Did you know....

Leonardo da Vinci was a vegetarian? I had no idea until today.



"Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: We are burial places! "- from da Vinci's 'Notes'

Here's an interesting article on his ethical vegetarianism:

http://www.ivu.org/history/davinci/hurwitz.html

In The Mind of Leonardo da Vinci (1928), Edward MacCurdy wrote:
"…The mere idea of permitting the existence of unnecessary suffering, still more that of taking life, was abhorrent to him. Vasari tells, as an instance of his love of animals, how when in Florence he passed places where birds were sold he would frequently take them from their cages with his own hand, and having paid the sellers the price that was asked would let them fly away in the air, thus giving them back their liberty.
That this horror of inflicting pain was such as to lead him to be a vegetarian is to be inferred from a reference which occurs in a letter sent by Andrea Corsali to Giuliano de’Medici, in which, after telling him of an Indian race called Gujerats, who neither eat anything that contains blood nor permit any injury to any living creature, he adds ‘like our Leonardo da Vinci.’ "

The article also points out that there is a vegetarian quote being falsely attributed to Da Vinci; and while a great quote and perhaps reflective of how da Vinci though - it is not actually from Da Vinci:

"I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men."

However, this quote (and sage advice) is from Da Vinci:

"If you would keep healthy, follow this regimen: do not eat unless you feel inclined, and sup lightly: chew well, and let what you take be well cooked and simple. He who takes medicine does himself harm; do not give way to anger and avoid close air; hold yourself upright when you rise from table and do not let yourself sleep at midday. Be temperate with wine, take a little frequently, but not at other than the proper meal-times, nor on an empty stomach; neither protract not delay the [visit to] the privy. When you take exercise let it be moderate. Do not remain with the belly recumbent and the head lowered, and see that you are well covered at night. Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful; shun wantonness, and pay attention to diet." –– Codex Atlantico 78 v.b.