Animals in medieval culture served as symbols which were both imbued with moral and spiritual significance and which shaped human identity and understanding of the natural world. Bestiaries, fables, and other textual traditions demonstrate how animals were used to articulate complex theological, social, and moral ideas.

Articles

In English bestiaries, as examined in W.B. Yapp’s A New Look at English Bestiaries, the blending of zoological observation with artistic representation created a medium through which moral and spiritual lessons were vividly conveyed. Manuscripts such as the Aberdeen Bestiary (MS 24) or Cambridge University Library MS Ii.iv.26 offer examples of intricate imagery and textual variation that reflect evolving medieval conceptions of creation, divine order, and human stewardship of animals. The She-Wolf's Mate, discussed by T.B.W. Reid, serves as a fascinating emblem of medieval allegory. In literary works spanning troubadour poetry, Roman de la Rose, and Chaucer, the she-wolf symbolizes female agency and choice, albeit through a lens of moral scrutiny. Rescue motifs in narratives like Chrétien de Troyes’ Rescuing the Lion: From 'Le Chevalier au Lion' to 'La Queste del Saint Graal', as analyzed by Grace M. Armstrong, reveal how animals such as lions mirrored human virtues and development. Donald MacDonald’s exploration of Chaucer's Influence on Henryson's 'Fables': The Use of Proverbs and Sententiae reveals the intricate use of proverbs by animal characters, blending humor and moral insight. Lucinda Rumsey’s analysis of The Scorpion of Lechery and 'Ancrene Wisse' highlights the deliberate selection of the scorpion as a symbol of lechery. Arthur and the Giant of St. Michael's Mount, as presented in John Finlayson’s study of Morte Arthure, highlights the giant as a figure of chaos and evil, comparable to Grendel in Beowulf. The Tortoise and the Snail: A Lexical Shellgame, explored by A.G. Rigg, illustrates the shifting cultural and linguistic perceptions of animals such as the tortoise and snail.

Books Reviewed

Beryl Rowland’s Blind Beasts: Chaucer's Animal World offers a comprehensive examination of Chaucer’s use of animal imagery. Nikolaus Henkel’s Studien zum Physiologus im Mittelalter provides an essential study of the Physiologus tradition. Dorothy Yamamoto’s The Boundaries of the Human in Medieval English Literature explores the fluid dynamics between human and animal realms. David Salter’s Holy and Noble Beasts: Encounters with Animals in Medieval Literature enriches our understanding of animals in saints’ lives and secular romances. Sven Sandqvist’s edition of Le Bestiaire et le Lapidaire du Rosarius sheds light on the interplay of text and image in manuscripts. Through these texts, animals emerge not merely as peripheral figures but as central participants in the moral, spiritual, and intellectual life of the Middle Ages. They symbolize the profound interconnectedness of all creation, embodying lessons that medieval authors sought to impart to their readers.