A bestiary is a compendium of beasts, a genre of illustrated manuscript that originated in the ancient world and became especially popular in the Middle Ages. A bestiary volume describes various animals, and sometimes rocks, typically pairing each entry with a moral or religious lesson drawn from the creature's supposed nature, so natural history and allegory appear side by side in the same text.
Facts
Place of OriginOriginated in the ancient world and popularized in illustrated volumes during the Middle Ages, becoming part of the symbolic language of animals in Western Christian art and literature. 1 Notable ExampleThe pelican, believed to tear open its own breast to feed its young with its blood, used in bestiaries as a living representation of Jesus Christ. 1 Defining TraitA compendium of beasts, real and legendary, each entry pairing natural history and illustration with a moral lesson, reflecting the belief that every living creature carried its own spiritual significance. 1 Sources
1. Bestiary (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph, first three sentences
A bestiary is a compendium of beasts. Originating in the ancient world, bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was usually accompanied by a moral lesson.
Lead paragraph, on the pelican symbolism
For example, the pelican, which was believed to tear open its breast to bring its young to life with its own blood, was a living representation of Jesus.
Lead paragraph, final sentence
Thus the bestiary is also a reference to the symbolic language of animals in Western Christian art and literature.
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