This is a list of medieval bestiaries. The bestiary form is commonly divided into "families," as proposed in 1928 by M. R. James and revised by Florence McCulloch in 1959–1962. In the absence of popular culture books, people in the Middle Ages in Europe took superstition for granted, and the unthinkable can easily be accepted as the undisputed truth. Today, everyone knows what a dog or a bee is, but at that time, fabulous stories were considered non-fiction. In the Middle Ages, stories glorified boring times, and people value them. At that time, people particularly liked stories about animals. As there were no other sources of information, the most sought after these bestiaries/”animal books”.Clark (2006)
Latin bestiaries First family The subfamily designated the "B-Is" version, dated to the 10th–13th centuries, are based upon the "B" version of the Physiologus and the writings of Isidore of Seville: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 22 London, British Library Royal MS 2.C.xii London, British Library Stowe MS 1067 Los Angeles, Getty Museum Ludwig XV 3 Los Angeles, Getty Museum Ludwig XV 4 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Bodley 602 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Douce 167 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Laud Misc. 247 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale Nouv. acq. lat. 873 Vatican, Cod. Palat. lat. 1074
The "H" versions, late 13th-century, which in addition to a base Physiologus text, adds and arranges the content according to the "H" text or Book II of De bestiis et aliis rebus of Hugues de Fouilloy (olim of Pseudo-Hugo de St. Victor).
Cambridge, Sidney Sussex College 100 Chalon-sur-Saône, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 14 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 2495A Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 2495B Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 3638A Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 14429 Valenciennes, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 101
The "Transitional" group, appearing from the 12th to 14th century, incorporate material from other sources used by second family bestiaries: Northumberland Bestiary (Alnwick Castle, MS 447) Cambridge, Trinity College R.14.9 Leningrad, Rossiiskaia natsional'naia biblioteka Q.v.V,1 London, British Library Royal MS 2.B.vii London, British Library Royal MS 12.C.xix Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek gall. 16 New York, Morgan Library M. 81
Second family
The works in this group are based principally on Isidore's Etymologiæ with significant additional material from Solinus, Saint Ambrose's Hexameron,, passim. (notes to translated chapters) Rabanus Maurus and others:, pp. 34–35. Aberdeen Bestiary (Aberdeen University Library MS 24) Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale 8340 Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale Hs 8827-42 Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 53 Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum MS 379 (C, W(B)) Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College MS 109/178 Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College MS 372/621 Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College MS 384/604 Cambridge, University Library Ii.4.26McCulloch|1960 Canterbury, Cathedral Library Lit.D.10 Chartres, Bibliothèque Municipale 63 (125) Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek Gl. Kgl. 1633 4° Douai, Bibliothèque Municipale MS 711 Le Mans, Bibliothèque Municipale 84 London, British Library Add MS 11283 London, British Library Harley MS 3244 (ff. 36r-71v) London, British Library Harley MS 4751 Rochester Bestiary (London, British Library Royal MS 12.F.xiii) London, British Library Sloane MS 3544 Los Angeles, Getty Museum, Salvatorberg Bestiary Nîmes, Bibliothèque Municipale 82 New York, Morgan Library MS M. 890 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Ashmole 1511 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Bodley 533 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Bodley 764 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 88 A Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 151 Oxford, St. John's College MS. 61 Oxford, St. John's College MS. 178 Oxford, University College MS. 120 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 3630 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 11207 Paris, Mazarine Library 742 (1115) Vatican, Apostolic Library Reg. 258 Zirc, Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Cod. Lat. 506
Third family These, from the 13th century, expand on the above with various races of humans, mythological creatures, and sometimes wonders of the world from Bernard Silvestris and others: Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum 254 Cambridge, University Library MS Kk.4.25 Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. e Musaeo 136 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 88 E Westminster Abbey Library MS 22
Fourth family The sole work in this family, from the 15th century, is distinguished by its incorporation of writings by Bartholomaeus Anglicus: Cambridge, University Library MS. Gg.6.5
