Description
Book SynopsisFirst penned in Egypt between the 2nd and 4th centuries, the
Physiologus brought together poetic descriptions of animals and their Christian allegories. Translated into a wide range of languages from across North Africa and much of Europe, each version of the
Physiologus adapted the text in culturally specific ways that yield fascinating insights for those who delve into this truly global tradition of representing and interpreting animals. This edition provides the texts and translations of the only two surviving English versions: the Old English
Physiologus from the late 10th-century Exeter Book and the Middle English
Physiologus from the mid-13th-century MS Arundel 292, as well as translations of a range of Latin, French and Old English sources and analogues. Underpinned by a commitment to both the fields of medieval studies and animal studies, this book provides an accessible introduction to the literary history of the
Physiologus and the politics of animal representation, asking the vital question: how can we understand humanity's relationships with non-human animals and the environment today without understanding their past?
Trade Review“This facing-page translation of the Old and Middle English Physiologus will be an excellent teaching text. Not only does it make these poems readily accessible to students, but the edition also offers an excellent introduction to the poems’ literary history and influence as well as to their relevance to contemporary animal studies. The appendices make accessible valuable source material and other texts influenced by the Physiologus and provide students with the opportunity to compare the texts’ different discussions of animals. One appendix includes images of bestiary illuminations and provides links to their digitized sources, again enabling students to engage with the material following their introduction to it. Finally, the bibliography serves as an excellent starting point for those wishing to pursue further their studies of medieval animals.” — Ernst Gerhardt, Laurentian University
“The Medieval Bestiary in English edits and translates the only English versions of Physiologus, a fascinating group of late-classical and medieval texts that pair earthly and imaginary animals with Christian allegorical interpretations. Megan Cavell makes these two English versions newly accessible in her elegant facing-page translations. She offers as well a fine array of supports: introductions to the languages and manuscripts, excerpts from related medieval works, an overview of the entire bestiary tradition, and a substantial discussion of how contemporary environmental and animal studies might help us assess these unfamiliar accounts of the living world. A valuable resource for scholars and students alike.” — Susan Crane, author, Animal Encounters: Contexts and Concepts in Medieval Britain
Table of Contents
- The Old English Physiologus: Text and Translation
- The Middle English Physiologus: Text and Translation
- Appendix A: The Latin Source of the Old English Poems: Excerpts from Physiologus, Version B
- Appendix B: Excerpts from Isidore of Seville's Etymologies
- Appendix C: The Old English Phoenix
- Appendix D: The Latin Physiologus from Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 448
- Appendix E: The Latin Source of the Middle English Poem: Theobald's Physiologus
- Appendix F: The Latin Source of the Middle English Dove: An Excerpt from Alexander Neckam's On the Natures of Things
- Appendix G: Spider Analogues in the French Bestiaire Attributed to Pierre de Beauvais (Long Version) and Odo of Cheriton's Latin Fables and Sermons
- Appendix H: Images of Relevant Animals from a Range of Bestiaries
