Bestiary, Adam names the animals, Lion, Lioness, Tiger, Panther, Antelope, Pard and leopard, Unicorn, Lynx, Griffin, Elephant, Beaver, Ibex, Hyena and crocotta, Bonnacon, Ape, Satyr and callitrix, Stag, Tragelaph, Goat, Roe deer, Monoceros, Bear, Leucrota, Crocodile, Manticor, Parandrus, Fox, Hare, Cameleon, Yale, Wolf, Dog I, Dog II, Dog III, Sheep, Wether and ram, Lamb, Young goat, He-goat and kid, Sow, Boar, Bullock and bull, Ox, Wild ox, Cow, Calf, Camel, Ass, Wild ass, Dromedary, Horse, Mule, Badger, Cat, Mouse, Weasel, Mole, Dormouse, Hedgehog, Ant, Frog, Star lizard, The natures of birds, Eagle, Barnacle goose, Osprey, Kingfisher, Coot, Vulture, Crane, Parrot (ring-necked parakeet), Caladrius, Stork, Heron, Swan, Ibis, Ostrich, Jackdaw, Halcyon, Phoenix I, Phoenix II, Cinamolgus, Waxwing, Hoopoe I (Epops), Pelican, Little owl and nycticorax, Owl, Siren, Patridge I, Partridge II, Magpie, Hawk, The feathers of tame hawks, Carrying hawks on the left hand, The perch of a hawk, The fetters of a hawk, The cord of a hawk, Bat, Nightingale, Raven, Crow, Dove, Turtledove, Swallow, Quail, Goose, Peacock, Hoopoe II (Upupa), Cock, Hen, Duck and goose, Sparrow, Kite, The bee, Perindens tree, On serpents, Great dragon, Basilisk, Viper and moray eel, Asp and other serpents, Scitalis, Amphisbena, Hydrus and hydra, Boa, Siren serpent, Seps II, Dipsas II, Lizard, Salamander, Saura, Star lizard or newt, The natures of serpents, Scorpion, Snake, Worms, On fishes, Seamonsters (including whale, sawfish, dolphin, sea pig, crocodile), Trees, Palm, Uses of trees, Smells of trees, Names of plants, Vegetables — 1240s; English

Title

Bestiary, Adam names the animals, Lion, Lioness, Tiger, Panther, Antelope, Pard and leopard, Unicorn, Lynx, Griffin, Elephant, Beaver, Ibex, Hyena and crocotta, Bonnacon, Ape, Satyr and callitrix, Stag, Tragelaph, Goat, Roe deer, Monoceros, Bear, Leucrota, Crocodile, Manticor, Parandrus, Fox, Hare, Cameleon, Yale, Wolf, Dog I, Dog II, Dog III, Sheep, Wether and ram, Lamb, Young goat, He-goat and kid, Sow, Boar, Bullock and bull, Ox, Wild ox, Cow, Calf, Camel, Ass, Wild ass, Dromedary, Horse, Mule, Badger, Cat, Mouse, Weasel, Mole, Dormouse, Hedgehog, Ant, Frog, Star lizard, The natures of birds, Eagle, Barnacle goose, Osprey, Kingfisher, Coot, Vulture, Crane, Parrot (ring-necked parakeet), Caladrius, Stork, Heron, Swan, Ibis, Ostrich, Jackdaw, Halcyon, Phoenix I, Phoenix II, Cinamolgus, Waxwing, Hoopoe I (Epops), Pelican, Little owl and nycticorax, Owl, Siren, Patridge I, Partridge II, Magpie, Hawk, The feathers of tame hawks, Carrying hawks on the left hand, The perch of a hawk, The fetters of a hawk, The cord of a hawk, Bat, Nightingale, Raven, Crow, Dove, Turtledove, Swallow, Quail, Goose, Peacock, Hoopoe II (Upupa), Cock, Hen, Duck and goose, Sparrow, Kite, The bee, Perindens tree, On serpents, Great dragon, Basilisk, Viper and moray eel, Asp and other serpents, Scitalis, Amphisbena, Hydrus and hydra, Boa, Siren serpent, Seps II, Dipsas II, Lizard, Salamander, Saura, Star lizard or newt, The natures of serpents, Scorpion, Snake, Worms, On fishes, Seamonsters (including whale, sawfish, dolphin, sea pig, crocodile), Trees, Palm, Uses of trees, Smells of trees, Names of plants, Vegetables — 1240s; English

