Culture

Month: September 2011

  • Bees

    Bees /apes/ 9.5X4.5 cm The story of the bees is one of the fullest in the bestiary. Accounts from Pliny /XI.5.4—20.23/, St.Ambrose /V.58.21—70/, Isidor /XII.VIII.I/ the medieval compilers, Pseudo-Hugh among them /III.38/, describe their way of life, their art of making honey, the construction of their hives, the laws and customs of the bees’ kingdom.…

  • The Bees.

    The Bees. Miniature. Miniature of the Bodlein Library. Oxford. ms Ashmole 1511 f.75 v.

  • Caladrius

    Caladrius /caladrius/ 10.5X6 см Caladrius — charadrius in Deuteronomy translated by St.Jerome /14:18/ — is one of the most mysterious birds of the medieval bestiary; it is a completely white bird. Its dung cures the blind. The caladrius can tell whether the patient is going to live or die: when the sickness is mortal, the…

  • The Caladrius

    The Caladrius Miniature. Bestiary of the Bodleian Library. Oxford. N 764. f 63 v.

  • The Caladrius

    The Caladrius Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.LatQ.V. I, N 131, f. 30 v.

  • Pelican

    Pelican /pelicanus, onocrotalus/ 10.2X5.8 cm The Latin versions of the text about the pelican take rise in the Greek version. The bestiary, like version “B” of Latin “Physiologus”, opens the tale of the pelican with the quotation of the woebegone psalmist compared to a pelican in the desert /Psalms 101:7/. When the pelican younglings have…

  • The Pelican

    The Pelican Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. III, N 1, f. 13

  • The Pelican

    The Pelican Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. I N 131, f. 15

  • Eagle-Owl

    Eagle-Owl /noctua, nycticorax/ medallion 5 cm in diameter In the bestiary, like in the old Latin versions of “Phy-siologus”, the story of the eagle-owl follows the story of the pelican since the former is mentioned in the psalm of the same woebegone psalmist /”I am … like an owl of the waste places …, Psalms…

  • The Eagle-Owl

    The Eagle-Owl Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. III. N 1, f. 13 v.

  • The Eagle-Owl

    The Eagle-Owl Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. I, N 131, f. 15

  • Phoenix

    Phoenix /phoenix, fenix/ two medallions 4.1 cm in diameter each The legend of the phoenix, which originated in the sphere of ancient oriental symbolism, occupies pride of place in Greek and Latin culture and is widely interpreted by medieval writers (Hubaux J., Levy M. Le Mythe du fenix dans les litteratures greque et latine. Liege,…

  • The Phoenix

    The Phoenix Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. I N 131, f. 31

  • The Phoenix

    The Phoenix Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. П1, N 1, f. 29

  • Hoopoe

    Hoopoe /epopus, upupa/ medallion 4.7 cm in diameter By medieval tradition hoopoe is an “unclean” bird /Isidor, XII.VII. 66/ but it is noted for its love and affection for its parents. The birds, when they grow up, preen the feathers of the parents and keep them warm as if wishing to thank them for being…

  • The Hoopoe

    The Hoopoe Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. I, N 131, f. 33

  • The Hoopoe

    The Hoopoe Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. III, N 1, f. 30

  • Ibis

    Ibis /ibis, ibex/ 10X5.8 cm Ibis, which the bestiary mistakingly calls “ibex” taking it for a chamois, is one of the foulest birds. Isidor /XII.VII.33/ takes his information from Pliny /X.28.40; VIII.27.41/ and Aelian /X.29/ when he says that the bird feeds on cadavers and snakes’ eggs which he also brings to his younglings. The…

  • The Ibis

    The Ibis Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. III, N 1, f 34 v

  • Coot

    Coot /fulica/ medallion 6.2 cm in diameter The early Latin versions of “Physiologus” did not distinguish between a heron and a coot /version “Y” says: “Herodius id est fulica”/- Version “B”, which the bestiary adheres to ascribes the qualities of the heron to the coot, while the heron itself is given other features. In the…

  • The Coot

    The Coot Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.LatQ.V. Ill, N 1, f. 34

  • Partridge

    / medallion 4 cm in diameter Following version “В” of Latin “Physiologus” the bestiary expands the symbolic interpretation of the partridge and adds to it some information from Isidor /XII.VII.63/ and St.Ambrose /VI.3.13/both of whom obviously proceeded from Pliny /X.33.51/. Telling us about the bird’s cunning and malice the bestiary refers to the indication made…

  • The Partridge

    The Partridge Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. I, N 131, f. 31 v.

