Bibliography Detail
The Book of Beasts, Being a Translation from a Latin Bestiary of the Twelfth Century
London: Jonathan Cape, 1954
Digital resource 1
Digital resource 2 (Google Books)
An English translation of Cambridge University Library MS Ii. 4. 26.
White’s The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts was the first and, for a time, the only English translation of a medieval bestiary. Bestiaries were second only to the Bible in their popularity and wide distribution during the Middle Ages. They were catalogs of animal stories, combining zoological information, myths, and legends. Great attention was given to bizarre, exotic, and monstrous creatures. Much of the content of bestiaries was drawn from much older sources including Aristotle, early English literature, and oral traditions. White provides an excellent appendix that explains how the creatures of the bestiary influenced the development of allegory and symbolism in art and literature. - [Abstract]
296 p, index, bibliography. Illustrated with line drawings based on the illustrations from the manuscript and other sources.
Language: English
ISBN: 0-486-24609-4; LCCN: 83020704; LC: PA8275.B4E51984; DDC: 878/.03/0719
Last update May 29, 2022