Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Author(s): J. L. Schrader
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Vol. 44, No. 1, A Medieval
Bestiary (Summer, 1986), pp. 1+12-55
Published by: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3258963 .
Accessed: 18/05/2013 15:24
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byj L. Schrader
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L EOthe Lion, mightiestof beasts, that they do not get angry unlessthey their own accordextractthe meat. A
will stand up to anybody.He is are wounded. The compassionof lions, lion turns up its nose at yesterday'sdin-
the Prince of All Animals.The on the contrary,is clearfrom innu- ner and will go awayhungryfrom food
courageof these creaturesis seatedin merableexamples-for they spare the that has been left over.
theirhearts. Theirbrowsand tail-tufts prostrate;they allowsuch captivesas In the roar of this beast is such
are an index to theirdisposition. they come acrossto go back to their naturalterriblenessthat many animals,
Althoughthey fear the creakingof own country; they preyon men rather which could escape his chargeby their
wheels, they are frightenedby fires than on women, and they do not kill speed, are paralyzedby the verysound
even more so. childrenexceptwhen they are very of his voice. A sick lion searchesfor a
Scientistssay that Leo has three hungry. monkeyto eat, by which means he can
principalcharacteristics:His firstfea- Furthermore,lions abstain from be cured. A lion fears a cock, especially
ture is, that he lovesto roveon the tops over-eating;they only take food and a white one. He is harassedby the tiny
of mountains.That way the smell of drink on alternatedays and, when they sting of a scorpion,and snake poison
approachinghuntersreachesup to have eaten too much, they pop their kills him.
him, and he disguiseshis spoorwith his paws carefullyinto their mouthsand of A lion, like the king he is, disdains
tail. The lion'ssecond featureis, that to have a lot of differentwives.
when he sleeps, he seems to keep his Below:Lion graspingcalf, columnsupport.
eyes open. The thirdfeatureis, that Italian (probablyReggioEmilia),12th cen-
when a lionessgives birthto her cubs, tury.Opposite:Lion, fresco.Spanish (Bur-
she brings them forth dead and lays gos Province),about 1230
them up lifelessfor three days-until
theirfather,coming on the thirdday,
breathesin theirfaces and inspirits
them. Justso did the FatherOmnipo-
tent raiseOurLordJesusChristfrom
the dead on the thirdday.
It is said the littersof these crea-
turescome in three. Shortlions with
curly manes are peaceful;tall ones with
plain hair are fierce.
So far as theirrelationswith men
are concerned,the natureof lions is
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rTnhevariegated
PANTHER has a truly
colorand is most
fear,flees into the cavesof the earth. white variegation.It only has babies
There, unableto bear the smell, it once, becausewhen the cubs have
beautiful,and excessivelykind. becomes torpidand remainsimmobile struckroot in the mother'swomb and
The only animal it considersan enemy as in death. begin to wax with the strengthof birth,
is the dragon. The true panther,OurLordJesus they become impatient.So they tear the
Whena pantherhas dined and is Christ,snatchedus from the powerof womb as being an obstacleto delivery.
satiated,it hides awayin its den and the dragon-devilon descendingfrom This dischargesthe litter,since it is
goes to sleep. Afterthreedays it awakes the heavens.He associatedus with spurredby pain. Thus, when the sub-
and emits a loud belch, and a very himselfas sons by his incarnation, sequentseed of generationis infused
sweet smell-like the smell of allspice acceptingall, and gave gifts to men, into it, it does not adhereto the
-issues from its mouth. Whenthe leading captivitycaptive. damagedand scarredparts and is not
other animalshaveheard the noise, The pantheris an animal with accepted.
they followthe pantherwhereverit small spots daubedall overit; hence it
goes, becauseof the sweetnessof this can be distinguishedby circleddots Spottedpanther,detailfromtheUnicorn
scent. Only the dragon, smittenwith tapestryseries (see inside covers)
upon tawny and also by its black-and-
15
16
T here is an animal called an they munch it up, it seducesthem, and cannot get up again. Hence he leans
ELEPHANT, which has no desire she immediatelyconceives. againsta tree when he wants to go to
to copulate. Now the elephantand his wife sleep, for he has no joints in his knees.
