Beast Index - Category
This is an index to the beasts grouped by category (Beast, Bird, Plant, etc.). The categories are based on how medieval people categorized animals, so some animals are in odd categories (e.g. a whale is a fish).
| Beasts (mostly mammals, plus composites and beast-like non-mammals) | |
| Ant-lion | The offspring of an ant and a lion |
| Antelope | An animal so wild no hunter can approach it |
| Ape | Called "simia" because it is similar to humans |
| Ass | An animal that is slow and resists commands |
| Badger | A dirty beast that bites |
| Bear | The cubs are born unformed, and must be licked into shape by the mother |
| Beaver | Hunted for its testicles, it castrates itself to escape from the hunter |
| Behemoth | An enormous four-footed beast |
| Boar (Wild) | A savage wild pig or hog |
| Bonnacon | A beast like a bull, that uses its dung as a weapon |
| Buffalo | Buffalo are so wild that they cannot be yoked |
| Bull | The Indian bull is tawny colored and swift as a bird |
| Camel | Camels can endure thirst for three days and prefer to drink muddy water |
| Cat | An animal that is hostile to mice |
| Catoblepas | A beast with a head so heavy it can only look down |
| Centaur | The centaur is part man and part horse |
| Cow (Domestic) | A useful animal |
| Crocodile | A beast that weeps after eating a man |
| Doe | The female deer |
| Dog | A young dog bound to a patient cures internal wounds |
| Dormouse | They sleep all winter as if dead |
| Dromedary | The dromedary is a small camel that can travel a hundred Roman miles a day |
| Elephant | Persian and Indian soldiers build wooden towers on the back of elephants and fight from there. |
| Elk | The Eurasian elk or moose |
| Fox | A crafty and deceitful animal that never runs in a straight line |
| Giraffe | A beast that looks like a camel but has the spots of a leopard |
| Goat | An animal that likes to live on high mountains |
| Griffin | A beast with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle |
| Hare | A timid beast that runs fast |
| He-goat | A beast so hot that its blood dissolves diamond |
| Hedgehog | A beast that carries away grapes on its sharp quills |
| Hippopotamus | A large beast called the river horse |
| Horse | A horse is a horse, of course, of course... |
| Hyena | A beast that eats human corpses and changes sex |
| Ibex | A beast with horns so strong they can save it from a fall |
| Lamb | The lamb knows its own parents by their voice |
| Lamia | A stealer and killer of children |
| Leontophone | A small beast that is deadly to lions |
| Leopard | The offspring of a mating between a lion and a pard |
| Leucrota | A composite beast with a mouth that stretches from ear to ear |
| Lion | The lion is the king of the beasts |
| Locust | An insect with long legs |
| Lynx | The urine of the lynx hardens into a precious stone |
| Manticore | A composite beast with a man's face, a lion's body, and the stinger of a scorpion |
| Martin | An animal that is common in Ireland |
| Mole | A blind animal that lives in the earth |
| Monocerus | A fierce beast with a single long horn |
| Mouse | A small animal that is born from the soil |
| Mule | Mules come from the unnatural mating of a female horse and a male ass |
| Muscaliet | A beast with the body of a hare, tail of a squirrel, teeth of a boar |
| Onager | A wild ass that can predict the coming of the equinox |
| Onocentaur | A beast with the upper body of a man and the lower body of an ass |
| Ox | The ox is a strong beast that can predict the weather |
| Panther | A gentle, multicolored beast whose only enemy is the dragon |
| Parandrus | A beast that can conceal itself by changing its appearance |
| Pard | A swift and deadly beast that kills with a single leap |
| Pig (Domestic) | A filthy animal that wallows in mud |
| Porcupine | An animal that has quills or spines |
| Rabbit | A wild beast hunted by dogs |