Shelfmark

MS. Bodl. 764

Place of origin

English

Date

1240s

Language

Latin

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

iii (paper endleaves) + i (parchment pastedown) + 137 leaves

Hands

Gothic textura formata.

Decoration

Includes 135 miniatures of animals and plants, finely executed in colours and gold leaf: (fol. 2r) A lion, full-page miniature, in three scenes: healing itself by eating an ape; sparing three travellers who beg for mercy; being scared of a white cockerel. (fol. 2v) A lion, full-page miniature, in three further scenes: roaming the mountains and hiding its tracks; playing with its three colourful cubs; two lions reviving their dead cubs with their breath. (fol. 4v) A lioness falling into a trap set by men who use a sheep as bait. (fol. 6v) A tigress in a forest, in two scenes: tricked by a mirror that shows its own face instead of its cub; the hunter who steals the real cub on horseback. (fol. 7v) A panther in many colours, roaring with sweet breath that attracts all animals except the snake. (fol. 9r) A hunter tries to kill an antelope that is stuck in a spiky bush near a river. The antelope has long horns with jagged edges. (fol. 9v) A brown animal with a lion’s mane, either a pard or a leopard. A leopard defined as the hybrid offspring of a pard with a lioness. (fol. 10v) A unicorn rests its head and front legs on the lap of a young woman wearing a headband. She sits on the left side of the picture. Three hunters hide behind some colourful trees and stab the unicorn with their spears. (fol. 11r) A grey animal that looks like a spotted wolf stands between two trees and looks up. It has a jewel between its back paws inscribed Ligurius, made from its urine. The word Linx is written at the top. (fol. 11v) A gryphon attacks a horse with its claws and beak. The gryphon has the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. The horse tries to bite back at the gryphon’s neck. (fol. 12r) A large white elephant with green shading and big ears carries a wooden tower on its back. The tower has knights inside who fight against another army that surrounds the elephant. (fol. 14r) Three hunters with dogs chase two beavers for their testicles, which are used as medicine. One of the beavers cuts off its own testicles and shows them to the hunters so they will leave it alone. (fol. 14v) An ibex with two long horns that can help it survive a fall from a mountain. Hunters and dogs chase it in the forest. (fol. 15r) A hyena eating a dead man’s body that it took from a stone coffin under a tree. A colourful church is in the background. (fol. 16r) A bonnacon with horns that are too curled to use. It scares away three hunters by lifting its tail and emitting incendiary fumes from excrement in its belly. (fol. 16v) A female ape running away from three hunters on its back legs. It holds one baby in its arms and another baby hangs on to its back. (fol. 17v) Two satyrs with tails and human-like faces. One has long hair and a cup, the other has a beard and a wheel on a stick. (fol. 17v) A stag on the right eating a poisonous snake; and on the left, drinking water. (fol. 20r) A reindeer or tragelaph with its mate and babies. (fol. 20v) Four goats of different colours eating leaves or biting themselves. (fol. 21v) A wild goat shot by an arrow eating a plant called dittany to heal its wound. Another goat is on higher ground with an arrow flying towards it. (fol. 22r) A monoceros, a blue horse-like creature with one long horn and a golden mane, standing in the forest. (fol. 22v) A bear in a forest shaping and cleaning its newborn cub that looks like a red blob. (fol. 23v) A leucrota, a mixed animal with a big mouth that runs faster than any other animal in the forest. (fol. 24r) A crocodile in two scenes: biting a man trying in vain to cut through its skin with an axe; swimming in the Nile and catching fish. (fol. 25r) A manticore, another