Beast

Sources : Caladrius

Hugh of Fouilloy> [ca. 1100-1172 CE] (De avibus, chapter 53): Physiologus says of the caladrius that it is completely white. Its groin removes a cataract from the eyes. Indeed, the nature of the caladrius is said to be such that if [the bird] is led several times to a sick man, it may inform those in attendance whether the sick man will die or live. For if it looks into the face of the sick man, and does not avert its eyes, but looks continually at the face of the invalid, it is a sign that he should live. If, however, it turns its eyes away from the sick man's face, it is a sign of death. By the caladrius we understand Christ, who came into the world to save humankind. It is said to be White because He was free from all sin. Its groin takes away a cataract's darkness from the eyes. By the thigh is understood the propagation of the species. Therefore, the groin is the Incarnation of the Savior. Indeed, the Incarnation of the Savior, which was concealed even from the Devil, was enclosed and hidden. Christ came into the world to save humankind. He turned His face from the Jews; He looked at the Gentiles; He bore our iniquities. And He who did not commit sin bore our sins upon the wood of the Cross. Yet daily this same Caladrius sees our infirmities, inspects [our] mind through confession, and heals those to whom He offers the grace of penitence. But He turns His face from those whose hearts He knows to be unrepentant. He rejects these, but returns to health those upon whom He directs His gaze. - [Clark translation, 1992]

Aberdeen Bestiary [circa 1200 CE] (folio 56v-57r): The bird called caladrius, as Physiologus tells us, is white all over; it has no black parts. Its excrement cures cataract in the eyes. It is to be found in royal residences. If anyone is sick, he will learn from the caladrius if he is to live or die. If, therefore, a man's illness is fatal, the caladrius will turn its head away from the sick man as soon as it sees him, and everyone knows that the man is going to die. But if the man's sickness is one from which he will recover, the bird looks him in the face and takes the entire illness upon itself; it flies up into the air, towards the sun, burns off the sickness and scatters it, and the sick man is cured.

Thomas of Cantimpré [circa 1200-1272 CE] (Liber de natura rerum, Birds 5.24): Caladrius, as Jacobus and Isidore say, is a completely white bird. The inner part of its thigh removes the darkness from the eyes. But the nature of the caladrius is such that, if it is brought several times to a sick person, it makes bystanders certain whether the sick person should die or live. For if it looks down upon the face of a sick person and turns away its eyes, it is a sign of death. But if it does not avert its eyes, it is a sign of life. For it looks to his face and collects all the infirmities of that sick man within itself and flies in the air and there it burns the infirmities and scatters them, and the sick man is immediately healed. Alexander is said to have found these birds in Persia. Indeed, the kings of ancient times kept these birds in their royal courts. Concerning these birds, then, and likewise those which the blessed Brendan found in a certain high and beautiful tree, one of which answered him that they were spirits doing their penance there in the form of birds, but whether it is true or impossible, we leave to the present reader to judge. - [Badke translation/paraphrase]

Guillaume le Clerc [ca. 1210 CE] (Bestiaire, Chapter 5): Caladrius is a bird / Above all others courtly and pretty, / And as white as is snow. / Exceeding courtly is this bird. / At times one finds it in / The country of Jerusalem. / When a man is so deadly sick, / That they despair of his life, / Then is this bird brought in. / If he is to get better / And recover from that sickness, / The bird turns its face to him / And takes upon itself his infirmity; / And if he may not regain his health / The bird turns the other way / And will not have a look at him. - [Druce translation]

Bartholomaeus Anglicus [13th century CE] (Liber de proprietatibus rerum, Book12.22): the Philosopher saith, the Birde that is called Kaladrius, is white of coulour, and hath no parte of blacknesse. And the neather part of his leg cleanseth and purgeth dimnesse of the eyen. His kinde is such, when a man is helde in great sicknesse, this birde Kaladrius turneth away his face from him that is sick, & then without doubt the man shall die. And if the sicke man shal escape, the bird Kaladrius setteth his sight on him, & beholdeth him, as it were fauning and pleasing: and this bird is other then the bird that is called Calandra, that singeth as a Thrustle, as the Glose saith, Deut. 14. There it is said, that Calaudreon [lark?] is another then Calundre, &c. - [Batman]