Our Aims

Our Club's aims are to:

Learn collaboratively about the history, heritage and archaeology of Norwich and Norfolk

Develop resources and activities that contribute to the wider community’s understanding of history and archaeology

Develop activities that enhance/maintain the wellbeing and emotional resilience of club members

Be actively inclusive – open, accessible and welcoming to all


Tuesday, 3 August 2021

Peter The Wild Boy

I’ve been in The Wild Man several times for a drink and have heard fragments of the story about the wild man that came to Norwich, so here is the full story.  He was discovered in the Hertswold forest (near Hamelin in Hanover, Germany) around 14 years of age.  He was filthy and badly sunburned, with matted straggly hair and long fingernails, he didn’t appear to be able to understand human speech and was reported as only being able to utter a limited series of grunts and squeaks. In addition to that, his eyes seemed to flit about rapidly and he was very agile, being able to move about very quickly on all fours and climbing trees with ease.  It seemed that no one had any idea of who he could be, who his parents were, where he’d come from or how long he’d been in the forest for.  So which king befriended him and brought him over to England?  And how did he end up in Norwich and where was he locked up?  To find out more, please select the following link and press play, you may need to move the red bar back to the start, and you can always give the film a thumbs up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76LH0Hre7Pg&t=16s

Here is an article on the Peter The Wild Boy.   It’s an insight into the 18th century culture of treating mental health problems.  The article also makes a modern assessment of his health condition.  Please select the following link to find out more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_the_Wild_Boy


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