Here begins the book of the nature of beasts.
Of lions and panthers and tigers,
wolves and foxes, dogs and apes.
~ Aberdeen Bestiary
Bestiary is a type of medieval book that
was widely popular, particularly from the
12th to 14th cent. The bestiary presumed
to describe the animals of the world and
to show what human traits they severally
exemplify. The bestiaries are the source of
a bewildering array of fabulous beasts and
of many misconceptions of real ones.
They were the artist's guide to animal
symbolism in religious building, painting,
and sculpture.
Unicorn, Dragon, Griffin,
Hydra, & Chimaera
Basilisk
The mythical king of the serpents. The basilisk, or cockatrice, is a creature that is
born from a spherical, yolkless egg, laid during the days of Sirius (the Dog Star)
by a seven-year-old rooster and hatched by a toad. The basilisk could have
originated from the horned adder or hooded cobra from India. Pliny the Elder
described it simply as a snake with a golden crown. By the Middle Ages, it had
become a snake with the head of a cock, and sometimes with the head a human. In
art, the basilisk symbolized the devil and the antichrist. To the Protestants, it was a
symbol of the papacy.
According to legend, there are two species of the creature. The first kind burns
everything it approaches, and the second kind can kill every living thing with a
mere glance. Both species are so dreadful that their breath wilts vegetation and
shatters stones. It was even believed that if a man on horseback should try to kill it
with a spear, the power of the poison conducted through the weapon would not
only kill the rider, but the horse as well. The only way to kill a basilisk is by
holding a mirror in front of its eyes, while avoiding to look directly at it. The
moment the creature sees its own reflection, it will die of fright. However, even
the basilisk has natural enemies. The weasel is immune to its glance and if it gets
bitten it withdraws from the fight to eat some rue, the only plant that does not
wither, and returns with renewed strength. A more dangerous enemy is the cock
for should the basilisk hear it crow, it would die instantly.
The carcass of a basilisk was often hung in houses to keep spiders away. It was
also used in the temples of Apollo and Diana, where no swallow ever dared to
enter. In heraldry the basilisk is represented as an animal with the head, torso and
legs of a cock, the tongue of a snake and the wings of a bat. The snake-like rump
ends in an arrowpoint.
Hydra
The Hydra had the body of a serpent and many heads (the
number of heads deviates from five up to one hundred
there are many versions but generally nine is accepted as
standard), of which one could never be harmed by any
weapon, and if any of the other heads were severed
another would grow in its place (in some versions two
would grow). Also the stench from the Hydra's breath was
enough to kill man or beast (in other versions it was a
deadly venom). When it emerged from the swamp it
would attack herds of cattle and local villagers, devouring
them with its numerous heads. It totally terrorized the
vicinity for many years.
Griffin
A legendary
monster, halfeagle and half
lion.
The Griffin is a legendary creature with the
head, beak and wings of an eagle, the body of a
lion and occasionally the tail of a serpent or
scorpion. Its origin lies somewhere in the
Middle East where it is found in the paintings
and sculptures of the ancient Babylonians,
Assyrians and Persians. In Greek mythology,
they took gold from the stream Arimaspias and,
neighbors of the Hyperboreans, they belonged
to Zeus. The later Romans used them for
decoration and even in Christian times the
Griffin motif often appears. Griffins were
frequently used as gargoyles on medieval
churches and buildings.
In more recent times, the Griffin only appears
in literature and heraldry.
Questions for Teaching• What do you
think is happening in this image? What
do the expressions on the faces of the
men tell you about what is happening?
• What can you see on this page that tells
you that it is part of a book?
• This page is from a book called a
bestiary, or book of beasts. It is filled
with stories that teach moral lessons
through images of real and imaginary
beasts. What do you think the moral
lesson of this story might be?
• Are there any other stories you can
think of that were created to teach
lessons? (Possibly fables by Aesop,
folktales, or parables.)
• Compare illustrated books from today
to this manuscript that was written over
700 years ago. In what ways are they
similar? In what ways are they different?