The Liber Floridus, an encyclopedia, by Lambert of Saint-Omer.

This is the Liber Floridus manuscript designated Ch.

Numerous high quality illustrations and diagrams, only six of which relate to animals (there are some astronomical images illustrating the constellations that feature animals on folio 60r-63v). The animal illustrations are similar in content to Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent, MS 92 and Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel, Cod. Guelf. 1 Gud. lat., though the style is very different.

The section on animals (mammals, birds, serpents) is on folio 37v-41v, with fish and aquatic animals on folio 42v. Some of the aquatic animals are the water equivalents of land animals: sea-pig, sea-hare, sea-cow, etc. Most of the animal descriptions are brief, from one to about 20 lines; none of these are illustrated. The six illustrated animals (lion, griffin, dragon, crocodile, behemoth and leviathan) have longer descriptions. Mixed in with the brief descriptions, some animals have a second, longer treatment that references the Physiologus.

Shelfmark formerly MS 1596.

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Editions and Facsimiles

Digital facsimiles

Bibliothèque virtuelle des manuscrits médiévaux (BVMM)