| Ram | Rams were the first animals to be sacrificed on alters |
| Rat | An oversized mouse |
| Satyr | An ape-like wild man |
| Sheep | The sheep is a defenceless, placid animal |
| Shrew | A kind of mouse that bites |
| Squirrel | An animal that climbs trees |
| Stag | A drink made from the tears and the heart bones of a stag is a cure for troubles of the heart |
| Tiger | Tigers are remarkable for their strength and speed |
| Tragelaphus (Reindeer) | A deer-like animal that has a beard |
| Unicorn | The unicorn is a fierce beast that can only be captured by a maiden |
| Water-horse | A beast with the front half of a horse and tail of a fish or serpent |
| Weasel | The weasel conceives at the mouth and gives birth through the ear |
| Wether | The wether is named from the worms in its head |
| Wild Man | A man who lives wild in the forest |
| Wolf | If a wolf sees a man before the man sees the wolf, the man will lose his voice |
| Yale | A beast with flexible horns that it can move at will |
| Birds (and other flyers) | |
| Alerion | A bird the color of fire, with razor-sharp wings |
| Barnacle Goose | A bird that initially grows from trees |
| Bat | A bird that gives birth to living young |
| Bee-eater | Bee-eater young care for their elderly parents |
| Bittern | A bird that makes a booming noise |
| Blackbird | An agreeable bird that sings in April and May |
| Caladrius | A bird which can tell if a sick man will die, and can cure disease |
| Cinnamologus | An Arabian bird that makes its nest from the fruits of the cinnamon tree |
| Cock | The cock is a bird that can tell time |
| Coot | An intelligent bird that stays in one place |
| Coredulus | A bird whoes name implies "eater of the heart" |
| Crane | At night cranes take turns keeping watch for enemies |
| Crow | A long-lived bird that foretells the future |
| Cuckoo | A weak bird that travels on the backs of kites |
| Dove | There is meaning in the various colors of doves |
| Duck | The ducks of Pontus feed on the poison in the sea |
| Dyomeda | A bird that can distinguish between local people and foreigners |
| Eagle | A bird with eyes so strong it can look directly into the sun |
| Falcon | A bird used for hunting |
| Goldfinch | A bird that eats thorns and thistles |
| Goose | Geese can smell the odor of man better than any other animal can |
| Harpy | A fierce bird with a human head |
| Hawk | The hawk has great courage in a small body |
| Hen | Hens become weak because their chicks are weak |
| Hercinia | A bird with brightly glowing feathers |
| Heron | A bird wise above all others |
| Hoopoe | The young care for their elderly parents |
| Ibis | The dirtiest of birds because it feeds on corpses |
| Jackdaw | The jackdaw is a noisy bird |
| Jay | A very noisy bird |
| Kingfisher | A bird that calms sea storms |
| Kite | A rapacious bird that feeds on carrion |
| Lark | A singing bird |
| Magpie | The magpie has a voice which can express words with distinct sounds |
| Martineta | A bird that does not decay when dead |
| Memnonides | A bird that flies from Egypt to Troy every fifth year |
| Mergus | Generic term for a sea bird |
| Nightingale | A bird that that sings so enthusiastically that it almost dies |
| Orphan Bird | The mother bird knows which of her eggs contain the best offspring |
| Osprey | Ospreys are smaller than eagles but larger than hawks |
| Ostrich | A bird that can digest anything, even iron, but is careless of its eggs |
| Owl | The owl is a dirty bird that prefers darkness to light |
| Parrot | A talking bird with a very hard beak |
| Partridge | A deceitful bird that steals other birds' eggs |
| Peacock | A bird with a terrible voice and flesh too hard to cook |
| Peahen | Female peafowl, with a less magnificent tail |
| Pelican | A bird that revives its dead young with its own blood |
| Pheasant | A bird named for the Greek island of Phasis |
