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) | |
| Ahanes | An animal as large as a stag |
| Ana | A beast that comes to the defense of others of its own kind |
| 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 are 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 |
| Cacus | A monster that steals cattle |
| Camel | Camels can endure thirst for three days and prefer muddy water |
| Capreola | The roe deer |
| Cat | An animal that is hostile to mice |
| Catoblepas | A beast with a head so heavy it can only look down |
| Cefusa | A beast with human feet and hands |
| Centaur | The centaur is part man and part horse |
| Chimera | A hybrid beast of lion and goat |
| Cow | A useful animal |
| Crocodile | A beast that weeps after eating a man |
| Demma | A beast the size of a goat, with long, sharp horns |
| Doe | The female deer |
| Dog | A young dog bound to a patient cures internal wounds |
| Dormouse | They sleep all winter as if dead |
| Dromedary | A small camel that can travel a hundred Roman miles a day |
| Duran | A beast that slows down pursuing dogs with its odor |
| Elephant | Soldiers fight from wooden towers on the backs of elephants |
| Elk | The Eurasian elk or moose |
| Equicervus | An animal with features of a horse and a stag |
| Ermine | A small animal that is white in winter and brown in summer |
| Falena | An animal that hates human pride |
| Ferret | An animal like a weasel, used to hunt rabbits in their burrows |
| Finges | A beast with two nipples on its chest |
| Fox | A crafty and deceitful animal that never runs in a straight line |
| Furionz | A lustful beast |
| Genetha | A black and crimson beast that stays in low places |
| Giraffe | A beast that looks like a camel but has the spots of a leopard |
| Glutis | A bird with a long tongue |
| 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 |
| Hamster | The European hamster |
| 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 |
| Hemtra | Very small animals in Germany |
| 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 |
| Ibrida | The genus of hybrid animals |
| Lacta | A small beast that lives in tombs |
| Lamb | The lamb knows its own parents by their voice |
| Lamia | A stealer and killer of children |
| Lanzani | A cruel beast that attacks any animal not of its own kind |
| 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 |
| Lincisius | The offspring of a male dog and a female wolf |
| Lion | The lion is the king of the beasts |
| Lycaon | A wolf-like beast with multi-colored fur |
| Lycisca | A hybrid of a wolf and a dog |
| Lynx | The urine of the lynx hardens into a precious stone |
| Mammonetus | A kind of monkey |
| Manticore | A 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 |
| Molosus | A large and aggresive beast that is afraid of children |
| 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 |
| Musquelibet | An animal that produces musk |
| 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 |
| Oryx | A beast of the dry African desert |
| Otter | A cunning and mischievous animal living around ponds and rivers |
| Ox | The ox is a strong beast that can predict the weather |
| Panther | A gentle, multicolored beast whose only enemy is the dragon |
| Papiones | A beast larger than a fox that howls like a wolf |
| Parandrus | A beast that can conceal itself by changing its appearance |
| Pard | A swift and deadly beast that kills with a single leap |
| Pathius | A beast with a body colored like blood |
| Pegasus | A beast that is part horse, part bird |
| Pig (Domestic) | A filthy animal that wallows in mud |
| Polecat | A weasel-like animal with a strong smell |
| 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 |
| Reindeer | A strong animal with three rows of horns on its head |
| Satyr | An ape-like wild man |
| Sea-centipede | A sea fish the disgorges its inside to remove a hook it has swallowed |
| 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 of a stag is a cure for troubles of the heart |
| Syropetice | A beast that has a tail like a leopard |
| Tiger | Tigers are remarkable for their strength and speed |
| Tragelaphus | A deer-like animal that has a beard |
| Tranes | An animal something like a rabbit, with a helmet on its head |
| Trogodite | An animal that has horns pointing toward the ground |
| 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 first, the man will lose his voice |
| Yale | A beast with flexible horns that it can move at will |
| Birds (and other flyers) | |
| Aeriophylon | A bird seldom seen because it flies above the clouds |
| Alerion | A bird the color of fire, with razor-sharp wings |
