Lmst

Our final medieval cicada is remarkable for actually looking like a cicada even to the fine hairs on the legs. It is from an early manuscript of 'L'Acerba etas' by Cecco d'Ascoli (1257-1327). #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #cicada #cicadas

A detailed drawing of a cicada seen from the top on an age-spotted manuscript page. Except for the fact that two of the insect's six legs are sprouting from the insect's head, it is surprisingly accurate. The six jointed legs have fine hairs. The head and thorax are clearly differentiated and the head has round side eyes and two antennae. It has veined wings folded over its thorax. It is drawn in shades of brown and soft red. Image from Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Plut.40.52 (L'Acerba etas), folio 38r.

Many medieval cicadas are only vaguely insect-like. This odd little beastie is from a 13th century French version of "Liber de natura rerum". It seems to have the prickles on its underside with which it was thought to absorb its food. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #cicada #cicadas

In a dark rectangular frame on a gilt background, a black insect with white spots along its spine and thin hair-like fronds on its underside appears to be hovering/swimming with four flat double-wings/fins extending from its sides. It has a sharply pointed rear and a blunted front with a very cross expression. It looks like a worm with wings/fins. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 (Liber de natura rerum), folio 144r.

This little green cicada is from a c1300-1325 version of "Der Naturen Bloeme" by Jacob van Maerlant (c1200-c1272). It seems to have a mouth which may explain its anxious expression as medieval cicadas were said to lack mouths . #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #cicada #cicadas

Looking to the right and sandwiched between sepia-coloured text, a worried-looking green bodied insect appears to be hovering. It has upraised dull green wings and a segmented pointed body. It appears to have four very substantial legs, although it may in fact be eight very thin legs. It also seems to have a strand of greenish hair (perhaps an antenna?) trailing down its face by its eye. It has a blunt nose with a line that looks like a mouth. Image from British Library, Additional MS 11390 (Der Naturen Bloeme), folio 70r.

Our medieval beast this week is the cicada which was thought to be born from a cuckoo's saliva. This image of five cicadas is from a 1447 French translation of "De proprietatibus rerum" by Bartholomeus Anglicus (1203-1272). #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #cicada #cicadas

Within a square gilt frame, on a red background sprigged with thin gold branches, five bug-eyed insects are in formation (three above, two below). The insects have veined gauzy white wings folded on their backs and brown striped dark yellow bodies with pointed rears. Their heads are obscured by enormous dark brown round eyes. Image from Bibliothèque d’Amiens Métropole (Bibliothèque Louis Aragon), Ms. 399 (Livre des propriétés des choses), folio 144r.

This particular medieval kingfisher is surprising in that it actually looks like a kingfisher as we know it, even to the colours. It is from the Alphonso Psalter, dated to 1284. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #kingfisher #kingfishers

A blue-headed kingfisher with a raised orange-brown beak looking to the left. It has an orange-brown belly, folded greenish wings and a blue back and tail. It is surprisingly realistic and detailed even to the facial stripe of a pale fawn. Image from British Library, Additional MS 24686 (Alphonso Psalter), folio 11r.

This delightfully cross-looking medieval kingfisher giving the viewer the side-eye as it stomps across the page is from Ann Walsh's Bestiary (dated 1400-1425) which is known for its whimsical drawings. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #kingfisher #kingfishers

Between text on a manuscript page, a brown-winged blue bird with a firmly closed, long hooked brown beak is stomping across the page towards the right on large brown webbed feet. It appears to be giving the viewer the side-eye and appears to be scowling. It is unclear if it is walking on a shore or on the blue waves of the background. It is oddly rounded and short. Image from Kongelige Bibliotek, GKS 1633 4° (Bestiary of Ann Walsh), folio 36v.

It looks more like a pelican to me. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #kingfisher #kingfishers

This week's medieval beast is the kingfisher which may (or may not) be the same as the modern bird of the same name. It is commonly shown reaching back to its own tail feathers as in this image from the Aberdeen Bestiary (c1200). #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #kingfisher #kingfishers

A large, rather thin, bird with detailed feathers with a long neck reaching back over its raised wings to its tail feathers. It is blue white colour and has a long curved teethed orange-brown beak. It has large webbed orange-brown feet. It is shown in a red and blue ring on a gilt background in a red and white frame. Image from Aberdeen University Library, Univ. Lib. MS 24 (Aberdeen Bestiary), folio 54v.

This may be my favourite illustration of the yale, although its colour doesn't match the "black" of the description. I love the way its exaggerated horns actually appear to be moving and its dainty pose. It is from a British bestiary dated to c1200-1210. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #yale

At the bottom of a manuscript page, stretching out of a gold rectangle with an inner blue frame, a lean brown quadruped is stretching out daintily with one hind leg extending out of the rectangle. It has a tufted tail and a very narrow head with a boar-like snout and tusks. It has extremely long and pointed green horns flexing in different directions. It has small pointed ears and appears to be smiling. Image from British Library, Royal MS 12 C XIX, folio 30r.