mixed animal with a red lion’s body and a man’s head with a beard and a hat, eating a human leg. (fol. 25v) A parander, a huge animal from Ethiopia with a stag’s head and a bear’s fur, jumping through the forest. (fol. 26r) A fox pretending to be dead by lying on its back covered in red dirt, so that birds come near it, and then catching one of them in its mouth. (fol. 26v) Four hares that look to have two ears each, but arranged in a wheel so that only four ears are drawn between them. They are surrounded by leaves. (fol. 27r) A chameleon that looks like a horse with a camel’s nose and has many colours on its body. (fol. 27v) A yale, a big black animal with tusks and long ears that reaches for a bird on a tree. (fol. 28r) A grey wolf sneaking up on a flock of sheep with different colours of horns under a tree with an owl. (fol. 30r) Three hounds with varying shades of brown and red walking together in a forest. (fol. 30v) King Garamantes captured by his enemies with his dog under a tree. (fol. 31r) King Garamantes’ dogs attacking and killing his enemies while he, his queen and his court watch. (fol. 31v) The dog, in two scenes: a horseman at night in Antioch stabbing a man who is held by his dog the dog staying by his master’s corpse until he identifies the killer the next day (fol. 32r) Two dogs licking their wounds on their bellies to heal them with their tongues. (fol. 34r) A gentle woolly sheep with horns standing between two trees. (fol. 35r) A majestic ram with curly horns stepping between two trees. (fol. 35v) A flock of ewes with their lambs who can recognize their mothers by their bleats. (fol. 36r) Two kids standing on their hind legs and turning their heads to eat the leaves at the top of a tree. (fol. 36v) A large goat with curved horns and a wicked expression lying between two trees. (fol. 37v) A mother pig standing between two trees with five piglets standing on their back legs to suckle. (fol. 38v) A hairy boar in a forest attacks a man on the ground with a knife while another man and a dog spear it. (fol. 39v) A gentle brown bullock with red horns stands between two trees. (fol. 40r) A red ox with green horns licks its side. (fol. 41r) A pale-tan buffalo with red horns and a nose ring. (fol. 41v) A woman milks a tied red cow into a wooden bucket, nuzzling a white calf. (fol. 42r) Two happy calves, one brown and one red, jump in a forest. (fol. 42v) A majestic camel with one hump walks by a tree. (fol. 44r) A peasant whips a donkey carrying sacks to a watermill with a wheel in a stream. (fol. 45r) The ‘onager’ or wild ass biting off the testicles of a brown foal. (fol. 45v) Three Magi on dromedaries follow a star that one of them points to. (fol. 46r) Four horses of different colours jump or fall under a tree. (fol. 49r) A blue-grey mule with its mouth open walks in a forest with a red starry sky. (fol. 50v) Five badgers dig a tunnel underground; two pile up dirt on another badger’s belly, which holds a stick in its mouth, so that the last two can pull it out with the dirt. (fol. 51r) A cat in a kitchen sleeps or cleans itself by a fire, another cat tries to catch a bird in a cage, and a third cat hunts a mouse by some bread loaves, all under a dark-blue sky with stars and moons. (fol. 51r) A mouse with long legs grabs some food from a pile. (fol. 51v) A red weasel with a white belly fights a snake by a tree. (fol. 51v) Two moles, one above and one below the ground, near the roots of a tree. (fol. 52r) A dormouse (with long legs and bushy tail) sleeps curled up on the ground. (fol. 52v) Three little hedgehogs climb vines to get grapes, which they throw down to two more hedgehogs on the ground, sticking the grapes on their spines. (fol. 53v) Black ants march through earth and grass. (fol. 54v) Three frogs swim in green water and a fourth frog is eaten by a big fish near an eel. (fol. 55r) Three striped snake-like creatures enter a