| Anthus | A small bird that fights with horses |
| 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 |
| Bustard | A slow moving carrion eating bird |
| Caladrius | A bird which can tell if a sick man will die, and can cure disease |
| Cariste | A bird that can fly through flames without harm |
| Catarrhactes | A diving bird that stays underwater for a long time |
| Chloreus | A bird that fights with ravens |
| Cinnamologus | An 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" |
| Cornica | A large bird with few feathers |
| 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 |
| Dariata | A bird with no legs that can only crawl |
| 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 |
| Fatatore | A bird that lays its eggs before Spring |
| Fetix | A small bird that lays eggs twice a year |
| Figpecker | A bird that mostly eats figs |
| Flycatcher | A slow bird with a wide mouth for catching flies and gnats |
| Furfurio | A bird that feeds on flour |
| Goldfinch | A bird that eats thorns and thistles |
| Goose | Geese can smell the odor of man better than any other animal can |
| Gosturdus | A bird that flies like a wave |
| Gracocenderon | A chaste bird that has sex only once a year |
| Grouse | A bird that lives in Germany that can be eaten |
| Gull | A bird that lives on land and water and flies in the air |
| Harpy | A fierce bird with a human head |
| Hawk | The hawk has great courage in a small body |
| Heliodromos | A bird that flies following the sun |
| 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 |
| Isida | A small bird with beautifully colored feathers |
| Jackdaw | The jackdaw is a noisy bird |
| Jay | A very noisy bird |
| Kim | A bird that cares for her own chicks and those of other birds |
| Kingfisher | A bird that calms sea storms |
| Kite | A rapacious bird that feeds on carrion |
| Komor | A bird that lays eggs five or six times a year |
| Kyches | A bird that cries with a different voice almost every day |
| Lark | A singing bird |
| Linachos | A bird like an eagle that rejects inferior chicks |
| Magnales | Large birds of the East that eat fish |
| Magpie | The magpie has a voice which can express words with distinct sounds |
| Martineta | A bird that does not decay when dead |
| Meauce | A bird that likes human corpses |
| Melancoriphus | A fertile bird that lays more than twenty eggs at a time |
| Memnonides | A bird that flies from Egypt to Troy every fifth year |
| Mergus | Generic term for a sea bird |
| Merilliones | A bird like a blackbird with different feet, claws and beak |
| Merlin | A bird that breaks raven eggs |
| Morplex | A swift bird that dives to catch eels in the water |
| Nepa | A bird that uses its long beak to dig in the earth |
| Nightingale | A bird that that sings so enthusiastically that it almost dies |
| Nightjar | A bird the sucks milk from the udders of goats |
| Orcigometus | A kind of hawk |
| Oriole | A bird that is gold all over |
| 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 |
| Paradisi | Called bird of paradise because of its beauty |
| 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 |
| Plover | A bird that lives on nothing but air |
| Porphirio | A bird that one webbed foot and one clawed foot |
| Ptarmigan | A bird with tufts of feathers on its feet, like the fur on hare feet |
| 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 |
| Spoonbill | A bird that steals fish from other sea birds |
| 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 |
| Tragopan | A large bird with two horns on its head |
| Trochilus | A small bird that cleans the teeth of crocodiles |
| Turtledove | A bird that always remains faithful to its mate |
| Vulture | The vulture is a slow-flying bird that eats corpses |
| Wagtail | A bird that constantly shakes its tail |
| Wood-dove | A chaste bird |
| Woodpecker | No spike can remain in a tree where a woodpecker nests |
| Zelencides | A bird that rids the land of a plague of locusts |
| Fish (and marine mammals) | |
| Abarenon | A fish that lays eggs by rubbing on sand |
| Abides | A marine animal that first lives in the water and then on land |
| Albirez | A fish with a very hard skin |
| Allec | A fish used to make pickled fish sauce |
| Alphoraz | A fish the is generated from rotting mud |
| Amia | A fish with purple or red markings |
| Aphorus | A small fish that cannot be caught on a hook |
| Astaraz | A fish spontaneously generated from the foam of rain water |
| Australis | A fish that appears when the Pleiades decline |
| Babylonian Fish | A fish that lives in caves near Babylon |
| Barbulus | A fish with a beard |
