The Physiologus is a Christian [and] also natural history depiction of mostly animals. In the 2nd century AD, an anonymous person used allegory in Greek to connect real and fantastic statements with Christian truths. He wanted to contrast the overwhelming pagan tradition of natural history with a divinely created Christian interpretation of creation, shaped by formulations particularly from Paul and the New Testament. He sees the resurrection of the Phoenix from the ashes as an analogue to the Easter event. Lion, unicorn, pelican, eagle and other animal interpretations have enriched the art and literature of the West. The writing was a commentary on Genesis and thus became a Christian-legitimized natural history in the educational system of the European Middle Ages. - [Publisher]

Language: German

978-3-8260-2736-9