A bear-leader was formerly a man who led bears about the country. In the Middle Ages and Tudor times these animals were chiefly used in the brutal sport of bear-baiting and were led from village to village. Performing bears were also common; their keepers were generally Frenchmen or Italians. Later, the phrase "bear-leader" came colloquially to mean a tutor or guardian, who escorted any young man of rank or wealth on his travels.