Its nose is called a proboscis(for representAdamand Eve. For when For this reasona hunterpartly saws
the bushes), becauseit carriesits leaf- they were pleasingto God, beforetheir througha tree, so that the elephant
food to its mouth with it, and this looks provocationin the flesh, they had no may fall down when he leans against it.
like a snake. knowledgeof sin. When, however,the It is a fact that elephantssmash
themselves with wife ate of the Treeof Knowledge, whateverthey wind their noses round,
Elephantsprotect
tusks. No animals can be which is what Mandragorameans, and and whateverthey squashwith their
ivory larger
found. The Persiansand the Indians, gave one of the fruitsto her man, she feet they blot out.
collectedinto woodentowerson them, was immediatelymade a wandererand They neverquarrelabout their
sometimesfight each other with jav- they had to clearout of Paradiseon wives, for adulteryis unknownto
elins as if from a castle. They possess account of it. them. Thereis a mild gentlenessabout
vast intelligenceand memory.They When the propertime for being them, for,if they happen to come
march about in herds. And they copu- deliveredarrives,the motherelephant acrossa forwanderedman in the des-
late back-to-back. walks out into a lake, and the water erts, they offerto lead him back into
remain pregnant for comes up to her udders. Meanwhile, familiarpaths. If by chance they do
Elephants
two years, do not have babies more the fatherelephantguardsher while become involvedin battles, they take
than once, and only haveone at a time. she is in labor,becausethereis a cer- care of the casualties,collectingthe
tain dragonthat is inimical to ele- woundedand exhaustedinto the mid-
They live three hundredyears. If one
of them wants to have a he
baby, goes phants. Moreover,if a serpenthappens dle of the herd.
with his wife eastwardtowardParadise, by, the fathertrampleson it and kills it. Elephantwitha howdah,fresco.Spanish
and thereis a tree therecalled Man- He is also formidableto bulls-but he about1120-40
(SoriaProvince),
dragora.She first takes of the tree and is frightenedof mice, for all that.
then gives some to her spouse. When If an elephanttumbles down he
18
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STAGS are enemiesto serpents. hurry acrosswith the greatestpossible oppositedirection.All stand stock still,
When they feel weighteddown by speed. for which reasonthey make themselves
illness, they suck snakes from Whenit is the stag'sappointedsea- an easy mark for archers.
their holes with a snort of the nostrils son to rut, the malesof this speciesbell It is known that stags neverget
and, the dangerof theirvenom having with a furyof concupiscence.Although feverish,so ointmentsmade from their
been survived,the stags are restoredto the femalesmay be impregnated marrowwill settle heats in sick men.
health by a meal of them. Aftera din- beforehand,theydo not conceiveuntil Weread that many people who have
ner of snake, they shed theircoats and the time of the starArcturus.Nor do been accustomedto eating venison
all theirold age with them. theybring forththeirbabiesjust any- from their early days have been
Stags listenadmiringlyto the where, but they hide them with tender immortal,and immuneto fevers,but it
music of rusticpipes. Withtheirears care, and, havingtuckedthem up in fails them in the end if they happento
prickedup, they hear acutely;with the some deep shrubberyor undergrowth, get killed by a single wound. The ren-
ears lowered,not at all. theyadmonishthem with a stampof the net of a fawn killed in its mother's
When they change their feeding foot to keep hidden. Whenthe littleones womb is capital against poisons.
groundsfor loveof a foreignpasture,if havebecomestrongenoughforrun- Recumbent stagsurrounded by a vine-scroll
by any chance they haveto crosshuge ning, the mothersteachthem to trot motif,brassplate.German,lastquarterof
riversor seas, each restshis head on the and accustomthem to leapingoverhigh the15thcentury
haunchesof the one in front; and, since places.
