the owl in the pulpit

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Category Archives: bestiary

The Wolf

20/05/2015by Karen 1 Comment

Desirous of blood, the wolf kills whatever it finds. It steals into sheepfolds against the wind to evade the hounds. If it makes a sound while stalking its prey, it […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Fox

05/08/2013by Karen 4 Comments

The fox is a deceitful creature, full of guile. It never takes a straight path, preferring one that winds. Hungry for meat, it lays about pretending to be dead, then, […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Whale

16/07/2013by Karen 4 Comments

Whales are immense fish, as big as mountains. Rising to the surface of the ocean, they fool sailors, who think them to be islands. Looking to make landfall there, sailors […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Peacock

25/06/2013by Karen 4 Comments

The peacock is called pavo for his call, which he utters with a fiendish voice. On his tiny head he bears a crest of feathers like a coronet, gleaming blue, like the […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Dragon

18/06/2013by Karen 5 Comments

Dragons are the greatest of all the serpents. Emerging from their lairs, and taking flight, they disturb the air around them, making it shine. Hidden in their brains is a stone […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Iaculus

11/06/2013by Karen 3 Comments

The iaculus is a snake with wings. It leaps into the branches of trees, where it hides itself among the leaves. From its leafy perch it watches for animals that pass […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Owl

06/06/2013by Karen 3 Comments

The owl is named bubo for its call, which it makes with a heavy heart. It is a mournful bird, portending death with the sound of its voice. Weighed down by […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Stork

15/04/2011by Karen 2 Comments

The stork is a gregarious bird. Having no call, it converses with the clatter of its beak. Led by a pair of crows, storks fly across the seas; they go […]

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art, art history, bestiary

The Beaver

03/09/2010by Karen 6 Comments

Beavers live in the water and on land; they have coats of fur and fishy tails. They cut timber with their strong teeth, chopping down trees as though with axes […]

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art, art history, bestiary

Bestiary

31/07/2009by Karen 6 Comments

I first learned of medieval bestiaries in my first year of high school. The nun who ran the school library offered me a couple of journals that she didn’t need, […]

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art, art history, bestiary

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All text and images © The Owl in the Pulpit 2007-19. You may not use or duplicate any material on this blog without express permission from its author.

Medieval Bestiary

  • About
  • The Beaver
  • The Dragon
  • The Fox
  • The Iaculus
  • The Owl
  • The Peacock
  • The Stork
  • The Whale
  • The Wolf
The Beaver
The Beaver
The Dragon
The Dragon
The Fox
The Fox
The Iaculus
The Iaculus
The Owl
The Owl
The Peacock
The Peacock
The Stork
The Stork
The Whale
The Whale
Wolf, ca.1224-59, pulpit, cathedral of Sessa Aurunca
Wolf, ca.1224-59, pulpit, cathedral of Sessa Aurunca

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Favorite Places

Sant'Angelo in Formis, eleventh century
Sant’Angelo in Formis, eleventh century
Basilica of St. Felix, Cimitile
Basilica of St. Felix, Cimitile
Portal with bell, Vairano Patenora
Portal with bell, Vairano Patenora
Campanile, Casertavecchia
Campanile, Casertavecchia
Maiolica clock face, eighteenth century, belltower of Sta. Maria Maggiore, Roccamonfina
Maiolica clock face, eighteenth century, belltower of Sta. Maria Maggiore, Roccamonfina
Duomo, eleventh century with later additions, Sessa Aurunca
Duomo, eleventh century with later additions, Sessa Aurunca
Partial view of the clerestory and vault, Fossanova Abbey
Partial view of the clerestory and vault, Fossanova Abbey
Street, Pescocostanzo
Street, Pescocostanzo
Portal, Venafro
Portal, Venafro

Favorite Posts

  • Biblia Pauperum
  • The Cathedral
  • Devotion
  • The Loggia
  • Matters Greater in Themselves
  • Memory
  • Mother Hen
  • No Use Crying Over Burnt Cabbage
  • Q & A

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