This medieval yale has an unusual set of horns in that they are branched like antlers, although they are still pointing in different directions. It is from an encyclopaedia written by Thomas de Cantimpré (1201-1272) around 1240. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #yale

A very cow-like black beast with large white antler-style horns, one facing forward and one facing backward. It seems to be posing prettily on brown grass against a red background with occasional gold spots. It is looking sideways with a definite smirk. It is in a gilt frame on a manuscript page. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 (Liber de natura rerum), folio 62v.

The medieval yale was also described as being black and its only known enemy was the basilisk as shown in this image from a bestiary by Pierre de Beauvais dated to the 13th century. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #yale

A smiling bulky black quadruped with very long pointed horns, one facing forward and one backward, lying on a brown hill with a flying creature (it has the white head and body of a rooster joined to the curled brown end of a serpent) pecking at the top of its head. The black creature seems to have a ruff and has a blunt snout. Image from Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, Ms-3516 (L'Image du monde / Bestiaire of Pierre de Beauvais), folio 206v.

Our medieval beast this week is the yale. It described as being the size of a horse with long flexible horns which it can move in any direction. It also has the tail of an elephant and the jaws of a boar. This image is from Isabelle of France's Psalter, dated 1303-1308. #medievalbeasts #yale

A slightly dappled silvery-coloured quadruped with very long and slender pointed horns. One horn is pointed over the beast's back and the other points over its head. It has a boar-like snout with small tusks as well as a horse-like mane. It has a whip-like tail. Image from Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod.gall. 16 (Psalter of Isabelle of France), folio 38r.

Our fourth different medieval anthus is again from a 1287 edition of "Der Naturen Bloeme". All the images I have been able to find of the anthus have been from "Der Naturen Bloeme" or "Liber de natura rerum". #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #anthus

In a gilt-edged frame against a red background, a brown bird with a gold beak is eating grass towards the left. The texture of its feathers is shown by a variety of patterns and it has a fairly long tail. Image from Lippische Landesbibliothek, Ms. 70 (Der Naturen Bloeme), folio 66r.

The medieval anthus was said to eat grass which was the reason it was in such conflict with the horse. This anthus is yet another style of bird. It dates from 1350 and is from another edition of "Der Naturen Bloeme" by Jacob van Maerlant (c1235-c1291). #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #anthus

In an elaborate rectangular frame on a manuscript page, a red-brown bird with a very long neck and very large white feet is facing left and eating what is supposed to be grass but looks like worms. Stylised trees are visible on both sides. Image from Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KB, KA 16 (Der Naturen Bloeme), folio 77r.

This particular anthus from an early 14th century manuscript of "Der Naturen Bloeme" looks like a parrot highlighting the extreme vagueness of the bird's description in medieval manuscript. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #anthus

A large grey-winged, green body parrot-like bird faces left between text to a trotting horse which is mostly outlined, although there seems to be pale shading. The bird seems taller than the horse. Image from British Library, Additional MS 11390 (Der Naturen Bloeme), folio 41r.

Our medieval creature this week is the anthus. It is described as a small bird which fought horses as in this 13th century illustration from "Liber de natura rerum" by Thomas de Cantimpré (1201-c1272). #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #thomasdecantimpré #anthus

In a square frame on a manuscript page, against a gold-spotted red background, a very angry-looking grey/black crow-style bird is attacking a blue-grey galloping horse which is giving the bird the stink eye. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 (Liber de natura rerum), folio 101r.

Our oldest medieval hedgehog (from the last half of the 12th century) is also one of our more realistic. I love how this little beast looks like it has been sketched hurriedly by the scribe. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #hedgehog #hedgehogs

A line drawing in sepia-toned ink of a round hedgehog. The body is made of curving rows of vertical dashes with only the legs and heads properly sketched out. The ink used for the drawing is an exact match for the ink in the text at the top of the image. Image from Bibliothèque Multimédia Intercommunale d'Epinal, MS 209, folio 74r.

Although often shown very realistically, the medieval hedgehog was also shown in a more imaginative light as this image of what looks like spiky piglets from the Aberdeen Bestiary (c1200). #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #hedgehog #hedgehogs #aberdeenbestiary

On a gilt background in a red frame, beneath an incredibly stylised blue true with red fruit, a line of tiny brown piglet-like hedgehogs is gathering red round fruit on their spines. The hedgehogs are unusually long-legged and their spikes are rather thin and sparse. Image from Aberdeen University Library, Univ. Lib. MS 24 (Aberdeen Bestiary), folio 24r.

Medieval hedgehogs were said to harvest fruit (specifically grapes) by spearing fruit shaken off the tree/vine on their spines. This c1300 image shows one hedgehog in a tree doing the shaking and another hedgehog spearing the fruit. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #hedgehog #hedgehogs

In the foreground, a spiky brown hedgehog in a tight ball is spearing red fruit on its spine tips on the ground. Behind it, another brown hedgehog is stretched at length in a green tree shaking the red fruit down. Its notable that the hedgehog in the tree has a pointed snout while the hedgehog on the ground has a much more pig-like head. Image from Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, MS 404 (Rothschild Canticles), folio 176r.

Our medieval beast this week is the hedgehog which is described as looking like a young pig covered with spines/quills. This lovely realistic image is from a 1425 version of "De rerum naturis" by Rabanus Maurus (c780-856). #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #hedgehog #hedgehogs

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