One particularly fascinating item in the Arnamagnaean collection is AM 673 [Arnamagnæanske Institut, AM 673 a 4º], which among other things contains parts of two different translations of Physiologus. Both manuscripts are early, dating to ca. 1200, and contain amazing illustrations. AM 673a I 4to portrays five Physiologus beasts and, in addition, has illustrations of a number of other wonderful creatures. AM 673a II 4to portrays 19 beasts, one of which is simia, the ape. ... The connection between the ape and the devil is difficult to grasp: why is having no tail ugly, and how did the devil become devoid of tail by being lost in heaven in the beginning? Turning to the parallel Latin version, which is probably close to the one used by the Icelandic translator, one may see that the tail is explicitly identified with 'end', that is, a wordplay has got lost in the translation. - [Author]

Language: English