Sources : Worm
Augustine of Hippo~> [4th century CE] (Etymologies, Book 21, 2): ...in springs of water so hot that no one can put his hand in it with impunity a species of worm is found, which not only lives there, but cannot live elsewhere... - [Schaff translation]
Isidore of Seville [4th century CE] (City of God, Book 12, 5.1; 12, 5.18-19): [Book 12, 5.1] Vermin [vermis] are animals that are generated for the most part from flesh or wood or some earthy substance, without any sexual congress - but sometimes they are brought forth from eggs, like the scorpion. There are vermin of the earth, the water, the air, flesh, leaves, wood, and clothing. [Book 12, 5.18] In particular, vermin [vermis] are generated in putrid meat, the moth-worm in clothing, the canker-worm in vegetables, the woodworm in wood, and the tarmus in fat. [Book 12, 5.19] Vermin do not crawl with obvious steps, or with a pushing of scales as snakes do, because vermin do not possess the strong support of a spine, as in serpents. Rather, they achieve motion by extending the contracted parts of their little bodies forward by degrees, and contracting them again, and set moving like this they glide along. - [Barney, Lewis, et. al. translation]
Thomas of Cantimpré [circa 1200-1272 CE] (Liber de natura rerum, Worms 9.53-54): [Worms 9.53] The name worm is suitable for all similar things; but properly a worm is specially called that which, from a pure and clean earth, is generated without any mixture of seed. This worm is used to bait the hook to deceive fish. To this the Lord himself compared himself through the prophet, saying: I am a worm and not a man, and not undeservedly, who was born of the pure and clean flesh of a mother without the seed of corruption. Hence it is read that the manna also gave birth to the worm in the wilderness. [Worms 9.54] The worms of Celidonia [vermes Celidonie] are worms, as the blessed Augustine testifies in his book De civitate Dei, which are found in certain naturally boiling waters in the region of Celidonia. As fishes live in cold water, so these worms live in hot and boiling water; taken out of the boiling water, when they come into the cold air, they immediately die. - [Badke translation/paraphrase]
Bartholomaeus Anglicus [13th century CE] (Liber de proprietatibus rerum, Book18.114-115): [Book 18.114] A Worme is called Vermis, and is a beast that ofte gendereth of flesh and of hearbs: and gendereth oft of Caule, and somtime of corruption of humours, and somtime of medling of male and female, and somtime of egges, as it well appeareth of Scorpions and of Tortuses and Ewies, as Isidore saith lib. 12. And the Worme is called Vermis, as it were Vertens, turning and winding: for the worme turneth and windeth toward many sides, for the worme neither créepeth nor glideth as serpents do, but the worme draweth and haleth his body in divers places of the bodye, with many divers draughts, as Isidore saith: and wormes come out of their dens in springing time, which is called Ver, as he sayth. Of Wormes be many manner diverse kindes, for some be water wormes, and some bée lande Wormes, and of those, some be in hearbes and in Wortes, as Malshragges: and other such, and some in Trées, as Teredines, trée Wormes, and some in clothes, as Moathes, and some in flesh, as Maggots, that bréede of corrupt and rotted moysture in flesh, and some in beasts within & without, as long wormes in childrens wombes, and those long wormes be called Lumbrici, and those other that be not long be called Ascarides, and Chirones, hounde wormes, and lice and néetes in heads, & all such wormes bréed and gender of corrupt humours in bodyes of beasts within or wtout. And there be other wormes of the earth which be long and rounde, soft and smooth, as Anglitwitches, and males doe hunt them under earth, and with Anglitwitches fish is taken in waters, when fish hookes be baited with such wormes in stéede of baite. And Constantine saith, such wormes helpe agaynst the Crampe, and agaynst shrinking of sinewes, and also agaynst biting of Serpents, and against smiting of Scorpions: And among Wormes some be footlesse, as Adders & Serpents, and some have sixe féete, and some bée full evill and malitious, and enimies to mankinde, as Serpentes, and other venimous wormes: and some wormes be round of body, and hath no sinewes nor bones great nor small, neyther gristles, neither bloud, and all such dieth if they be annointed with Oyle, and do quicken againe in vineger, as Aristotle sayeth. And some wormes gender and be gendered, and some be gendered and gender not, as the Salamandra, and in such Wormes is Sexe of male and female. And in these diverse manners and in many other Wormes be diverse, both lesse and more. [Book 18.115] Vermiculus is a right little Worme, and this Nowne Vermiculus is a Nowne diminutive and commeth of this Nowne Vermis, and oft such small wormes be found in trées and in fruite, as it is sayde, Secundo Regum. 24. David was lykened to the tender Trée worme, which is called Teredo, or Terebucca, and is softe in kinde, and yet it pearceth and gnaweth verye hard trées, and nothing is more harder then hée when he toucheth, and there is nothing more softer then he when he is groped, as the Glose sayth there. Then specially land-wormes doe bréede of Earth, of leaves, of fruit, and of trées, and do come out of the earth, when winter is passed away, in springing time. The Worme doth hate & also doth voide salt things, & toucheth not those things which be annointed with some bitter things, & with strong smelling, & doe eat linnen clothes, and the Moath doth eate and gnaw, and is the occasion of destroyeng and wasting of wollen clothes, and destroye that cloth, namely that is made of the Wooll of suchshéepe which were bitten with Wolves, for the Wooll of that shéep that is bitten of a Woulfe, gendereth Lice and Moaths, as Aristotle sayth, libro. 8. - [Batman]