August 23, 2003
Bestiary
The University of Aberdeen’s Bestiary is a particularly fine mediaeval manuscript which, moreover, has been given an exemplary on-line presentation. Here are a few snippets:
The horseman has stolen a cub and has been pursued by the tiger. The thief can stop the tiger by a trick: he throws down a glass sphere and the tiger, seeing its own reflection, stops to nurse the sphere like a cub. She ends by losing both her revenge and her child.
A many coloured animal [the panther], handsome and gentle, whose only enemy is the dragon. When he roars, he exhales a sweet odour which draws all animals to him except the dragon. The dragon retreats to his hole and lies stiff with fear, as if dead.
The monoceros has the head of a stag, the tail of a boar, elephant's feet and a horse's body. A horn four feet long projects from his head.
The phoenix turns to face the sun, beats its wings to fan the flames and is consumed.
The dragon strangles an elephant. The text says the dragon has a crest, small mouth and does not kill with its teeth but with its tail. The illustrator has added massive teeth and wings.
This basilisk has a raptor's beak, a coxcomb, wings, a tail and claws. He is being attacked by a weasel.
All of the above images and texts are © The University of Aberdeen, 2002.
Posted by misteraitch at August 23, 2003 03:50 PM | TrackBackComments
Thanks for this maravillous link!
i adore bestiarys.. have you some more interesting link?
Óscar the liar
Posted by: mentiroso on August 24, 2003 06:42 PMThis page may well be of interest you too, Óscar. Also, I can recommend this book, a translation of a 13th Century bestiary into modern English with the original illuminations reproduced in facsimile.
Posted by: misteraitch on August 25, 2003 11:29 AMThank you very much!
Posted by: mentiroso on August 26, 2003 03:15 AMbeautiful stuff, indeed
Posted by: egoexmachina on August 29, 2003 05:47 PMPost a comment
