A medieval bestiary compiled information about different beasts.
Bestiary is a concept that is used with reference to collections of texts and illustrations of animals , whether real or from the realm of fantasy, that were made in the Middle Ages . The term has its origin in the Latin word bestiarius ,
Medieval bestiaries , therefore, gathered information about different beasts . They generally focused on the description of these creatures, also including lessons on morality. The characteristics of the animals that were mentioned were usually based on religious reasons: that is why they were more symbolic than scientific texts.
There were real bestiaries , about animals that were considered positive (such as eagles and lions) or negative (pigs, snakes ), and fantastic bestiaries , which were oriented towards mythological beasts such as centaurs or dragons.
History of bestiaries
The first bestiary for which there are records is the Physiologus , by an anonymous author. This bestiary would have been written between the 2nd century and the 4th century in Alexandria . Starting in the 12th century, these works began to become popular in countries such as France and England .
One of the best-known bestiaries is the Aberdeen Bestiary , of English origin. It is a compilation of other bestiaries integrated into chapters of Genesis and with numerous illustrations .
The gladiator who faced ferocious animals was called a bestiary.
The gladiators
Another use of the notion of bestiary is associated with gladiators who, in the Roman circus, faced ferocious animals .
These bestiaries could be prisoners of war, young people who specialized in handling weapons or professionals dedicated to participating in these shows in exchange for money .
"Bestiary" by Julio Cortázar
“Bestiario” , finally, is the title of several artistic works , including a famous book of stories by the Argentine Julio Cortázar .
This book was published in 1951 , the first that Cortazar launched on the market under his name. Before, he had already made some publications but under the pseudonym Julio Denis .
“Letter to a young lady in Paris”, “Distant”, "Bus", “Headache”,"Circe",“The Gates of Heaven” y"Bestiary" son algunos de los relatos que forman parte de esta obra.
A novel by Nieves Rosendo
Within the literary field, we have to highlight other works that also have the term we are analyzing in their titles. This would be the case, for example, of “Bestiario de Madrid. The mystery of the red book” , a novel written by Nieves Rosendo whose protagonist is little Carmen .
At the Ateneo in the Spanish capital he will meet a librarian named Lope, who will forget a red book there. Realizing this, Carmen goes out in search of him to give him the book. However, when you do so you will come across a completely different city. And you see a lion walking down the street, the fountains come to life, you can talk to the trees...
Bestiary as the name of businesses
Bestiario is also the name of a fashion store in Madrid, located in the well-known Vallecas neighborhood, and of an information visualization company in Barcelona .
And that is without forgetting that a coffee bar is also called that in the city of Seville , located in the heart of the center.