  • Turtle-dove

    Turtle-dove /turtur/ medallion 4.7 cm in diameter The chapter about the turtle-dove in Latin “Physio-logus” and in the bestiaries differs from that of the first Greek versions. It repeats the quotation from the Song of Solomon /Song 2:12/ about the voice of the turtle-dove foretelling the approach of spring but ascribes to her the qualities…

  • Dove

    Dove /columbus/ 10.5×6 cm In the story of the dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit /John 1:32/, the bestiary follows the narration of “Physiologus” about the diversity of colours in the dove’s plumage comparing it with the diversity of means by which the Holy Spirit addresses himself to Man. The white doves seem to…

  • The Dove

    The Dove Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. III N 1а 2

  • Peridexion Tree

    Peridexion Tree /arbor peridexion/ 9.8X9.8 cm The Latin narattive of Peridexion tree, elaborating on the original Greek versions of “Physiologus”, is a continuation of the story about doves. It takes rise in the Evangelic proverb about a grown mustard seed /Matthew 13:31, 32; Mark 4:32/ or from the antique tale of the shadow of an…

  • The Peridexion Tree

    The Peridexion Tree Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V.III, N 1, f. 36

  • The Peridexion Tree

    The Peridexion Tree Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V.I, N,131, f. 12

  • Amos, the prophet

    Amos, the prophet /Amos propheta/ 10X7.9 cm The text begins with a quotation from the “Book of Amos” which says: “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees” /Amos 7:14/. This text is a modified chapter of the early “Physiologus” about a sycomore tree which…

  • Sea pigs

    Sea pigs /porci marini/ 8.8X5.9 cm The miniature illuminating the text from Isidor /XII.VII.12—17/ is one of the most vivid and interesting in the bestiary. The text provides information on sea pigs, digging up earth under water, on the sword-fish /gladius/ on the flying fish /serra/ and the sea-scorpion /scorpio/. This miniature is clearly different…

  • Serra — flying fish

    Serra — flying fish /serra/ 10.6×9.5 cm The tale of the flying saw-fish is one of the few tales about fishes in the original “Physiologus”. The sawfish is mentioned in the chapter about sea pigs and it has a special chapter based on the early versions of the Greek “Physiologus”. This confusion is caused by…

  • The Flying fish

    The Flying fish Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. Ill, N 1, f. 49

  • Whale

    Whale /aspidochelone, cetus, balena/ 10X13.7 cm The story of a huge sea monster, which sailors once mistook for an islet, was fairly popular in the ancient times and in the Middle Ages. The story originates from Arrian /Indica, XXXI/ and Strabon /Geography, XV, 2.13/. It appears also in many medieval writings about far-away lands and…

  • The Whale

    The Whale Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V.III, N 1, f. 47 v.

  • The Whale

    The Whale Miniature. Manuscript of the Bodleian Library. Oxford. ms.Ashmole 1511, f. 86 v.

  • Fishes and sea animals

    Fishes and sea animals /pisces et animalia marina/ 9.9X13.5; 9.8X13.5 cm For the most part the vast text about fishes and sea animals is taken from Isidor /XII.VI.I—57/, who classed fishes into species by analogy with animals although the order of Isidor’s story is much more confused. Among fishes and sea animals mention is made…

  • Fishes and sea Animals

    Fishes and sea Animals Miniature. Bestiary of the Cambridge University Library. II, 4.26

  • The River of Paradise

    The River of Paradise. Capital. Late XI century. Museum in Cluny.

