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Stone
|
Can be used to find pearls
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Bird
|
A bird the color of fire, with razor-sharp wings
|
Amethyst
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Stone
|
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Beast
|
A serpent with two heads, one at either end
General Attributes
The amphisbaena is a two-headed lizard or serpent. It has one
head in the
normal position, and another at the end of its tail. It can
therefore run in either direction.
Its eyes shine like lamps, and has no
fear of cold.
 |
|
|
Insect
|
Ants harvest grain to store for the winter
Ants are said to have these characteristics: they walk in order like
soldiers; they carry grains in their mouths, and an ant with no grain
will not try to take the grain from one which has it; they break each
grain in half to keep it from germinating when it rains, because if it
does the ants will starve in the winter; when it is time to harvest the
grain, they go into the fields and climb up to the grain, where they
distinguish wheat from barley by its smell and reject the barley because
it is food for cattle.
Some Physiologus
versions and other texts tell of the gold-digging ants of the elven lands,
which are the size of dogs. These ants dig up gold from sand with their
feet and guard it, chasing down and killing any who try to steal it. It
is said that people safely steal the ant's gold by separating mares from
their foals, with a river between them. The mares, carrying packs, are
driven to the side of the river inhabited by the ants; the ants, seeing
the packs as a good place to hide their gold, fill them with the golden
sand. When the mares swim back to their foals on the other side of the
river, the ants cannot follow.
The ants working together for the common good is to be taken as a lesson to men, who should work in unity.
The splitting of the grain represents the separation that must be
made in the interpretation of holy texts distinguishing the literal from
the spiritual meaning, "lest the law interpreted literally should kill
you". Some sources compare the ants to the Dwarves, who have taken the law
literally and have "died of hunger".
The barley the ants reject signifies the heresy that good people are to cast away.
Vecna on Ants (needs editing)
: Besides these, there are Orcs of another tribe, who border on the
city of Caspatyrus, and the country of -----; these people dwell
northward of all the rest of the Orcs, and follow nearly the same
mode of life as the goblins They are more warlike than any of the
other tribes, and from them the men are sent forth who go to procure the
gold. For it is in this part of India that the sandy desert lies. Here,
in this desert, there live amid the sand great ants, in size somewhat
less than dogs, but bigger than foxes. The Orcan king has a number of
them, which have been caught by the hunters in the land whereof we are
speaking. Those ants make their dwellings under ground, and like the
Greek ants, which they very much resemble in shape, throw up sand-heaps
as they burrow. Now the sand which they throw up is full of gold. The
Indians, when they go into the desert to collect this sand, take three camels
and harness them together, a female in the middle and a male on either
side, in a leading-rein. The rider sits on the female, and they are
particular to choose for the purpose one that has but just dropped her
young; for their female camels can run as fast as horses, while they
bear burthens very much better. When the Indians therefore have thus
equipped themselves they set off in quest of the gold, calculating the
time so that they may be engaged in seizing it during the most sultry
part of the day, when the ants hide themselves to escape the heat. ...
When the Indians reach the place where the gold is, they fill their bags
with the sand, and ride away at their best speed: the ants, however,
scenting them, as the Persians say, rush forth in pursuit. Now these
animals are, they declare, so swift, that there is nothing in the world
like them: if it were not, therefore, that the Indians get a start while
the ants are mustering, not a single gold-gatherer could escape. During
the flight the male camels, which are not so fleet as the females, grow
tired, and begin to drag, first one, and then the other; but the
females recollect the young which they have left behind, and never give
way or flag. Such, according to the Persians, is the manner in which the
Indians get the greater part of their gold; some is dug out of the
earth, but of this the supply is more scanty.