| Bitterling | A fish that has so many many bones that it is difficult to eat |
| Borbothis | A fish that resembles an eel, but with a large head |
| Bothis | A flat fish that goes to the river bottom and muddies the water to hide |
| Bream | A fish with many large teeth |
| Caab | A marine animal that has one long foot it uses as a hand |
| Capa | A shellfish with a pearl-like shell |
| Capito | A fish with a large head that lives in rivers |
| Capitones | A sea fish with a large head and narrow tail |
| Carp | A fish that has five ways to escape a net |
| Catfish | The male of this fish takes care of his offspring |
| Celethi | A fish that sleeps so soundly it can be caught by hand |
| Ceruleum | A fish of the Ganges River that is strong enough to catch elephants |
| Chylon | A fish that only eats its own mucus |
| Conchis | A shellfish that resembles a ship |
| Crab | A fish with claws |
| Cuttlefish | A fish that is easily caught in enclosures |
| Day-fish | A fish that only lives for one day |
| 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 |
| Equinilus | A fish in the Nile River that likes to kill humans |
| Eracliodes | A fish that lives in caves it digs in river shores |
| Exposita | A fish with very large teeth |
| Ezochius maris | A very large fish with no teeth in its upper jaw |
| Fish | The number of species of fish is uncountable |
| Flying Fish | A fish that goes out onto dry land to sleep |
| Fundula | A fish that is never seen at the water surface |
| Galalca | A sea monster that pulls her fetus out of the womb to see if it is ready |
| Glaucus | A white fish that appears on cloudy days |
| Golden Fleece | A shellfish that produces a golden wool |
| Gudgeon | A small fish that feeds in sandy-bottomed waters |
| Haniger | A fish with a long red beak instead of a mouth |
| Kylion | A fish with its spleen and liver in reversed positions |
| Kylok | A fish that clings to rocks and eats whatever passes |
| Lobster | A fish that fights with its kind, battering them like rams |
| Ludolacra | A fish with four fins that moves swiftly |
| Megaris | A fish when salted and exported demands a high price |
| Melanurus | A fish with a black tail |
| Mermaid | A creature half human, half fish |
| Millago | A fish that flies over water |
| Mullet | An agile fish of the Mediterranean |
| Muraena | A fish that twists itself in circles |
| Mussel | A shellfish that serves as the male for oysters |
| Narwhal | A fish with a single long horn on its head |
| Nautilus | A fish that raises a thin mambrane like a sail |
| Nereid | A fish with the appearance of a hairy human |
| Octopus | A very clever sea fisher and very clever at deceiving others |
| Orca | A large whale that preys on other whales |
| Pagrus | A fish with hard teeth |
| Pearl-oyster | Pearls are produced by a the oyster |
| Perna | A shellfish that produces the colors yellow and red |
| Pike | The wolf of the sea |
| Pina | A shellfish that tricks little fish into its shell |
| Pungitivus | A stinging fish that generates other fish |
| Ray | A flatfish with a long deadly stinger |
| Salmon | Fish that swim upstream and leap up waterfalls |
| Salpa | A fish that must be beaten with a rod before it can be cooked |
| 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 |
| Scarus | A fish that ruminates its food |
| Scylla | A vicious fish-human hybrid like a siren |
| Sea-ass | The ocean equivalent of the land ass |
| Sea-cow | The cow of the sea |
| Sea-dog | The dog of the sea |
| Sea-dragon | The dragon of the sea |
| Sea-fox | The fox of the sea |
| Sea-frog | The sea-frog hides in disturbed mud to catch little fish |
| Sea-hare | The hare of the sea |
| Sea-horse | The horse of the sea |
| Sea-monk | A fish that looks like a tonsured monk |
| Sea-mouse | A fish resembling a mouse that guides whales |
| Sea-peacock | A fish colored with different hues on its back and neck |
| Sea-pig | Sea-pigs dig up the ground under water |
| Sea-ram | A fish like a ram that hides under ships to drown sailors |
| 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-stag | A deer of the sea that eats birds |
| Sea-swallow | The swallow of the sea |
| Sea-turtle | The turtle that lives in sea and has a powerful bite |
| Sea-urchin | A shellfish with spines |
| Sea-viper | The viper of the sea |
| Seal | The calf of the sea |
| Skate | A fish with a rough skin used to polish wood and ivory |
| Snail | Snails live on land and in water and carry their home on their back |
| Sparus | A fish shaped like a spear |
| Sponge | A fish the roots itself to rocks |
| Starfish | A fish shaped like a star |
| Sturgeon | A fish with its scales pointing toward its mouth |