  • Crocodile

    Crocodile /cocodrillus/ 10.1 X 9 cm The impressive miniature featuring a fantastic monster, all bristled up as if it is about to rend its prey, illustrates the text describing the crocodile reappearing in the bestiary, this time in the section on reptiles. The text is taken from Isidor /XII.VI.19—20/ who drew on the knowledge provided…

  • The Crocodile

    The Crocodile Miniature. Bestiary of the Morgan Library in New York, № 81, f. 70

  • The Crocodile

    The Crocodile. Relief Church portal in Chadenac. XII century.

  • The Crocodile

    The Crocodile. Aquamanil. Lotharingia. XII centery.

  • Dragon

    Dragon /draco major/ 10.1X7.7 cm Dating back to Pliny /VIII.II.ll —13/ and Solinus /25.10—13/, the story of the dragon strangling the elephant had come all through the Middle Ages /Isidor, XII.IV.4—5; Pseudo Hugh, 11.24; Guillaume le Clerc, 2221—2238; Albert the Great, XXV.II.27; Brunetto Latini, I.V.142/. The text of the bestiary is close to the description…

  • The Dragon

    The Dragon Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. III. N 1, f. 54 v.

  • The Dragon

    The Dragon Capital. Church in Blel. XII centery.

  • Basilisk, Scorpion

    Basilisk /basiliscus/. Scorpion /scorpio/ 10.1 X5.8 cm 10.4X2.5 cm The text is borrowed from Isidor /XII.IV.6—9/ who drew on the information provided by Pliny /VIII.21.33; XXIX, 19/ and Solinus /27.51/. Basilisk is the derivative from the Greek word “basileus” /king/, which implies that it is the king of snakes. It is able to kill by…

  • Basilisk. Scorpion

    Basilisk. Scorpion Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. HI, N 1, f. 54

  • Basilisk

    Basilisk. Scorpion Relief. Chartre Cathedral. XII century

  • Snakes

    Snakes /anguis/ 10×2.6 cm The introductory text about snakes was borrowed from Isidor /XII.IV.1.—3/. They are called “anguis”, a modification of “angulosus” /bent/, “coluber” because a snake looks for a shade /colat umbras/ or “serpens” because it sneaks or creeps /serpit/ to an object. Snakes vary in shape and colour. The miniature pictures two intertwined…

  • The Snake

    The Snake Relief. Steps in Hypogeum. Poitiers. XIII century

  • The Snake

    The Snake Relief. Alspach. XII century. Museum in Colmar

  • Viper-echidna

    Viper-echidna /vipera/ 10X5.7 cm Although the story of the viper-echidna is traced back to the tales of the original “Physiologus”, the bestiary mainly follows the description by Isidor /XII.IV. 10—11/, deriving the name from the word “vis” /force, violence/, as the birth of a viper is accompanied by violence /generatio viperarum/ /Matthew, 3:7/. The Greek…

  • The Viper

    The Viper Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. Ill, N 1, f. 49 v.

  • The Viper

    The Viper Capital. Church in Garchizy. XII century

  • Asp

    Asp /aspis/ 10.1X7.2 cm The borrowings from the text by Isidore /XII.IV.12/ are joined together in the bestiary with the story of the asp from the “Physiologus”, a development of what had been written about the asp in the chapter about the weasel, which later in the Latin versions grew into a separate chapter. In…

  • The Asp

    The Asp. Miniature. Bestiary of the Bodleian Library. Oxford. N 764 f.96

  • The Asp

    The Asp. Miniature. Manuscript of the LPL.Lat.Q.V. Ш, N 1, f. 42

  • Тhe Asp

    Тhe Asp. Relief. XII century. Museum in Nevers

  • Asp Emorroris

    Asp Emorroris /emorroris, haemorris/ width 9.8 cm, height in tha smaller part 5.1 cm, height in the long part 12.2 cm The text is traced back to Isidor /XII.IV.15/ who drew on the story by Solinus /27.32/ and enlarged upon it, adding to it the story of the asp that was present in the “Physiologus”…