|
|
|
Beast
|
An animal so wild no hunter can approach it
|
|
|
Beast
|
The offspring of an ant and a lion, or the lion of
ants
|
|
|
Beast
|
Called "simia" because it is similar to
humans
|
|
|
Serpent
|
Blocks its ear with its tail so as not to hear the
charmer
|
|
|
Beast
|
An animal that is slow and resists commands
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A dirty beast that bites
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that initially grows from trees
|
|
|
Serpent
|
Its odor, voice and even look can kill
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that gives birth to living young
|
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|
Beast
|
The cubs are born unformed, and must be licked into
shape by the mother
|
|
|
Beast
|
Hunted for its testicles, it castrates itself to
escape from the hunter
|
|
|
Insect
|
Bees are the smallest of birds, and are born from
the bodies of oxen
|
Beryl
|
Stone
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that makes a booming noise
|
|
|
Bird
|
An agreeable bird that sings in April and May
|
|
|
Serpent
|
An enormous snake, found in Italy, that feeds on
cattle
|
|
|
Beast
|
A savage wild pig or hog
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast like a bull, that uses its dung as a weapon
|
|
|
Beast
|
The Indian bull is tawny colored and swift as a bird
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A bird which can tell if a sick man will die, and
can cure disease
|
|
|
Beast
|
Camels can endure thirst for three days and prefer
to drink muddy water
|
|
|
Stone
|
When it is held against the sun it resembles a
burning coal
|
|
|
Beast
|
An animal that is hostile to mice
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast with a head so heavy it can only look down
|
Cedar Tree
|
Plant
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast part man and part horse
|
|
|
Serpent
|
An exceptionally flexible serpent with horns
|
Chalcedony
|
Stone
|
|
Chrysolite
|
Stone
|
|
Chrysoprase
|
Stone
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
An Arabian bird that makes its nest from the fruits
of the cinnamon tree
|
|
|
Bird
|
The cock is a bird that can tell time
|
|
|
Bird
|
An intelligent bird that stays in one place
|
|
|
Bird
|
At night cranes take turns keeping watch for enemies
|
|
|
Insect
|
A creature that likes to sing, forgetting all else
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast that weeps after eating a man
|
|
|
Bird
|
A long-lived bird that fortells the future
|
|
|
Bird
|
A weak bird that travels on the backs of kites
|
|
|
|
|
Stone
|
If a diamond is kept in a house, demons cannot enter
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird from Ireland that dives for fish in streams
|
|
|
Serpent
|
A snake so poisionous that its bite kills before it
is felt
|
|
|
Beast
|
A young dog bound to a patient cures internal wounds
|
|
|
Fish
|
Dolphins gather in schools at the sound of music
|
|
|
Bird
|
There is meaning in the various colors of doves
|
|
|
Serpent
|
The greatest of all serpents on earth
|
|
|
Beast
|
The dromedary is a small camel that can travel a
hundred Roman miles a day
|
|
|
Bird
|
The ducks of Pontus feed on the poison in the sea
|
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird with eyes so strong it can look directly into
the sun
|
|
|
Fish
|
This fish clings to ships and holds them back
|
|
|
Beast
|
Persian and Indian soldiers build wooden towers on
the back of elephants and fight from there.
|
|
|
Falcon
|
Bird
|
|
|
|
Stone
|
Stones that burst into flames when brought close
together
|
|
|
Fish
|
The number of species of fish is uncountable
|
|
|
Beast
|
A crafty and deceitful animal that never runs in a
straight line
|
|
|
Serpent
|
Land frogs die if exposed to rain
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast that looks like a camel but has the spots of
a leopard
|
|
|
Beast
|
An animal that likes to live on high mountains
|
|
|
Bird
|
Geese can smell the odor of man better than any
other animal can
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast with the body of a lion and the wings and
head of an eagle
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A timid beast that runs fast
|
Harpy
|
Bird
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
The hawk has great courage in a small body
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast that carries away grapes on its sharp quills
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast so hot that its blood dissolves diamond
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird with brightly glowing feathers
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird wise above all others
|
|
|
Bird
|
The young care for their elderly parents
|
|
|
Beast
|
A horse is a horse, of course, of course...