the one behind does the same thing for Upon hearing the cry of hounds,
him in turn, they sufferno troublefrom stags place themselvesahead of a wind,
the weight. Thusly supported,they so that their scent may blow in the
20
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L RSUSthe Bear,it is said, pro- mutual embraces,they copulatein the even by wounds; and afterbearing,
duces a formlessfoetus, giving human way.The winterseason they lie hid for threemonths. Then,
birth to somethinglike a bit provokestheirinclinationto lust. The coming out into the free daylight,they
of pulp, and this the motherbear males respectthe pregnantfemales sufferso much from being unaccus-
arrangesinto properlegs and arms by with the decencyof a privateroom, tomed to the light that you wouldtake
licking it. She pups on the thirtiethday, and, though in the same lairs for their them to be struckblind.
from whence it comes that a hasty, lying-in, these are dividedby earth- Bearslook out for the hivesof bees
unformedcreationis broughtforth. worksinto separatebeds. They bring and long for honeycombsvery much.
A bear'shead is feeble; the great- forth very tiny pulps of white color, They grab nothing moregreedilythan
est strengthis in the arms and loins, for with no eyes. They graduallysculpture honey.Whenthey haveeaten mandrake
which reasonthey sometimesstand these by licking; and meanwhilethey they die-unless, for fear that the
upright. If bears are afflictedwith a cherishthem to theirbosoms so as to poison shouldgrow strongenough to
seriousinjury,they know how to doctor drawup the animal spirit, being destroythem, they hurryoff and eat
themselvesby strokingtheirsoreswith warmedby this carefulincubation. ants to recuperate.
a herb, so that they are curedby the During this time, with absolutelyno
mere touch. Bear,fresco.Spanish (SoriaProvince),
food for the firstfourteendays, the about 1120-40
They do not make lovelike other sleeplessshe-bears get so deeply
quadrupeds,but being joined in drowsythat they cannot be woken up,
22
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~iV_ ULPIS the Fox neverruns
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but goes on his way
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...... - ..... .... ~~>i~ ~-'~;. ,a fraudulentand ingeniousanimal.
iei&,te,
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24
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A dam gave CAMELStheir name these there is a cushioningcounterac- both for the past want and for whatever
with good reason, for when they tion for the walkers,with no hard lack may come in the futurefor a long
are being loaded up they kneel impedimentto putting down the foot. time. They go for dirty watersand
down and make themselvesloweror They are kept for two purposes. avoidclean ones. In fact, unlessthere
humbler-and the Greekfor low or Some are accommodatedfor carrying shouldbe foulerdrink available,they
humble is cam. Or else it is becausethe a burden. Othersare more speedy,but themselvesstir up the slime with busy
creatureis humped on the back and the cannot be given loads beyondwhat is trampling,in orderthat it should be
wordcamurmeans "curved"in Greek. fitting; nor are the latterwilling to do muddied. They live for a hundred
The Bactriansbreedthe strongest more than the accustomeddistances. years.
camels, but Arabiabreedsthe largest When they come into season, they If they happento be sold to a
number.The two kinds differin this, are so unbridledby the matterthat strangerthey growill, disgustedat the
that the Arabianshavehumps on the they run mad for the want of love. They price.
back. detesthorses. They are good at putting camel,ordromedary,
Single-humped
These Bactriansneverwear away up with the wearinessof thirst, and fresco.Spanish(SoriaProvince),about
theirhooves.They have fleshysoles indeed, when the opportunityto drink 1120-40
with concertina-likepads, and from is given them, they fill up with enough
28
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B EES (Apes)are born withoutfeet, Bees arrangefor theirown king. poison as well as honey,if provoked.In
for they only grow their feet and They createa popularstate, and, theirthirstfor revenge,they lay down
wings later on. althoughthey are placed undera king, theirown lives in the woundswhich
They are skilledin the art of mak- they are free. A king bee is formedwith they make.
