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Bestiary (http://bestiary.ca/)

(http://www.pinterest.com/cobwebmoth/bestiary/)

A medieval bestiary was a compendium of creatures, some real, some mythical, whose natural history, description and illustration was accompanied by a moral lesson. This was because of a belief that the world and everything in it was part of God's word and had an innate special meaning. Bestiaries need to be seen in a context of a medieval world awash with moralizing tales, in which ancient stories and deities were Christianized. True animals tend to become legendary creatures (they’re represented nothing like they really are).

The Not So Nice

The Crocodile

Iconography of the devil (Its skin is very hard, so that it is not hurt when struck by stones. It spends the day on land and the night in the water. It is armed with cruel teeth and claws)

The Whale

This one represents exactly the images on the poem; the fire, the fishes that are attracted into his mouth, the whale as a big fish (J. Paul Getty Museum, MS. Ludwig XV 3, Folio 89v Fishermen, thinking the whale is an island, have tied their boat to it and built a cooking fire on its back. The whale is diving and taking the boat with it. The whale is also attracting

fish to its mouth with the sweet scent of its breath. The allegory is that the devil deceives those he drags down to hell) Proportions and depth are mistreated.

Illustrations are merely didactical: if it was realist, the whale would actually give the illusion of being an island. By the way, where is the water? (A fishy whale, looking nothing like an island, hosts two boatloads of silly sailors, one of whom sits on the image frame trying to cook a meal. Soon the whale will dive to cool itself, dragging them to their doom)

The Aspidochelone. Sailors, thinking it to be an island, land and build a fire. After a time the heat penetrates the whale’s thick skin, and it dives to cool itself. The ship is dragged down with it and the sailors drown. When the whale is hungry it opens its mouth and emits a sweet odor, attracting small fish. This signifies the devil, who deceives those he drags down to hell. Those of weak faith who give in to the sweet odor of worldly desires will be swallowed up by the devil.

THE WHALE IS A SATANAS, A DECIEVER, A CHEATER, IT MAKES YOU TRUST TEMPTATION (Medieval “La balainne qui plunge les mariniers en la mer” – The whale plunges the sailors into the sea. In the Bestiaire d’amour the man says that this is what happens to most who become lovers; the whale drowning the sailors shows that one should trust least that which seems most trustworthy)

The Good Boys

The Panther

http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast79.htm

The panther is a gentle beast; only the dragon is its enemy. It is a beautiful, multicolored animal; its coat is spotted with white or black disks. After the panther has feasted, it goes into a cave and sleeps for three days. When it wakes up it gives a loud roar, and while it is roaring a sweet odor comes out of its mouth. Any animal that hears the roar follows the sweet smell to reach the panther. Only the dragon stays away, hiding in a hole because it is afraid of the panther. The female panther can only give birth once, because the young in her womb tear at her with their claws, wounding her so that she can no longer conceive. (The panther represents Christ, who drew all mankind to him. The dragon represents the devil, who feared Christ and hid from him. The many colors of the panther symbolizes the many qualities of Christ. After Christ was sated with the mockery and abuse of the Jews, he fell asleep in death and entered the tomb. Descending into hell he bound the dragon. After three days Christ left the tomb and roared out his triumph over death. The sweet breath of the panther that drew all animals to it is a symbol of the words of Christ that draw all to him, Jews and Gentiles alike)

The Cricket

Role model, like the nightingale (As described by Pierre de Beauvais in his Bestiaire, the cricket likes to sing so much that it forgets everything, loses its appetite, lets itself be hunted, and dies singing)

Whales, Bestiary. England, c.1236-1250. British Library, Harley 3244, f. 65r

WTF kind of whale is that, is not even a fish, it’s a dragon. The painter must have never seen a whale. Her representation responds more to his allegoric signification (reptile – devil) than to her actual look.