Dicta Chrysostomi These works were attributed in their time to John Chrysostom and appeared, mostly in Germany, from the 12th to 15th century: Bad Windsheim, Ratsbibl. Cod. 28 Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale 18421-29 Chicago, Newberry Library MS 31.1 Epinal, Bibliothèque Municipale 58 (209) Göttweig, Stiftsbibl. Cod. Ms. 154 Göttweig, Stiftsbibl. Cod. ms. 200 Harvard University, Houghton Library MS Typ 101 Leningrad, Gos. Publ. Biblioteka Saltykova-Shchedrina lat. Q.v.III,1 Leipzig, Universitätsbibl. Paul. fol. 351 Leipzig, Universitätsbibl. Paul. 4° 1305 Linz, Studienbibl. Cod. ms. Cc.II.15 London, British Library Sloane MS 278 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 536 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 2655 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 3221 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 5613 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 5921 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 6908 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 9600 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14216 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14348 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 14693 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 16189 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 19648 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek clm 23787 New York, Morgan Library MS M. 832 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal lat. 394 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 10448 Uppsala, Universitetsbibliotek C 145 Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 303 Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 1010 Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 2511 Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 4609 Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek 13378 Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek 35a Helmst. (Manuscript digitized)
Single Author manuscripts
Many manuscripts contain portions of bestiaries that can be attributed to a single author. These include works by Isidore of Seville's Etymologiae, Thomas de Cantimpré's Liber de Natura Rerum, and Hugues de Fouilloy's De avibus
Hugues de Fouilloy Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 9649 (Hugues de Fouilloy, De avibus in a miscellany)
Isidore of Seville Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, LJS 184 (Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae)
Thomas de Cantimpré Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, LJS 23 (Thomas de Cantimpré, Liber de Natura Rerum) Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 410 (XIII) Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 411 (XV) Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 412 (XIV) Brugge, Openbare Bibliotheek, Ms. 413 (XIV) Wrocław, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka, Ms. R 174 (XV)
French bestiaries The French bestiaries are all derived from works with commonly attributed authorship, and are divided as such:
Bestiaire in Verse by Philippe de Thaon Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek Gl. kgl. S. 3466 8º London, British Library Cotton MS Nero A.v Oxford, Merton College MS. 249
Bestiaire of Gervaise London, British Library Add MS 28260
Bestiaire of Guillaume le Clerc Cambridge, Fitzwilliam McLean 123 Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Mus. J.20 Cambridge, Trinity College O.2.14 London, British Library Cotton Vespasian A.vii London, British Library Egerton MS 613 London, British Library Royal MS 16.E.viii Lyon, Palais des Arts 78 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Bodley 912 Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Douce 132 Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 2691 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 902 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 1444 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 2168 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 14964 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 14969 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 14970 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 20046 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 24428 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 25406 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 25408 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale Rothschild IV.2.24 New Haven, Beinecke Library MS 395 (formerly Phillipps 4156) Vatican, Apostolic Library Regina 1682 In a Psalter, the Queen Mary Psalter, British Library Royal MS 2B, vii In a psalter, the Isabelle Psalter, State Library, Munich
Bestiaire of Pierre de Beauvais Malines, Bibliothèque du Séminaire 32 Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de Médecine H.437 Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal fr. 3516 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 834 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fr. 944 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale nouv. acq. 13251 ex-Phillipps 6739 [C, M] Vatican, Apostolic Library Reg. 1323
Middle English bestiary London, British Library Arundel MS 292
Italian bestiaries Florence, Bibl. Laurenziana Cod. plut. LXXXX Inf. Cod. 47 (Bibl. Gadd.) Florence, Bibl. Laurenziana Cod. Ashb. 649 Florence, Bibl. Naz. Cod. Magliabecchiano II.8.33 Florence, Bibl. Naz. cl. XII Cod. Strozz. Magliabecchiano 135 Florence, Biblioteca Ricardiana Cod. 1357 P.III.4 Florence, Biblioteca Ricardiana Cod. 2183 R.IV 4 Nr. 2260 Florence, Biblioteca Ricardiana Cod. 2281 Naples, Bibl. Naz. XII.E.11 Padova, Museo Civico di Padova (Bibl. Comun.) Cod. C.R.M.248 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale ital. 450 Rome, Bibl. Corsini 44.G.27
Catalan bestiaries Barcelona, Bibl. Universitària 75 Barcelona, Bibl. de Catalunya 87 Barcelona, Bibl. de Catalunya 310 Vic, Bibl. Capitular 229 Vic, Bibl. Capitular 1354
Icelandic bestiary Copenhagen, Arnamagnæanske Institut, Arnamagnæanske Institut, AM 673a 4º
German bestiary Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cgm 38 (Konrad von Megenberg, Das Buch der Natur) Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cgm 8414 (Konrad von Megenberg, Das Buch der Natur)
References
Bibliography
Badke, David. "Bestiary Families." at The Medieval Bestiary
; [ Reprint], C. N. Potter, 1976