12th Century symbolism

Even today, we assosicate characteristics or virtues to certain animals or objects eg "pride of a peacock", "diamonds are forever", "as tough as an elephant". Some of these date back to medeival times (when assigning virtues was quite a fad), others are more recent.

A good source to find the symbology associated with amimals (and occasionally gemstones too) is in a beastiary. A good 12th century one on the internet (with excellent pictures and translated text) is the [Bestiary].

peacock

"When the peacock lives it Tharsis, it signifies the effete. But when it is brought by the fleet to Jerusalem, it represents learned teachers. "[[1]]

The main symbolism of the peacock is pride and vanity, when it's tail is displayed.

But the peacock can also represent learnered teachers, as "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."[[2]]

A peacock with it's tail down (rather than displayed) can be a sign of humility, of restraining one's pride as the peacock resists displaying it's tail.

apes

Apes represent the mockers

turtle dove

The turtle dove symbolises fidelity

dragon

The dragon - the serpent of adam and eve - strangles it's prey, and as biggest of all the snakes is closest to the devil. It eats the dove as the devil devours the soul of sinners.

phoenix

As the phoenix rises from the ashes, so is it a sign of the resurresction of Jesus Christ. The meaning of this was more specificaly tied to the resurrection of Jesus, than in other times, where a wider meaning of renewal was associated with the phoenix.

sources:

• [Aberdeen Bestiary].