ing honey.They live in definitehouses. clear naturalsigns, so that he can be The moistureof honev-dewis
They build theirhomes with inde- distinguishedby the size of his body pouredinto the mid-most recessesof
scribabledexterity,making them out of and by his appearance. the hives and little by little, it is refined
variousflowersand fillingcountless Such bees as are disobedientto into honey.Althoughit was originally
cells with spun wax. They havekings, the laws of the king punishthemselves liquid, it begins to take on the sweet,
armies-they go to war. on being condemnedto penance, so mellifluoussmell throughthe thicken-
Manypeople haveproventhat that they die by the woundsof their ing of the wax and the scent of the
these creaturesare born from the own stings. flowers.
corpsesof cows. The fleshof dead Bees havestings and can produce Not only is honeydelightful,but
calves is beatenin orderto bring them it is healthy.It mollifiesthe throat,it
forth, so that out of the rottingblood heals wounds, it is administeredas a
maggotsmay be createdthat finally medicine for internalulcers.
turn into bees. One ought more accu- Whiletheirking is safe, bees never
ratelysay that bees are born from oxen, alterdecisionsor changetheirminds.
hornetsfrom horses, dronesfrom But if the king is lost, they abandonthe
mules, and wasps from donkeys. trust of preservinghis kingdomand
Aloneamong everyspeciesof the tear themselvesawayfrom his honev-
living, bees have children that are store, becausehe who held the officeof
commonto all. All inhabitthe same chief is destroyed.
dwelling, all are enclosedbehind the Bees flee from smoke and are irri-
thresholdof one fatherland.Workis tated by noise.
mutual to all, food is communal,labor
and the habit and enjoyment of flight Bee, detailof an intaglio-carvedgame piece.
North German,about 1200-50
are all held equally.
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T is a land worm
he SCORPION
which we classify with worms
rather than with snakes. It is a
stinging creature, and is called the
Archer in the Greek language because
it plunges in its tail and injects its poi-
sons with a curving wound (aculeus:
arcuatus). The oddest thing about a
scorpion is that it will not bite you in
the palm of your hand.
50
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here is an ocean monstercalled a bushes begin to growthere. Sailing the smallerfishesnotice the odor,they
WHALE (Cetus) becauseof the ships that happen to be going that way crowdtogetherin the mouth. Naturally,
frightfulnessof its body and take it to be an island and land on it. when the monsterfeels his mouth to be
becauseit was this animalthat swal- Then they build themselvesa fire. But full, he shuts it at once. Thus he swal-
lowedJonah;and its belly was so great the whale, feelingthe hotnessof the lows them down.
that people took it to be Hell. fire, suddenlyplungesdownwardand Fancifulwhale,fromtheborderof a stained
This animal lifts its back out of pulls the anchoredship with it into the glasswindow.French(Ile-de-France),
the open sea and then anchorsin one depths. about1320
place; and on its back, what with the Wheneverthis monsterfeels hun-
shingle of the ocean drawnthereby gry opens its mouth and exudesa
it
gales, a level lawn is producedand pleasant-smellingbreath;and when
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ANCERthe Crabadopts a cun- relaxing, the crab investigates to find remote from all wind and safe from the
ning stratagem,due to his out whether at any time the oyster rays of the sun. Then the crab, secretly
greed. He is very fond of oysters opens that double shell of his in places casting in a pebble, prevents the clos-
and likes to get himselfa banquetof ing of the oyster, and thus, finding the
theirflesh. Althougheagerfor dinner, lock forced, inserts his claws safely and
he understandsthe pursuitis as diffi- feeds on the flesh.
cult as it is hazardous.It is difficult Some people relate that if ten
becausethe fleshof the oysteris con- crabs are compounded with a handful
tained within very strongshells. of basil, all scorpions in the neigh-
Nothing can open the closedoysterby borhood will be gathered to that place.
force, and thus it is dangerousfor the There are two kinds of crab, river ones
crab to insert his claw.Betakinghim- and sea ones.
self to artfulness,therefore,the crab
lays an ambushwith a plot of his own. Crab,from a bas-de-pageof the calendar
Becauseall speciesdelightin from the HoursofJeanned'Evreux
55
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