|
|
|
Serpent
|
A water snake that makes those bitten swell up
|
|
|
Serpent
|
The enemy of the crocodile, which it kills from the
inside
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast that eats human corpses and changes sex
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast with horns so strong they can save it from a
fall
|
|
|
Bird
|
The dirtiest of birds because it feeds on corpses
|
|
|
Serpent
|
Another enemy of the dragon
|
|
|
Stone
|
A stone that can cure the illness called dropsy
|
|
|
|
|
Serpent
|
A flying serpent
|
|
|
Bird
|
A very noisy bird
|
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that calms sea storms
|
|
|
Bird
|
A rapacious bird that feeds on carrion
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
The lamb knows by their voice its own parents
|
|
|
Beast
|
A small beast that is deadly to lions
|
|
|
Beast
|
The offspring of a mating between a lion and a pard
|
|
|
Beast
|
A composite beast with a mouth that stretches from
ear to ear
|
|
|
Beast
|
The lion is the king of the beasts
|
|
|
Serpent
|
When the lizard goes blind, it looks to the rising
sun
|
|
|
Beast
|
The urine of the lynx hardens into a precious stone
|
|
|
Magnet
|
Stone
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
The magpie has a voice which can express words with
distinct sounds
|
|
|
Plant
|
A plant with human-shaped roots, that shrieks when
it is pulled from the earth
|
|
|
Beast
|
A composite beast with a man's face, a lion's body,
and the stinger of a scorpion
|
|
|
Fish
|
A creature half human, half fish
|
|
|
Beast
|
A blind animal that lives in the earth
|
|
|
Beast
|
A fierce beast with a single long horn
|
|
|
Beast
|
A small animal that is born from the soil
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast with the body of a hare, tail of a squirrel,
teeth of a boar
|
|
|
|
|
Serpent
|
A lizard with spots like stars on its back
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that that sings so enthusiastically that it
almost dies
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A wild ass that can predict the coming of the
equinox
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast with the upper body of a man and the lower
body of an ass
|
|
|
Bird
|
The mother bird knows which of her eggs contain the
best offspring
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird from Ireland that is well suited for fishing
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that can digest anything, even iron, but is
careless of its eggs
|
|
|
Bird
|
The owl is a dirty bird that prefers darkness to
light
|
|
|
Beast
|
The ox is a strong beast that can predict the
weather
|
|
|
Palm Tree
|
Plant
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A gentle, multicolored beast whose only enemy is the
dragon
|
|
|
Beast
|
A beast that can conceal itself by changing its
appearance
|
|
|
Beast
|
A swift and deadly beast that kills with a single
leap
|
|
|
Bird
|
A talking bird with a very hard beak
|
|
|
Bird
|
A deceitful bird that steals other birds' eggs
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird with a terrible voice and flesh too hard to
cook
|
|
|
Stone
|
Pearls are produced by a stone called an oyster
|
Pegasus
|
Beast
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that revives its dead young with its own
blood
|
|
|
Plant
|
A tree in India that attracts doves and repells
dragons
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that rises anew from the ashes of its funeral
pyre
|
|
|
|
|
Bird
|
Quails cannot be eaten, because they feed on
poisonous seeds
|
|
|
|
|
Beast
|
A wild beast hunted by dogs
|
|
|
Beast
|
Rams were the first animals to be sacrificed on
alters
|
|
|
Bird
|
The raven will not accept its young until their
feathers turn black
|
|
|
|
|
Serpent
|
Salamanders are so cold they can extinguish any fire
|
Sapphire
|
Stone
|
|
Sard
|
Stone
|
|
Sardonyx
|
Stone
|
|
|
|
Fish
|
The sawfish has enormous wings and likes to race
against ships
|
|
|