| Sunfish | A large fish that likes to bask in the sun |
| Swordfish | A fish with a pointed beak it uses to sink ships |
| Testeum | A sea fish that drinks fresh water when it is ill |
| 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 |
| Trebius | A fish that changes color from white to black |
| Trout | A fish that lives in fast flowing mountain rivers |
| Tuna | Fish that sees better with the right eye |
| Turbot | A slow fish that uses trickery to catch fast fish |
| Unguis | A fish named from its similarity to fingernails |
| Uranoscopus | A a fish that has a single eye on the top of its head |
| Vergiliales | A fish with sharp scales that is only seen when the Peides rise |
| Walrus | Large sea beast with tusks |
| Whale | Sailors mistake the whale for an island |
| Zedrosis | Sea monsters so large their bones can be used in building houses |
| Zifius | A sea monster that does not resemble any other animal |
| Plants | |
| Cedar Tree | Symbol of Mary and of the transfiguration of Christ |
| Mandrake | A plant 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 |
| Berus | A serpent that is more cunning than any other |
| Boa | An enormous snake, found in Italy, that feeds on cattle |
| Botrax | A serpent with the face of a frog |
| Cecula | A serpent with no eyes |
| Centris | An inflexible serpent |
| Cerastes | An exceptionally flexible serpent with horns |
| Chameleon | An animal that can change its color |
| Chelydros | Land and water serpent |
| Cornutis | A serpent with horns it uses to attack people |
| Dipsa | A snake so poisonous that its bite kills before it is felt |
| Draconcopedes | A dragon-footed serpent |
| 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 |
| Naderos | A serpent of Germany that infects people and swords with its poison |
| 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 |
| Rutela | A serpent that is useful in medicine |
| Salamander | Salamanders are so cold they can extinguish any fire |
| Salpuga | A serpent that is invisible or difficult to see |
| Scitalis | A serpent with such a marvellous appearance that it stuns the viewer |
| Sea-serpent | The serpent of the sea |
| 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 |
| Skink | Similar to a crocodile but much smaller |
| Snake | The snake crawls with hidden steps |
| Tyliacus | A serpent born from inside a linden tree |
| Tyrus | A serpent used in the preparation of a cure for poison |
| Tysus | A serpent that walks on its belly using its ribs like feet |
| 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 |
| Worm and Insectss | |
| Ant | Ants harvest grain to store for the winter |
| Bedbug | A blood sucking worm that preys on humans |
| Bee | Bees are the smallest of birds, and are born from the bodies of oxen |
| Bibiones | Insects that are generated in wine |
| Buffones | An insect that has a voice like a trumpet |
| Buprestis | A venomous beetle that causes cows to burst |
| Butterfly | An insect that generates small worms from its dung |
| Cantharis | A green insect that glitters with gold in sunlight |
| Caterpillar | A worm that eats foliage |
| Centipede | A worm or serpent with many feet |
| Cicada | An insect born from the saliva of the cuckoo |
| Clothes-moth | A worm that eats clothes |
| Cricket | A creature that likes to sing, forgetting all else |
| Dog-fly | A fly that annoys puppies |
| Dragonfly | A long thin insect with four wings |
| Flea | An insect that is sent to man as a punishment |
| 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 |
| Leech | A blood sucking aquatic worm |
| Locust | An insect with long legs |
| Louse | A pest that can be repelled with mercury and oil |
| Millipede | A worm with a multitude of feet |
| Moth | An insect that cannot bear the light |
| Opimacus | A worm that is skilled in fighting snakes |
| Scorpion | The scorpion is a worm that stings with its tail |
| Seta | A long thin worm like a white needle |
| 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 |
| Spoliator colubri | A worm that attacks snakes |
| Stag-beetle | An insect with horns on its head like a stag |
| Tapula | A worm that runs fast on land or water |
| Tarmus | A worm that is generated from the fat of pigs |
| Thamur | The blood of this worm can break the hardest materials |
| Tick | A insect that always has its head in blood |
| Uria | A worm found in pigs that causes blisters |
| Wasp | A stinging insect |
| Weevil | An insect that is almost nothing but a throat |
| Woodworm | Woodworms are generated when trees are cut at the wrong time |
| Worm | Worms are born from flesh without intercourse |
