The Bull. A Cultural History

The domesticated bull, which was domesticated over 10,000 years ago, has remained the wildest of domestic animals. Throughout all times and in all cultures, the bull has symbolized energy and fertility, and for many ancient peoples, the bull was a fearsome deity.
However, Christianity from its very inception began to combat bull cults; as a result of this influence, the bull became a peaceful, calm, and hardworking animal — and over time completely retreated to pastoral landscapes. It was only much later, during the Industrial Revolution, that the bull regained its "strength" in culture, becoming a symbol of power, hard work, primal forces, and the land itself.
This story, the cultural evolution of the image, artistic representations, and their influence on humanity — is explored in this book by world-renowned historian Michel Pasturo.

Michel Pasturo is a world-famous medieval historian, a specialist in heraldry, and a researcher of the cultural and symbolic history of Europe. Pasturo is a professor at the Sorbonne and the Paris Practical School of Higher Studies, and the author of popular books on the cultural history of flowers and animal imagery.