| Phoenix | A bird that rises anew from the ashes of its funeral pyre |
| Quail | Quails cannot be eaten, because they feed on poisonous seeds |
| Raven | The raven will not accept its young until their feathers turn black |
| Siren | A deadly creature, half human, half bird or fish |
| Sparrow | Sparrows are swift and live in cracks in walls |
| Starling | A bird with stars on its feathers |
| Stork | Two crows lead flocks of storks when they cross the sea to Asia |
| Stymphalis | Man-eating birds with beaks of bronze and sharp metallic feathers |
| Swallow | The swallow deserts buildings that are about to collapse |
| Swan | The swan sings most sweetly just before it dies |
| Thrush | A bird that returns at the beginning of winter |
| Titmouse | A bird that is curious about other birds |
| Turtledove | A bird that always remains faithful to its mate |
| Vulture | The vulture is a slow-flying bird that eats corpses |
| Wood-dove | A chaste bird |
| Woodpecker | No spike can remain in a tree where a woodpecker nests |
| Fish (and marine mammals) | |
| Allec | A fish used to make pickled fish sauce |
| Aphorus | A small fish that cannot be caught on a hook |
| Australis | A fish that appears when the Pleiades decline |
| Barbulus | A fish with a beard |
| Bream | A fish with many large teeth |
| Crab | A fish with claws |
| Cuttlefish | A fish that is easily caught in enclosures |
| Dolphin | Dolphins gather in schools at the sound of music |
| Echeneis | This fish clings to ships and holds them back |
| Eel | A serpent of the sea |
| Escarus | A fish that ruminates its food |
| Fish | The number of species of fish is uncountable |
| Glaucus | A white fish that appears on cloudy days |
| Grey Mullet | An agile fish of the Mediterranean |
| Hamio | A fish with purple markings |
| Melanurus | A fish with a black tail |
| Mermaid | A creature half human, half fish |
| Millago | A fish that flies over water |
| Muraena | A fish that twists itself in circles |
| Mussel | A shellfish that serves as the male for oysters |
| Octopus | The octopus is a very clever sea fisher and very clever at deceiving others. |
| Pagrus | A fish with hard teeth |
| Pike | The wolf of the sea |
| Red Mullet | A fish of the Mediterranean |
| Salmon | Fish that swim upstream and leap up waterfalls |
| Sardine | A small fish |
| Sawfish | The sawfish has enormous wings and likes to race against ships |
| Scallop | Symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela |
| Sea-cow | The cow of the sea |
| Sea-dog | The dog of the sea |
| Sea-dragon | The dragon of the sea |
| Sea-hare | The hare of the sea |
| Sea-horse | The horse of the sea |
| Sea-mule | The mule of the sea |
| Sea-pig | Sea-pigs dig up the ground under water |
| Sea-raven | The raven of the sea |
| Sea-scorpion | The scorpion of the sea |
| Sea-snail | The sea-snail produces purple dye |
| Sea-spider | The spider of the sea |
| Sea-swallow | The swallow of the sea |
| Sea-urchin | A shellfish with spines |
| Sea-viper | The viper of the sea |
| Seal | The calf of the sea |
| Snail | Snails live on land and in water |
| Sparus | A fish shaped like a spear |
| Sponge | A fish used for cleaning |
| Squatus | A fish with sharp scales |
| Squid | A multitude of squid can sink ships |
| Swordfish | A fish with a pointed beak it uses to sink ships |
| Thymallus | A fish named after a flower |
| Torpedo | A fish whose touch numbs the strongest arms and swiftest feet |
| Tortoise | The tortoise is a fish with a back covered in a shell |
| Tuna | Fish that sees better with the right eye |
| Unguis | A fish named from its similarity to fingernails |
| Walrus | Large sea beast with tusks |
| Whale | Sailors mistake the whale for an island |
| Insects | |
| Ant | Ants harvest grain to store for the winter |
| Bee | Bees are the smallest of birds, and are born from the bodies of oxen |
