Buzz
Medieval bestiaries were immensely popular texts that narrated tales not just of animals, but also of plants, stones, and mythical beings that seemed to spring from the imagination of Europeans during that era. Primarily produced in the 12th and 13th centuries, these works drew inspiration from ancient authors like Isidore of Seville and Pliny. Often adorned with intricate illustrations, these manuscripts are among the most beautifully crafted books of their time. The creatures featured were frequently tied to moral lessons, and while many were real, others were purely fantastical, born from medieval lore.
10. Iaculus
During the 7th century, Isidore of Seville undertook a monumental task: documenting all of humanity's knowledge. His work, titled the Etymologies, included detailed accounts of both real and mythical animals. He referenced the Roman poet Lucan when describing the iaculus (or jaculus), an African flying serpent.
According to Lucan, the iaculus would perch in trees, waiting for prey. When a target appeared, it would launch itself like a projectile. The snake’s name, meaning 'javelin,' reflects this hunting technique.
The Aberdeen Bestiary also mentions the iaculus. These serpents, residing in cemeteries, were said to gather knowledge from the dead and share it with the living. However, they required a daily offering of warm beer to prevent them from harming those who sought their wisdom.
9. Caladrius
The caladrius, a pure white bird, appears frequently in medieval bestiaries. While some accounts describe it as tan or yellow, particularly in tales linked to Alexander the Great’s supposed encounters, it is most often depicted as entirely white.
The caladrius was believed to possess remarkable healing abilities. Its dung, when applied to the eyes, was said to restore sight. Pliny the Elder referred to the bird as icterus and noted its effectiveness in treating jaundice.
This legendary bird was also thought to predict the fate of the ill. If it turned away from a patient, death was imminent. However, if it gazed directly at them, it would absorb their illness and fly away, healing the individual.
8. The Bonnacon
The bonnacon, documented as early as Pliny’s writings, was a common feature in medieval bestiaries. It was portrayed with a bull’s head on a horse’s body, complete with backward-curving horns that were nearly ineffective.
However, the creature had a unique defense strategy. When threatened, it would release its bowels, spreading dung that was not only foul-smelling but also corrosive, burning anything it came into contact with.
Many depictions of the bonnacon show it unleashing its explosive defense on pursuers, a humorous touch that even medieval authors appreciated. Modern interpretations suggest the bonnacon might have been inspired by large hoofed animals like bison, with the legend possibly originating from a single instance of an animal defecating in fear while being chased.
7. Dipsa, The Thirst-Snake
According to Lucan, the dipsa was one of 17 serpent species born from Medusa’s blood after Perseus beheaded her. As Perseus journeyed, drops of her blood fell in various locations, including the Libyan deserts, where the dipsa emerged.
The dipsa’s venom was extraordinarily deadly, causing victims to suffer madness as their flesh burned. Additionally, the snakes were cursed with an unending thirst.
Lucan recounted a tale of a friend traveling through Libya who discovered a tomb adorned with an image of a dipsa. The snake’s fangs were embedded in a man’s foot, while women poured water over him to alleviate his suffering. An inscription revealed the man had been bitten while attempting to steal the snake’s eggs, which were said to be edible.
6. Amphisbaena
The amphisbaena is a poisonous serpent with heads at both ends, enabling it to move seamlessly in any direction. Later interpretations added wings, feet, and horns to its appearance.
The amphisbaena’s skin was believed to have powerful healing properties for various ailments. However, Greek legends warned that if a pregnant woman stepped over a live amphisbaena, it could cause a miscarriage. To prevent this, she was advised to carry a dead one in a container.
Roman mythology suggested that capturing an amphisbaena and wrapping it around a walking stick would shield the bearer from creatures that killed by striking. Isidore of Seville described the snake as having glowing eyes that lit up the dark like lanterns and noted it was the only serpent capable of hunting in cold weather.
5. Leocrota
Known as the leucrocotta or leukrokottas, this horse-like beast from India (and occasionally Ethiopia) is the stuff of nightmares. A hybrid of stag and lion, it bore a horse’s head with one horrifying twist: its mouth stretched from ear to ear. Instead of teeth, its jaw featured a single, unbreakable bony ridge. The leocrota could imitate human speech, using its voice at night to lure victims within striking distance.
Pliny described the leocrota as the offspring of an Ethiopian lioness and a hyena. Inheriting the lion’s strength and the hyena’s cunning, it was said to mimic human sounds to attract prey. The creature hunted near villages, relying on human curiosity to become its undoing.
4. Hydrus
The hydrus, also known as the enhydros, was believed to inhabit the Nile River, where it hunted crocodiles. Upon finding a sleeping crocodile, the hydrus would coat itself in mud and leap into the predator’s mouth. Once inside, it would devour the crocodile’s organs and burst out of its stomach, killing it.
Isidore documented the hydrus in the 7th century, but it was St. Antony of Padua in the 12th century who compared its behavior to Christ and the apostles. Like the hydrus, they faced evil and emerged victorious. Descriptions of the hydrus vary; some bestiaries depict it as a bird, while others portray it as a serpent.
3. Salamander
While real salamanders exist, the medieval bestiaries depicted them as mystical beings capable of surviving and extinguishing the fiercest flames. St. Augustine described the salamander as a symbol of the soul’s resilience against the fires of Hell, suggesting its fire-resistant nature proved worldly entities could endure infernal flames unscathed.
Ancient Persian salamanders symbolized divinity, but medieval lore portrayed them as both fireproof and venomous. A salamander falling into a well could poison an entire village, and one nesting in a tree could kill the tree and anyone consuming its fruit. Pliny was the first to assert that salamanders could douse nearby fires, sparking centuries of legends.
2. Monoceros
The monoceros, also referred to as the karkadann or carcazonon, is a peculiar unicorn-like creature found in ancient and medieval bestiaries. It combined a horse’s body with a unicorn’s horn, elephant’s feet, and a deer’s tail. Pliny, however, described it with a boar’s tail and a deer’s head.
The monoceros’s horn was believed to possess the same coveted properties as other unicorn horns. Unlike the gentle unicorn, the monoceros was fiercely aggressive and would slay any human it encountered. Bestiaries claimed this ferocity explained why no records of its capture or death existed, and its approach was announced by a terrifying, ear-splitting bray.
1. Muscaliet
The muscaliet appears in a bestiary attributed to Pierre de Beauvais, named after the dialect he used. While he claimed to be translating earlier works, the original sources remain unidentified.
In his Bestiaire, Pierre describes the muscaliet as a peculiar tree-dwelling creature. It has a small hare’s body, a mole’s nose, a weasel’s ears, and a squirrel’s tail and legs. Its body is covered in pig-like coarse hair, and it boasts the teeth of a boar.
The muscaliet can leap between trees and emits such intense heat that it destroys leaves upon contact. It builds nests beneath trees, ultimately causing the death of the tree it resides under.
