Spring is advancing which means that in villages and stately homes across the length and breadth of the British Isles the mournful cry of the peacock will start to ring out, followed by various news stories about how bad-tempered and/or exhausted peacocks have been causing havoc. Last year there was Kevin, a mischievous peacock causing mayhem in a Derbyshire village, then we heard about Henry the peacock who was so tired of being the only male in a flock of peahens (exhausting work!) that he flew away for some rest.
The peacock is a familiar sight at many of our stately homes in the UK. This one was displaying 
for us at Corsham Court in Wiltshire when we visited. The peacock is a native bird to India and was probably introduced into Britain by the Romans. It has many sacred connotations. The name derives from the Old English and the earliest example of it referred to in writing comes from 1300: “Foure and xxti wild ges and a poucock.” In the 14th century Chaucer first used the word to describe ostentatious people who strutted about and it still carries this meaning to this day. In art a peacock feather in a painting was used as a symbol of pride and vanity.
I’ve been trying to discover how peacocks first became associated with stately homes. Perhaps it was their designer plumage that the lord of the manor first identified with. Or perhaps it was simply that they were popular to eat at medieval banquets and a peacock on a table was a sign of wealth. Peacock pie was traditionally a Christmas dish at an aristocratic table despite the fact that the meat was supposedly rather tough. The one in this painting is looking rather perky for a bird that has been roasted!
The medieval popularity of the peacock led to a rather curious order of chivalry, “the vow of the 
peacock” whereby knights dedicated themselves to pursuing the virtues of honour, valour, generosity, compassion and wisdom. The ornamented their helmets with the bird’s feathers. The Elizabethans named the pavane, a stately dance during which ladies’ gowns trailed along the floor behind them like peacocks’ tails, after the Spanish word for the bird and the Arbuthnot family crest features a peacock. As a surname it either derives from someone who was originally a peacock-keeper or a nickname to suggest a man who was a bit of a dandy or, curiously, the reverse!
Definitely the most important thing about the peacock is its appearance, or at least that of the male of the species. They are adorned with a spectacular fan of rear (not strictly tail) feathers that are decorated with “eyes” and form an elaborate train used to attract females. The peahen chooses her mate on the length of his tail and the number of his eyespots. Peacocks are agile too, able to run quickly as well as fly! The peacock cannot resist showing off and will display to anyone or anything it thinks worthy of attention – as well as to peahens!
From the 17th century onward a taste for what became known as “Chinese wallpaper” flourished in Britain and peacocks became a popular motif on wall coverings of all sorts, from paper to hangings.
The other notable thing about peacocks is their call, a mournful cry you often hear echoing 
around the gardens at mansions or haunting the ruins of castles. When we went to Kirby Hall in Northamptonshire a couple of years ago the cry of the peacocks as they perched on the walls seemed perfect to the setting of a half-ruined Elizabethan mansion. Above is a picture of the bad-tempered Kirby peacock which would try to bite you if you got too close! it's no wonder that peacocks are associated with the gothic elements of romantic historical fiction; The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt was one of my favourite books as a teenager!
So just for a bit of fun I wonder: If you were choosing a particular bird to inhabit your garden or feature on your wallpaper - or even inspire an order of chivalry - which one would you choose?
