occupation was gradually banned by animal rights activists.
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