https://cunnan.lochac.sca.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=63.60.201.37 2026-05-20T13:24:22Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.39.3 https://cunnan.lochac.sca.org/index.php?title=12th_Century_symbolism&diff=3422 2004-01-07T06:35:23Z

<p>63.60.201.37: fixed links.</p> <hr /> <div>Even today, we associate characteristics or virtues to certain animals or objects eg &quot;pride of a peacock&quot;, &quot;diamonds are forever&quot;, &quot;as tough as an elephant&quot;. Some of these date back to medieval times (when assigning virtues was quite a fad), others are more recent.<br /> <br /> A good source to find the symbolism associated with animals (and occasionally gemstones too) is in a [[bestiary]]. A good example of a [[12th century]] bestiary on the internet (with excellent pictures and translated text) is the [http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/ Aberdeen Bestiary].<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Peacock===<br /> &quot;When the peacock lives it Tharsis, it signifies the effete. But when it is brought by the fleet to Jerusalem, it represents learned teachers. &quot;[http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/]<br /> <br /> The main symbolism of the [[peacock]] is pride and vanity, when it's tail is displayed.<br /> <br /> But the peacock can also represent learned teachers, as &quot;The peacock has hard flesh, resistant to decay, which can only with difficulty be cooked over a fire by a cook, or can scarcely be digested in the stomach, because of the heat of its liver. Such are the minds of teachers; they neither burn with the flame of desire, nor are they set alight by the heat of lust.&quot;[http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/]<br /> <br /> A peacock with its tail down (rather than displayed) can be a sign of humility, of restraining one's pride as the peacock resists displaying it's tail. <br /> <br /> ===Apes===<br /> Apes represent the mockers<br /> <br /> ===on/from the left or right hand===<br /> &quot;The left hand represents temporal possessions; the right, eternal life. Those who manage temporal possessions sit on the left. Those who desire eternal life with all their heart fly on the right.&quot;[http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/]<br /> <br /> ===Turtledove===<br /> The turtle[[dove]] symbolises fidelity, for it is believed that the female dove will not take a second mate if her first mate dies. Parallel are drawn to virtuous widows remaining chaste and single, thus a single turtle dove is a symbol of chastity (and possibly purity), and a pair of turtle doves has some symbolism of love.<br /> [http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/]<br /> <br /> ===Dragon===<br /> The dragon - the serpent of Adam and Eve - strangles its prey, and as biggest of all the snakes is closest to the devil.<br /> It eats the dove as the devil devours the soul of sinners.<br /> <br /> ===Phoenix===<br /> As the [[phoenix]] rises from the ashes, so is it a sign of the resurrection of [[Jesus Christ]]. This particular symbol was specifically associated with the resurrection of Jesus - in other times, it held a more general meaning of renewal.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Sources:==<br /> *[[http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/|The Aberdeen Bestiary]].<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ''see also:''<br /> *[[12th_Century_life|12th Century life]]</div>

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