fire without harm. (fol. 57v) An eagle on the left catches a fish from the sea; above, an old eagle flies to the sun, where its wings and eyes are burned and cleaned, and then dives into the water to be young again; all under a sky with gold fleurs-de-lis. (fol. 58v) The barnacle goose hangs from a tree over the sea. (fol. 59v) Three eagle-like birds, ospreys, fly high, dive into the sea, and grab a fish. (fol. 60r) Water-ouzels: fat birds with red faces sit on tree branches and dive into the water to catch fish. (fol. 61r) Two coots with long bills, one swims and one sits on a nest above the water. (fol. 61r) Two vultures eat the dead bodies of a pig and a fox. (fol. 62r) Four dark-blue cranes sleep facing a fifth crane that holds a stone in its claw to stay awake at night. (fol. 63r) Two dark-green parrots with yellow beaks stand on leaves, one bites a stick in its claw. (fol. 63v) A sick king in bed holds his chest (a urine jar behind shows medicine) and charadrius, a white bird at the foot of the bed, looks at him, showing that he will get better. (fol. 64r) A stork wades in water and catches a frog in its beak. (fol. 64v) Three herons, two black and one white, wade in water; one grabs an eel. (fol. 65r) A swan swims and holds a fish in its beak. (fol. 66r) An ibis by a river collects a dead fish and a man’s head and feeds its young in a nest. (fol. 67r) An ostrich with camel-like feet looks at a star to know when to lay eggs, then covers its eggs in a hole in the sand. (fol. 67v) A coot cleans itself in a tree where it lives. (fol. 68r) Five jackdaws with open beaks talk in a tree (a later reader adds angli. a iaye). (fol. 69v) A long-beaked halcyon (or kingfisher) lays its eggs on the shore of a green sea and stares at the storm, which becomes calm weather. (fol. 70r) A phoenix in a wood gathers twigs in its beak to make itself a fire. (fol. 70v) The phoenix spreads its wings in the fire made on a tree branch. (fol. 71v) The cinnomolgus and two chicks in a nest on top of a cinnamon tree; two men prepare lead weights to throw into the tree. (fol. 72r) A black hercinia, or harz bird, glows at night, shown by a black rectangle with white and gold stars. (fol. 72r) An old hoopoe groomed and made young by six of its thankful chicks. (fol. 72v) A pelican kills and revives its three young. (fol. 73r) Two night-owls against a dark blue sky with stars. (fol. 73v) A screech-owl, a bird of death with thick feathers, attacked by three birds. (fol. 74v) Three sirens with long hair sing from the sea below a ship and make three sailors sleep; they will eat them. (fol. 75r) A hound sneaks up on four partridges by a tree; two young birds know their true parents by their voices. (fol. 75v) A partridge steals eggs from a nest in a thorn tree. (fol. 76r) A magpie sits in a tree. (fol. 76v) A woman with a sparrowhawk on her right hand (the text says left) points to two beaters who drive two doves from a tree to the water; the hawk will catch them. (fol. 78r) A bat seen from above with its wings spread. (fol. 78v) A nightingale in its nest sings at dawn, shown by gold against a starry sky. (fol. 79r) A raven gives a worm to its chicks in its nest. (fol. 79v) A crow cries for rain among dark clouds between two bushes. (fol. 80r) Two dove coming out of openings in a dovecote. (fol. 81r) Two turtle doves, which mate for life, sitting next to each other on a tree branch. (fol. 81v) Two pairs of swallows flying up to their nests hanging under the roof of a wooden structure. (fol. 82v) A sparrowhawk attacking the leader of a group of quails that are landing after flying over the sea. (fol. 83v) Two wild geese and a domestic goose hiss at a fox with a bird in its mouth. (fol. 84v) A peacock shows its jewelled tail. (fol. 84v) An ulula bird pecks at plants, signifying prosperity; another groans, for disaster. (fol. 85r) A hoopoe with a black-and-white crest on a treetop. (fol. 