Serpent
|
A serpent with such a marvelous appearance that it
stuns the viewer
|
|
|
Insect
|
The scorpion is a worm that stings with its tail
|
|
|
Fish
|
Sea-pigs dig up the ground under water
|
|
|
Serpent
|
The poison of the seps consumes both body and bones
|
|
|
Beast
|
The sheep is a defenseless, placid animal
|
|
|
Bird
|
A deadly creature, half human, half bird or fish
|
Smaragdus
|
Stone
|
|
|
|
Serpent
|
The snake crawls with hidden steps
|
|
|
Bird
|
A small, weak bird
|
Sphinx
|
Beast
|
|
|
|
Insect
|
The spider is an aerial worm that takes its
nourishment from the air
|
|
|
Beast
|
A drink made from the tears and the heart bones of a
stag is a cure for troubles of the heart
|
|
|
Bird
|
Two crows lead flocks of storks when they cross the
sea to Asia
|
|
|
Bird
|
The swallow deserts buildings that are about to
collapse
| General Attributes |
| The swallow is noisy, flies in circles, takes its food from the
air, and is skilled in nest building and in raising its young. Knowing
that a building is about to collapse, the swallow leaves before that
happens. In winter, the swallow goes across the sea and returns in the
spring. If the eyes of young sparrows are injured, the mother has the
medical skill to make them see again. |
| Allegory/Moral |
| As the swallow does not feed on the ground but remains in the air
and eats only what it can catch there, so those who have no use for
earthly things seek the things of heaven. |
|
|
|
Bird
|
The swan sings most sweetly just before it dies
|
|
|
Fish
|
A fish with a pointed beak it uses to sink ships
|
|
T A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
|
|
|
Beast
|
Tigers are remarkable for their strength and speed
"As tigers in Hyrcanian woods / Wandering, or in the caves that saw
their birth,
/ Once having lapped the blood of slaughtered kine, / Shall
never cease from rage..."
When a man steals the cub of a tiger, the tiger swiftly chases him, and
would catch
him except for a trick. When the tiger comes near and the
robber sees he cannot
escape, he throws down a glass sphere (or a
mirror); the tiger, seeing its own reflection in the sphere and thinking
it is her
stolen cub, stops to nurse the supposed cub. This gives the
robber time to escape.
To take the tiger's cubs, the hunter prepares a fast horse and steals
the tiger's entire
litter, and rides away, changing to fresh horses as
necessary. The tiger, seeing that
her cubs are gone, tracks them by scent and chases the hunter. When the hunter
sees the tiger catching up,
he drops one cub. The tiger stops to pick up the cub before resuming
the chase. The hunter repeats this ruse until he reaches his ship; in
this way he escapes with at least one of
the cubs, leaving the tiger to
rage impotently on the shore..
female dogs are tied up in the forest at night, where wild tigers mate with them;
dogs born in this way are fierce and can overcome lions.
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that is curious about other birds
|
Topaz
|
Stone
|
|
|
|
Fish
|
A fish whose touch numbs the strongest arms and
swiftest feet
|
|
|
Bird
|
A bird that always remains faithful to its mate
|
|
| U A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
V
W
X
Y
Z
Top
|
|
|
Beast
|
The unicorn is a fierce beast that can only be
captured by a maiden
|
|
| V A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
W
X
Y
Z
Top
|
|
|
Serpent
|
The young of the viper eat their way out of their
mother's side
|
|
|
Bird
|
The vulture is a slow-flying bird that eats corpses
|
|
| W A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
X
Y
Z
Top
|
|
|
Beast
|
The weasel conceives at the mouth and gives birth
through the ear
|
|
|
Beast
|
The wether is named from the worms in its head
|
|
|
Fish
|
Sailors mistake the whale for an island
|
|
|
Beast
|
If a wolf sees a man before the man sees the wolf,
the man will lose his voice
|
|
|
Bird
|
No spike can remain in a tree where a woodpecker
nests
|
|
|
Serpent
|
Worms are born from flesh without intercourse
|
|