| Bibiones | Insects that are generated in wine |
| Buprestis | A venomous beetle that attacks cows |
| Butterfly | An insect that generates small worms from its dung |
| Cicada | An insect born from the saliva of the cuckoo |
| Cricket | A creature that likes to sing, forgetting all else |
| Dragonfly | A long thin insect with four wings |
| Fly | An insect that can revive after being drowned |
| Glow-worm | An insect that gives off light |
| Gnat | An insect that sucks blood |
| Hornet | Hornets are born from the flesh of the horse |
| Horse-fly | A stinging insect associanted with cattle |
| Moth | An insect that cannot bear the light |
| Sciniphes | A tiny, troublesome fly |
| Scorpion | The scorpion is a worm that stings with its tail |
| Wasp | A stinging insect |
| Weevil | An insect that is almost nothing but a throat |
| Plants | |
| Cedar Tree | Symbol of Mary and of the transfiguration of Christ |
| Mandrake | A plant with human-shaped roots, that shrieks when it is pulled from the earth |
| Palm Tree | Palm tree |
| Peridexion Tree | A tree in India that attracts doves and repels dragons |
| Serpents (snakes, lizards, dragons) | |
| Amphisbaena | A serpent with two heads, one at either end |
| Asp | Blocks its ear with its tail so as not to hear the charmer |
| Basilisk | Its odor, voice and even look can kill |
| Boa | An enormous snake, found in Italy, that feeds on cattle |
| Botrax | A serpent with the face of a frog |
| Cenchris | A serpent that cannot bend |
| Centipede | A serpent with many feet |
| Centris | An inflexible serpent |
| Cerastes | An exceptionally flexible serpent with horns |
| Chameleon | An animal that can change its color |
| Chelydros | Land and water serpent |
| Dipsa | A snake so poisonous that its bite kills before it is felt |
| Dragon | The greatest of all serpents on earth |
| Frog | Land frogs die if exposed to rain |
| Hydra | A multi-headed serpent |
| Hydros | A water snake that makes those bitten swell up |
| Hydrus | The enemy of the crocodile, which it kills from the inside |
| Ichneumon | An enemy of the snake |
| Jaculus | A flying serpent |
| Leviathan | An enormous sea-dragon |
| Lizard | When the lizard goes blind, it looks to the rising sun |
| Natrix | A snake that contaminates water |
| Newt | A lizard with spots like stars on its back |
| Ophites | A serpent the color of sand |
| Parias | A serpent that walks on its tail |
| Rinatrix | A serpent that poisons water |
| Salamander | Salamanders are so cold they can extinguish any fire |
| Salpuga | A snake that is invisible |
| Scitalis | A serpent with such a marvellous appearance that it stuns the viewer |
| Seps | The poison of the seps consumes both body and bones |
| Siren (Serpent) | An snake so poisonous that those bitten die before they feel pain |
| Snake | The snake crawls with hidden steps |
| Viper | The young of the viper eat their way out of their mother's side |
| Stones and Gems | |
| Agate | Can be used to find pearls |
| Carbuncle | When it is held against the sun it resembles a burning coal |
| Diamond | If a diamond is kept in a house, demons cannot enter |
| Fire Stones | Stones that burst into flames when brought close together |
| Indian Stone | A stone that can cure the illness called dropsy |
| Magnet | Magnet or lodestone attracts iron |
| Pearl-oyster | Pearls are produced by a stone called an oyster |
| Worms | |
| Caterpillar | A worm that eats foliage |
| Dog-fly | A type of fly |
| Leech | A blood sucking aquatic worm |
| Millipede | A worm with a multitude of feet |
| Moth-worm | A worm that eats clothes |
| Silkworm | Silkworms weave cloth from leaves |
| Slug | Slugs are born out of mud |
| Spider | The spider is an aerial worm that takes its nourishment from the air |
| Terido | Wood worms that are generated when trees are cut at the wrong time |
| Worm | Worms are born from flesh without intercourse |
