Search results
Learn about the Medieval Book of Beasts, the Bestiary, and its history, meaning and sources. Explore the online repository of information on animals in the Middle Ages, manuscripts, bibliography, articles and more.
- Introduction
Introduction to the Medieval Bestiary In the Middle Ages,...
- Contents
Medieval Bestiary - Contents/Site Map. Home. Contents/Site...
- Beasts
The beast list includes all of the beasts found in...
- Manuscripts
This site refers to many medieval manuscripts, mostly...
- Bibliography
Medieval Bestiary - Introduction to the Bibliography. Back...
- Encyclopedia
This encyclopedia is a series of short articles on topics...
- Digital Text Library
Medieval Bestiary - Digital Texts. Beasts Manuscripts...
- Articles
Articles on any bestiary or Western medieval animal topic...
- Introduction
The bestiary — the medieval book of beasts — was among the most popular illuminated texts in northern Europe during the Middle Ages (about 500–1500). Medieval Christians understood every element of the world as a manifestation of God, and bestiaries largely focused on each animal's religious meaning.
Learn about the bestiary, a popular illuminated text that described real and fantastic animals and their religious meanings. Explore the stories and images of the unicorn, the lion, the eagle, and more, and see how the bestiary influenced art and culture.
Animals tumble, soar, and race through the pages of the bestiary, a popular type of medieval book describing the beasts of the world. Abounding with vibrant and fascinating images, the bestiary brought real and fantastical creatures to life for readers.
bestiary, literary genre in the European Middle Ages consisting of a collection of stories, each based on a description of certain qualities of an animal, plant, or even stone. The stories presented Christian allegories for moral and religious instruction and admonition.
Learn about the Bestiary, a medieval encyclopedia that describes and moralizes animals, plants, and precious stones. See illustrations, sources, and examples of how the Bestiary influenced medieval culture and art.
A bestiary is a medieval text and illustration of animals, real and imaginary, with moral and religious interpretations. Learn about the origins, function and examples of bestiaries from the British Library collections and the Getty exhibition.
