Who was Peter the Wild Boy?

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14215171




From feral child to "human pet" at court in Georgian England, Peter the Wild Boy caused a sensation. And new analysis of his portraits may have solved the mystery of his unusual characteristics.

No-one knows if his name was really Peter - he couldn't talk. Nor did he walk, preferring to scamper on all fours, picking the pockets of courtiers and stealing kisses.

Peter had been found living alone and naked in a German forest in 1725, presumably abandoned by parents who struggled to cope.

The following year - aged about 12 - he was brought to London by George I where he became a "human pet" at Kensington Palace.

[Maru Kitteh]

1. Thank you for bringing this. Very touching.