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The castrated body of the beaver was frequently linked to Christian ideas. Church fathers such as Augustine and Jerome likened the ambiguously gendered body of the castrated beaver to that of a eunuch. They chose to understand the beaver’s behavior as a metaphor for choosing spiritual chastity. The beaver also became a symbol for cloistered devotees who renounced worldly goods. This idea is lent support by the Physiologus text which stated: “You also, Christian, render to the hunter what is his. Prostitution, lust, and greed are within you. Remove from yourself these vices, and give them to the devil hunter, and he will leave you alone, so that you too can say: ‘Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers.’” Larissa Tracy also suggests that medieval interest in the beaver’s disfigurement may stem from mutilation concerns. During the medieval period, castration occupied a central place in religious, legal, and popular discourses. Tales of mystical or spiritual castration were recorded in the lives of various historical figures, and mutilation was a popular topic in narrative accounts of revenge, war, and crusades. Court systems and secular law codes were also created to set up and carry out castration penalties for such crimes as rape, homosexual activity, and sins against nature. All of these thing created a heightened sense of anxiety about sexuality and the male body.