List of medieval bestiaries explained

This is a list of medieval bestiaries. The bestiary form is commonly divided into "families," as proposed in 1928 by M. R. James and revised by Florence McCulloch in 1959–1962.

Latin bestiaries

First family

The subfamily designated the "B-Is" version, dated to the 10th–13th centuries, are based upon the "B" version of the Physiologus and the writings of Isidore of Seville:

The "H" versions, late 13th-century, which in addition to a base Physiologus text, adds and arranges the content according to the "H" text or Book II of De bestiis et aliis rebus of Hugues de Fouilloy (olim of Pseudo-Hugo de St. Victor).

The "Transitional" group, appearing from the 12th to 14th century, incorporate material from other sources used by second family bestiaries:

Second family

The works in this group are based principally on Isidore's Etymologiæ with significant additional material from Solinus, Saint Ambrose's Hexameron,[1] Rabanus Maurus and others:[2]

Third family

These, from the 13th century, expand on the above with various races of humans, mythological creatures, and sometimes wonders of the world from Bernard Silvestris and others:

Fourth family

The sole work in this family, from the 15th century, is distinguished by its incorporation of writings by Bartholomaeus Anglicus:

Dicta Chrysostomi

These works were attributed in their time to John Chrysostom and appeared, mostly in Germany, from the 12th to 15th century:

Single Author manuscripts

Many manuscripts contain portions of bestiaries that can be attributed to a single author. These include works by Isidore of Seville's Etymologiae, Thomas de Cantimpré's Liber de Natura Rerum, and Hugues de Fouilloy's De avibus

Hugues de Fouilloy

Isidore of Seville

Thomas de Cantimpré

French bestiaries

The French bestiaries are all derived from works with commonly attributed authorship, and are divided as such:

Bestiaire in Verse by Philippe de Thaon

Bestiaire of Gervaise

Bestiaire of Guillaume le Clerc

Bestiaire of Pierre de Beauvais

Middle English bestiary

Italian bestiaries

Catalan bestiaries

Icelandic bestiary

German bestiary

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. , passim. (notes to translated chapters)
  2. , pp. 34–35.
  3. Web site: British Library, Add MS 28260 (Bestiaire of Gervaise) . The Medieval Bestiary . 2012-03-07.

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