The Physiologus, through the bestiaries both Latin and French which refer to it, constitutes one of the principal literary sources allowing us to make "the part of the Devil" in the European concerns of the Middle Ages. To recall the form and tone of the primitive text, let us cite, for example, the chapter on the fox: "The fox is very cunning. When he is hungry and finds nothing to eat, he looks for a place where there is red earth and, having rolled himself there, he lies down on his back; after which, holding his breath, he puffs up; the birds, believing him dead, come down from the sky to feed on him, but he then seizes them and devours them. It is the same with the Devil, deceitful in all his works." ... Here we have a good example of the binary form that characterizes each chapter: first the mention of the physical traits of the animal, then a moralization on the mystical secret symbolized by these traits. The teaching of the bestiaries is wrapped in a rich symbolism. Virtue is not recommended, nor innocence, the effectiveness of which remains uncertain; Man will avoid damnation only by certain gestures and according to certain rules of conduct; only foresight can guarantee his salvation. The Devil, the tireless provider of Hell, watches, watches, waits; the Physiologus was conceived only to offer us the formula that allows us to pass through the narrow gate. The fact that the work has at the same time the character of a treatise on natural history is of secondary importance. - [Author]

Language: French

DOI: 10.3406/caief.1953.2019