beastkeeper

From beast +‎ keeper.

beastkeeper (plural beastkeepers)

1. One who is in charge of the care and management of animals.
   • 1906, Charles Maurice Stebbins, A Progressive Course in English for Secondary Schools: Literature, Composition, Rhetoric, Grammar, Boston, Mass., Chicago, Ill.: Sibley & Company, page 169:

     Suddenly the shrill sound of brazen trumpets was heard, and at that signal a grating opposite Cæsar’s podium was opened, and into the arena rushed, amid shouts of beastkeepers, an enormous German aurochs, bearing on his head the naked body of a woman.

     Quoting Quo Vadis (1897, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Jeremiah Curtin, transl., page 498), which uses a hyphen (i.e., beast-keepers).

   • 1965, L[yon] Sprague de Camp, “The Hungry Hercynian”, in L. Sprague de Camp, editor, The Spell of Seven: Stories of Heroic Fantasy, New York, N.Y.: Pyramid Books, published 1969, page 96:

     I have a post as assistant beastkeeper in the royal gardens and, when not bearing the animals’ food in and ordure out, I inquire after Yorida, but to no avail.

   • 1980, Juanita Coulson, The Death God’s Citadel, New York, N.Y.: Del Rey Books, →LCCN, page 334:

     “He was my subject, my beastkeeper! He had no right to speak so rashly to the traech sorkra of Qamat!” Vraduir shrilled. “He is a beast himself, as I have made him, with Bogotana’s favor. The form suits his animal temper.”

   • 1992, Fred Saberhagen, chapter 13, in Wayfinder’s Story (Lost Swords; 7), New York, N.Y.: Tor, →ISBN, page 190:

     Days ago the Prince had ridden forth from the great gate of Sarykam at the head of a hundred cavalry, supported by magicians, beastkeepers, a couple of supply wagons, and semi-intelligent winged scouts and messengers.

   • 1995, Encyclopedia Magica, volume 3, TSR, Inc., page 1202:

     Activation of this glyph always alerts a guardian, sometimes summoning a fiend or tanar’ri to the spot instantly, but more often warning spellcasters or beastkeepers to ready their charges.

   • 2005, Mary Jo Putney, MaryJanice Davidson, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Patricia Rice, Susan Grant, Gena Showalter, PC Cast, Alesia Holliday, Sophia Nash, Kathryn Caskie, Jennifer St. Giles, Linda Wisdom, Judi McCoy, Shelly Laurenston, Rachel Carrington, Lynn Warren, Elizabeth Holcombe, Michelle Rowen, Fiona MacLeod, Terese Ramin, Bewitched, Bothered & Be Vampyred, Triskelion Publishing, →ISBN, page 24:

     “Still a vampyre, Seth, one of the damned, in love with a legend that doesn’t exist.” The voice was closer now. Night vision tuned, Janice could just make out the too-pale outline of a human-looking face above a powerful-if-beer-bellied, leather-clad, biker-built form. “Where there is no beast, there can be no beastkeeper. If she doesn’t exist, you can’t save her nor she, you…or anyone.” “Brave words for a bloodsucker about to be put down by the myth herself,” the naked, staked hunk called Seth roared. He looked over his shoulder at Janice, bloodless face alight with faith and fervor. “Do it, love. I’ll run interference. You raise the beast they’ve forced you to deny for centuries, and annihilate the very devil they’ve sent to enslave us all.”

   • 2005, Carmen Justin Romano, The Gathering (The Shadow Gate Trilogy; II), iUniverse, Inc., →ISBN, pages 88 and 108:

     Also waiting were Argentia Dasani, Artelo Sterling, Eviktar Danvers, Seb Karal—the cavalry captain whom they remembered from their skirmish with the Unicorns—and a tall Nhapian named Tien v’Ap, the Crown’s Beastkeeper, who brought two leashed gryphons in tow. […] The Beastkeeper loosed the gryphons.

   • 2006, Keith Baker, Ari Marmell, C.A. Suleiman, Michelle Lyons, Dragonmarked (Eberron), Wizards of the Coast, →ISBN, pages 130–131:

     The beastkeeper is a scion of House Vadalis who seeks to master the magic of nature and tame those beasts whose essence incorporates that magic. Beastkeepers leave the breeding and care of animals to others, spending their time seeking out magical creatures in the wilds of Khorvaire. […] Vadalis beastkeepers are scouts and guides, hunters and warriors. They must be able to wield a blade and guide a magebred mount with equal faculty. […] A Vadalis beastkeeper is a master of magebred animals and magical beasts.

   • 2012, Zach Weinersmith, Trial of the Clone, Breadpig, Inc., →ISBN, page 195:

     He informs you that he is the first keeper of the sacred Varlata. As a foreigner, you are not welcome anywhere near the temple. You are confused. “If I can’t get near it, how am I supposed to kill it?” This was, apparently, the wrong thing to say. BATTLE: FIGHTING: BEASTKEEPER

   • 2013, Gwendolyn Druyor, Hardt’s Tale: A Mobious’ Trip Novel, Deep Sea Publishing, →ISBN, pages 15 and 24:

     Beastkeepers everywhere reported losses from their herds and here they’d both helped round up herds that were spooked and scattered by the monsters. […] Frair tried to excuse the weak attendance with the needs of the farmers to protect their fields and the beastkeepers to round up their herds and such, but Getek didn’t appear concerned.

   • 2015, Cat Hellisen, Beastkeeper, New York, N.Y.: Square Fish, →ISBN, page 115:

     “[…] I worked for her. I’m her beastkeeper.” “Oh,” said Sarah after a while, because she couldn’t think of anything else. “Did she keep a lot of beasts?” Alan snorted. “Cats, mostly. But they saw to themselves. I took care of the hens and the geese. Geese are worse than goats, I’ll have you know. And I’m good with herb lore, so if she found any broken animals in the woods, it was up to me to fix them.”

   • 2015, Lucy Coats, Steeds of the Gods (Beasts of Olympus), Piccadilly Press, →ISBN, page 95:

     He’s looking after Poseidon’s hippocamps for now, but he’s really the Official Beastkeeper on Olympus.

   • 2016, Shae Ford, Harbinger (Fate’s Forsaken Series; 1), →ISBN, page 148:

     It wasn’t feeding time, so if the beastkeeper was visiting them, Bloodfang knew he must have a message from the King. The iron gauntlet on the beastkeeper’s scarred arm glowed when he touched it.