Engelbert, abbot of Admont (ca. 1250-1331), is the author of a large number of works covering a wide range of subjects. Amongst them is an interesting text about the nature of creatures, the Tractatus de naturis animalium. Deeply inspired by the Etymologies of Isidore of Sevilla, Engelbert comments in this text different properties of the human nature and describes 243 animals in detail. Despite the existence of 13th century encyclopaedias, which largely deal with these topics of the natural world, he prefers the six hundred years old Origines, as his model to follow. He keeps not only the same general structure, but he chooses more or less the same animals, provides the same type of information and cites the same sources. Surprisingly, almost every contemporary author is ignored. What Engelbert focuses on especially, is a careful selection and reformulation of the information given by his sources in order to make his own text as understandable as possible for a broad public. - [Abstract]

Language: French

2273-0893; DOI: 10.4000/crm.10802