French bestiaries, like the Greek and Latin versions of the Physiologus which preceded them, are based on the tradition of encyclopedic compilations by ancient naturalists who described the properties of animals. But unlike encyclopedias, bestiaries aimed to establish correspondences between the physical world and the spiritual world. To the descriptions of animals and their behavior are added their moral and religious symbolism as well as the lessons that Christians must learn from them. Playing on the complementary principles of zoomorphism and anthropomorphism, bestiaries constantly draw parallels between men and animals. - [Abstract]

Language: French

DOI: 10.3138/flor.15.006