85v) A cock crows to the dawn, shown by gold and blue and red frames with stars. (fol. 86r) A hen protects its chicks from a bird of prey under a tree. (fol. 86v) A pair of ducks swim in a stream (a reader later adds auis aquatica: angli. a dukke). (fol. 87r) A flock of sparrows collect sprigs for nesting. (fol. 88v) A kite seizes a smaller bird at night beside a tree. (fol. 89r) Bees fly from a striped hive to a tree with green and purple leaves for honey. (fol. 91v) Doves in the branches of a colourful Indian fruit tree; a dragon lurks east and west of the tree to avoid its shadow. (fol. 92v) A striped snake-like dragon wraps round a white elephant and tries to strangle it. (fol. 93v) The basilisk, the red-and-green king of serpents with a gold crown, speaks to brown snakes. (fol. 94v) The male viper puts its head in the female’s mouth to mate (she will bite it off and die giving birth). (fol. 96r) A scholar in a hat and robe tries to enchant an asp, a snake that blocks its ears with its tail to avoid hearing his words. (fol. 97r) A scitalis, a dragon with colourful scales that can warm itself even in winter, lies on a snowy ground. (fol. 97r) An amphisbaena, a creature with a head at each end of its body, bites its own tail. (fol. 97v) A hydrus, a snake that kills crocodiles by entering their mouths and eating their insides. (fol. 98r) A boas, a snake that sneaks under the feet of cattle and sucks their milk until they die. (fol. 98v) A javelin or jaculus, a dragon that hides in trees and jumps on passing animals. (fol. 98v) Two siren serpents, white snakes with wings. (fol. 98v) A seps, a striped snake with deadly venom. (fol. 98v) A dipsa, a tiny snake that causes instant death when stepped on. (fol. 99r) A lizard, a four-legged reptile seen from above. (fol. 99r) A salamander, which poisons apples, leaving a man lying dead at the foot of an apple tree in whose branches there are four snakes. (fol. 99v) A saura, a two-legged lizard seen from above. (fol. 99v) A stellio, possibly a newt: a blue snake with white spots that look like stars. (fol. 100v) A dragon that sheds its old skin by squeezing through a narrow gap in a tower. (fol. 102r) A scorpion, resembling a bat, hanging from a tree and stinging a man’s hand with its tail. (fol. 102v) A horned serpent, with a red head and goat horns emerging from the sand near the sea, rabbing a bird’s legs with its mouth; above, an air worm (a type that includes spiders), flying below the clouds. (fol. 106r) Fish, nearly full-page miniature, including some that have animal heads like horses, wolves and dogs, and one big fish that eats the others. (fol. 107r) The leviathan or aspidochelon, full-page miniature showing a whale that eats fish while lying still on the ocean floor. Its curved back sticks out so much that sailors have tied their ship to it and are taking down the mast and making a fire, which will make the monster dive into the sea and drown them.

Arabesque initials alternating between blue and red with penwork flourishing in the alternate colour. (Pächt and Alexander iii.372, pl. XXXIII)

Minor sections designated with coloured initials, alternating between red and blue, from fols. 113v to the end.

Binding

Brown tanned calf over laminated pulpboard, seventeenth century; tightly bound.

Acquisition

Probably reached the Library in 1603, 1604, or the early part of 1605. Likely the volume entitled Anonymi cui Pr. Bestiarum in the 1605 catalogue. Listed in the Nondum catenati in 1620; the Summary Catalogue suggests that it may have been unchained as a show book.

Provenance

Heraldic evidence suggests ownership by a Marcher lord of the Monhaut, Clare, or Berkeley families. See Ronald Baxter, ‘A Baronial Bestiary: Heraldic Evidence for the Patronage of MS Bodley 764’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 50 (1987): 196–200.

Inscribed, Gauntes (fol. iv verso), early 15th century.