The Medieval Bestiary in English
First written in Egypt between the second and fourth centuries, the Physiologus brought together poetic descriptions of animals and their Christian allegories. As the Physiologus was translated into a wide range of languages from across North Africa and much of Europe, each version adapted the text in culturally specific ways that yield fascinating insights for…
Animal Symbolism in the Old and Middle English “Physiologus”
Megan Cavell, editor and translator of The Medieval Bestiary in English I came to the Physiologus tradition partly through my love of Old English literature (who couldn’t love a tradition that has the devil wandering around in a heoloþhelm “helmet of invisibility”?!) and partly through my love of animals (as my rabbit friend, Max, can…